INTO’s 7 Must Haves For Frequent Travelers

As someone who lives in airports and can perform and recite the safety demonstration on an airplane flawlessly, I’m beyond comfortable in saying that I know a few things about travel and traveling. Below is a list of 7 essentials (with a little bonus trifecta at the end) to help ease your worries when jetsetting to wherever you may be going.

(1) Stay Connected – Vision Global WiFi

Having Internet while traveling international can be extremely expensive between using your cell phone plans and paying for hotel Wi-Fi, but now there is a much easier way to be online while overseas. This company will ship you a personal Wi-Fi device to take with you and even provide return packaging so you can drop it in the mail upon your return. Vision Global has service coverage in most parts of the world, and the rates are easonable for unlimited access during your trip. (I’ve used this in the depths of the Amazon to the southern most city surround by glaciers to safaris in Africa to major cities in the Middle East, and it always works and keeps me connected to the world…as I travel the world.)

(2) Stay Covered – Allianz Travel Insurance

If you are traveling without travel insurance, you are risking the possibility of spending a lot of money out of pocket if you happen to get sick or have an accident. Allianz offers per trip insurance policies but also has a yearly plan, which is more economical and just makes more sense. Quotes are easy and you can print out your insurance card within seconds of signing up. There are many additional non-medical benefits to travel insurance like trip cancellation reimbursements and lost luggage compensation. (When I was surfing in Sydney and had a major knee injury, this insurance plan I had saved me wallet and I was able to receive the emergency care I needed…immediately.)

(3) Pay For The Best – Briggs and Riley Luggage

When it comes to luggage, there comes a time when you realize that having cheap and or just ok luggage is more of a pain, than a cost saving technique. Just bite the bullet and spend a little more on quality luggage such as Briggs & Riley, which comes with a lifetime warranty. They have many collections in both hard shell and fabric styles, both of which are stylish and comfortable to pack and drag around with you as you travel the world. (I personally am a fan and owner of the TORQ collection, and I travel with the three sizes most of the time…and the comments from fellow passengers when they see my luggage are worth the investment alone – they are so slick!)

(4) Extra Juice – Jackery

Extra battery packs are nothing new, but don’t waste your time with a single charge battery when you can have ones from Jackery that will charge you up multiple times. Yes, they can be bit heavier, but when the old plane you are on doesn’t have a plug and you need to keep your iPad or iPhone charged during the long flight, it will make more sense to you. (I always travel with my Jackery Giant, which is the biggest of them all. It has two USB ports so I am usually charging two devices or sharing with a neighbor who looks sad because of their battery life.)

(5) Shut That Noise Out – Bose

In the days of trying to keep your sanity while at the airport or on a flight, I rely on noise canceling earbuds, and when in transit, I never take them off, helping me avoid unwanted conversation with any potential airplane seatmates and once in the air, helping me zone out, avoiding all the noise that comes from air travel. (I’m a fan of the Bose QuietControl 30 wireless headphones as I prefer them to the bulky over-ear headphones, but there are lots of options out there.)

(6) Take It Away! – Luggage Free

This luggage delivery service is ideal for pretty much anyone that hates dealing with luggage…so everyone. Schedule a pick up from your home and when you arrive to your hotel, walk in to your room and find the luggage inside waiting for you. Sounds like a dream, right? Rates are reasonable and if you are traveling heavy, can save you on airline overage fees. (I’ve used this on several occasions, especially when traveling on back to back trips that require different completely different outfit options, like when I flew directly to Maui from Iceland.)

(7) Make a Statement – Apolis,  Aviate &  Mess in a Bottle

There’s nothing I like more than letting people know what I’m all about, especially while traveling. These customizable totes from Apolis are my new favorite thing right now as you have three lines to express yourself in any way that you’d like, not to mention the totes are just beautifully made.

Since I practically live in airports, when I came across Aviate, I was excited about wearing my home airport code each time I boarded a flight.

And last but not least, Mess in a Bottle has been my go to for t-shirts for years now. They have incredible messages to choose from but you can also customize your shirts, jackets, bags and more, with your message.