Favorite Travel Products for 2024

NOTE: This list has been updated as of May 2024. Some of 2023’s recommendations have been dropped, and new ones added.

My favorite travel products for 2024 are ones that I have bought for myself and love, along with a few other things that I will be buying for Fairytale France & the Black Forest, but haven’t yet purchased. I am an Amazon Associate, and I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure: in the last quarter, I made $1.48, lol. You don’t have to click on my links, though. You can find the product directly on the Amazon page as well. And many of the items I list you may already have at home!

This post contains my top picks for when I travel. I can share my detailed packing list as well as my “pre-trip to-do checklist” closer to takeoff, if you’re interested. Let’s dive in, shall we?

I’ll split up my recommendations into categories, so feel free to click on what most interests you to skip ahead.

Top Travel Gear

Top Makeup/Skincare/Health

Accessories and Other

Looking more travel-related tips? You might enjoy:

Useful Apps for Travel
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Top Travel Gear

Cord Organizer

An absolute necessity for me is a cord organizer. I always organize my cables/power bank/adapter plugs into one dedicated place so I can find them quickly and easily, and it’s nice if it also has pockets to keep everything from jumbling together into a tangled mess.

That said, you can definitely use a quart- or gallon-size freezer bag for the same purpose, or maybe use one of those cute fabric bags that you received with cosmetic or jewelry purchases. You know, the ones that are just too cute to throw out, so you end up with a ton of cute little bags sitting in your closet? Just me? If you buy a cord organizer, get one that doesn’t match the interior of your suitcase. Jet lag and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed can make you less sharp than your normal, genius-level self. Yes, you’re a genius. And if anyone asks you, I’m a genius, too. K? K!

Amazon has hundreds of cord organizers, and the image links to one that’s a small-to-medium size, it’s inexpensive, and it comes in fourteen colors. If you’re traveling with a lot of gear (like an SLR camera or you’re taking a laptop and need to bring an external drive), you’ll want to search Amazon for a larger cable organizer.

Travel Pillow

I’ve used many different travel pillows, including a monstrosity that you have to blow up when you get on the plane. It’s that big one that you sit in your lap and lay your head on top of, except that there’s no room for it if the person in front of you is going to recline their seat. (PSSST! That person is going to recline the seat!)

This one is my current favorite. It looks kind of like a scarf, and I like that I can wrap it however I need to. For example, I can wad it up and use it against the window, or I can make one side higher than another to prop my neck up. I can also use it at the hotel to be a body pillow substitute or a cushion in between my knees to take pressure off my lower back.

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Compact, reusable grocery bag

A number of countries and locations have banned single-use plastic bags along with a number of other plastic types of packaging, including plastic packaging for most fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re grabbing a quick snack or picking up La Roche-Posay skincare on the cheap (recommend!), you’ll appreciate having an extra bag folded up into a small pouch in your purse. I always bring one, and I’ve never not used it. Er, I mean, I always use it.

Off the top of my head, I’ve used them for: spontaneous picnics, trips to the beach, souvenir shopping, grocery runs, embarrassing baby messes when my kids were little (don’t ask), and especially for overflow luggage. Sometimes I overbuy souvenirs and can’t fit everything in my luggage, so I check my carry-on and carry my grocery bag on the flight.

The image above is for a large tote that folds down to about the size of an iPhone. You can get these bags anywhere. There’s nothing special about the bags I’m linking here!

Packing Cubes

Are packing cubes “all that”? Or just another commercialized fad? That’s a philosophical question above my pay grade. For me, they are absolutely worth it for multi-leg journeys!

Here are the advantages:

1. With packing cubes, you know exactly where everything is in your suitcase. You can get out what you need without rummaging and creating disorganization. It’s fast to find whatever you’re looking for.
2. If you’re the kind of person who likes to relax into your vacation, like I do, you can set your individual cubes in the dressers of your fabulous hotel and pretend you live there. This process can be done in less than five minutes! And if you continue to put your things away within your cubes, the process of re-packing takes minutes as well. You just zip up the cubes and place them in your suitcase.
3. When you’re keeping all your items within the containers, you’re less likely to leave something behind at the hotel. You never have items scattered all over your room.

