Travel Essentials for Women #1 – Bags

Is there such a thing as too many bags? If you’re trying to cut down your travel packing list to the minimum travel essentials for women don’t pack three different day bags. Instead, these are my suggestions.

Suitcase

When it comes to packing, I’ll never have more than one primary suitcase. If I’m going anywhere for more than a few days then I’ll always bring a large suitcase so I can be sure that there’s plenty of space for souvenirs.

You can simply put more stuff in the suitcase, not only in terms of quantity, but also what you can pack.

For example nail clippers, nail scissors, large bottles of liquid (shampoo, conditioner, and body wash), and razors. These items are often prohibited in your carry on luggage but are fine if they’re going in the hold.

There’s also the matter of anything you purchase during your trip. Not only do you have to think about how you’ll carry it home, but if you don’t have checked luggage you must also consider if you’ll even be allowed to take it on the plane.

If you don’t check in a suitcase, you can say goodbye to your European spirits and wines! I have several sets of these suitcases of all different sizes and they’ve always served me well.

Backpack

Of course, that’s not to say that carry-on luggage isn’t brilliant – and I would absolutely advise picking up a sturdy (and stylish) backpack for this.

Handbags are great, but when you’re already dragging around a suitcase, the last thing you want is a heavy handbag on your arm.

And mine is always incredibly heavy with my DSLR, large water bottle and books in it!

Plus, it creates more of a security risk if your purse and travel documents are dangling on show.

Small Evening Bag

An evening bag or some sort of small cross-body bag is a must for any holiday. I love exploring cities by night and just wandering around and I find there’s no need for the big bag I usually take around in the day.

It’s handy for carrying your essentials and a good option if you’re planning any nice dinners or bar visits.

If you’re really trying to cut down on luggage space then I’d skip the cross-body evening bag and just stick with a tote bag (below).

Tote Bag

Last on the list, I would always recommend taking a tote bag which you can fold up and stash away until you need it. If you’ve ever got lost on your way to the beach, trying to carry your towel, book sunglasses and other beach accessories, you’ll understand.

Tote bags are the unsung hero of travel essentials, and if you don’t already have one – get one!

Travel Essentials for Women #2 – Toiletries

Now, this is where our suitcase comes in handy. Worldwide travel guidelines state that only bottles up to a certain (generally very small) size are permitted in hand luggage – everything else must be stowed away in your carry-on luggage.

Let me ask you this: have you ever tried to wash your hair on holiday with one of those mini travel toiletries? Nightmare.

They simply aren’t big enough and carrying hundreds of them around on every trip rather defeats the object of making them travel size. It’s certainly not great for the war on plastic we are in the midst of!

Clear Toiletries Bag

Let’s start with toiletry holders. I personally have a lovely makeup bag that is the perfect size and shape to carry all my bits, and fits perfectly in a side pocket in my suitcase.

But there are inevitably items which you’ll want with you – such as lip balm, hand cream and maybe some hand sanitiser – and for those, you will need one of the very attractive and super-stylish clear airport security bags.

These bags are readily available at the security checkpoint of most airports. However, with one of these clear bags, you can prep in advance so you’re not scrabbling to do this as you rush for your flight.

What’s more, no one wants to be the person who leaves something in their bag by accident and gets hauled aside at security to explain the rogue bottle of sun cream in their carry-on bag.

In the interests of being organised and ensuring a calm airport experience, pre-pack your see-through bag with what you think you might need on the flight.

Getting one of these TSA approved bags can be really convenient too if travelling to the USA. 

This could include any of the following items:

Hand-Sanitiser

This one is just good sense (especially in these times!), after all, you never know who has had contact with the surfaces you use throughout your travel experience. What’s more, you may struggle to find a hand sanitiser brand you trust once you get to your destination.

Browse travel hand-sanitisers and check prices here.

Menstrual Cup

A menstrual cup is a really excellent and sustainable solution to menstruation that allows you to get involved with all sorts of holiday activities without worrying about changing your tampon/pad or worse, leaking.

My favourite brand is Mooncup, which is one of the OG menstrual cup brands. It comes in two sizes so you can pick the most suitable one for you.

Lip Balm

No explanation needed. Everyone needs lip balm! Chapped lips are not sexy. Carmex is my absolute favourite lip balm and it comes in different forms and flavours.

Shop Carmex lip balm here.

Hair ties

I don’t know about you, but I always think I want my hair down and around my face, until I try to read a book or watch a film, and realise my hair is completely in the way. Take hair ties and thank me later.

