Must have travel essentials for women that make packing, organizing and traveling SO much easier.
The holiday season is almost here! I look forward to the Christmas season all year long. It’s so magical and cozy! Plus the cold weather gives us an excuse to stay home, cozy up and watch holiday movies!
However, I know that for those of you who will be traveling (near or far,) this time of year can be very stressful and chaotic. Trying to pack, buy Christmas gifts, coordinate travel plans.. it can be a lot.
That’s why I wanted to share my must-have travel essentials for women as soon as possible. Hopefully these items will help simplify your life and make packing so much easier. I’ve made sure to include everything from packing cubes and organizers to hydrating skincare and hand sanitizer mists.
Keep reading for all our favorite packing, organizing and travel essentials for women this holiday season!
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Top Travel Essentials for Women
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Clear Luggage Protector
Prevent scuffs, scratches and stains from ruining your suitcase. This clear luggage cover fits right over suitcase and will help keep it looking brand new! It comes in multiple different sizes to fit small, medium large or suitcases.
Travel Pill Organizer
This has been a game changer for traveling and weekend trips. Instead of packing the entire container of ibuprofen or packing the pills in plastic baggies, I’m able to neatly organize any pills and vitamins into the 8 small/large compartments.
The pill organizer has double locks, so you don’t have to worry about the pills spilling in your purse and it comes with waterproof labels to keep them organized!
Travel-Friendly Laundry Detergent Sheets
These laundry detergent sheets are our favorite! I’ve shared them multiple times on Instagram and here on the blog. They’re SO great for traveling because they’re lightweight, flat and take up virtually no space in your suitcase or carry-on. You also won’t have to worry about any spills or sticky messes.
For obvious reasons, we love them for long and short trips, but being environmentally conscious, I love that these detergent sheets have zero plastic waste and are free from parabens, chlorine bleach, optical brighteners and added dyes. They’re easy to use and under $10 from Amazon!
I have an entire blog post sharing a full review of beyond’s laundry detergent sheets here if you want to read more!
5 Slot Sunglasses Organizer
Finally, a good way to organize sunglasses without bringing 5 different cases! This sunglasses organizer can hold up to five pairs of glasses and has elastic strap closures on each of the compartments so your glasses don’t move around when traveling.
It folds up nicely into a pentagon shape and has a durable, hard outside that will protect your glasses if anything were to happen.
Foldable Jewelry Organizer
One of my favorite travel essentials! This jewelry organizer is less than $20 and has so many pockets and pouches for your bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings. It has four necklace clips so your necklaces don’t get tangled, an earring grid, two ring rolls, multiple zippered bags and more.
It also makes a great gift for any girl in your life!
3 pc Hardshell Luggage Set
One of the best affordable options for luggage. There are tons of color options to choose from, and actually some colors are an extra $20 off. The luggage set comes with a small (20 inch), medium (24 inch) and large (28 inch) suitcase, all very lightweight with multi-directional wheels.
But, the best part is that each suitcase has locks on the zippers, so only you can open it. You set the three digit code, and nobody else can open it! If your suitcase ever gets lost, you don’t have to worry someone going through your stuff.
Packing Cubes – 5pc set
If you’re looking for high quality packing cubes, this 5 piece set from CALPAK is awesome. The cubes are durable, water-resistant and keep your luggage super organized while on-the-go.
I know these are a bit more expensive than some Amazon ones, but these are really great quality and won’t rip. I made the mistake of ordering cheap ones this Summer and almost every one of them ripped. So lesson learned!
Travel Shoe Bag
This shoe bag holds up to three pairs of shoes, but can also be used as a regular packing cube, toiletry bag or makeup bag if you need it to. I always like having a separate bag for my shoes so that all my clothes don’t get dirty while in the suitcase!
Blackout Sleep Mask
These blackout sleep masks come in a set of 3 and are under $10, which is a steal! They have over 49,000 reviews on Amazon and are great for long flights to help improve your sleep while you’re away from home.
I love these because they don’t ruin your makeup and there’s absolutely no pressure on your eyes!
Hanging Travel Shelves/Suitcase Organizer
This portable hanging shelf and suitcase organizer makes it easy to organize your clothes while traveling and once you get there! It folds up nicely to fit in your luggage. Then, once you arrive, simply take it out of your suitcase and hang it up. It’s so convenient and such a time saver.
Summer Fridays On Cloud Nine Set
The ultimate hydrating duo! This skincare set includes Summer Fridays’ best selling Jet Lag mask and Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream – both packed with hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate your skin while traveling.
Travel Ice Roller
I don’t go anywhere without my ice roller. It’s great for headaches, migraines, TMJ pain, sunburns and reducing facial puffiness. Personally, I’ve also found that the cooling sensation helps relieve some of my travel anxiety and nervousness.
Whenever we go on road trips, I pack a mini cooler so I can bring my full size ice roller. That was until I found these travel sized ice rollers that easily fit in your purse or toiletry bag.. so genius! It comes with a carrying case and two different roller heads.
Lip Balm
Traveling always makes my lips so dry, so I try to re-apply lip balm every few hours. This lip butter balm from Summer Fridays smells so good – it’s also clean and non-sticky. The Laneige Lip Glowy Balm is also a good option!
Touchland Hydrating Hand Sanitizer
The hand sanitizer mists that everyone RAVES about. Yes, they are a little pricier than your average hand sanitizer, but they’re SO good. Formulated with aloe vera and lemon essential oil, they’re super hydrating, non-sticky and smell amazing!
