We’ve been compiling lists of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to make your next trip easier to plan and enjoy. Since mobile apps have been changing the way we travel, here are our Top 10 Travel Apps that we use to plan our trips, keep up with our itineraries and tickets, and find our way around.
We’ve been traveling a lot lately for both work and pleasure. That means we’ve been doing a lot of packing and unpacking and a lot of browsing online for better options and ideas. We even have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to Packing Tips! All of that travel has us thinking that what and how you pack can really make a difference in your transportation experience.
As checked bag fees have become the norm, traveling with only a carry-on whenever possible is now the primary goal for most travelers. If that’s the case for you, and you’re heading out for longer than a weekend, you’re going to want to make the most of your personal item. [See what we include in ours here!]
There are many options out there in a lot of price ranges. We’ve pulled together our favorites for the budget traveler and those with a little more money to spend. If you haven’t read our review of the Everlane tote, which includes a lot of the details we look for in a bag, check it out here. Also check out our review of the Lo & Son’s O.M.G. bag, which is very similar to the O.G. bag featured below!
Top Row: Stella & Dot – The Shift | Coach Leopard Turnlock Tote
Second Row: Baggu Duck Bag
Bottom Row: Longchamp Paris Le Pliage
Looking for a great weekender bag? You can find our favorites here!
Like all good travel sites, we’ve been compiling lists of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to make your next trip easier on you and your budget. If you remember from our post on organizing your travel documents, I mentioned that I keep my itineraries and confirmation numbers in Google Drive and then print out some hard copies just in case I can’t access mobile data or WiFi.
Well, friends, no more! I have FINALLY found an app that organizes my travel confirmations easily and with as much detail as possible. Introducing…
My biggest concern with apps that organize details for me is that I rarely like the layout or the amount of detail shown. Details recorded in Tripit are organized by date, then by item (plane ticket, train ticket, hotel confirmation, etc.), and they all expand for additional information. That even includes your email correspondence with your AirBnB or your bike rental receipts.
1. Make an account at www.tripit.com and download the app to your mobile device from Google Play or iTunes. It’s free, but there’s also a pro version that is ad-free and has a few more features.
2. Just forward all of your confirmation emails to the Tripit email address they give you. Tripit will notice the email address that you send them from, and it will assign them all to your individual account. It’s pretty darn smart and really good at sorting out what information to pull from each email. For my hotels, AirBnB, and Bed & Breakfast, for instance, it includes confirmation numbers, addresses, and phone numbers in the main details.
3. You can then go to the website if you need to adjust any details. For instance, I have a casual email from the bike rental company that we will be using in France. Tripit didn’t recognize that it was a receipt for an activity, but it did file it into my Trip Details for the right date. I was able to go in and edit the activity type and name so that it fit in easier with my schedule. In fact, I also changed hotel check-out times to the actual time that we’re leaving so that “check-out” would appear prior to my train ticket. See? I told you I can be picky.
Train Ticket Details
4. Tripit even includes directions and adds them automatically. When Tripit recognized that I’ll be flying into CDG airport and that I have a reservation at this darling hotel in the 17th arrondissement, it included directions via car and the Paris Metro. Merci beaucoup, Tripit!
Cooking Classes, Hotels, and Flights
Train Tickets, Hotels, and Maps
As I’m at home writing this, I decided to turn off my mobile and wireless on my phone to see what details I could access with no data or WiFi service, and I was still able to open all of the details I’ll need. How’s that for accessibility?!
Have you used Tripit to organize your travel itinerary and confirmations before? If so, tell us about it in the comments!
Did you read my Everlane Tote review last week? I’ve decided it’s the perfect affordable carry-on tote bag for your flight, and with its slim silhouette, it transitions easily to a great day bag. Below, you’ll find my best packing tips and the items I can’t leave home without when I’m flying, and they all fit in my new Everlane Tote!
My Everlane Tote: High quality construction, chic style, and a zipper top make this my go-to travel tote for business and vacation.
Travel Wallet / Passport Case: I love a passport case that is long enough to hold my boarding passes, my cash and cards, and my passport. These are a few of my favorites right now.
Travel Journal: I grabbed a pocket-sized one from Rifle Paper Co. for a specific short trip, but I’m thinking about getting this one to record a lot of future trips in one location. And of course, a Moleskine Journal is always a great option with that pocket in the back!
Baggu Shopping Bag: I know we’ve mentioned them a few times, but we really don’t leave home without them!
Cardigan and Scarf: It can get really chilly on a plane. We love cardigans like this in colors that go with everything and a lightweight but large scarf that can double as a blanket if needed. We’re also crushing on this cape for winter travel!
Reading Material: I found a few magazines on France tourism on my most recent trip, but I always have a large selection of AFAR, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and my new favorite: Wherever Magazine. They all fit in this bag with room to spare.
Small Zipper Bags: I bought this cute elephant one in Thailand a long time ago, and it holds my smaller camera, ipod, headphones, and any power cords I’m bringing with me on the flight. Smaller zip bags are the best way to keep things organized, and here are a few of my favorites: Nylon Baggu, Leather Baggu, Stella & Dot, and Flight 001
Small Make-up Bag: I keep a few of my solid toiletries in here so I can freshen up after the flight without getting into my rolling carry-on. I love these NARS lip pencil (I like the Velvet Matte in Cruella Scarlet Red) and the L’Oreal Concealer Crayon as great solid alternatives to my usual liquid concealer and lip gloss. Savannah Bee Company makes a great chapstick in wonderful flavors like blackberry and Earl Grey tea.
