If you’re looking for the ultimate packing list for women, you’re in the right place. These genius women’s travel essentials might even solve problems you didn’t even realise you had. From keeping organised to saying safe, these travel must-haves should be on every woman’s packing list!
After many years of travelling, be that weekends away or backpacking trips, I’ve become an expert on finding products that make travel smooth for me as a woman. Hopefully by sharing this, you can avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made in the past!
I also know that as women, a lot of the time, we like things to look cute. So, all these travel essentials are not only useful but look pretty too!
Note: if you choose to shop through the links in this post, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue creating helpful content online as I do this all for free!
Women’s Packing Travel Essentials
First things first, let’s dive into the exciting world of women’s packing travel essentials. Yes, I really do love packing that much. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your suitcase completely organised. It takes the stress out of travel knowing that everything has its place. These are my tried and tested must-haves when it comes to packing as a woman. I use these items all the time, whether I’m taking a long-weekend break, a relaxing holiday, or a 6 month backpacking trip.
Packing Cubes
The first thing on this list had to be packing cubes. If you haven’t tried them yet, prepare for your life to be changed forever. Packing cubes make travel so much easier.
Not only do they make it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for, they also mean you can fit more things in your suitcase! I recommend assigning a certain item to each packing cube e.g. t-shirts in one, dresses in another – that way everything stays super organised.
The type of packing cubes you pick is super important. Look for ones that are:
- Compression based
- High quality
Hanging Suitcase Organiser
Whilst I’ve never tried this, I think it looks like a fantastic packing solution when travelling.
This hanging suitcase organiser allows you to pack everything neatly and then simply pull out the organiser and hang it up in your hotel room.This sounds like it will make unpacking and the dreaded re-packing so quick and simple!
Air Tag
If an airline has ever lost your suitcase, you probably went out and bought air tags immediately after.
Putting an air tag in your bag means that you can track it at all times and will know exactly where it is, if it gets lost in transit or stolen. At £30, it’ll be well worth it! Replacing everything in your suitcase will cost you much more.
Suitcase with Built-In Phone Charger
A high quality suitcase has to be one of the ultimate women’s travel essentials.
This
This carry on suitcase carry on suitcase is super stylish and mega functional. It includes a:- cup holder
- usb charging port
- mobile phone holder
- built in lock
Anti Theft Backpack
This anti theft backpack is really affordable and will keep all your valuables safe when travelling.I love that it has a usb and headphone port, as well as a luggage strap so you can attach it to your suitcase when walking around on travel days.
There’s plenty of room for a laptop too, so perfect for those who need to work on the go.
Hanging Toiletry Bag
A hanging toiletry bag is one of my top items on this list of women’s travel essentials. Here’s why:- You can hang it up anywhere rather than cluttering up the bathroom counter space in your hotel room
- It has multiple compartments so you can keep everything organised and separate. I like to keep my skincare in one compartment, my haircare in another etc.
- The pockets are clear, so it’s really easy to find what it is you’re looking for
Mini Women’s Travel Essential Organisers
These little containers can be used for anything small that you don’t want getting lost in your suitcase. I love that they’re clear, so you can easily see what’s in each one.I like using these for:
- Hair grips
- Hair ties
- Qtips
- Earrings
Women’s Travel Jewellery Organiser
If you like to travel with multiple jewellery options, this travel jewellery organiser is so helpful. It has multiple compartments, so you can keep your earrings, rings, and bracelets all separate.The little hooks are also amazing to stop your necklaces getting tangled up in your bag during travel days.
Laundry Bags
Laundry bags are a must for any travel-lover. They help to keep your dirty clothes away from unworn ones, keeping you fresh throughout your trip!
Shoe Bags
If the thought of letting the bottom of your shoes touch your clothes freaks you out as much as it does me, invest in some shoe bagsSimply pop your shoes in there to keep them separate from your other belongings.
Women’s Safety Travel Essentials
Unfortunately, travelling as a woman can come with its unique set of issues and a major concern for many women is safety. These women’s travel essentials are specifically to help you feel safer when travelling, whether that’s along or with others.
Being properly prepared with the right equipment, even if you never need to use it, can help give you peace of mind when in an unfamiliar destination.
Personal Security Alarm Keychain
This personal security alarm keychain can be easily added to any bag or backpack so you can quickly and easily alert people of danger.The keychain sounds a loud alarm and flashes lights when triggered, which lets people know you need help and will often act as a deterrent to those up to no good!
