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Ensuring you have absolutely all of the perfect travel essentials for women is no easy task. While many of the best travel essentials are the same for both men and women, us ladies also have some unique requirements when it comes to essentials for travel.
Below you will find a comprehensive list of travel essentials for females. Remember, you won’t need every single one of these on every trip – but it’s a good idea to peruse this packing list of travel essentials to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything for your upcoming adventures! Whether you’re exploring new places for the first time, or returning to old haunts, the following items will help you on your journey. You always want to buy good things at a great price.
1. VPN:
A VPN is crucial if you’re planning to do any amount of traveling. Public wifi, both overseas and domestically, makes it very easy to get your information (passwords, bank accounts, etc) stolen. The best way to keep your info protected is a VPN. When you’re abroad, a VPN also gives you access to everything from Netflix and Hulu to your bank account.
Unfortunately, free VPNs are free because they sell your data and fail frequently. They’re insecure. I like NordVPN but ExpressVPN and TorGuard are also popular. NordVPN has an easy interface and it works on your computer, your smartphone, and I even use it on my Amazon Fire TV to watch my favorite shows abroad. They’re currently running a great deal!
2. Door Stop Alarm:
Sometimes you’re in a hotel room in a great part of town, and other times the hotel room lock is…questionable. In such scenarios, it’s a good idea to bring a door stop alarm as part of your travel essentials for women. When you’re ready to go to bed, just place it in front of the door. Not only does it stop the door from opening, if the pressure pad gets pressed a loud alarm goes off, ensuring you can get up and deal with the situation.
3. Toiletry Bag:
A bag for your toiletries and any other personal item may seem obvious, but not all toiletry bags are created equal. While a Ziploc bag will do in a pinch (trust me, I’ve used plenty of them) – there are so many better options. A good toiletry bag will have you spending less time getting ready and more time off on your adventures – while keeping your toothbrush clean. It also makes it easy to remove your liquids for airport security. Travel and Leisure magazine did a great review on different toiletry bags for all occasions.
4. Lip Balm:
I don’t care if you are on a long flight to Hawaii, riding a camel across the Sahara Desert, or mushing huskies through the Lapland region of Finland, lip balm is high on the list of travel essentials for women. Lip balm (also known as chapstick) keeps your lips feeling, and looking, their best. I have a tendency to lose my lip balm so I like to bring two. I like Burt’s Bee’s.
5. Travel Insurance:
Plenty of travelers don’t use travel insurance – I typically travel without it. And many credit cards offer some sort of travel insurance as well which is worth checking out. You don’t need travel insurance if you’re not putting down non-refundable trip deposits.
Advocates like the peace of mind travel insurance brings. Travel insurance provides a safety net of comprehensive coverage for unforseen circumstances. Medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, environmental disasters requiring evacuation, illness, family emergencies, etc etc etc.
Travel insurance makes sure you are reimbursed for any of these things that you would otherwise be on the hook for (dependent on policy). Plans are often cheap and easy to get. Two respected companies are EKTA (plans start at 99 cents per day), VisitorsCoverage (ideal for traveling in the Americas).
6. Sunscreen:
Sunscreen is one of the most important travel essentials for women. A great vacation can be ruined by a bad sunburn. It’s painful, hazardous to your health, and not exactly “cute”. A sunburn can take a week or more to heal – meaning if you get burned, you likely have it for the duration of your vacation. If you find yourself in or around any beaches, please try and use reef safe sunscreen. Reef safe sunscreen helps protect coral and your skin! For a complete guide to reef safe sunscreen, click here.
7. Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Toothbrush Cover:
I feel like as far as travel essentials for women go, this one is pretty self-explanatory. Whether you’re on a long-haul flight or a short trip, it’s also a travel essential for everyone. Your toothbrush won’t always have time to dry before putting it away. A cover keeps it, and the stuff in your toiletry bag clean. A travel friendly toothpaste option can be toothpaste
8. Hair Ties and Hair Clips:
Unless you’re rocking a pixie cut, hair ties are almost certainly on most packing lists of travel essentials for women. On a hot day, it is so nice to throw up your long hair and get it off your neck. I always bring a few extras because hair ties have a tendency to snap at the worst possible times.
9. Deodorant:
Deodorant for travel. It’s one of the best ways to stay fresh on long haul flights…or anywhere really. If you won’t do it for yourself – do it for the person next to you. It could be me. You can really choose any deodorant that works for you. If you need a recommendation, this deodorant has good reviews.