Clear Zipper Bag for Liquids: I’m thinking about just investing in one of these so I won’t have to keep using Ziploc bags. For your 3oz liquids, check out this great website with tons of really nice travel-sized products. I always bring my small bottle of Fresh Seaberry Face Oil and my travel-sized Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.
Downy Wrinkle Releaser: This is one liquid that I can’t travel without! I’m allergic to ironing, especially when I’m on the go, so this amazing de-wrinkling spray keeps me from looking like I’m living out of a suitcase.
Eye Mask: Falling asleep on flights comes easily for me, but staying asleep does not.
Sunglasses: My Warby Parker prescription sunglasses have been game-changers. I love their quality and their price.
Check out our other favorite packing tips and tricks here, and follow us on Pinterest for more great ideas!
[This is not a sponsored post, friends. We just wanted to share our must-pack items!]
[We’ve updated this post with a review after taking our Everlane tote across France. See the end of the post for more on how it worked for us. ]
My mom and I have been searching for the perfect carry-on tote for our upcoming trip to France, and we had some pretty high standards. We needed a bag that was:
– large enough to hold all of our needs
– but not too big that it can’t be used as a day bag
– zipped!
– chic, obviously!
– well-made with great reviews
– and at a really good price point
Not only that, but since it’s easier to pack light when you stick to a color palette, Mom needed one that came in black, and I needed a brown one. We didn’t need the same bag, of course, but when we started reading all of the great reviews about the Everlane Tote, we knew we needed to check it out. It seemed to fit all of our needs, so we ordered the black leather with reverse denim, which is a pretty heather gray. I was eyeing the brown leather with navy twill, but decided to wait and see what the black one looked like in person. Let’s just say, I’ll be ordering the navy for me really soon!
I already have one of Everlane’s amazing weekenders, and it has been such a JOY to pack for trips to my mom’s house in the mountains and all of our other weekend trips! I was thrilled to see that the tote we received (with free shipping!) was of equally great quality!
I really love that the tote has a slim silhouette. I often find bags that I like, but they end up being rather bulky. This bag will hold my make-up and small toiletry bags, my travel magazines, my camera, my tablet, and it doesn’t take up too much space. The inner pocket is the perfect size for my wallet and passport case. The zip top stays hidden instead of sticking out on the ends, which I think is a wonderful detail that makes it even more sleek. The black leather straps are sturdy and a great length for throwing over your shoulder, and the cotton twill is wonderfully thick. Even after all of those great details and the sturdy construction, it’s still incredibly light weight! Friends, we have found our new favorite bag! Oh, and did we mention it’s ONLY $40?!
My mom traveled in style in Burgundy with her grey and black Everlane tote.
After trying out the grey and black tote with my mom, I ended up buying the navy tote with brown leather handles for myself. As I had expected, it worked great for my trip to Paris, Provence, and Burgundy. Here’s what we learned:
Carrying my tote around Paris on a drizzly day!
[This is not a sponsored post, friends. We just adore our new Everlane tote, and we can definitely vouch for the sturdy construction and timeless style of our wonderful weekender. If you’re on the lookout for some stylish and affordable luggage, do check them out!]
Day-dreaming about future adventures has become a full-fledged hobby of mine. I could spend hours looking at travel photos, reading about adventures, and trying to determine which destinations are in my Top 5. There are too many!
While recently planning my family’s upcoming trip to Paris, Avignon, and Beaune, I came across this brilliant website that makes travel-planning a cinch! Trust me. You NEED this resource!
Rome2rio is an amazing one-stop website that shows you all of the possible ways to get from Point A to Point B, and it includes times and rates. Having trouble deciding if you should rent a car, take the train, or brave the local buses? Rome2rio provides all the details so you can decide which route will be the cheapest, the quickest, or the easiest!
Here’s a screenshot of the Rome2Rio Tool.
See that sidebar on the left? Just click through your transportation options to compare costs and times, then select your favorite to book your tickets! Once you have your logistics handled, you can focus on what really matters: daydreaming about your destination!
It’s hard enough to decide where to go next. Let this website do the transportation planning for you!
[Friends, this is not a sponsored post. We’ve been using Rome2rio in our personal vacation planning, and we love it! We think you will, too!
Morocco Photos courtesy of Apartment Therapy and AFAR Magazine. ]
Boarding passes. Trans-Atlantic flights. Multiple layovers. Labyrinthine customs lines. Re-entry paperwork. Sometimes just knowing where to find our small, time-worn passports makes our journey that much easier! While these can’t guarantee a shorter customs line, if you’ve got a long way to go, you might as well accessorize with travel goods that get you excited about your trip while making it run just a tad more smoothly.
We pulled together a Top 10 List of our favorite cases on the market right now, from feminine to masculine, from budget-friendly to Treat Yo’ Self splurge. You can definitely tell that we have more than one style around here! