Before we get into our favorite travel products, you need a bit of a backstory.
I would say that I, Cam, haven’t traveled as much as others, or at least it took me longer. I grew up in a small town (1,500 people) that was the largest little town for nearly an hour in any direction and didn’t leave the US until I was 20 years old. However, it didn’t take long before I started traveling nearly full-time. After that first trip, many more quickly came, including a study abroad. Just 4 short years later, I had finished my undergraduate degree and moved abroad at the ripe old age of 24, and I haven’t looked back since!
We have lived and worked full-time in seven countries while traveling to about 40 countries. Our experience as expats and travelers has led us to decide on a few products we always have with us when we travel.
We want to share those with you! Check out our favorite travel products, which we always carry with us no matter where we go!
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Proper Footwear
Whether you’re a city person or outdoors, having proper shoes while traveling is key. If you’re anything like us, you walk when you travel and you walk. A LOT! We also travel primarily in cities. That means we prioritize comfort but also like to ensure we can use them in different situations, which also means looking stylish. Combining function and form allows us to pack fewer items, helping us save precious space, and it makes these shoes some of our favorite travel products.
We utilize two particular shoe brands when traveling: Allbirds and Timberland.
Allbirds
Allbirds were all the rage a few years ago (now it’s Hoka, another great shoe, but not one we wear) and one we still love. Allbirds are incredibly light and unbelievably comfortable. They come in many styles, from sporty to stylish, and are machine washable. Allbirds are our main travel shoe simply because they fulfill our two basic needs: comfort and style. We’ve used them to walk well over 20,000 steps, and our feet still feel fresh!
Timberland
Timberland boots come in a variety of styles, from urban to rugged. We love using these because they are so versatile. We use them in the winter when streets and sidewalks are icy, in the wilderness, as we have throughout Europe, and while hiking Petra or along the Oregon Coast. When proper care is taken, these boots are well-made and last a considerably long time. They are a travel shoe we rarely leave home without!
Buy Allbirds and Timberlands here.
Travel Cord Organizer
Like many people today, we have a variety of electronics with a variety of cords to go with them. Not all devices use the same cords, but that is somewhat changing. Apple has switched its phones to USB-C to comply with the EU ruling stating all mobile phones must use the same style of charger by 2025.
We use the Aer Cable Kit 3 cord management bag to help us manage those cords, chargers, and adapters. This bag helps me keep track of where everything is instead of randomly putting items everywhere and struggling to find them. I also keep our chargers in here; they are small and sleek enough to slide in. If you want something cheaper than Aer, tomToc makes a good cord management kit.
Buy the Aer Cable Kit 3 or the tomToc bag.
2-in-1 and 3-in-1 Chargers
Multi-travel chargers are absolutely one of our favorite travel products. When we are at the hotel or Airbnb, we use multi-chargers to help minimize cords, adapters, and plug-ins. This is made somewhat easier by being deep in the Apple ecosystem, from iPhones to Airpods to Apple Watches. Depending on the models of each, you could need three separate cords. To mitigate this, we use the Apple MagSafe Duo, which allows us to charge an iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously using only one cord. It also folds very neatly in half for easy and convenient storage.
We also use a Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe. This charger charges my iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. Like the Apple MagSafe Duo, this one folds into thirds, making it easy to pack. It is a bit thicker than the MagSafe Duo, but that’s due to the fact that an extra charging station is attached. I prefer the Apple Charger over this one as I believe it charges faster and more efficiently, but overall, this 3-in-1 has been a game changer for our travel charging needs.
Buy the Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe and the Apple Magsafe Duo.
Power Bank
Multiple charging stations are great for when you’re in a room, but what about on the plane or on the go? For that, we use a Hoco. 10,000mAh power bank. This little powerhouse takes a while to charge up, but we can each get at least one, maybe two, full phone charges out of it, and it’s also powerful enough to charge my iPad. It also has two charming options, USB and USB-C, and it uses a micro-USB when charging itself.
Having a power bank, especially a powerful one, is great when you know you won’t be near a power source or if you’re in the airport or at a coffee shop without access to an outlet. If you don’t have access to Hoco. (primarily UK & Europe), then this Belkin 10,000mAh on Amazon has great reviews, more ports (2 USB & 1 USB-C), and is also a trusted brand.
Buy a Hoco. Powerbank or a Belkin Portable Charger
Kindle
We love books as avid readers. However, as expats, books are not always easy to move around. While we have a few books in our home abroad, we don’t have many. They’re heavy to ship or tote around from country to country.
To accommodate for this, both as expats and frequent travelers, we have opted for Amazon Kindles. We prefer the Kindle Paperwhite. While it doesn’t fully replace a physical book, Kindles are great because they store thousands of books, hold charge for a long time, and work well in sunny areas! They are also incredibly lightweight so perfect for traveling or if you move overseas! Lightweight and easy to use, Kindles are one of our favorite travel products.
Buy your Amazon Kindles here.
