Tuesday 16 April 2013

today i love... travel essentials


Tomorrow I'm off to Bruges for a quick 24-hour trip and it's got me thinking about travel essentials. Over the last few months I've had a couple of weekends away as well as a big trip to Australia and I've started to hone my (previously terrible) skills at sensible packing. When you're obsessed with fashion, packing is much more difficult than it is for someone who's happy to wear the same outfit days in a row. Previously I've taken hundreds of clothes in lieu of some far more important items, but by packing lots of separates and just a few standout accessories for Australia, I managed to fit three weeks' worth of outfits into my suitcase and still have room for some more practical travel necessities. Tomorrow I'm hopping on the Eurostar so I don't have to worry about 100ml liquids or anything like that (I love how easy it is!) but it's just as important to pack carefully and focus on the must haves rather than the would likes, especially if you'll be carrying your luggage around with you all day like I will. So above I've selected a few essentials for the sensible but stylish travellers among you. Some of these are probably obvious but I hope they're helpful anyway. See you on Thursday!

Perhaps not the most portable of items and not necessary for a quick Eurostar trip, but if you're flying anywhere or will be travelling on a coach/train for a long time, this is absolutely an essential. This one is particularly genius because it transforms from a neck pillow into a standard rectangular shape, which will prove useful for everything from hotels with fewer pillows than you like to comfier sunbathing on the beach.

I don't know about you, but there's nothing like a slightly extravagant stylish travel accessory to make me feel like I'm really on holiday. These luggage tags will put a smile on your face while also making your suitcase super easy to spot on the luggage carousel.

These Topshop Boutique beauties are my favourite basics: I currently own this style in navy, taupe, khaki and grey marl but my collection is ever expanding. They're perfectly loose and draped and can be teamed with everything from leather trousers to denim cut-offs, making them ideal for holiday. Stock up on a few different colours and roll them up: they will take up hardly any room in your suitcase and provide you with a multitude of outfit options. Just be sure to size down and hand wash them only.

My black Ray-Bans are as essential to me as my passport on holiday, and I've got my eye on this tortoiseshell pair, too. Just be sure to pack them in a hard case (love the patent lilac of this one): sunglasses are all too easy to sit on.

Decanting your toiletries into mini containers might seem like a wasted effort, but a few bulky shampoo bottles can seriously add up in terms of weight and suitcase room. Alternatively you could head to Boots' travel section where you'll find mini versions of most of your favourite hair and body products, but this is a cheaper way to do it. These ones are great for getting through airport security, too.

A beautiful passport cover is lovely to have, but I find it much more useful to take a wallet in which you can fit your passport, boarding pass and other travel documents all at once. No more faffing around at the gate: just pull out this tropical beauty (doesn't that print just make you want to be on a beach already?) and you're golden.

A good sturdy weekend bag is always essential, whether to hold everything for an overnight stay or to serve as your hand luggage on a long haul flight (you'll even fit your neck cushion in here). Real leather is a must and I love the pleasingly weathered look of this Topshop one.

The last thing you want on holiday is to drop your phone on a hard stone floor and suddenly find you've got no way of contacting that person you were planning to meet up with. Luckily thanks to Whistles' adorable range of cases it's easy to protect your phone in style. While we're on the subject of phones, make sure you stock up on a few useful apps before you set off. BBC iPlayer is my top pick if you're in the UK: download all of your favourite programmes and you can watch them offline for 30 days (in case you don't like the inflight movies). Plus add a couple of practical ones such as a mobile banking app, a currency calculator and a wi-fi finder to locate your nearest Internet fix.

A bulky glass perfume bottle is one thing you definitely do not want to be packing, so investing in an atomiser or two to fill up with your favourite scents is a necessity. The last thing you want to find when you unpack in the hotel is a nice cracked bottle and that expensive fragrance soaked into all your clothes...

And one last thing: earplugs. Pick some up for free when you're next at a gig or pop into Boots. You never know when these are going to come in handy, whether it be on a noisy flight or in a hotel next to a main road. After all, I don't know about you, but one thing I really want on holiday is some good quality sleep.


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4 comments

  1. Love this post!!! I travel quite a bit and I never even thought of buying a perfume atomiser, definitely need to get one instead of sandwiching my perfume in between all my clothes haha.

    Also love the travel purse, another item i've actually never thought about.

    Thanks for this helpful post! :) x

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome - really glad you like it! :)

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  2. Chanced upon your blog and enjoy reading it!

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  3. Love the printed travel purse, so cute! That M&S bottles for 4 pounds are great, but I saw the same pack at Primark at 2 pounds! :) Btw I just had to follow you! <3 While we're on the topic of trends, I just upload my new outfit post featuring PLAID on PLAID on PLAID from Phillip Lim's SS13 collection, do tell me if you're PROVOKED! ;)

    xx The Provoker
    http://www.the-provoker.com/2013/04/mad-for-plaid.html

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