This pack of black hair ties will do you nicely and shouldn’t tug on your hair.

Or if you’re willing to spend a tiny bit more, I’d recommend getting some spiral hair ties as these won’t lose their stretch and last way longer!

Browse for durable spiral hair ties here.

Suncream

You never know how long you could be waiting at the other end, or where you’ll be waiting, and it’s always best to be prepared to spend some time outside in the sun! Plus, suncream is super good for wrinkles and ensuring your skin looks the best it possibly can.

If you’re not doing so already, you should make sure you are using a moisturiser with some sort of SPF in it so you have daily protection.

Moisturiser

Flying is notoriously bad for our skin, and it’s not unheard of to get off the plane and break out in spots and dry patches of skin. Combat dehydration and dry skin by staying moisturised!

I swear by brands like Aveeno and Nivea but I’ve heard good things about Cetaphil too!

Travel Essentials for Women #3 – Clothes

Breaking your clothing pack list down into different sections is actually a really great way to make sure you don’t forget anything.

There’s nothing worse than getting to your hotel only to realise you left half of your favourite bikini behind or forgot to pack socks! This list of clothing essentials should help you make sure you’ve got everything you need.

Underwear

No explanation needed. As girls, we’re probably guilty of packing way too much underwear, but better too much than not enough! You can’t go wrong with this pack of simple black cotton underwear.

Swimwear

If you’re going somewhere long haul and plan on spending a lot of time on the beach then you may choose to pack multiple swimming costumes. A bikini or swimming costume for swimming in, and one for looking fabulous in. Plus, maybe one that will give good tan lines…

If you’re packing light then you’ll need to find one that meets the above three criteria all in one.

Activewear

Maybe we’ll hit the gym, maybe we won’t. But it would be nice to have the option… besides, you can always wear gym leggings on a holiday hike! I own several pairs of black Nike leggings and highly recommend them for stretch, comfort and durability.

Day Trip Attire

Denim shorts are a given, as is a set of t-shirts. Neutral or plain t-shirts can go with lots of different outfits, both formal and casual so it’s great to be able to pack outfits you can mix and match.

If you’re worried about space, plan your days in advance a little and assign one outfit for each – anything beyond that list is overpacking!

Evening wear

It’s great to have at least one nice evening outfit and a dress will take up the least about of space. Don’t forget that evenings can be chilly in even in the warmest of places, so take a cardigan or two to make sure you stay snug and comfy.

Shoes

Flip flops, sandals, trainers, wedges. Anything else is probably unnecessary… but I’ll let you be the judge of that!

Travel Budget Plan | Daily Expenses Abroad

Let’s start with the daily expenses you can expect on a backpacking trip! Of course, you’ll be spending money every day – it’s the first step in your budget travel planner. I’ll be providing real-life examples to give you a rough idea of what you can expect.

Accommodation

Make sure you have a clear travel budget plan and don’t forget to do research on low budget accommodation options in your travel destinations!

Accommodation can take quite a fair bit of your travel budget out there. So, here are two options to consider.

Couchsurfing – an online App where you can literally stay on a local person coach, or if you’re really lucky, a spare bed for free. You can make new friends and get a feel of what it’s like to live like a local, at no cost. Full disclosure here: Couchsurfing used to be very popular about 5-10 years ago. I used to love Couchsurfing. Nowadays, it’s less popular, but still, a lot of people are using it.

Hostelworld / Booking.com – Before arriving at your new location it is best to search for the best hostels that meet your budget. By using online sites you can easily get a rough idea of the average hostel rate per night and to make sure you’re securing the best deal.

Transportation

To travel around as cheaply as possible, conduct research in the location you are visiting, many countries now have cheap online taxi Apps such as Uber, Grab (Asia) or GOJek (Indonesia). However public transport options like buses, trams, and trains are by far the cheapest.

Food/Drinks

In Asia, you can eat out every night and stay within your low travel budget thanks to the incredible street food options and night markets buzzing with backpackers and locals and serving hot, tasty and exotic food! However, in Australia, you are best to dine in and make use your accommodations kitchen and cook in. In Europe and the U.S you can find a wide variety of cheap restaurants, however dining in again will allow you to stick to your travel budget.

Activities

Plan what you want to see and do beforehand to make sure you are making the most of the cheaper activities the destination has to offer. Once arrived at your destination, ask other travelers or speak with the hostel staff to get an idea on the cheapest way to organize activities. Usually, the cheapest way to experience an activity is to organize it yourself and team up with fellow backpackers to venture out and enjoy the activity in a group to share the costs and benefit from group rates.