10. Menstrual Cup, Discs, Tampons or Pads:
If you know, or thing you might, be on your period when traveling, it’s great to come prepared. If you’re traveling off the beaten path, nothing beats the menstrual cup – it’s easy to use but can take some practice.
Otherwise just bring some tampons, pads, or whatever you’re used to. I always tend to have a couple in my toiletry bag to help out anyone in my group, or hostel, that may have forgot.
11. Make-Up and Other Beauty Products:
Okay, I agree. Make up is not always a travel essential, but certain trips are less about hiking through national parks and more about partying on Mykonos or on a business trip. If yours is the latter, then you might consider your favorite make-up a women’s travel essential. But you’re perfect just the way you are! Interested in buying some products?
12. Hair Dryer, Hair Straightener, Hair Curler:
A small travel blow dryer can be great if you don’t expect to have one in your hotel room or hostel (though many places have them these days. Call ahead and if your place doesn’t have a hair dryer, you can throw one in your bag.
If your hair is as unruly as mine, styling tools are definitely on the list of women’s travel essentials. If you’re traveling internationally, make sure to get one with the right voltage. I’ve fried many a styling tool in the wrong country…R.I.P. Or get yourself some Dual Voltage hair straighteners or dual voltage hair curlers. Aria products aren’t cheap, but they’re great quality that last forever.
13. Dry Shampoo and/or other Hair Products:
Dry Shampoo can be a great way to freshen up between washes, especially if your hair is oily or you’re in a hot or humid environment where you’ll be sweating. Remember to bring all your other essential feminine hair products (hair spray, gel, heat protection). You can buy small travel bottles and fill them with your favorite products.
14. Razors
If you shave and like razors, it’s an essential. If you don’t – then don’t.
15. Face Wash:
We enjoy life to the max when traveling but breakouts never take a vacation. For those with sensitive skin, it’s important to keep up with your skin routine. Get a small travel bottle and fill it with your favorite face wash or cleanser. Don’t forget body wash as well!
16. Hand Sanitizer:
Sometimes a hand washing station or bathroom can be hard to find. Keep things sanitary. Avoid food poisoning. Bring hand sanitizer and hand sanitizing wipes in your travel essentials for women kit.
17. Neck Pillow:
A neck pillow is a great option for any travel be it plane, train, or car. You can sleep sitting up and avoid a cramp in your neck.
18. Inflatable Travel Pillow:
Another good option is a travel pillow, especially if you’ll be doing any camping. These pillows are lightweight and inflatable. Perfect for backpacking across Europe or camping in the outback.
19. Eye Mask:
When you absolutely, positively, must get some sleep – get an eye mask. It’s great for blocking out light on airplanes, in airports, or if you need a few extra zzz’s in the morning. I recommend using ones with eye cups. They are so much more comfortable.
20. Reusable Water Bottle (Collapsible):
Ditch plastic and bring a reusable water bottle. Check out a collapsible water bottle. These things are absolutely fantastic for saving space when not in use and they are super light.
21. Packing Cubes:
If you haven’t tried packing cubes, you should consider them for your next trip. I consider these to be an important female travel essential. Packing Cubes save space by compressing your clothes more efficiently in a suitcase or a backpack. They also help you stay super organized during any long trip – providing easy access to all your stuff.
22. Jewelry Organizer:
Have you ever been on a trip, placing your favorite jewelry in a bag, and it all comes out in a tangled mess? Just me? Well that’s a major reason to get a jewelry organizer. These nifty things keep all your best small items and jewelry pieces tangle free and safe from breaking.
23. Laundry Bag:
A laundry bag is a perfect way to keep dirty clothes separate from clean items. On a longer trip, laundry bags make it easy to transport your clothes to the nearest laundromat or hostel washing machine. They make collapsible bags that weigh very little.
24. Comfortable Shoes:
Comfortable walking shoes are a travel essential for women. Figure out what type of vacation you’re going to have. Considering a beach vacation? Bring sandals. Hiking? Grab some trail runners. Partying it up? Heels. Bring shoes that can be used for many things.
A comfortable pair of flats is always a great way to take in the city. I love love love allbirds. They are machine washable, super packable, very comfortable, and chic.
