Between solo female travel, family vacations, and bachelorette parties, it’s a woman’s world when it comes to travel these days.
And women’s travel essentials have become more specialized and helpful to female adventurers than ever before. There are loads of products on the market designed specifically to keep women safe and comfortable on the road.
As a woman who has done every kind of travel imaginable, I’ve broken down the must-have products for female travelers to the best of the best.
These are the top women’s travel essentials for your next vacation:
- A hidden pocket scarf
- The perfect travel shoe
- A cross-body bag
- Reliable hair clips
- Door stop alarm
- Packing cubes
- Travel laundry bag
Women’s travel essentials for your next trip
1. Hidden pocket scarf
There are many travel scarves on the market that come complete with a sneaky little secret perfect for travelers: a hidden zippered pocket for stashing passports, money, and other valuables. This is particularly handy on travel days, whether you’re powering through airport security or navigating complicated public transit.
Instead of digging through a money belt or purse, these scarves make it super easy to whip out your boarding pass or passport whenever needed. Even if you’re traveling to a warm destination, a scarf is perfect for the chilly buses and planes that you’ll inevitably take to get there. When not in use, it takes up very little room in your bag. This is one of the women’s travel essentials everyone could use.
2. The perfect travel shoe
It doesn’t get better than these sneakers. Seriously. Kizik designed the perfect shoe for women travelers.
With loads of cute styles for everyone, Kizik’s shoes have one thing in common: you don’t need your hands to put them on. All of Kizik’s shoes are designed to be stepped into, totally hands-free and totally convenient. Could there be anything easier for TSA security? Not to mention, they’re comfortable as heck for long days of sightseeing or navigating airports.
3. A cross-body bag
No matter where you’re traveling, you’re likely to spend some time in tourist-heavy areas at your destination. Think about places like Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, or the Trevi Fountain. These are prime target locations for pickpockets.
If it’s too warm out for our favorite travel scarves and you don’t want to be bothered by a money belt, it’s important to invest in a sturdy, cross-body bag that can’t easily be snatched or cut off of you.
There are plenty of specially designed travel bags that have sturdy straps and even RFID technology to block thieves from stealing credit card information.
Traveling with little ones? Discover our top baby travel essentials.
4. Reliable hair clips/scrunchies
When you have a day full of long flights and hauling luggage around a new city you don’t want to worry about your hair. For women who rely on the ability to easily keep their hair out of their face, it’s worth an investment in reliable hair clips. Teleties’ hair clips are specifically designed to be unbreakable, so you don’t have to stress about them getting ruined in your purse or luggage while you’re on the move.
5. Door stop alarm
While it’s of course unlikely that anyone is going to try to break into your room while you’re asleep, it never hurts to be prepared. Items like this door stop alarm are worth their weight in gold when it comes to the peace of mind for women travelers.
After locking up for the night, whether you’re in an Airbnb or a hotel, put the door stop in front of your door. Not only will it prevent the door from opening fully, but it’ll also emit a loud alarm to wake you up or warn you. This women’s travel essential is both inexpensive, small, and lightweight, making it easy to pack.
6. Packing cubes
Used correctly, packing cubes will change your life. Frequently sold in an assortment of sizes, you may be tempted to have a “shirts cube” or a “bottoms cube”. Don’t. Instead of bringing a bunch of shirts and a ton of shorts/pants, figure full outfits before you leave for your trip. (Unless everything you’re bringing is neutral and interchangeable, which is great.)
However, it’s still easier to pack your bags with outfits folded together in the packing cubes. Have one cube for shorts/shirt combos, another for dresses, one for pajamas, and another for bathing suits or sweaters or whatever comes in handy for your particular trip.
7. Travel laundry bag
This seems like one of the “not really necessary” travel items until you try it yourself. These travel laundry bags are designed to keep your sweaty, soiled clothes away from the rest of your clean luggage. They’re designed specifically to keep odor out, which makes them great for smelly socks or workout gear. These are especially handy if you plan on doing laundry while you’re away so you never have to dump everything out to sort through what’s clean and what’s dirty.
All stocked up on your women’s travel essentials and ready to get going on your next adventure? We’re here to help inspire, plan, and make it happen!