I use the clear cubes from Eagle Creek because I like to be able to see what’s in the cube without opening it. I have the starter pack and a compression two-pack, and that’s enough for me (plus a cord organizer). Amazon has an overwhelming amount of packing cube options. Another good place to look is the happiest place on earth. No, not Disney. The other happiest place: The Container Store.

Headphones for the Plane

The headphones they hand out on the plane are super crappy. We’ve got two options.

1. Wireless pairing. Do you own AirPods or other wireless headphones you’d like to use? Would you like to be able to watch a movie with your travel companion or that strange rando hogging your arm rest? The AirFly Pro is your solution. It can also be used for rental car audio, stereos, gaming devices, iPads, laptops, TVs, gym equipment… basically any device that has a 3.5 audio jack can be used to connect to up to two pairs of wireless headphones or to a wireless speaker.

2. Corded earbuds: yes the old kind we used back before the iPhone murdered the headphone jack. Don’t laugh; they’re a great option on the plane. In fact, you might already have some laying round the house somewhere. I once sat next to a guy who commuted to work from Ohio to Oman(!), and he said he much prefers using the old school headphones because you don’t have to mess around with pairing them. After having used the AirFly Pro, which I do like, I can definitely see his point! It was a bit of a hassle getting my AirPods to pair. There’s something to be said for plug and play.

Airplane Travel Phone Holder

If you use your phone more than watching the inflight entertainment, it comes in handy to have a little phone holder you can clip to the tray table in front of you. There are tons of them.

Travel Belt for Luggage

This is for those bags that keep sliding off and rolling to the backside of your suitcase when you’re hauling butt through the airport.

Baggage Scale

Have you ever gone to the airport hoping that your luggage isn’t overweight and then sat on the airport floor unpacking and re-arranging everything? Does your blood pressure shoot up just thinking about it? Baggage scales are tiny, and if I’m checking luggage, or if there’s any chance I might check luggage on my return flight, I bring one with me. I’d rather do my rearranging at the hotel, thankyouverymuch. If you’re ever traveling with me, you can just borrow mine!

Sleep Headphones

Do you occasionally suffer from insomnia? Are you really sensitive to hotel noise (elevator, construction, people walking the halls) or have a travel companion who snores and keeps you from falling asleep? Enter sleep headphones. Sometimes, I have trouble falling asleep, or falling back asleep in the middle of the night. When that happens, I like to get on Spotify and play a white or brown noise track, a boring podcast, or a guided sleep meditation.

Spotify has a sleep timer, so you can set it to turn off after a determined amount of time. How to set a sleep timer in Spotify: when you’re in the app, looking at the individual track that’s playing, there is an icon near the bottom that looks like a little stopwatch. Press on it, and you’ll see the sleep options.

Ear plugs are a great (and smaller) alternative. But I definitely recommend the sleep headphones if it would help you to not just muffle but counter any noise you’re experiencing. I am seriously considering trying combination eye mask/sleep headphones. If I buy them, I’ll update you.

European Outlet Adapter and/or 6-port USB Wall Charger

European countries use a different strength voltage (220v) versus what we use in the US (120v). Additionally, their plug shape is different. To use your devices from home, you’ll need an adapter so that the plug can fit in the outlet and possibly a converter to switch the device to the right voltage. I’ll be writing a post soon with how to determine which devices you need a converter for and which you just need an adapter, and I’ll link it to this paragraph. Please know that most hair dryers and electric razors cannot be plugged directly into European outlets! If you always bring a hair dryer when you travel, I recommend purchasing a dual voltage hair dryer! It will make your life easier, and they aren’t even expensive. I would get this one by Conair.

If you have a lot of devices

Most of my devices are dual voltage. A multi-outlet wall charger/adapter is one of the best travel purchases I’ve ever made. It has a long cord that can stretch behind beds and lets me have all my devices charging on the nightstand. This wall charger works from 100-240 volts, and can be used anywhere in the world with the right adapter plug. It also has USB ports, so you don’t have to bring your charging bricks with you.

Thankfully, most devices these days are already formatted to work between 100 and 240 volts. I know that the chargers from all my Apple devices, as well as my laptop, can all work on either voltage.

If you don’t have a lot of devices

This universal travel adaptor I have is set up so it works for US, UK, European Union, Australia, China, and Japan. If you don’t have that many things to plug in, bringing this can save you space in your luggage over bringing the larger one I posted above. It has one outlet and four USB ports.

Lay-flat Multi-charger

If you prefer to wirelessly charge your devices, and you have more than one, you’ll appreciate having the ability to charge them simultaneously without taking up much space. I have an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and I have a three-in-one travel charging station that I use for them:

It works well and is small and inexpensive. It is not exactly high-quality. If you’re looking to have a charger that’s going to last a long time, or if you only have two devices to charge, the Apple Duo charger is of much better quality. It can charge two devices at a time: iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods with wireless charging case, or any other Qi-certified device.

Portable Power Bank

If you have a new phone, maybe you don’t need this, but my phone is older (iPhone 12 Pro Max), and there’s no way it can do 12-hours of photos and video without dying in the middle of the day. My current favorite is a portable wireless charging bank because I don’t need to bring extra cables with me to charge my phone on the go (TOO MANY CABLES, right!?!?).

AirTags

My top travel recommendation provides peace of mind. An AirTag is a small, circular disk that you can put with anything you need to keep track of. At home, I have one in my youngest’s backpack, one in my purse, and one in my husband’s wallet. Some people put them on their animals’ collars, which is smart. When I travel, I put one in each of my suitcases/carry-ons.

If you’re checking luggage, imagine the relief of knowing with certainty that your suitcase made it on the flight! Even if you don’t check luggage, if you keep an AirTag with something important, and you accidentally leave it behind, you’ll get a notification that the item is no longer with you. And if you are on the road and worry you forgot a bag, you can open the “Find My” app on your iPhone, and know immediately that your bag is in the car with you.

You save a lot of money by buying AirTags in a pack, but you can also buy them individually.

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Makeup/Skincare/Health

Refillable travel-size bottles

When I travel, I normally save space in my suitcase by using the hotel shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I fill travel bottles with products from home that I can’t live without. Ages ago, used to get CVS travel-size bottles, but they are too small for two weeks of product, and it’s really hard to get the last of the product out of them. So, I fill travel bottles.

This is another product where there are heaps of choices out there if you do a search on Amazon. You do want ones that are soft, so you can get every last bit of product out, leak-proof (of course), and have a wide-mouth so it’s easy to transfer without spilling. I also prefer the ones that are color-coded rather than labeled, because I don’t normally wear my glasses in the shower. 😜 Pro tip: when you get back home, continue to use the travel bottles until they’re empty. Unless you’re traveling again within a month or so, the product will dry up in the tube, making it hard to get clean.

The picture links to the set, but they do come in a smaller, 1.7 ounce and a larger, 3.4 ounce size groupings.

Pro-tip: I don’t bring my full-size skin and hair products with me, but I’ll often buy full size products while I’m traveling if I find one that smells nice. It makes for a great souvenir because when I use them at home, the scents remind me of my trip.

Moisturizer

When I travel, I try to find products that can pull double-duty or better, and here’s a favorite. This small vial of Argan Oil heals dry skin on the face and body, smooths frizzy hair, softens cuticles, and helps with makeup removal. I have sensitive skin, and it doesn’t bother me at all.

Fast and Easy Facial Cleanser

Here we’ve got a triple-duty product. These facial pads work as a cleanser, exfoliant, and toner. And, since it’s not a not liquid, you don’t have to pack it in your special see-through container for show and tell with the TSA. They smell really nice too! When I hug my kids goodnight, I get compliments on how good I smell. (I don’t normally get told how great I smell at the end of a long day 😂.) I like to count how many days I’ll be gone and put just enough pads in a Ziplock snack bag.

If they’re sold out on Amazon, you can find them on the Arcona website. I pay shipping for them if I have to, and I’m allergic to shipping costs.

Electric Travel Toothbrush

My dentist switched me from a regular toothbrush to a Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush about eight years ago, and it has made a huge difference for me. I have definitely had less cavities since switching over. This is the model I use, though it no longer comes with a carrying case. Here is the version with the carrying case.

I also own this travel toothbrush that works off of a AAA battery. It works well, but you can definitely tell it does an inferior job to the Philips.

Magnification Mirror

Now here we have a travel product that I would love to not bring with me… a magnification mirror. Alas, my vision requires assistance. Whether I’m putting on eye makeup or fishing an eyelash out of my eye, I need help. This mirror is tiny; just 3.5 inches, and you can choose between three magnification strengths. If you’d prefer one that’s lighted and slightly larger, I’d go with this one.

Streamlined Makeup

Everyone is different with this one! You have to do you! I don’t wear much makeup, so I’ll just bring three items with me.

Boom Stick: The color is flattering on literally every skin color, can be used as lipstick, blush, and/or a highlight color on your eyelids, and the lip color sticks around for a bit because it kind of stains your lips.

I’ll also bring a travel-sized mascara and eyeliner, but I don’t have a favorite, so I’m not linking anything. If you have an amazing mascara, send me the link!

Hanging Toiletry Bag

My hanging bag is this one, even though it isn’t aesthetically pleasing (to me anyway). I keep jewelry in the top compartment, medicines and skincare in the second, shower products in the third, and then hair accessories in the second-to-last compartment. The very bottom compartment detaches from the bag, and that’s where I store my makeup and magnification mirror. That way, I can easily just take that bag to the bathroom for doing makeup. Warning: this makeup bag is bulky! It measures 12 x 9 x 4 inches.

Amazon has tons of options. I’m considering switching over to this smaller one for when I am traveling with just a carry-on. It measures 6.7 x 4.3 x 7.5 inches.

Hand Sanitizer/Sanitizing Wipes

I was obsessed with germs on airplanes and hotel surfaces before it was cool. I always spray or wipe down the most touched surfaces on my airplane seat/tray and in my hotel rooms. The sanitizers they have at Bath & Body Works smell wonderful (who doesn’t love them?!), and if I’m bringing wipes, I just get a small pack from the grocery store.

If I were to get some off of Amazon, they would be these tea tree antibacterial wipes, and I would use them for sanitizing my hotel room as well as my airline arm rests and tray table.

Sunscreen

I have an autoimmune disorder that causes my hair to fall out if I’m in the sun unprotected. So yeah, sunscreen is non-negotiable for me. I have two types that I use daily, and they were both recommended to me by my dermatologist. I like EltaMD UV Physical Tinted Face Sunscreen, SPF 41. It’s the best tinted sunscreen I’ve found in terms of blending well and not feeling like my face is thickly caked. Tinted sunscreens have iron oxides in them that protect your skin from all visible light (including environmental, indoor lights and LEDs) as well as the sun. This is especially important if you have an autoimmune disorder or if your skin tends to get hyperpigmentation.

Elta MD Clear Face Sunscreen, SPF 46 is my all-time favorite facial sunscreen because I have incredibly dry skin. It goes on clear even though it has zinc oxide. It was the one first recommended to me by my dermatologist, and it is the one I keep coming back to when I experiment with other brands. Amazon tells me I’ve purchased it nine times.