25. Shoe Bag:
Shoes get dirty. It’s a fact of life. But when dirty shoes are packed in a bag with clean clothes, it can ruin some of our best pieces before we even get to our destination. Shoe bags are a game changer. They keep your shoes separate from everything else in your bag. A great way to stay clean and organized.
26. Apple Watch or Smart Watch:
Why is a smart watch one of the travel essentials for women? Apple watches are good for travelers because they are convenient, portable, provide notifications, offer health and fitness tracking, assist with navigation, support contactless payments, and have efficient battery life. It’s an easy way to stay connected.
27. Portable Chargers:
For road trips, long flights, or really any travel lasting more than a day, you’ve got to bring your portable charger. It’s a travel essential for women, men, and anyone with a phone.
Charging your devices is not just about convenience, your phone provides research, taxis, flight information, and can be used to call for help in an emergency. Keeping it charged is critical. Bring the portable chargers. It’s a travel essential for everyone.
28. Power Banks:
One way to make sure you always have a charge available on your phone, even if going off-grid for awhile, is to bring a battery bank. These come in all shapes and sizes. I have some power banks that are great to charge your phone one time and can be used in an emergency. I have others that can charge my laptop multiple times. Figure out which power bank you need, CHARGE IT FIRST, then bring it on your trip.
29. Travel Adapters and Travel Converters:
If you’re traveling abroad – the plugs, and the voltage, will most likely be different. Travel adapters change the shape of your plug to fit into any socket. Travel converters allow you to use your product with a different voltage. Travel converters are not something you want to skimp on. They protect your most important electronic devices and many of the cheaper ones tend to fail at the worst possible times.
30. Personal Alarm
So the alarm on your phone is fantastic. Most of the time for vacation I just use that. But when I am traveling for work, I often have important meetings to get to early in the morning. I like to have redundancy in my alarm clocks.
That’s where a travel alarm comes in. I never have to worry about losing my phone or my batter going dead and not getting up in time for an important work function. You don’t need anything expensive or fancy. The one below is good.
31. Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Bringing noise-canceling headphones when traveling is great because they reduce external noise (great for naps), enhance audio quality (for your music), promote focus and productivity (in case you need to work), improve health and well-being (if you end up in the gym), provide entertainment on the go (Netflix on the plane), and offer privacy and personal space in crowded environments.
I use Bose headphones. It comes with a wired headphone adapter for planes.
32. Wired Headphones for Planes
Most airplanes have yet to adopt Bluetooth technology which means you’re going to be stuck with wired headphones. Airline headphones are typically pretty low quality. Get yourself a set of wired headphones to avoid this issue if you don’t have wireless headphones with an airplane attachment.
33. Credit Cards:
Having a reliable credit card is a travel essential for women. I love my Chase Sapphire Reserve. There are no international transaction fees, if it gets stolen I’m not liable and they will overnight me a new card, they have worldwide free customer service, and they never shut off my card when traveling.
There is nothing worse than your bank shutting off your card because you didn’t tell them you were going somewhere. I know quite a few people use American Express Platinum or the United MileagePlus card. It’s all about that points game!
34. First Aid Kit:
Whether you pack one yourself or get something pre-made, a small first aid kit complete with a lot of things like ibuprofen, blister tape, and aloe gel can be a life saver.
35. Pepper Spray:
Pepper spray is great to have on hand for self defense, but it’s illegal in some countries (I’m looking at you Canada). So check the laws before you travel but pepper spray can be one of those travel essentials for women that we’re glad we have – but hope we never have to use.
You won’t be able to take this through airport security in case it explodes on the plane. It’s important for the pilots to see.
36. Tote Bag:
Totes are one of the travel essentials for women because they are so versatile. They are great for shopping bags, day trips to the beach, or an emergency purse. They’re inexpensive so pick one you love off Etsy or Amazon and voila!
37. Books and Magazines:
Is it really a vacation if you don’t read a good book at some point? Don’t feel pressured to force your way through that nonfiction novel (unless that’s your thing) – get that light, fun, fictional beach read and enjoy your travels. In case of an airplane delay, you should also throw one in your carry-on bag.
38. Travel Documents:
Have I gone to the airport without travel documents? Yes. Did I get on the plane? Of course not – I missed my flight. This is why it’s crucial to bring your important documents. Don’t lose them. Keep them safe. If you do lose them, call your embassy’s consular section. They’ll help you out. Remember to keep digital copies of travel documents as well for extra protection.
