23 Travel Essentials for Women I’d Actually Pack

After traveling to places like Belize, Iceland, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom, I’ve learned that I don’t want to pack everything—I want to pack the right things. The travel essentials I bring need to be useful, easy to pack, and worth giving up precious suitcase space.

So instead of giving you a huge list of things you might need, I’ve narrowed this down to 23 travel essentials for women I’d actually pack.

I love to travel but being prepared is an important part. In this post, you are going to find travel essentials for any trip, mostly directed to women, even those going international. These travel must haves will make your next trip be a packing breeze. From the best travel backpack to packing hacks, you will be ready to take your adventure game to the next level.

Packing cubes are one of the easiest ways I’ve found to keep a suitcase organized. Instead of digging through your entire bag to find one shirt, you can separate clothing by type, outfit, or even person.

I especially like them when we’re traveling for multiple destinations because they make it much easier to repack quickly. They also help keep your suitcase from becoming a complete mess halfway through a trip. The best travel organizers for women.

When thinking about what to pack for a trip as a woman, I almost always bring refillable travel bottles rather than packing full-size shampoo, conditioner, or other liquids. They’re small, reusable, and let me bring exactly what I need.

They’re particularly helpful when you’re trying to pack light for an international trip and need to keep your liquids organized.

Here’s one of those inexpensive travel products that can save you from a very annoying problem: leaking toiletries.

I use toiletry skins around bottles that could potentially open during travel. Because there is nothing worse than arriving at your destination and discovering shampoo or conditioner all over your clothes.

If you travel with makeup brushes, a travel makeup brush holder is worth adding to your packing list. It keeps the brushes together and helps protect the bristles from getting bent or damaged inside your luggage.

It’s a small item, but it makes packing my makeup much more organized.

I like a makeup bag that keeps everything together without taking up half of my suitcase. This compact cosmetic bag has plenty of organization while still being small enough to easily pack.

For me, this is one of those simple travel accessories for women that earns its place because I actually use it.

If you’ve ever pulled a necklace out of your suitcase only to find it completely tangled, you know why a travel jewelry case is helpful.

A small jewelry organizer keeps necklaces, earrings, rings, and other accessories separated and makes it much easier to find what you want without digging through your toiletry bag.

Good headphones are one of my must-have travel accessories, especially for long flights.

I have Apple AirPods and use them frequently when traveling. They’re easy to pack, don’t take up much space, and are perfect for listening to music, podcasts, or watching something during a flight.

I actually have two pairs of headphones, and I prefer my Beats for longer flights.

One reason is that although they’re Bluetooth, they also have a cord that allows me to plug them into the airplane seat entertainment system. I used them on my Delta flight to the United Kingdom, and that wired option was especially useful.

If you’re looking for long haul flight essentials, a good pair of headphones is high on my list.

This one isn’t something everyone needs, but if you’re a music lover like me, it’s a fun addition to your travel gear.

We often stay in vacation rentals, and when we’re somewhere warm with a private pool, I love sitting outside listening to music. The speaker I use is portable and even floats, which makes it particularly handy around the pool.

For longer international flights, I like having something that makes the flight a little more comfortable.

A travel pillow and blanket combination gives you both without requiring you to pack two separate bulky items. It’s especially nice when you’re trying to sleep during an overnight flight.

The TRTL Travel Pillow is a great option for long flights, road trips, or train rides when you want a little extra neck support without carrying a bulky pillow. Its wraparound design helps keep your head and neck supported while you sleep, and it packs much smaller than a traditional travel pillow.

An airplane foot hammock is another item I like for longer flights. It gives your feet somewhere to rest and can make sitting in an airplane seat for several hours more comfortable.

It’s small enough to tuck into your carry-on, so it doesn’t require much extra packing space.

This is one of my favorite travel items because I’ve used it in several completely different situations.

I’ve taken my waterproof phone pouch to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, kayaking in Grand Teton, and to the beach in Belize. It lets me keep my phone with me around water while still being able to take photos.

For beach vacations, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, or visiting Iceland’s lagoons, this is one of the travel essentials I don’t want to forget.

A small dry bag is another great item for outdoor adventures. It’s useful when you’re around water and want somewhere safe to put clothing, towels, or other belongings.

I especially like having one when we’re doing activities where things could get wet unexpectedly.

A microfiber towel takes up very little room compared with a traditional towel, which makes it a great addition to an international travel packing list.

We used ours when hiking to natural hot springs in Iceland, and it was especially handy because it dried quickly and didn’t take up much space in our luggage.

Sunglasses are one of those things I don’t want to realize I’ve forgotten after I’ve already left home.

They’re especially important for beach vacations and outdoor adventures. I always include a pair when we’re traveling somewhere sunny, whether that’s Belize, Costa Rica, or another warm destination.

A lightweight sun hat is another easy item to add to a beach or warm-weather packing list. Besides adding a little style to an outfit, it provides some shade when you’re spending a lot of time outdoors.

If you’re heading somewhere sunny, this is an easy item to throw into your suitcase.

The suitcase itself matters. I love having lightweight luggage because the last thing I want is for the suitcase to weigh a ton before I’ve even put anything inside it.

Look for features like spinner wheels, durable construction, expandable space, and an easy-to-handle design. I use a Samsonite luggage set and have been happy with it for our travels.

The Sherpani anti-theft backpack is one of my favorite travel essentials for keeping your belongings secure while exploring. It has plenty of room for travel necessities, plus anti-theft features that give you extra peace of mind in busy airports, crowded attractions, and city streets. It’s stylish enough for everyday use but practical enough to take on your next trip.

At the airport, I wear it across my body to keep my phone, travel documents, and other small essentials close. When we’re out exploring, I can wear it as a fanny pack.

Your passport is one thing you absolutely don’t want floating loose inside your bag.

I like using a hard-cover passport holder to protect it while keeping it easy to find. It’s a simple addition to your international travel essentials, but one I think is worth having.

A luggage tag makes it easier to identify your suitcase, especially when you’re standing at baggage claim surrounded by dozens of bags that look exactly like yours.

I keep a luggage tag on our checked luggage and consider it one of those inexpensive travel essentials that’s worth having.

We use Apple AirTags to keep track of our luggage. Thankfully, we’ve never had our luggage permanently lost, but knowing we can see where our bags are provides an extra layer of peace of mind.

If you use Android rather than Apple, there are also compatible luggage trackers available, so you aren’t limited to AirTags.