Any must-have item for travelling?
 

Jose is thinking of some must-have items while travelling!!!

Gonna start packing and prepare for my upcoming business trip to Hong Kong next week.
I am kind of frequent business traveller, but i always forgot to bring things.

Once i left my passport, gotta took it back and i almost missed the flight.

Guess a checklist is needed, in case i've got no time for packing stuff.
Any suggestions for what to put in the checklist?

1. Passport (at least if travelling internationally)
2. Credit/debit/ATM card, preferably more than one
3. Tickets (possibly including written copy of hotel confirmation)
4. Any truly needed medication

I usually add camera and phone, plus chargers (and sometimes adapters or plug converters), but some people actually do travel without those.

Clothes and hygiene articles are also a good thing to have, but those can be purchased in most destinations if you forget or lose them.

Agreeing with the post above. All you really need on that checklist is:

passport
funds
plane reservation number
prescriptions (including meds & eye glasses or contacts)
keys to your home (to get back in after the trip)

Oh yeah thanks!
These are the most important things really.

Must have
- passport
- ticket
- funds/ credit card
- phone
- keys


but i used to bring own towel as well
also clothing, charger and so on

I seldom bring camera nowadays, just use my iPhone for photo shooting, quality's fine :)

What??? What does payroll and resume writing have to do with checklists for packing???

Here's my check list:

Copy of Itinerary
Arrange for ground transportation if needed
Turn off home computer
Turn Off Answering Machine (if extended trip)
Passports
E- ticket
Cell Phones
Laptop
iPad
Chargers
Plug adapters ( when going to foreign country)
Money for trip (small bills if needed)
Credit Cards
House Keys
Rx Pills
Download/Print Boarding Pass
Check Departure Gate
Blank Checks
Postage Stamps
Watch
Camera & Charger
Hearing Aid Batteries
Turn Off Ice Maker (if extended trip)
Sunglasses
Plug Adaptors (if needed)
Change Sim Cards (if needed)
Kindles

RoamsAround:

Copy of Itinerary - yes. Both on paper and on the cell phone. I usually email a copy to myself, too.

Arrange for ground transportation if needed - yes

Turn off home computer - Oh, yes. And pulling out the plugs, too.

Turn Off Answering Machine (if extended trip) - Don't use one. No, wait. There is one on the cell phone. And I do have to turn it off. That could have gotten expensive. Thanks for reminding me.

Passports - of course

E- ticket - yes

Cell Phones - yes

Laptop - NO! Absolutely not! I use my laptop as my home computer, so it has most of my life on it.

iPad - don't have one, but I probably will bring my Android tablet. It's much easier to write on a tablet than a cell phone.

Chargers - yes, for all the electronic things

Plug adapters ( when going to foreign country) - yes

Money for trip (small bills if needed) - If I have some of the correct currency left over from a previous trip. Unfortunately, my current destination doesn't use either Euro or Pounds, so I have to go to an ATM on arrival. Actually, that should probably be done at the airport.

Credit Cards - mostly use debit cards, so I'll bring those. From two different banks, in case there is a problem with one of them.

House Keys - probably a sensible idea. I do have a spare key at my parents' house, but I'd feel silly if I had to call them for help.

Rx Pills - if I have any, yes

Download/Print Boarding Pass - oh, yes. Especially if flying Ryanair

Check Departure Gate - sometimes not possible until arriving at airport

Blank Checks - What? Why? Haven't used a check in at least fifteen years and they certainly won't be useful on an international trip

Postage Stamps - Not on an international trip

Watch - Maybe. If I find it and replace the battery in time. I've gotten used to using my phone as a watch. But it probably would be a good idea on the plane.

Camera & Charger - Yes. And an additional battery and memory cards too.

Hearing Aid Batteries - Don't use that yet, hopefully not for some time.

Turn Off Ice Maker (if extended trip) - Don't have one

Sunglasses - don't use them

Plug Adaptors (if needed) - yes, but I think you already mentioned this once

Change Sim Cards (if needed) - Not for travel within the EU. My cell phone provider has a reasonably priced offer on a limited amount of data.

Kindles - No. I can read on the phone or the tablet. No need to bring an extra electronic thing that I have to keep track of and recharge.

Hi, josephmahone here is your check list

Passport
Ticket
Boarding Pass
Credit Card
Cellphone
DSLR
DSLR & Cellphone Charger
Laptop or iPad
Backpack
and your necessary clothes

Towels? You stay places that don't provide you with a bath towel??

Everyone is different. I don't pack:
-Boarding Pass (i print it at the airport)
-Cellphone (don't have one)
-DSLR (don't have one)
-DSLR & Cellphone Charger (don't need one)
-Laptop or iPad (don't have one)
-Backpack (don't use one)
-Kindle (don't have one)
-camera & charger (i use a disposable instead)
-blank check & postage stamps (no use to me)

Suze: Some cheap hostels don't provide towels. It's been a few years since I stayed in one, but I'm sure they still exist.