Portable Door Lock
This portable travel door lock is a game-changer when it comes to giving you peace of mind in an airbnb or hotel room.It’s light and small, so won’t take up any room in your case, and works with most doors. This added layer of security means that nobody can get in the room from outside, even if they have a key.
Travel First Aid Kit
When travelling, it’s best to be prepared for every eventuality, especially if you’re woman solo travelling.
Purchasing a compact travel first aid kit with all the necessities i.e. plaster, bandages, etc. will help to keep you healthy and safe, at least until you’re able to seek some proper medical attention.I would also add in any medication or pain killers you think you may need to the kit.
Fake Wedding Band
Unfortunately, it’s often the case that men are more likely to leave you be, if they think that you’re married.
This cheap wedding band for travel will give people the impression that you’re spoken for and hopefully will deter any unwanted attention.
I am, in fact, married, and still travel with a
I am, in fact, married, and still travel with a fake wedding band! I want to wear something but am always scared I’ll lose my real one, so this does the job perfectly!
LARQ Self-Cleaning Water Bottle
One of the most dangerous things about being in a new country can sometimes be the water. Often tap water is not clean or drinkable.
The LARQ self cleaning water bottle uses UV technology to inactivate microbes in drinking water without the need for any chemicals. In fact, it eradicates up to 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses.This women’s travel essential also helps you to be more sustainable, as you won’t need to buy as many plastic water bottles.
When travelling, I often find it hard to clean my water bottle properly too, so this really is a winner!
Luggage Locks
Simple but effective, luggage locks are an absolute women’s travel essential. I always add one of these to my suitcase, especially when I’m travelling from place to place by bus or train.I also like to use these on my locker, if I’m staying in a hostel, to stop anyone snooping through my belongings.
I prefer these metal locks, as they’re harder to cut through.
Waterproof Dry Bag for Swimming
If you’re travelling solo, I can’t recommend a waterproof dry bag more.It’s always tricky when you’re alone at the beach and want to take a dip but are worried about leaving your belongings unattended.
This bag allows you to take all your valuables with you into the ocean, so that nobody steals them while you’re enjoying a swim!
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
If you’re going to be using public WiFi at any point during your trip (which trust me – you will!), you need a VPN.
This is the best way to keep your data safe online when travelling.
VPNs protect users by encrypting data and masking IP addresses. This means better privacy, so people are unable to view your browsing activity, identity, or location.
Doorstop Alarm
If you’re looking for an added layer of security, a doorstop alarm can be a great option. You simply place this under your door and, if anyone attempts to open it, a (very) loud alarm will go off.This provides peace of mind that nobody can sneak into your room while you’re sleeping and that noise will certainly act as a deterrent if anyone tries!
Women’s Flight Travel Essentials
If you’re not properly prepared, flights can be a real pain. These are the women’s travel essentials that make flying feel less stressful, so you can spend more time getting excited about your trip.
Passport Holder & Travel Wallet
A travel wallet is an absolute essential for keeping all of your important documents in one safe, easy-to-find place. Here you can keep your passport, boarding pass, credit cards, coins, and documentThis passport holder is particularly amazing if you’re travelling with a partner or family, as it holds up to 5 passports. That way you can keep them all in one place (if certain people can’t be trusted with their own!)
This travel wallet also comes in a variety of colours, so you can choose whichever suits you best.
Neck Pillow
For a long time, I vowed I would never get a neck pillow. They seemed so bulky and just not worth it.
I was 100% wrong.
After numerous sleepless flights, I became very jealous of my fellow passengers with a neck pillow. Now I’ve purchased one and I’ve never looked back.
This sturdy neck pillow is my favourite. I can’t imagine a flight without it now!
Plane Seat Phone Mount
If you’re on a smaller flight, you may find that there’s no in-flight entertainment. In these cases, this plane seat phone mount can be a life saver.Staring down at your screen can be a killer for your neck on flights. This clever phone mount hooks on to the back of your tray, so you can look straight ahead when watching your tv shows and don’t have to hold your phone up with your hand!
This is also a great way to keep kiddos entertained on shorter flights.
Headphones
I use the Sony wh-1000xm5 headphones every day of my life and truly cannot recommend them enough. The sound quality is fantastic and I love the sleek look of them.What truly makes them shine on a flight, however, is the fantastic noise-cancelling. I like to wear these when flying, even when I’m not playing music, because they block out all the other sound so well!