Uniqlo Ultra Light Down
If you’re like us, you probably travel to cold places during the winter. That means we need jackets that keep us warm while being light and not taking up too much space. In comes the Uniqlo Ultra Light Down.
The Uniqlo Ultra Light Down is warm and incredibly lightweight. It comes with a nice carrying bag, which you can roll up (like a sleeping bag) to put in its pouch and carry around. The coat is also water-repellant (not waterproof) and has done a great job keeping us dry in light rains.
Buy the Uniqlo Ultra Light Down here.
L’Occitane Hand Cream
Flying anywhere means sitting in airports and on a plane that filters its air, which completely dries hands out. I despise dry hands, and I struggle with the feeling. Along with hand sanitizer, we always pack hand lotion; our go-to is L’Occitane, even if I’m not 100% sure of the pronunciation!
L’Occitane moisturizes and keeps your hands from drying out for a long while. We’ve experimented with many hand creams and found that L’Occitane does the best job moisturizing over long periods. They all contain shea butter, which helps the hands stay nice and moist in a plane’s cool, dry air, and we find they are worth the price!
Buy L’Occitane here
Travel Credit Cards
A travel credit card is great for many things, from points to perks. These days, people pretty much everywhere take credit cards or some form of online payment, such as Apple or Android Pay. We never travel without one, but we also ensure we have cash available. Credit cards also offer much better fraud protection than debit cards should someone gain access to your card information. As such, we always make sure to have several with us and/or keep them safe in case of pickpockets or a loss of a card.
A good travel card will allow you to accrue points, possibly offer status with a hotel chain or airline, and have no foreign transaction fees. While these perks change from time to time (rarely in the customer’s favor), we find value in them. Let’s take a look at the travel cards we use.
American Express Platinum
This card is heavy on the wallet both in terms of its annual fee ($695) and because it’s a metal card! We don’t recommend this card for anyone who isn’t a serious traveler (i.e., you should travel frequently). Despite the hefty fee, it has some serious perks.
- Annual Allowance for a Clear Membership & $100 every 5 years Global Entry or TSA-Pre
- Equinox+ App ($300 value)
- Walmart+ Subscription ($13 value)
- Gold Status with Hilton Honors & Marriott Bonvoy
- A $200 Hotel Credit (which also gets you $100 off at the hotel for things like food)
- Priority Pass Membership and access to Amex Centurion Lounges ($50 for each additional guest unless you spend $75K)
- $200 Airline Credit with major US Airlines
- Rental Car status & coverage
- $20 monthly entertainment (e.g., Netflix, NY Times, etc.)
- $20 per month for Uber & UberEats in the US
- Earn 5x points on flights booked via Amex or directly with airlines and 5x on hotels booked through Amex.
- Transfer Amex points to a large number of airlines and hotels, such as Marriott, Hilton, Delta, United, and more
This card offers a lot for those who travel frequently. The $695 annual fee is steep, but you can easily recoup it with the perks on the card. That said, you have to find value in what they offer. If you don’t ever use Walmart+ (it comes with Paramount+ as well) or Equinox+ isn’t something for you, then maybe this isn’t your card. If you, however, like us, do travel frequently, you can make great use of the Amex Platinum Card.
Apply for the Amex Platinum here.
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X is a great card for all kinds of travelers. It still has a larger annual fee ($350) than most, but that’s half of the Amex Platinum. While this card does not offer nearly as many perks as the Platinum card, it offers quite a bit for the everyday traveler!
- Priority Pass Membership plus access to Capital One Lounges
- $100 every 5 years Global Entry or TSA-Pre
- $300 annual travel credit
- 10x Points earned on hotels and rentals cars booked through Capital One
- 5x Points earned on flights booked via Capital One
- 2x Points on all other purchases
- Transfer points to many airlines and hotels (note: none are US-based airlines or hotels, e.g., Emirates, AirFrance, Accor Hotels, etc.)
- Rental car status with Hertz & rental car coverage
- Annual gift of 10,000 points
The $300 travel credit is enough to pretty much wipe out the annual fee, but overall, for the price, this card offers a lot of value for even a more casual traveler. It’s too bad you don’t get bonus points for travel off the Capital One site, but we still find value in this card. While it has fewer perks, Capital One also offers a few other versions of the Venture card if the annual fee for the Venture X is too high for you.
Apply for the Capital One Venture X here.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the top travel cards. Unlike the two cards listed above, its annual fee is very manageable ($95), and it earns points very quickly. With a low annual fee, this card is great for even the most casual traveler or those who may take just one trip a year.
- 5x Points on travel purchased through Chase
- 2x for travel purchases outside of Chase
- 3x points for dining, food delivery, and eating out
- 3x points for online groceries
- 3x points on some streaming services
- Ability to transfer to a lot of great hotel and airline programs
This card is great for travelers and non-travelers alike, even if you just like the occasional weekend trip. Chase does offer a card that rivals the Amex Platinum, which has far more perks but a large annual fee of $550. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great entry-level card.
Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred here.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless (from Chase)
Admittedly, this card may not be for everyone. We are loyal Marriott guests (at least outside the US), and this card helps us with status, which provides nice perks for us when we stay, from free breakfast, 4 pm checkout, and room upgrades. Like the Sapphire Preferred, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless has an annual fee of $95.
- 6x Points on stays with Marriott
- 10x Points from Marriott for stays
- 3x Points on gas, groceries, and dining (only on the first $6,000)
- 2x Points on all other purchases
- One Free Night Award (worth 35,000 points)
- 15 Elite Credit Nights
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver status (25 needed for Gold)
Again, this card is really only good if you want to stay at a Marriott frequently or perhaps travel often for work. The $95 annual fee makes it manageable, but the perks that come with increased Marriott Bonvoy status are really what make this card work for us. We don’t always stay at a Marriott, but when we can, we do.
Apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless here.
Samsonite Backpacks
We love a good backpack for travel and work as teachers. As such, we have found that Samsonite is a great option that fits both of those needs. Samonsite makes bags that are spacious, durable, and stylish. We prefer their Modern Utility line, as we both enjoy having plenty of pockets for all of our travel and teacher needs. Like a few other items on this list, they can be a bit pricey, but we strongly believe in buying quality products that will last.
Delsey Carry-On Suitcases
We are almost firmly in the roll carry-on suitcase vs backpack camp. I prefer the ability to have less weight on my back and to not get as warm. As such, we have used Delsey for many years. They’ve been reliable, lightweight, and durable. Ours can be a bit large for smaller planes, and we’ve had to gate-check them, but overall, they have been exactly what we need. We also purchased carry-ons with expanders if, off-chance, we need the extra space. Delsey isn’t your cheapest option for luggage, but we believe in buying quality travel products.
Buy Delsey Carry-On Suitcases here.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
We all know there can be loud noises on planes from the actual plane itself to babies who can’t speak and struggle with adjustments in air temperature and pressure or, you know, are babies doing baby things. No matter the cause, noises can detract from what’s generally already an unpleasant experience, at least for long flights. Noise-canceling headphones work wonders in helping you sleep, focus on work or a movie, or just block out the world. We use a few varieties of headphones. Noise-canceling headphones are not only some of our favorite travel products but some of our most necessary.
Apple AirPods Pro
As we mentioned, we are fully immersed in the Apple ecosystem. When we first went these 4 or 5 years ago, we were surprised at how well the noise canceling worked and how great the audio quality was. These headphones connect easily between our Apple (and a few non-Apple) devices and hold charge for quite a while. With a charging case, we can use them for our whole long haul. The downside of these is they are quite easy to lose. The case is small; if an AirPod falls out, it can roll just about anywhere. That said, we still love them and use them on every flight.
Beats by Dre – Studio Over the Ear Headphones
I’ve had my Beats by Dre for nearly a decade, and they are still working well and provide great sound quality. Being over-the-ear headphones means their noise-canceling ability is better than the Airpods, but I find them slightly less comfortable over long periods of time. I also love that these headphones come with a cord as well as connect via Bluetooth. These headphones’ durability and sound quality make them a great addition to our travel items.
Buy Beats by Dre here.
Sleephones
Sleephones are arguably not the best sound quality in the world, but they have some definite perks. Namely, they work both as headphones that allow you to turn your head and sleep on your side as well as a sleep mask, though the mask portion is only so-so as it’s not a primary function. Sleephones have wired ($40) and Bluetooth ($99) versions, though we’ve only ever used the wired ones. The wired ones have better reviews, and we aren’t sure the extra cost of the Bluetooth is worth it, but that’s a choice you’d have to make.
Buy Bluetooth Sleephones or Wired Sleephones
Reusable Water Bottle
Any flight attendant (and most travelers) will tell you not to drink the coffee on the plane. Modern science (e.g., Cleveland Clinic) shows that planes dehydrate us and cause dry skin and bloating, not to mention zapping our energy. Staying hydrated is important, and buying water at the airport is expensive (though better than nothing). We know that Stanley is all the rage right now, and if that’s your jam, then go for it! We use Yeti because we can attach a carabiner to clip it to our backpacks, and we like the metal water bottles because they don’t sweat.
Buy a Yeti Water Bottle, Hydroflask, Stanley, or old-school – Nalgene
Day Bags
While we take backpacks on the flight, we also have day bags that we like to take out on longer days. We have a couple of preferential options, one of which is the Decathlon Quechua 10L hiking backpack. This bag is cheap—only $5.99—durable and useful! We’ve had several of these for over 10 years, and they are still going strong!
Ana also uses a Longchamp Le Pliage medium nylon tote. This bag is a little pricey at $145, but the nylon makes it easy to clean, and folding it into a small square makes packing it wonderful. It’s also stylish and works well with most of her outfits. Ana uses this bag on virtually every trip we take and in her daily life!
Buy a Longchamp Le Pliage or Decathlon Quechua backpack.
Favorite Travel Products
These are items we love to travel with. It’s not a be-all, end-all list, but these essentials are our favorite travel products!
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