Since this is a "business trip to Hong Kong", it never occurred to me he would be staying at a hostel.

And this topic said "must have". You certainly do not HAVE to have a laptop or cellphone to take a trip. It is not a requirement like a passport is for international travel :-)

Suze: True.

On the other hand, I get stressed and unhappy when I can't access the Internet for an entire day. So having a cellphone or tablet with me is a requirement for my mental health.

And, no, he probably isn't staying in a hostel on a business trip. But he did say he "used to bring own towel", so maybe that was on earlier trips years ago.

Well, I need to sleep. It's almost eleven at night here and I have to work tomorrow.

Because I travel for pleasure and leisure, the last thing I want to do is access the internet daily.

>>On the other hand, I get stressed and unhappy when I can't access the Internet for an entire day. So having a cellphone or tablet with me is a requirement for my mental health. <<

How an earth did you travel in the 'old days'????

I've traveled all over the world when snail mail, telex, newspapers and pay phones were the only options and survived just fine - and can now. I do take an iPad mini on most trips (not always) but don't take a cell phone.


And towels ?? Uh - nope.

janisj wrote: "How an earth did you travel in the 'old days'????"

Well, I didn't really start travelling (unless you count trips with my parents when I was still a child/teenager) until 2003. By that time there were Internet cafes in a lot of places.

As for the cell phone, I don't usually make calls on it. It's an Internet connection and a e-reading device. And a spare camera. And a music/audiobook player. Without it I'd have to bring a dozen heavy paper books and an MP3-player.

adventurous mood :)

Nothing wrong with taking phones, cameras, kindles, ipods, etc. but this question was "MUST HAVE". And you can certainly travel without any of those things. You might not want to... but you could ;-)

A sense of humor.

kja wrote: "A sense of humor."

Yes! And lots of patience, too. Unfortunately, those can't be packed in a bag OR purchased at the destination.

ATM card and use it at the airport if you plan to take a taxi. They don't take credit cards!

By the way, if you are flying anywhere in India, bring along your printed itinery. You can't enter the terminal with out it. Electronic boarding pass? Not adequate!

If you want / use them ----washcloths.

Keys? Never carry them. We have garage door openers, and leave the inside door open. We have a security system. There is a key hidden outside that certain people are aware of should there be power outage upon our return.

My must list is: smartphone which has about everything I need on it, charger, highlighter for paper maps/brochures to mark where your hotel/destination is. So easy, so tiny, so annoying to some Fodorites as I won something for this being chosen by editors! Obviously, credit card, some local currency, passport, medications, glasses, etc. Do people really forget these items?

>>Keys? Never carry them. We have garage door openers,<<

Me neither -- but then not everyone has a garage let alone an automatic opener. But I never ever carry my house keys on a trip.

I never take local currency (unless I happen to have some left over from an earlier trip). I wait until I'm there and use an ATM.

Hi Jose,of course there are many things must-have on your trip,but I think a powerful travel jacket which know you best will make your traveling more easy and comfortable!

Well if I didn't carry my apartment keys, I wouldn't be able to get into my home upon return.

Necessary beyond common sense.., duct Tape, Repairs anything, NO JET LAG herbals pills, wash cloths as most European hotels don't use them, something to hang your washed laundry, alarm clock

Must haves are different for everyone.
I must have a pillow that I know I can sleep on. I have found a very small but amazingly comfortable one from sea and summit.
On our upcoming Italy trip several places have a charge for towels. If I have room I will bring my microfiber towel: folds up tiny, very light, dries fabulously.

A friend used to always say
Tickets
Passport
Money (credit, debit & cash).

I would add
Toothbrush/toothpaste/deodorant. More people need to travel with the latter.
One or two changes of clothing and underwear.
Umbrella or rain poncho.
Medications as needed.
Sunscreen and insect repellent as needed.
Tablet or iPod & charger. (Used as a clock, alarm, e-reader, internet device, Dropbox electronic copies of itinerary, confirmations, etc. If I bring the one with the mini-SD slot I can store music and photos. I don't own or carry a smartphone.
Burner phone for driving vacations.
For some trips, a proper camera with charger and extra SD card and binoculars.
Extra glasses/sunglasses.
Paper copy of boarding pass, summary itinerary with confirmation numbers.
I agree re the duct tape..I never bring enough!
I actually also bring a paper check although I don't think I've ever used it.

No need to bring keys. I have a good hiding place. If I brought them I would most likely lose them, anyways.

Exchanging currency if necessary. I found out that some places simply refuse to accept anything other than their national currency. And looking for exchange points with acceptable rate is not fun.

"I found out that some places simply refuse to accept anything other than their national currency"

No kidding. And you found that surprising???? Do restaurants in your neighborhood take foreign currency?

You do not need an exchange bureau, you need an ATM card from a bank with low/no fees.

Refusing to accept anything other than there national currency! Some countries are SO unreasonable.

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http://www.buffwear.co.uk/ways-to-wear