Silk Eye Mask
I’m a big fan of an eye mask full stop. But when it comes to flight, they’re a travel essential. When you just want to block out all the reading lights and phone glares to get some shut eye, a sleep mask is a must.
I prefer a silk one because it’s (apparently) better for your lashes and skin – plus they just feel a little bit more luxe!
Lip Balm
The one things I never forget when flying is lip balm. Something about the air circulation on a plane always dries out my lips.
My ride or die lip blam is the Nue rev de miel lip balm. Warning: once you try this lip balm, you won’t be able to use anything else.I’ve got pretty much everyone in my life obsessed with this lip balm – friends, family, husband. It really is that good.
Compression Socks
Are they cute? Not really. Are they a women’s travel essential? Absolutely.
As someone who’s mum has had not one but two DVTs, I know the importance of compression socks when flying.
These compression socks improve the blood flow in your legs and reduce swelling. This reduces the risk of you developing deep vein thrombosis and is particularly important on longer flights.It’s definitely better to be safe than sorry!
Women’s Tech Travel Essentials
Most modern-day women are going to find they’re taking a fair amount of tech with them. Whether it’s for everyday use or capturing content of your trip, these women’s tech travel essentials include everything you need to capture your trip perfectly and keep all of your items working when abroad.
Cable Organiser
If there’s one thing I hate, it’s messy cables. This cable organiser makes finding what you need easy without rummaging through your case for the right charger.This cable organiser is nice and compact with plenty of room for all of your chargers and cables to be kept organised for your trip.
Universal Adapter
An absolute must for multi-country trips, the universal adapter allows you to charge your electrical items from anywhere in the world.Previously I had a multitude of different adapters depending on where I was travelling to. Having just the one makes life so much easier.
Now I know wherever I go, this will do the job! I’ve found this specific universal travel adapter to be very reliable.
Kindle
f you don’t already have a kindle, I can’t recommend them highly enough. They’re perfect for travel.Kindles are super lightweight and compact and you can carry thousands of books on there! It’s much lighter than packing paperbacks and gives you more freedom to choose what you feel like reading.
I also much prefer a kindle when I’m lying by the pool or on the beach. They’re much easier to hold when you’re lying down and you don’t have to constantly turn the page.
GoPro
I love my GoPro.If you’re doing any underwater or adventure sports while on your travel adventures, this is a great camera to capture those memories.
It’s compact, simple to use, and waterproof! The photo and video quality is also excellent.
Portable Charger
A portable charger is just as much a women’s safety travel essential as it is a tech one. This ensures that you can have your devices charged at all times no matter where you are.Being stuck without a phone in a dangerous situation is the last thing you want, so please get a portable charger.
This one is my favourite because it has an iphone cable built in, meaning I don’t have to remember to carry one with me everywhere I go!
Underwater Phone Case
If you don’t want to splurge on a GoPro (even though I think they’re totally worth it!), I’d recommend purchasing an underwater phone case. They’re much more affordable and you’ll still be able to capture all those special moments in the water!
SD Card Holder
If you’re on a longer trip or like to take a lot of photos and video content, you’ll love this SD card holder. I feel like I’m constantly running out of space on my SD cards, so having somewhere to store back-ups is amazing when travelling, especially on longer trips!
Travel Tripod
Again, if you enjoy creating content or want to get some photos of yourself while travelling solo, invest in a travel tripod. You can just set it up and put your camera on a timer!
This travel tripodtravel tripod
Digital Camera
Anyone looking for a fantastic digital camera (that also works brilliantly for vlogging) needs to check out the Sony G7X.This is my tried and tested camera. It’s lightweight, compact, easy to use, and produces great quality video.
Disposable Camera
I recently started taking a disposable camera on my trips with me and have found the process so much fun. There’s something so exciting about getting the photos developed and they always have such a cool, vintage vibe to them.
I’ve been using the Fujifilm Quicksnap disposable cameras and am utterly obsessed with them.Top tip: make sure to put the flash on!
Women’s Toiletries Travel Essentials
As a woman, they’re can sometimes be a little bit more to think about when it comes to travel toiletries. These products are my favourites for keeping everything clean and organised. Check out my women’s toiletries travel essentials, below.
Silicone Beauty Sponge Holder
If you use a makeup sponge, you’ll know what a nightmare it is to travel with. While it’s still damp, it can get all your other makeup dirty or wet when you put it back in your makeup bag.
This handy little silicone pod allows you to keep it separate from the rest of your makeup. It even has vents to allow it to dry off properly!