This set comes with Watermelon, Peach and Berry!
Car Organizer
So great for road trips! This collapsible car organizer will help you stay organized and give you some extra storage space in your trunk. It features three large compartments (with extra interior pockets as well), which are perfect for storing emergency supplies, road trip essentials, blankets, shoes, and more.
It even has carrying handles so you can easily transport it back and forth from the car.
Travel Pillow and Blanket set
I always hate bringing the blankets we have at home on vacation with us. It kind of grosses me out, even though I know they can be washed. This travel blanket and pillow set, solves that problem!
The blanket comes folded up as a pillow and features a luggage belt and backpack clip making it easy for you to attach to your suitcase or clip onto your backpack. It’s super soft and pretty large when used as a blanket (60″ x 43″), making it great for a long flight or car ride.
Foldable Travel Laundry Bag
Easily separate your dirty and clean clothes with this foldable laundry bag. Now you don’t have to push all your dirty clothes to one side of your suitcase!
This laundry bag packs into itself, so it starts off small and compact, but expands to hold about a week’s worth of laundry.
3-in-1 Wireless Charger
This 3-in-1 wireless charger is GENIUS. Charge your phone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at once. Devices can be charged vertically or horizontally!
This little device is perfect for traveling, because it eliminates the need for tons of extra cables and chargers!
Makeup Sponge Holder
If you’re tired of your beauty blenders getting foundation all over your makeup bag, this silicone sponge holder is exactly what you need. It can hold up to two sponges and has a little vent so your makeup sponges can breathe!
Portable Charger
Portable cell phone chargers are an absolute must have when traveling anywhere. These iWALK chargers are our favorite. You don’t need any cords, it plugs right into your phone, and it’s about the size of a lipstick container, so it’s very small and compact.
You can easily store the charger in your purse or pocket and it doesn’t weigh you down like some do.
Travel Tote Bag
These tote bags from ROAM Luggage are my FAVORITE for travel! For one, they’re completely customizable which is pretty cool. You can choose the color of the front and back panels, handle straps and bridges. They’re also luggage compatible, water-repellent and made of eco-friendly fabric.
Hanging Toiletry Bag
BAGSMART is one of my favorite brands when it comes to travel accessories. Everything is very reasonably priced and amazing quality. Their hanging travel bag is huge! It has four clear compartments with elastic straps that allow your skincare and beauty products to stand upright.
I also really love that it has a hanging swivel hook, allowing you to hang the toiletry bag in your hotel room, on a door knob, towel rack and more!
Electronic Organizer
This electronic organizer is a game-changer when traveling! Keep all your chargers, cords, AirPods, memory cards, and more neatly organized in one place.
Foldable Mini Steamer
My clothes always get so wrinkly when traveling, so I always pack a portable steamer. This one is less than $30, heats up in less than 30 seconds and has a leak-proof design so you can steam your clothes vertically or horizontally.
It folds up nicely too, so it barely takes up any space in your suitcase.
Travel Wallet and Passport Holder
This tri-fold travel wallet is under $15 and is perfect for organizing all of your travel documents, credit cards, cash, plane tickets and any other important items. It even has a pen-holder too!
When traveling, it’s always a good idea to have a separate wallet or organizer to hold all your important documents. This way, everything you need is in one place and you don’t have to dig through your purse or carry-on bag at the last minute.
Rapid Calming Melts
These Equilibria Calming Melts are a life saver. I always keep a container of these in my purse so that if I’m feeling anxious, I can take one. They’re very small, dissolve under your tongue and they’re super fast-acting. They take effect within 5 to 10 minutes.
My anxiety is definitely heightened when traveling, so these help calm my nerves. For an extra 15% off your order you can use code CMAJINSKI.
Portable Luggage Scale
This digital luggage scale is a life saver! Especially, if you’re constantly getting charged with overweight luggage fees. Use it at home before you head to the airport and bring it along with you too!
I know my suitcase is always more full on the return trip! This portable scale definitely comes in handy.
Portable White Noise Machine
Have trouble sleeping while you’re away from home? This portable white noise machine is perfect for traveling and fits nicely into your carry-on luggage or backpack! Choose from multiple soothing sounds and volume levels.
Compact Hand Vacuum
If you’re going on a road trip, this portable, lightweight hand vac is perfect for the car! You can easily clean your seats, floors and cup holders with its powerful suction. I love the pink, but it comes in a few different colors as well!
40oz Reusable Water Bottle
I love this cream leopard 40oz water bottle from Simple Modern! It’s so cute and functional, but also very affordable. It comes with three different lids – a straw lid, handle lid and chug lid. So depending on what you’re doing or where you’re going, you can switch it up!
TSA Approved Travel Containers
These leak-proof travel size bottles come in a set of 4 and are great for shampoo, conditioner, face wash or body wash without worrying about spills or leaks! The bottles have a wide opening so they’re very easy to fill, re-fill and clean.
For those of you heading on a trip soon, hopefully this list of travel essentials for women was helpful! If you can think of any other essential travel products that I didn’t include, let me know and I can add them to the post!
Oh and if you need a good book to read on your next trip, here’s a list of my favorite inspirational and and female-empowering self-help books!
Other posts you may like:
- Beach Vacation Packing List
- Ultimate Road Trip Packing List: 50+ Car Ride Essentials
- Summer Travel Guide: Traverse City, Michigan
This post shared our top travel essentials for women.
