15 Travel Essentials for Women that are Worth Packing

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Ladies, we all know packing for a trip can turn into a huge headache, especially for those of us who overpack. That’s why I curated a list of travel essentials for women. In my early days of travel, I wanted to look my best and have everything I could possibly need while on the go — makeup, hairdryer, skincare, hair straightener, extra shoes just in case, an outfit for everyday of the week (if a week had 50 days in it)…

Obviously, I was a chronic overpacker. Well, after a few years of traveling the world and through much trial and error, I finally learned how to pack only the essentials. here are some of my favorite products I now never travel without:

1. Portable Door Lock

After a super scary encounter with a hotel employee at my hotel in Rome (you can read what happened here), I immediately bought this door lock. It has two different sized door slots. The smaller one is for single lock doors and the larger one is for hotel doors. It works so well that I never travel with it, and of course always use it for that extra security when I’m traveling alone.

2. Door Alarm

Just to add an extra precaution, I also travel around with this door alarm. It acts as a door stopper, and when it’s turned on, the pressure from the door will trigger an extremely loud 120db alarm. This is a travel essential for any woman looking for that added security as you travel (especially to my fellow women solo travelers!).

3. Comfy Sandals

Okay, as someone who is constantly traveling on a budget, I’m not usually one to splurge… Except when it comes to cute AND comfortable walking shoes. I cannot tell you how long and how far I have searched for the perfect pair of shoes that are comfy and stylish; that I can wear with a casual outfit or get dressed up in. Well, baby, I have found them. Poppy Barley is a sustainably sourced footwear company that has some of the cutest and comfiest shoes you can wear! I took a chance and got a pair of their heeled sandals and the level of comfort is actually insane. I can walk and dance in these shoes for hours without any blisters or achy feet. Didn’t even know this was possible.

4. Walking Sneakers

Comfortable sneakers are an absolute travel essential for women. To each their own, but I prefer these white Reebok sneakers. I am currently on my second pair in only three years because I wear them almost every single day, whether I’m traveling or not. I am a big walker when I travel — I average 25,000 steps a day in most European cities, so having shoes that are going to be kind to my feet and back are non negotiable. These exact sneakers even survived an 11 mile round trip hike up Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala, NOT an easy trek I might add.

5. Menstrual Cup

Okay to be fair, it took some time for me to get used to a menstrual cup. But through much trial and error (and helpful blog articles), it has been an absolute game changer when I travel. I used to completely overpack pads and tampons, especially for my multi-month trips, and then finding tampons on short notice in certain countries is not as easy as it is in the U.S.

I knew there had to be a more sustainable way and many of my friends recommended a menstrual cup. These cups offer up to 12 hours of period protection and you can wear them while sleeping, hiking, running, sleeping and more! If you are new to menstrual cups, start with the smallest size available, then once you’re comfortable, you can size up if you need to.

6. Tripod

How many of us have looked back on our solo travel pictures and wished we had better images to share? Well, as a content creator where my job literally relies on getting good content from the places I travel to, a tripod is crucial. I like this one because it comes with a bluetooth clicker that allows you to take videos and pictures at a short distance. It’s compactable and easy to pack away in my carry on backpack too.

7. Power Adapter

This is a travel essential for all my fellow international traveling women. You cannot go anywhere outside of the U.S. without bringing a universal power adapter. I actually have two of these because I am also a digital nomad — so I sometimes need to charge multiple devices at a time. Each adapter has 4 different plugs built in, as well as 2 USB-A ports and 3 USB-C ports. That means you can plug in up to 6 devices at a time!

8. Portable Charger

Again, as a digital nomad and content creator, I’m always on my phone — whether it be for taking photos and videos, editing, working, sending emails, taking video calls… you name it. That also means my battery can run dangerously low when I use my phone throughout the day. I now never leave to go on an excursion or to explore a town without my portable charger. This one is small and can easily fit in my purse when I’m on the go. I also like how it shows the percentage it’s at which indicates its charge level, and it allows you to charge up to three devices at a time.

9. Passport Holder

The amount of passport holders I’ve gotten that have fallen apart or broke is too many. Seriously. I’m always paranoid about my passport when I travel, I constantly triple and quadruple that I have my passport on me — and I’m sure my boyfriend is tired of hearing “where’s your passport?” at least 50 times on our way to the airport. So finding a passport holder that is of good quality, durable and cute has been an undertaking to say the least.

