Travel has been a huge part of my life for decades, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Over the years, I have learned of several things to pack with me to help have the best experience possible. A number of those things I bring on every trip and will continue to do so probably forever, such as my noise canceling headset, protein bars, and antibacterial hand gel. 

Nowadays, my travel arsenal has expanded. For instance, I still bring the antibacterial hand gel, but I simply bring an extra bottle of it. We have these little 1 ounce gel bottles that we have always provided to all of our travelers on tours. One little bottle used to last a whole trip, but now I definitely need two. 

Of course the most notable new item that I am bringing on all of my travels is a face mask. Let me give you a tip, if your trip is longer than two hours, then you will need multiple facemasks. Traveling with fresh face masks, replaced often, is safer as well as much more comfortable. Also, take the time to really make sure you have the most comfortable face masks possible. Some of them can have ear bands that can make your ears a bit sore after you’ve had them on for a few hours. 

There are certain things with which I have always traveled, but now these things are more important than ever. For instance, I have always traveled with my laptop and other things necessary to work away from home.  Therefore, bringing these things with me will allow me to stay productive if I need to be in a destination longer than anticipated. 

I have also noticed is that there are more flight changes than ever, and this can lead to delays. Therefore entertainment to occupy my time is key. My favorite thing to bring is a tablet loaded with my favorite guilty-pleasure TV shows. It is amazing the power of trash TV to make time fly. 

The last thing that has become an essential part of my travel arsenal is trip insurance.  Yes it is another cost to the trip, and chances are you will not need it. However, I can tell you from being in this business for 30 years, when people don’t get travel insurance and something happens, they beat themselves up for not getting it. And, even if you don’t use the travel insurance, the peace of mind is worth everything.