When you travel, what do you take with you? Are you a light packer and take just the bare minimum? Or are you the kind of traveler who can't bear leaving the house without your own hair dryer, toiletries, etc.? With me, I think I'm somewhat in the middle. I have some items that I must have whenever I travel, but I can work with whatever toiletries are provided at the hotel. Plus, I'd rather save room in my luggage for local souvenirs!I always have my iPod video, books and magazines to keep me entertained while I'm on the road or on a plane. In case something happens, I make sure to have my travel documentations in both original and copies so I can pack them in multiple places. Also, anything related to health such as sunscreen, insect repellent, bandages, aspirin and antacids are must-haves for me -- in travel size, of course!
Another must-have for me is my carry-on luggage when I travel by air. My checked-in luggage was left behind in Narita Airport in Tokyo once. Good thing I had my carry-on with me, so the next two days without my big luggage weren't so bad. Oh, and now, I always make sure to have travel insurance when I travel. An airplane company (sorry, I'm not naming any names) lost my luggage on my way to Curacao, but one quick call to my travel insurance company put my vacation back on the happiness track. I got a $1,000 shopping spree from my insurance company to replace my missing items. Nice!Anyway, traveling is fun, but not when you have to deal with missing luggage or sickness. So for today, I thought I'd list top searched travel essentials for safety to give you some ideas on what to take with you on your trip. Is there anything else that you think should've made the list?
AOL's top searched travel essentials for safety from this month:
1. Travel insurance
2. Sunscreen
3. Money belts
4. First aid kits
5. Traveler's Checks
6. Vaccination
7. TSA locks
8. Insect repellent
9. Car rental insurance
10. Travel wallet
To find your travel needs, check out AOL Travel for travel deals, AOL Shopping for travel essential items and search on AOL Search for travel essentials, such as travel insurance and traveler's checks.
See sponsored links for: travel insurance, cheap airfares, discount hotels.
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
41. Go to your nearest AAA office open an acct. deposit the money for the trip..you will receive an ATM card, it can be used in most countries..then, your bank acct can never be accessed as there is no connection to any other acct you have...Never buy a travel check..most people have never seen them and they wont cash them...
Posted at 5:16PM on Jul 25th 2007 by ColeMac
42. Never travel with travelers checks. My grandson went to Australia to study abroad and the day he arrived the checks were lost. It took him 10, yes 10 days, to get the money wired to the bank at his school. These were A/E checks, but will not travel with anyones travelers checks.
Posted at 5:23PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Gayla Buethe
43. If you must pack late at night, and you are taking black shoes, make sure you take a right AND a left shoe. Don't ask me how I know this.
Posted at 5:24PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Peggy
44. I'm a professional travel. Usually somewhere new every week for business. I've gotten pretty good at minimalist packing:
Clothing:
Slacks (2 pair), plus a pair of jeans I travel in. Good for 6 days. Blue and Khaki so I can mix/match.
Dress shirt for each day, plus 2 casual shirts.
A windbreaker type jacket in summer, reversible lined jacket in winter.
A suit jacket (wear this to travel, don't pack it).
A sweatshirt
Light cotton sleep pants.
2 pair of shorts (one to work out, one to sleep).
Undercloths/socks for each day.
Hat/Gloves in winter.
Asprin
Travel Toothbrush/paste/floss
Razor (I shave with bar soap on the road).
Pepcid
Deodorant
I-pod Shuffle (less than 100 bucks, so no real heartache if lost or stolen)
I-pod headset ( also works on plane's audio systems)
Book
Cell phone w/Camera.
Hard copy of itinerary. Copy posted to my email account in case I need it.
Passport
Driver License
Credit card and $100.00 cash for emergencies.
This setup has taken me far. I can buy anything else I need at my destination, but rarely have the need to pick anything up. All this goes in my carry-on. I only check bags on the return leg of my trip, so never have the worry of lost baggage at my destination.
Your milage may vary.... :-)
Posted at 5:48PM on Jul 25th 2007 by S
45. I always carry extra clothes so that if my luggage ever gets lost or "missplaced", I am still good to go. And also, if possible, I bring my laptop too.
Posted at 5:53PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Brian
46. always remember to bring a couple of snacks for the trip- you never know if you're allergic to what they're serving...or, maybe, you just don't think their refrigerated lasagna looks that edible!
Posted at 5:57PM on Jul 25th 2007 by gatsios
47. When ordering a drink from the stewartists, ask for NO ICE!!! Alot of people get sick just by the ice because most of the time, they don't treat it. Ask for a can of soda. If you want it in a cup, fine. Water, make sure that it is from a bottle.
Posted at 5:58PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Brian
48. There's no point to buying TSA locks for your bags, last I checked the airline will cut any locks you put on a checked bag.
