ed

1 A spare pair of glasses! I take the pair before my present pair. (I had a lens drop out when I was in Bangkok)

2. A flashlight.

3. Copies of ALL travel documents.

4. A list of the phone numbers for credit card problems.

:-B

nocinonut

I take a nice big shower cap, those net poufs for bathing because they dry fast,
my own scented bath soap because it is so nice to relax with my own scent after a long day.

Before I leave home I put on clean sheets and lay out my nightgown on the bed so I can just fall into it when I arrive home exhausted from the long flights.

wandrlst

Great ideas! I bring a small net laundry bag, the kind you use for delicate items when you machine wash clothes. You can get them at a bed&bath store or a store's linens section. I collect all my worn lingerie/stockings/socks in the bag so I'm not sorting through them to get to unused items as I get dressed the next day. This is handy to keep things separate for handwashing during the trip or knowing what needs to go directly in the laundry basket when I unpack when I return home.

h2babe

ttt

Huitres

Batteries! I learned after my last trip that there is no sense spending 5+ euros to buy replacement batteries for my camera - now I bring a double pack along with me in the suitcase.

Another important item for me: the large, heavy duty plastic Ikea bag (comes in blue or yellow), it can be folded down to approx 5"x7" and tucked in my suitcase. At trip's end, it serves as a 2nd "suitcase" for me to put all my souvenirs accumulated on my trip into, it becomes my carry-on for the return flight home.

SydneySteve

My Blackberry, my Ipod to store pics from my digital camera and my Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones to listen to music from my Ipod and block out aircraft noise.

happytourist

I have three small cosmetic bags that are packed and always ready to go on a trip. The first is a laundry kit: sink stopper, inflatable hangers, small spray bottle for water to remove wrinkles, small spray bottle of Febreze, stretch clothesline, 2 suction cup hooks (sometimes needed for clothesline), a baggie with dryer sheets, Shout stain remover packets, small sewing kit with scissors. I no longer buy the expensive Woolite packets but use shampoo (without conditioner). Those little hotel bottles work fine. Often in Europe you'll get tiny packets of shampoo--save them for washing clothes.

The second is first aid/health: Dulcolax and Immodium (buy at a dollar store in small amounts), Tylenol, Momentum for tension headaches, wrist bands for seasickness, antibiotic bandaids, moleskin, alcohol pads, sunscreen, bug repellent wipes, Ace bandage in case my knee goes out.

The third is picnicware: two bandanas, very small wooden cutting board, folding knife, corkscrew, Handiwipes, camping fork/spoon set, small baggies, small packets of salt and pepper.

All of these fit into very small bags, probably 4x6 inches or 5x7 if you include the cutting board. I don't always take all three, depending on the trip, but I always take the first aid one. I rarely use anything from it but there's usually someone in the party who needs something.

As for the anti-blister socks, buy the special travel socks (Fox something or over) at the travel catalogs or Cabela's. They run about $8 a pair but are worth every penny. I never knew socks could feel so comfortable until I bought five pair to wear on a month-long trip to Europe. SPEND THE MONEY!!! You won't regret it.

adoptionisfab

A see through container for all my meds. This way I know I have it. I like our Kleenex. All OTC meds and a little first aid kit. Old Shoes and slippers that are comfy. MAgazines to read!

mebanese

A small photo album with pictures of my family, home, my kids' school, my church, our Christmas tree, the boys' soccer games, things familiar to anyone you would meet. It's been a great way to communicate with someone you're sitting next to when you don't speak the same language. (And a great way to learn basic words in that language!)

I'm also a fan of the zip lock bags, duct tape (now available in clear), compass, disposible Handiwipe dish towels.

And hand sanitizer. In the travel section at Wal-Mart you can buy little bottles in a holder than clips onto a purse or belt. I travel with kids, though, so I have to take a big refill bottle.

I also take a small bungee cord, which can be used for security, a clothesline, holding luggage together to deter thieves, anchoring a duffle bag laden with souvenirs on top of a rolling suitcase...

Vorkuta

1. Birkenstocks (to wear on the plane, on the train, in the hotel room...)

2. Small pair of binoculars (went on a tour of battlefields of 1914-1918 and the binoculars helped me to get so much more out of the tour. Now I'll always take them with me.)

3. On another thread someone suggested taking one of those vacuum travel bags for compressing and storing dirty laundry that you don't have a chance to wash while travelling. Think I'll try that next time.