39. Hand Luggage
Hand luggage is often the only luggage you need on short trips. The best part of hand luggage only traveling is it saves you a lot of time waiting for your luggage at baggage claim and minimizes the chance it will get lost.
Since you don’t have as much space, you’ll want a good way to keep things organized (like packing cubes). If you invest in high quality hand luggage, it will last for a very long time.
40. Scarf or Shawl:
A scarf or a shawl can be an incredibly versatile piece of clothing while traveling. It can be used for warmth on chilly airplane rides, in cold weather, as a beach coverup, a picnic blanket, or to provide modesty in religious sites. Lightweight and easy to pack, it’s an item you won’t regret bringing along.
41. Prescription Medications:
If you take prescription medications, be sure to pack enough for the duration of your trip. It’s also wise to keep them in their original packaging with your name on it, to avoid any potential issues at security. Always carry them in your hand luggage in case your checked luggage is lost or delayed.
42. E-Reader:
If you’re a voracious reader, an e-reader can be a game-changer. It can store hundreds of books in one lightweight device, making it an ideal companion for long journeys or relaxing days on the beach. Kindle is a popular choice with a large library of titles to choose from.
43. Snacks:
No matter where you’re traveling to, it’s always a good idea to have some snacks on hand. Not only do they tide you over during long journeys or in case of unexpected delays, but they can also provide a bit of home comfort if you’re traveling to a country with unfamiliar food. Choose snacks that are durable and won’t spoil easily, like granola bars or nuts.
44. Wet Wipes:
Whether you want to freshen up after a long flight, clean your hands before a meal, or wipe down a suspiciously sticky table, wet wipes are a handy item to have in your bag.
Travel Wet Wipes on Amazon
45. Sunglasses:
Protect your eyes from the sun’s harsh rays and look stylish at the same time. Sunglasses are an absolute essential, especially if you’re traveling to a sunny destination.
46. Portable Laundry Detergent:
If you’re planning a longer trip, carrying a small amount of laundry detergent can be incredibly handy. You can hand-wash clothes in the sink or bathtub of your accommodation, reducing the amount of clothing you need to pack. In fact, Tide make special laundry detergent for sinks!
47. Swimwear
Even if you’re not planning on swimming, it’s always a good idea to pack a swimsuit. You never know when you might come across a beautiful beach, hot tub, or pool.
48. Travel-Size Umbrella:
A small, lightweight umbrella is a good thing to have on hand, especially if you’re traveling during the rainy season. It can also provide shade on particularly sunny days.
49. Quick Dry Travel Towel
This can be a lifesaver in situations where towels are not provided, or you want to ensure you have a personal, clean one.
50. Travel Journal
This can be a great way to document your experiences, thoughts, and memories during your travel. It can serve as a fantastic keepsake after your journey ends.
51. BONUS!!: Cell Phone Carrier: T-Mobile or Google Fi
Look, everyone has preferences on their mobile carrier and far be it from me to tell you which one to get. One thing to consider for women who travel internationally is data roaming charges. T-Mobile has many plans with unlimited texting and data in over 215 countries.
This makes it my go-to choice for mobile carrier. Google-fi also uses the T-mobile network so you can also get free international data through google-fi.
52. BONUS!!: Insect Repellent
Avoid Mosquitoes. Bring insect repellent if you plan on spending any time outdoors.
Table of Contents – Travel Essentials for Women
Conclusion
These top travel essentials for women are a great start to any essential items list. Of course, it’s a good idea to make a list of important items to take with with you – especially if you have any unique needs like medications. That way, your must-have travel essentials are always available.
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Remember, you should always keep your most important things in your hand luggage when traveling. The last thing you want is to lose your most important travel necessities if your luggage gets lost.
Packing wisely for travel days, especially when visiting a new city, makes a big difference. Utilize Google Maps to navigate, prepare for both cold and warm weather, and remember essential items like a charger with multiple USB ports for long days out.
A well-organized bag (in a variety of different colors) can include items to suit any occasion, essential oils for refreshment, and favorite brands for comfort. Also, consider personal items like some pairs of shoes and separate bags for dirty laundry.
Remember, these items are just a guide and your personal travel essentials might differ. Consider your destination, the length of your trip, the weather, and your personal preferences when packing. Safe travels!