I love this Poppy Barley passport holder because I can hold on to two passports at a time (no more repeated passport questions for my boyfriend), it fits all my cards in its slots, and I can neatly keep my charger in the side pocket so it’s ready to go at all times. The size allows me to easily find it in my backpack and it perfectly fits right next to my laptop.

10. Jewelry Organizer

To the ladies who like to wear jewelry everyday (it’s me, I’m ladies), you will definitely need this travel essential for women. I used to put all my jewelry in a plastic sandwich bag because I guess I thought that was the only way? (it’s okay, we’ve all made mistakes). As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, all my jewelry became one big ball of metal literally one day into my trip. So I went ahead and got this jewelry organizer that perfectly fits all the jewelry I wear everyday and then some! It fits right in my backpack and doesn’t leave my necklaces and bracelets a tangled mess when I need them.

11. Travel Bottles

How extensive is your skincare or haircare routine? If you use many different products for your skin and hair, TSA and other travel regulations might make it hard for you to pack every single large bottle you use. So that’s why I opted for smaller travel bottles so I can easily bring all the skincare and haircare products I need while saving space and complying with travel regulations. This pack of travel bottles comes with 19 different containers all ranging in size so you can efficiently bring any product you need. For anyone with an extensive beauty regimen this is a necessary travel essential for women.

12. Tea Tree Oil

Now I want to get into some products that have been game changers in my skin health and appearance. Let’s be honest — when we travel, we want to make sure we are looking our best for those TikToks and insta posts, right? Well, after years of hopping from one place to another I have realized that travel can make your skin freak out. Things like air quality, UV exposure, water quality, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue, and deviations from your normal routine can all affect your overall skin health.

I started using tea tree oil in my skincare routine whenever I get acne flare ups and it has been revolutionary in tackling my unexpected breakouts. I literally just add one to two drops to my tamanu oil (see below), rub it between my palms and start with the affected areas and then spread it to my entire face. It’s been great at treating and preventing pimples on short notice and doesn’t completely dry out my skin. And it’s small enough to easily pack away with your other skincare!

13. Tamanu Oil

This is another travel essential for women looking for a simple and effective skincare product. I first learned about tamanu oil from a friend who (of course) learned about it on TikTok. We decided to purchase it together and try it out, and after only a few days of using it we both texted each other in disbelief about how amazing it was. It’s an effective moisturizer and helps treat the discoloration, acne and scars on my face. It comes in a compact bottle so it perfectly packs away with my other skincare. I never travel without my tamanu oil.

14. Blow Dryer Brush

Hair. Is. Everything. If you know, you know… And bringing every single product and device to make sure your hair is perfect might not be the most efficient way to travel. I would know — I used to pack my blow dryer, brushes, clips, straightener, curler, hair spray, bobby pins and more just to do my hair everyday. My bag was massive and it’s not fun dragging a massive bag through the cobblestone streets of Paris, just saying.

I instead use this Revlon hair dryer brush for all my hair needs now. It’s so great for drying my hair quickly while styling it at the same time. It adds a bit of volume to my hair without making it appear flat (like it does when I just straighten it) so it’s all I need to make sure my hair looks fantastic on the go. If the bigger brush is still a bit too bulky for your case — there’s also a smaller size that may be a bit easier to pack away.

15. Mini Straightener

Rather than packing my regular sized straightener, I have now opted for a mini straightener. While it’s not the most efficient to use when straightening my entire head, it goes along great with my blow dryer brush. I mainly use it for touch ups and to straighten out my pesky cow lick that my brush can’t tame on its own. It’s small, compact and perfect to use on the go with my brush!

Of course, when it comes to travel essentials for women, it’s crucial to remember that the specific items you need may vary depending on your destination, the timing of your trip, and your individual travel style. My list above serves as a starting point, considering factors like skincare, health, and comfort. However, as you gain more travel experience, it’s essential to customize your own list by adding or removing items to suit your unique needs and preferences. By doing so, you can create a personalized set of travel essentials that ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable journey. Safe travels ladies!

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