Things you will need in the in the airport, on the plane and touring at your destination:
COVID related.
- First thing you need to know the COVID requirements of your airliner, the airport, and the destination country. This info can be obtained form your airliner, booking agent, internet, and your and destination countries official websites.
- Face mask and coupe of extras in case the ones your wearing fall or you forget on your seat. Remember you will eat and drink in the airport and on the plane 9esecially for long trips, so extra couple of masks might be needed.
- Face visors can be handy if you do not like the mask or need extra protection.
- Small size hand sanitizers that can be allowed to take with you, if you do not have that, then 60% rubbing alcohol in a small spray type bottler and that is what I use, I keep the large bottle in the suitcase, I usually tape the top to prevent the lid to open up and put it in a nylon double ziplock bag to prevent from leaking and refill by small one whenever I reach to the accommodation. In many places it will be hard to find sanitizers.
- Small hand soap, and wipes that are built in sanitizers. These can be useful sanitizing the seat arms, the entertainment monitor is existing on the plane, in the bathrooms and the luggage handles when you get your luggage after landing.
- I personally do not use gloves; I just control myself not to touch my face and sanitize them regularly. But if you are a glove user then have few extras.
- It is always a good idea to have an empty reusable bottle to put water from the water fountains in the airport or on the plane. Water in the airport can be very expensive and also on the plane if you don’t want to touch the food or the beverages.
None COVID related preparations.
- Of course, it is redundant to say first thing to make sure you have on you is your passport (valid for at least six months and at least one empty page), or ID or travel document, depending on where you are and where you are going.
- Many destinations for many nationalities require visa stamped on your passport prior to traveling, and some require electronic visa. You can know the visa requirements from online search, embassies of the countries you will visit, or the airlines themselves and you need this information at least two weeks before your travel date, because some visas might require a week and the passport physically be at the embassy and with the COVID, you must mail and mailed back.
- Also, you must have your paper ticket (if applicable), online confirmation with you. If you are booking using online booking applications, they for sure have phone apps, and all that info will be in that app ready when you log in. However, I always keep a hard copy in case electronic devise did not work.
- In many cases if you arrive early, you can ask for preferred seat when you do your boarding from the counter. This is not applicable in most local US flights since everything is via computer.
- It is always a good idea to have an empty reusable bottle with you. This can be very useful to fill it with water from the water fountains in the airport or on the plane. Water in the airport can be awfully expensive and you must wait in a line to purchase one.
- Buy some snacks before going to the airport. I always see the food on the plane is not enough, and during the COVID, airliners are reducing or eliminating all together the food and beverage service on the plane. Be aware that you cannot have liquids through security, so beverages you must buy from the inside airport after you pass security or inside the plane.
- I usually use 360-degree wheeled carryon, it is bit more expensive, but it can make your life much easier in the airport. Backpacks are also useful and better then the duffle bags especially when you have more than 1 stop and you will have to run in airports during transit.
- Most airports and planes have charging facilities, but it is advisable to have not only a charging cable, but also charger and the external charging bank. I do not like plugging into the USB charging plugs in public places.
- For long trips, make sure you have your book, laptop, tablet, or phone with some entertainment apps. I travel sometimes for 10 to 16 hours nonstop flights, and I keep couple of games, music I can listen to it offline, some movies …etc. to keep me busy during long flights. I have noise canceling earphones and it is worth the price, it helps you so much during travel on plane, or train.
- If you use ear plugs or eye covers or blankets, it is good idea to have them with you. Most planes use to give these but not anymore due to COVID restrictions.
- Make sure you have comfortable shoes, and clothing, I usually wear wide shirt with pocket to put my passport and boarding passes. I wear cargo pants that I can put my wallet(s) without bothering me while seated for hours. Also have pen in your handbag, many destinations (including the US till very recently) need you to fill landing or custom papers. Always ask the officials if you need to keep that paper (especially if they stamp it and handed to you back) because some countries will not let you out of the country if you do not show them that paper on exit.
- I always carry two wallets; I divide my credit or debit cards and cash into two wallets. One wallet will be in my back or front pocket and in it I usually keep one card, two big bills, and lot of small bills ($1 and $5 and couple of $10) which I will give it to the taxi or tip or food stands. The rest of the cash (yes take cash with you) and two other cards I keep them in the other wallet which is always on me but in the lower pockets of the cargo pants with zipper or buttoned. Depending on the country, if I am in countries with lot of looting, I keep some cash in my pocket outside my wallet, so I do not flash any wallets when paying taxi, or food stand.
- Do not wear lot of fancy jewelry and watches unless you know where you are going and been there before.
- If you can exchange some money to the destination currency in the airport, it is always good to have some small denominators bills with destination currency to be able to tip (always remember the exchange rate so you do not over or under tip), or pay the taxi, most countries taxis will they do not have small bills and will keep remaining and there is little you can do about it. Also, if you will need to pay for visa on arrival in most countries I been too, they will ask you to pay using local currency.
- I always keep record of my cards, these days all the info is accessible through the app on your phone. But I keep a record and the card emergency number to cancel in case of theft or lost.
- Also, make sure your bank and card company know you are traveling (if you are traveling overseas) otherwise they might block your card for security reasons, and you will end up with no card till you find a way to communicate with your bank.
- I travel more than usual so I have couple of cards (one Visa and one American Express) that have international plans, so when I buy overseas using the card, I do not get the additional 2-3% exchange fees. I also use their car rental insurance policy which save me money on overcharged car insurance overseas.
- In many countries it is advisable to keep couple of colored photocopies of your passport so you can carry in your wallet and not use the originals.
- I always keep extra pair of eyeglasses with me at all time (if you wear eyeglasses and do not wear contacts like me), during travel anything can happen, and you might lose or break your glasses.
- I also take one extra phone with me. I always make sure my phone company knows I am traveling. In case your phone company have cheap roaming plants like my carrier use that it helps you when you land, and I also use it to book uber and call on VOIP without extra charge.
- In case you do not have cheap roaming and free roaming internet, search in advance if there are cheap sim cards you can buy in the airport of the visiting country with cheap internet. Most countries offer cheap one week or one month plans in the airport on arrival. In that case having an extra phone will help you.
- Always remember your medication if you take medication and put it in your handbag and not in the suitcase or the carryon. But also keep some in your carryon or suitcase in case you lose your handbag.
- Also, it is important to have with your electrical adopter if you are traveling overseas, not all airports or hotels have universal plugs. Especially if you are renting Airbnb or less than 4 start hotels, they will have the electrical outlets used in that country and most probably 220 volts and 50hz outside the US and 110 volts and 60 Hz in the US, few countries have 110 V but 50 Hz.
These are some of things I carry with me for travel, most I keep them with me and not in the suitcase. They do not take lot of space, but they can be extremely helpful to make your trip more enjoyable.
Last update, Feb 7, 2021: effective January 26th, 2021, there are new COVID related requirements all passengers traveling to the US (including US citizens).
Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html
Effective January 26, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require all air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days. Airlines must confirm the negative test result or proof of recovery for all passengers two years of age and over prior to boarding. Airlines must deny boarding of passengers who do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery.
Please see CDC’s FAQ for answers to questions about the new requirement for proof of negative COVID-19 test or recovery from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving in the United States.
There is more specific information in the link about US citizens returning from Brazil, China, Europe, students returning home, and Crouse passengers.