Silicone Makeup Brush Holder
I love this silicone makeup brush holder for the exact same reason. It keeps your brushes separate, so you can find them easily, and it also stops you getting anything else in your makeup bag dirty!
Toothbrush Caps
Keeping you toothbrush clean and away from anything else in your bag is easy with these simple toothbrush caps. You just pop it on the end of your toothbrush when packing it away and you’re good to go.Putting your toothbrush in your mouth after it’s been floating around in your bag isn’t the best idea and this solution is cheap and simple.
Refillable Liquid Bottles
If you’re travelling with hand luggage only (or just want to travel light!), these refillable liquid bottles are perfect. Simply pour your liquids into these bottles and you’ll have just the right amount for your trip without exceeding the security limit.
I like to use these for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
The silicone travel bottles are the best as they’re easier to empty and refill!Refillable Perfume Bottles
Again, if you’re travelling light or with hand luggage only, these refillable perfume bottles mean you can still smell good when travelling without taking a huge bottle.Simply add in your favourite perfume and you’re good to go!
These are also great to pop in your handbag on a daily basis.
Rechargeable Light-Up Mirror
If you’ve done much travelling before, you probably already know that the mirror and lighting situation in hotel and hostel bathrooms can be below par.
This light up mirror means you’ll always be able to do your makeup wherever you are in the world.The best thing is that it’s rechargeable, so you won’t need batteries for it. Simply plug it in, charge it up, and you’re ready to use it again!
Hand Sanitiser
You never know what situation you’ll find yourself in when travelling, so have some hand sanitiser handy is always a good idea.I like to carry this around in my day bag, so it’s always ready to go.
Reef Safe Suncream
Wearing SPF is, of course, a woman’s travel essential. Protecting yourself from the sun is so important.
If you’re swimming in the ocean, make sure to pick a reef safe sunscreen. Regular suncream can cause damage to the delicate ecosystem, so be responsible when choosing one!Women’s Clothing Travel Essentials
I find that the clothing I pack differs greatly depending on the trip I’m on. The climate, culture, and activities involved all determine exactly what I’ll pack. There are certain items that come with me on every trip though. These are the ones I consider my women’s travel essentials.
Comfortable Walking Shoes
If you’re anything like me, travel involves a lot of walking. Whether you’re exploring a new city or making your way around Disney World, you’re going to want some comfortable shoes that make walking a breeze.
I’m a big fan of the Hoka Bondi 8 Shoes. They’re super cushioned, making it feel like you’re walking on clouds. They’re actually a big hit amongst hospital nurses for this very reason!
Hiking Shoes
If you’ll be doing any hiking on your travels, you’ll want some footwear that’s more heavy duty.
The Merrell Moab 3 are hands-down my favourite hiking shoes. They’re so unbelievably comfortable and, in my personal experience, don’t require any breaking in. I’ve worn these shoes for 18 days of walking in a row and recommend them to everyone I know.
Cheap Sunglasses
Taking designer sunglasses travelling with you can be a risky game. They’re easily lost (I know from personal experience).
I prefer to take a cheap pair of sunglasses away with me, so it’s not nearly as upsetting if they go missing or get broken. These cute pair from Amazon are my favourites – I wear them all the time!
Comfortable Leggings
When it comes to long travel days, leggings are a women’s travel essential. I’ve been a big fan of the lululemon align leggings for many years but have never loved the high price tag.
They’re still my favourite thing to travel in but recently I tried an Amazon dupe and loved them. These CRZ Yoga Leggings are buttery soft, super comfortable, and prefect for travel.
Bum Bag
In the UK, we call it a bum bag. In the US, I’m pretty sure it’s a fanny pack. Either way, these little bags are so helpful for travel, when you want to be hands-free.
This bag can fit a surprising amount in it – phone, keys, lip balm, hand sanitiser, card holder, etc. I love using this on travel days when I want to be able to get to important things quickly.
Fillable Travel Scrunchies
In my younger years, I used to love these scrunchies for a night out. They have a zip which allows you to store things inside the scrunchy – great for keys and some money.This is a great place to keep some spare money in case you were to lose your bag/get pickpocketed. This way, you still have some spare money to get you back to your hotel etc.
Women’s Travel Essentials
Those are all of my top women’s travel essentials! These things really have been lifesavers over my years of travelling and I hope that they help you to have the most stress-free trips possible too! Let me know any of your own recommendations in the comments, below!
