8 things I can’t travel without

I’m in the midst of absolute travel planning for next year, and I thought it would be interesting to share a few tools I use for my travels.

Google Maps – Navigation & Planning

This is my go-to for all things from planning my itineraries to checking hotel locations, public transport options, duration of transit between one place and the other, finding restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc, and additional points of interest, to help me navigate whilst I’m travelling and reduce the risk of getting lost. Google Maps makes me question how people travel before the Internet was a thing and apps like these existed.

There is also a very cool feature that groups all the places you starred in a certain location. In the screenshot below you can see a list of all things I starred in Milan, for a trip I’m doing in a little over a week.

Booking.com – For Accommodation

I’m a Genius Level 3 so that by itself should tell you a lot! Booking is a company I trust to book most of my accommodation when travelling. Recently though there have been some incidents with hackers being able to see the hotels I had booked and impersonate booking by sending emails (that look like a lot that could be from Booking) stating my payment method could not be verified and requesting for confirmation of card details. I was able to see it was a scam, but it is incredibly well done and it is scary.

Hacking aside (unfortunately we are all at risk of these from the moment we use online services for anything), Booking.com has been incredibly reliable. I love the honest review system, which allows me to immediately filter that I only want to see accommodation with an overall rating over 8 (max is 10), reading people’s comments and experiences, and often finding great deals too. I know a lot of people have turned to Airbnb in the past years, but I have found these options to be better for bigger groups of people. As most of my travelling is solo, safety is my number one priority. I definitely avoid private hosts and seek hotels, hostels or B&Bs. In Asia, Agoda is more widely known and used, so I’ve turned to this platform to plan my trip to South East Asia next year. I always compare it with Booking, and will book where I find the most affordable deals.

Kindle – For the dead moments

I’m an avid reader and a lover of physical books. However, for someone who moves so much as I do, it’s definitely not practical to carry copies of books during my travels. A few years ago I acquired a Kindle and whilst there was a time of adaptation, I couldn’t have been happier with it now. As I travel alone, I end up reading a lot when I’m waiting for a train/plane, or when I’m at a restaurant. cafe taking some downtime, at the beach if it’s that kind of trip, and of course always before going to bed, even if it’s just a page. This means I end up reading a lot, so having my Kindle with me ensures I’m never left with nothing to read, as I can carry literally dozens of books with me.

Skyscanner – for flights! Trainline – for trains & buses!

I have to start by saying I do not book flights directly through Skyscanner. Due to a scare I had a few years ago, I ALWAYS book my flights through the airline’s website directly, even if it costs more money. But Skyscanner is where I start my research and make a decision on where I’ll buy my tickets – I see what options are available, and what is more affordable. I also use it for planning, to see how long the flights take in general, if stopovers are involved, etc.

When travelling in Europe, Trainline is the platform I use to find all the best land transportation to get from point A to B, which is even more useful in the UK. I even used this tool for professional trips.

My Camera – for my photography

If you know my blog, you know photography is a big thing for me. While I use my iPhone sometimes, it never replaces the feel of a camera on my hands. Last year I switched to a smaller and lighter Sony, as I had been carrying a heavy Canon, whose autofocus eventually broke. I have more control of the shots I take with a camera, I have more artistic freedom, and whilst phones these days take amazing pictures, in my eye nothing compares to the quality of a digital camera.

A camera has become a classic accessory that identifies a tourist, and through the years I have had friends travelling with me not looking very comfortable with the camera hanging on my neck…. it is not considered cool, I guess. But when did photography become a synonym for irritating tourists? I find way more frustrating when my views are blocked with phone screens and selfie sticks, that so dangerously hang in the air. Also, I’m not afraid of being identified as a tourist. I’m going to look like one anyway!

Passport Cover – for protection

This a very recent acquisition. I noticed that the golden engraving on the cover of my passport was disappearing, and got a bit paranoid, as I’ve heard stories of immigration officers being quite peaky with the appearance of the passport. As I’m planning extensive travelling next year, I bought a very cheap, simple plastic cover, that is also very slim so it doesn’t interfere with the scanning of my document at the gates. You can find plenty of options on Amazon.

A pen – because you’ll need it

In the age of digital, it’s easy to forget a pen. I’ve learned to always carry one around with me during my studies years ago when I was graduating in journalism. I never forgot one of the professors saying that a pen was one of the most basic tools a journalist could carry around, cause you never know when you’ll need it to take some notes. Well, you don’t have to be a journalist or an aspiring writer. Having a pen with me saved me the embarrassment of asking for one to a stranger on a plane, or at the airport when I have to fill in immigration forms, which happens quite regularly. I do typically carry a small notebook/journal with me, to note down my thoughts, so a pen is a must. You could say notes can be taken on your phone, but I am an old soul, and I’ve always been better with pen and paper. I’m trying to use my phone more for notes, but it’s a difficult habit to break 🙂 Pro tip: if you forget a pen at home, or if yours runs out of ink, I’ve found that museums and some souvenir shops have always beautiful pens that will be a nice memory you can keep from your trip. A useful souvenir 🙂

A refillable water bottle – for sustainability and health

I will do my best to avoid buying bottled water unless I have to – which happens unfortunately in a lot of countries where drinkable water isn’t readily available from the tap. Still, even in those countries, I will try to buy bigger bottles to refill my reusable ones as I go on the trip (of course, if this is possible). I’ve also found that sometimes hotels offer filtered water for refills, so I never thought it was a waste of space to carry my one reusable water around. It ensures I remember carrying water with me at all times, saving money on water and most importantly, reducing plastic waste.

This is everything that has become essential for me, is there anything you can’t live without that didn’t make this list?

Love, Nic