Sunscreen for the body is non-negotiable as well, but when traveling abroad, I just buy a bottle of sunscreen when I get to my location. When I’m not traveling, I use La Roche-Posay.

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Shoes, Accessories, and Other

Shoes

I try to keep it to two pairs with the option of three as a maximum. The most important thing is to have supportive shoes for walking. Europeans do walk around in tennis shoes these days, so no worries with that. They are less likely to wear brightly-colored tennis shoes, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t. You’ll also want a pair of shoes for dressier occasions (nice sandals, ankle boots, or ballet flats). Make sure that one pair of your shoes is waterproof. I bought a pair of Sorel Women’s Evie Zip Leather Boots to do double-duty as my dressy and waterproof shoes. They are super comfortable and supportive! (For my wide-ish foot and high arches… your mileage may vary!)

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I bought some new walking shoes for this trip. I tried and sent back five or six pairs, from higher-end brands like Cole Haan and Mark Jacobs to affordable (and iconic) Sketchers. The ones I found that had the best combination of aesthetics and comfort were a pair of Dr. Scholl’s sneakers! What!? Specifically, the Time Off Platform Fashion Sneaker. I was about to give up and just bring my green running shoes, when I read a blog recommending them and thought, one more try!

They sell the same shoes for men and they get great reviews.

Pool/Spa Shoes

I’m going to be having some spa and pool time this trip in Baden-Baden, and I need shoes that can get wet but don’t take up a lot of space (unlike flip flops). These are the shoes I’m bringing, even though they’re ugly as sin. I’m choosing them because they’ll be able to pull double duty. I’ll take them to the pool, and I’ll use them as slippers at the hotel. (Walking on hotel carpets in my bare feet gives me the ick!)

This brand sells a number of designs both for women and for men.

Accessories

Travel Scarf/Wrap

I’ll get by on one nice necklace and a scarf/wrap like this Happyluxe Wayfarer Travel Wrap which has UPF of 50+. I have the gray, but wouldn’t mind having more colors. I like that it can even be used as a travel blanket if I’m cold on the airplane or in a chilly restaurant. It also makes a nice cover if you’re going to visit Cathedrals that don’t allow bare shoulders (like the Strasbourg Cathedral).

I’ll also be bringing a packable sun hat. There are many, many options from Amazon as well as specialty retailers. It’s ideal if you can find one with a chin strap that can be hidden when you don’t need it. Unless you enjoy chasing your hat down the street! One of my favorites is the Wallaroo Hat Company’s Sydney Sun Hat because it goes with anything from casual to dressy and there are lots of colors to choose from. It has an inner cord that you can tighten to make it less likely to fall off, but no chin strap. For this reason, I’m bringing the Somaler UPF50 Packable Hat with me. It looks really nice and will go well with casual or dressy clothes, has a removable chin strap, and rolls up neatly into its snap decoration.

There are just as many options for men.

Other

Travel Umbrella

I’m planning on bringing a light, waterproof jacket and a travel umbrella. I have an adorable one that looks like a bottle of wine!

Laundry Sheets

It does happen that I have to wash something while traveling, and I don’t always have time for the hotel’s laundry service (for example, if I’m checking out the next day). I keep a laundry sheet or two in my suitcase (they’re tiny!), and if I need to wash something in the sink, I can. Just cut the sheets into two before you put them in your suitcase. They dissolve easily if you need to wash something in your sink.

Wine Protector Bags

I know I’ll be bringing some wine home from Alsace, so I hope to squeeze an inflatable wine bag or two into my suitcase.

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Conclusion

If you’ve read all of my favorite travel products for 2024, bless you. This was a lot longer than I expected! Hopefully, it’s been helpful. I know it’s been a helpful exercise for me to write out the things that I need to start gathering together and a few things I need to buy.

If you have some items on your “must bring” list that I didn’t mention, I’d love it if you told me about it in the comments!