4. Dressing gown (for hotels where the WC is down the hallway)

bettyk

One thing I didn't see mentioned are inflatable clothes hangers. They are great for hanging up wet clothing in the bathroom to dry or for extra hangers in a hotel closet. When deflated, they fold up inside a little ziplock bag and can be tucked in a corner of my suitcase.

annetti

wine bottle opener; photocopies of sections of the Michelin Green guide so I can just grab the few pages on the town/village I'm visiting and not have to carry the book around (I still bring the book); a small notebook to jot down places, ideas; a very small shoulderbag for daily use (I don't like carrying a large bag that I use for the plane.); lots of used English paperbacks that I discard along the way at B & Bs (they're always happy to get them.) and I don't feel guilty about throwing them away; anti-bacterial gel; slippers; costume jewelry; a shawl for evening wear and dress up; some large garbage bags for dirty laundry on the way home; zip-locks of course; moleskin; rubber thong shoes for the shower; a very thin bathrobe or if it's a cool wet climate, I carry a raincoat which doubles as a bathrobe; tons of underwear - it does not take up much room.

kmoncrief

a travel candle for those romantic nights! Forgot it this trip..darn!

amp322

flip flops - after my feet swelled like balloons from the heat in Rome, they were all I could comfortably wear.

Calamari

Took a down pillow - the size of a kidney pillow from a fabric store - stuffed it into a vacume type bag and put it in my carry-on. Everyone was coveting my fluffy pillow on the flight. It was a primo idea!

stardust

To people who think buying an iPod just to store travel pic's (I'd love to have one for a lot more than that... mostly music... waiting for Santa Claus ;-)), open one of these 1 Gb webmail acccounts (gmail or others), and send yourself emails with your pictures, up to 10 Mb in one mail.

waffle18

hair clips - the kind you squeeze and it pinches your hair up. I use it for that and to keep the curtains at the B&Bs closed during those early summer Irish mornings.

gel ice pack - can be used for lots of things but mainly to put in small styrofoam cooler (that we buy there) for keeping snacks and drinks cold.

offwego

Xanax for the flight over and back

If not for myself, then for that pesky seat-mate.....

skatterfly

Very helpful post...

Calamari, I LOVE the down pillow idea for the flight over... I had never thought of that but I had a bunch of old down pillows lying around the house and might just give it a try. My monster-in-law )) gave me one of those vacuum bags and now I know how I can use it.

I'll add mine, though many are duplicates:
-small keychain flashlight, keychain compass
-small travel alarm clock (don't want to miss your connections)
-pairs of throw away ankle socks to wear on the flights because I hate to wear shoes
-liquid hand cleaner like purell
-a small travel size clothing line for hanging out clothes in the closet
-photocopies of my reservations and any important pages from guiebooks... then I toss them as I visit them, so I don't carry guidebooks
-at least a couple pairs of shoes because my feet need some variety at the end of the day
-travel sized containers of my liquid laundry detergent and spot removers. I figure I bring at least enough for 2-4 loads. I usually do laundry at least once in a 3 week trip.
-A pair of very thin cotton pajama/lounge pants (like Calvin Klein) in a dark color that can pass as pants. I change into these once on the plane so that we can travel in jeans but be comfortable in flight in jammies. My husband actually can get away with wearing his under his jeans so he literally gets onto the plane, settles in, and discretely takes off his pants to be in his jammies.
-The "luxury" model of the inflatable neck pillow that has separate plush cotton pillow case. It's only a few dollars more than the basic felt model, but feels so much nicer.
-Preaddressed labels for sending postcards
-An extra back for bringing home souvenirs

~kat

Jun04ItalyHoneymoon

Travel toilet tissue - even a number of the pay WCs did not have tissue and were nothing more than a hole in the ground.

Plastic Ziplock bags - good for putting sticky messes in while eating in the car, putting wet bathing suits in when we had to travel from one place to another.

Hot pink pashmina shawl - Used it as my own personal blanket on the planes, as a nice shawl for cool evenings in Piazza San Marco and even for covering my bare arms at a random church or two that we didn't plan on stopping in to visit.

2 pairs of good walking shoes/sandals. Even my favorite pair would have rubbed a bit had I worn the same pair every day.

Matte jersey dress - I could have rolled it into a ball and it would have never wrinkled. Packed down to the size of nothing.

Journal
BandAids
Tylenol
Extra batteries for cameras


About robes - I didn't take one, nor did I ever wish I had brought one.