Of course, if you want to know what to expect in terms of pricing, you can always check on Getyourguide and book some activities in advance!

Travel Budget Plan | Getting Ready

 

Transportation Between Countries

Once you have started backpacking, you can use Skyscanner to research and find the cheapest flight to reach your next destination.

• Travel off-season – Avoid traveling in the high seasons or during dates that collide with school holidays.
• Book in advance or days before – Book far in advance as possible, cheap deals appear once before skyrocketing higher in price. If you are last minute, you can also snag a low price by booking two or three days before when airlines lower prices to fill up last few seats, perfect for those last minute trips.
• Private search ­­- When ready to book a flight, use a private browsing tab, incognito browsing clears your cookie history which would usually hike up the price of your overly searched flight. I personally tried this before and had no luck with the incognito searching, but who knows, you might end up finding a great deal!
• Multi-stop flight – Multiple stop flights may be long, but they can end up being much cheaper than flying directly.
• Read more tips here.

Visas

Visa requirements will differ depending on your own nationality, your different travel destinations and the length of time you want to stay. The easiest and most reliable way to understand which type of visa you will need, if any, is by visiting the embassy website of every place you plan to visit. They will have a clear and definitive price of the visa, all the requirements and different application options, all according to your citizenship.

Make sure to do all this research and include visa prices when planning your travel budget, be clued up before you arrive at your destination to avoid being faced with any unwanted high visa fees! You can also check out iVisa to find the right requirements for you!

Travel Insurance

It may be tempting to choose the cheapest travel insurance on offer, but this is somewhere I really insist on investing a few more dollars in! Search through a comparison website and find out what the travel insurance payout is. Make sure you carefully read your policy and compare; an extra $20 travel insurance can end up covering you way more than the cheapest budget option and may even save your life.

Also, make sure it covers you for your most prized possessions, if you have expensive camera gear, find an add-on in your policy to increase technology coverage. Remember to always carry around the number of your insurance and all the policy details, just in case anything happens during your travels to save you forking out more money than needed.

Travel Gear & Essentials

When packing for your budget travel adventures, you have to carefully choose travel essentials, which will save you money on the road and simplify your backpacker life. You can check my favorite travel essentials or this Southeast Asia packing list.

• Universal travel plug – A good quality universal adaptor will last years and used anywhere in the world.
• Unlocked phone – This will save you from being overcharged by overseas fees, simply buy a cheap local SIM in each country you visit.
• Wide eye camera lens – Can’t fork out on expensive camera gear? Stick to your travel budget and use a wide eye portable lens for our camera to capture the best of your adventures cheaply and easily.
• Portable battery pack – This is essential for any backpacker on the road, ensuring you can charge your tech goods anywhere, anyplace.
• Journal and pen – Write down any scribbles, thoughts, and stories during your travels.
• Reusable water bottle– A refillable bottle will save the environment and save you money!
• Waterproof rain jacket – Handy for keeping you dry and preventing any water damage to your, phone, camera and travel gear.

Budget Travel Tips

Travel Budgeting Apps/Useful Apps

Trip Coin App – This App lets you track all of your travel spending’s offline, without the use of Wi-Fi, which is ideal for any remote backpacking adventures. The App gives you notifications of your daily spend, track what type of purchases you are making, and allows you to keep an eye on your set travel budget.

XE Currency – The app allows you to stay in the loop with live exchange rates, you can even see multiple currency exchange rates in the app all on the same screen! Avoiding any confusion over those pesky exchange rates in your new destination. This will save you stress and money!

Google Maps – Did you know you can view maps offline? Search for your intended destination whilst you have Wi-Fi and your destination will remain on the screen once you hit the road. You can also check out the different travel options including public transport routes with live travel times and precise directions. So, you can travel somewhere on your own without taking expensive taxi rides.

Top Budget Travel Tips

• You could hand-wash your clothes to save money on laundry. In Asia, you can find very cheap options, but in places like Europe, you could end up paying about $10 just to do your laundry. You could also carry detergent pods with you!
• One of the biggest expenses related to transportation is going to an airport and leaving an airport. Making research beforehand is a great way to avoid paying expensive taxi rides. Also, you could always share a cab with people met at the airport or on the plan.  Be social, it could help you save money!
• In Southeast Asia, I managed to find ways to go on an extreme budget by using my skills and knowledge to save on accommodation.