5 Key Essentials You Should Pack in Your Suitcase (When We Can All Safely Travel Again!)

Of course, with the current international travel ban due to Coronavirus, it might be a few months until you’re actually able to go away. But nevertheless, right now is the perfect time to plan any holidays that you want to go on in the future (when it’s safe to do so). Planning your future holidays right now is a great way to keep you busy, positive and motivated. It’s nice to have something to look forward to during hard times.

Even though you might not start packing your bags for a few months it’s good to know in advance what you should pack to ensure that you’re organised and prepared for your future travels. So many people leave packing until the last minute. And whilst many people can get away with this, others panic and forget key items.

To help with this, we’ve put together this post on 5 essentials that you should pack in your suitcase for your next holiday. Whilst this isn’t a complete list, as long as you have these main things packed, you should be on the right track to a fantastic, stress-free holiday!

1. Important Travel Documents

Ok, so this one might sound obvious. But you’d be surprised at the number of times that people forget to pack all of their key travel documents in their bag, only to arrive at the airport in a panic (the last thing you want when you’re about to go on a holiday!). 

So to ensure that this doesn’t happen, one of the first things you should do when packing for your holiday is making sure that you have an organised folder that contains all of your important documents. This will include your passport, boarding pass, insurance information, visa and driving license. Make sure that this folder is easily accessible so you can grab it quickly and easily when required.

2. Foreign Currency

If you’re travelling abroad for your holiday, you’ll want to pack foreign currency. Although it might be tempting to purchase this when you get to your destination, it’s smart to get some prior. You might need money as soon as you arrive or you may not get the chance to get foreign currency straight away. That’s why it’s important to always have some foreign currency on you prior to boarding your flight, ‘just in case’.

Sometimes the rate at which you’ll get the foreign currency when purchased in advance is better than the rate you would have purchased it for at your destination anyway. We recommend keeping an eye on the exchange rate and regularly comparing and researching the currency rates available from different stores from both your destination and current location. 

Nowadays, many travellers also bring a combination of physical foreign currency and currency that’s been loaded onto a debit card that you can use abroad. We typically just carry foreign currency, debit cards are an alternative that we are yet to try!

3. Clothes (but not too many!)

Yet again, this might be an obvious one to many, but it’s important to take the time to pack clothes that are suitable for the weather conditions of your destination and the activities that you’ll be engaging in. When you’re packing your clothes, it’s good to lay them out so that you have a specific outfit for each day – rather than several options. As tempting as it can be, make sure that you don’t overpack – it will only make your bag heavier and more difficult to transport. Try and cut it down to only the items of clothing that you really need for the time that you’re there.

4. Technology

Next, an essential that’s quickly becoming a more prevalent feature in suitcases – technology. This doesn’t only mean your phone, but also a camera if you want to bring one, all the chargers that you require and some form of entertainment (such as a Nintendo Switch or a tablet). 

We always take our phones on holidays and make sure to buy a sim card as soon as we arrive at our destination. This isn’t just so that we can post pictures of our getaway on social media – it’s also so that we can let our loved ones know that we’ve reached our destination.

5. A Medicine/Toiletry Bag

Not only will you want to pack key toiletries like deodorant, wet wipes and hair/body wash, but you’ll also want a medicine bag that has any medication or health items that you require within it. Some items that people commonly forget to pack in their medicine and toiletry bag are as follows:

• Paracetamol 
• Aloe Vera
• Stingose spray
• Plasters 
• Sunscreen 

That’s It!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our post, and feel more prepared on how to pack your bags for your next trip. While we won’t be hopping on a plane in the next couple of months it’s important not to lose hope. Take this time of isolation to relax, refresh and re prioritise. If you’re feeling the lack of travel blues, don’t let them get you down. Take the time to plan your next holiday, it’ll help you stay both positive and motivated. Stay strong, stay isolated, and sooner, rather than later, we’ll all be back to travel and our usual day to day lives.