Dayle: If you have to ask what marmite is, forget about it. To enjoy the stuff you either have to have a genetic predisposition to it, or to have been force-fed with it on toast from the age of 2. The same can be said for its antipodean rival Vegemite.

To the rest of the world, it is a repulsive, foul-tasting spread made from brewery by-products.

- don't go to a country/city /village which doesn't sell Nutella

Toilet paper and handiwipes -- now a little bottle of Purell also

Oh, yes, and seat covers!! Don't forget the toilet seat covers

Bookie, that's awesome!

A small bottle of Liquid Bandage. Great for dealing with small cuts, of course. And easier to manage than a box of bandaids. But even more important: blister care! A small thing like a foot blister can really cast an unpleasant pall over one's trip.

Fritzl

hangover cure... first thing the next morning drink cold white wine with pink grapefruit juice. call it a mimosa. this works particularly well with Swiss whites.

nope, no more wipes, swipes, anti-things, facial soap clothes, etc. always took them never use 'em

prescription meds for sleep and pain, second only to money and passport in importance.

small flashlight, put watch around at night making a night/clock.

I don't leave home without a small compass attached to the outside of my purse. Now, I don't get lost nearly as often, though on occassion getting lost was fun.

Travel size alarm clock, gelato and washcloth. Everything else is not important.

Bring a good attitude and a sense of humor. Oh yeah, check which gasoline should go in your rental car before filling up!

After too much semmel knodel, Schnapps!

Ummm... maybe learning how to back out of a parking lot in Europe will be helpful?

If you catch a nasty cold in Budapest, ask the nice Landlady to bring you a big boiled black radish steeped in hot sugar water. You'll be well in no time.

I can't find these big black radishes in the US or I would stock up.

Hey, those black radishes... we used them in Russia for colds! I've heard from other russians they saw them at the farmer's markets in San Francisco.

I don't know what they're called in English and never seen those myself.

Vodka!! Don't forget the vodka!! Because when you get all those maladies there is nothing like vodka to fix what ails ya!! Worked for me every time and Tums.

We travel with kids who are picky eaters, so we always have a jar of peanut butter with us. We have taken jars of Jif or Skippy to Europe, Hawaii and all over the States. Our kids will eat fruit and plain veggies, and we can always find bread they like, but meat and dairy products that "taste like home" can be difficult to find. If we rent an apartment, we also take spaghetti with us. Yes, I know that these days there is peanut butter in European stores, but it just isn't like American peanut butter. And there is no point fighting about food while you travel.

Take half as much as you think you will need and budget twice as much as you think you will spend.

If you need something while on your trip you can buy it.

If you budget too much and don't spend all of it you are money ahead for your next trip.

A washcloth and travel towel so I can sort of wake up after a sleepless 9 hour flight. A flashlight for emergencies, menus in darkened rooms and to find what I lost at the bottom of my carry-on.

Printed maps (ie. mappy.com) for any town for which I did not get a map in advance, especially if walking from train station to hotel.