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Traveling abroad is an amazing experience, full of adventure and learning. It can also be really nerve wrecking, and sometimes scary. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to over twenty countries; ten of those were solo trips that taught me a lot about travel and what to pack to make it as easy as possible. Here are my packing tips for traveling abroad.
What I Pack to Travel Abroad
STEPHANIE DELACY
Traveling abroad is an amazing experience, full of adventure and learning. It can also be really nerve wrecking, and sometimes scary. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to over twenty countries; ten of those were solo trips that taught me a lot about travel and what to pack to make it as easy as possible. Here are my packing tips for traveling abroad.
1. Invest in great small bags – Luggage is important, but you really only use it on the day of you leave and the day you arrive home. I strongly recommend investing in a great backpack. I like mine from North Face but I’m sure there are plenty of great backpacks out there. My big requirement is to have one big pocket (with a laptop sleeve) and a smaller one with lots of little pockets, slots, zippers, etc. This makes it easy to pack a lot and stay organized. And a small shoulder strap purse for when you don’t want to wear your backpack. I love this simple leather crossbody bag from FOUNT Leather. All of their bags are handcrafted in downtown Cleveland. They are simple but bold and absolutely gorgeous.
2. Bring vests, not jackets – If the weather allows for it, bring a vest instead of a jacket or coat – they take up too much room in a suitcase. And are really bulky and hot walking around exploring cities. Vests provide almost (if not all) the same warmth of a jacket – and extra pockets!! This Patagonia vest is my absolute favorite.
3. Buy a Passport Case – At first, I thought passport cases were frivolous, but I received one as a gift and started using it as a fluke. It actually helps me to not lose my passport in my giant tote or backpack. I love this one from Kate Spade.
4. Use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap – I love it because it’s so versatile; it can be body wash, face wash, shampoo, or laundry soap. It’s great if you need to pack light. Tip: Target has little bottles in the travel section.
5. Pack with space saver bags – I have recently discovered these and they are great! Especially, if you need to pack a lot of clothes in a carry-on suitcase. After putting the clothes in the plastic bag, you roll it up, releasing the air out of the bag. You will have so much more room in your suitcase.
Article and images by Stephanie DeLacy. You can view more content by Stephanie on her blog www.alifeenroute.com and on her Instagram here.
Meet Stephanie
Stephanie is a coach and writer, passionate about inspiring vulnerability, connection & courage. Based in Cleveland, she writes about her journeys traveling the world solo, trying to date, learning to love her body and how she lives authentically. You can read more of her writing at alifeenroute.com.
Amber's Travel Favorites
Travel
Today’s favorites post is some of my favorite, must have travel items!!! I will have to do a part 2 because the list was actually getting quite long so I tried to narrow it down a bit and keep these as my basic things I always bring.
Hi Stephanie,
I really enjoyed your post about travel abroad. I think that this is a relevant topic because many people search for last minute tips and packing hacks before trips. I’ve never thought to use space saver bags, so I hope to try out this tip the next time I travel. The photos you’ve shared are gorgeous! Do you have any recommendations for packing when you are traveling somewhere cold, so you’ll need more clothes? Aside from the obvious “wear the same thing multiple times.”
Thanks for sharing! I look forward to reading more from you on your own blog.
Natalie S.