Posted at 5:59PM on Jul 25th 2007 by ian
49. A money belt worn beneath my t-shirt, next to my skin is an absolute essential.I turn it around backwards so there is no bulge in the front of my shirt.I try to plan ahead by putting in my pocket exactly what I think I will be spending while out. If there is an unexpected expense, I simply retreat to a men's room stall. The confidence this gives me is immeasurable.
Posted at 6:08PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Kenneth W. Livingston
50. I've travel the world - from the concrete jungles of NYC - Paris - Moscow - Tokyo to the real jungles of Burma on trips for several days to 10 months. First off - all you really need is your airplane ticket, passport and wallet. Everything else is just gravy (except for needed meds - and you can really tell the girl posts from the guys ;). Second - I think the over abusers of carry on luggage should be put to death - oh okay..maybe they should just be made to sit in the cargo hold. The inconvenience of boarding/deplaning while half the plane is fumbling with luggage they should have checked is just too annoying. Carry on luggage is just for stuff you need while in the cabin of the plane - that’s it. Oh and please – don’t jam your seat back all the way at the first possible chance you can – only do it when you are going to sleep. And please be considerate to your fellow passengers and do not do it at all during meal time!
Posted at 6:16PM on Jul 25th 2007 by David
51. I have traveled many times in the US and three times to Europe. I find that bringing an extension cord really helps in the hotel room. Quite a few items we now carry with us need to be recharged and some rooms do not have many wall outlets or they are in hard to reach places. In Europe all you have to do is plug the extension cord into the adapter and then plug the adapter into their outlet. Hope this tip makes someone's life easier.
Posted at 6:23PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Claire Fowler
52. Bring something to read! With travel delays as bad as they are today, a book or magazine can help pass the time.
Posted at 6:23PM on Jul 25th 2007 by judy covington
53. Oh and forget about travelers checks - they are so 20th Century - ATM's can be accessed at any semi civilized point on the globe. Pop it in, tap your number and bingo local currency for a very small fee. And if you are lucky Mom and Dad can keep feeding your bank account from home. ;) Just watch out for the usual ATM scams in Eastern Europe and other semi developed areas.
Posted at 6:24PM on Jul 25th 2007 by David
54. I have to agree, that a good flashlight is a must-have for any trip! I also recommend bringing a small supply ($5.00 or so) of quarters for use in hotel vending machines so you don't have to see the front desk for change every night.
Posted at 6:27PM on Jul 25th 2007 by davcrockett
55. Learned this new trick. take along old clothes which you really were getting ready to throw away and that includes underwear. After the vacation simply throw them away and you will have plenty of room for your souveniers. As for insect repellent, even toothpaste, you can buy those things when you arrive. remember your pain meds too, the back and feet will be hurting if you are hiking on your vacation. And I always pack wipes to freshen up with. I have always taken 3 colors, beige, black and white to interchange and my used bath scrubbie which I can also throw away after the trip is over
Posted at 6:29PM on Jul 25th 2007 by Lee Moorhead
56. Travelers checks, rental and travel insurance? It is apparent that aol is being PAID to promote these expensive and outdated services.
Posted at 6:32PM on Jul 25th 2007 by NEW YORK MIKE
57. I am a seasoned traveler. Nowadays I travel with 3 kids so I always have to be prepared for odd events. A few things I always bring in my carry on are:
1. Many different sizes of baggies - sandwich, quart and gallon. They fold up easily and take up barely any room. Can be used far a variety of things, often sharing snacks, wrapping up extras, holding wet clothes or broken pieces of games or the like, plus a million other uses.
2. Safety pins.
3. Paper clips.
4. Different sizes of rubber bands.
5. Vial of squeezey Vaseline.
It is amazing what a mom can do with the above tools that take up virtually no space.
Posted at 6:41PM on Jul 25th 2007 by k
58. For flying, earplugs and an eyeshade are very helpful in sleeping.
Posted at 6:44PM on Jul 25th 2007 by dottyclark
59. If I know I will be staying in a hotel I always bring incense and a scented candle. I can't stand the smell of hotel rooms. I find that bringing my own familiar scents to be relaxing and comforting.
Also, Febreeze and now the new Downy wrinkle release are also great things to get in travel sizes.
Posted at 6:46PM on Jul 25th 2007 by k
60. besides copies of important documents, always carry an anti-diuretic (as well as travel sizes of anti-acid, pain reliever, few "eucalyptus" cough drops [in case of a sore throst]) - were leaving from Costa Rica on a very early flight when my hubby had a "stomach" problem - no stores were open and it could have been disasterous. Some duct tape coiled around a pencil is good for "repairs" of suitcases etc -
Posted at 6:51PM on Jul 25th 2007 by ruth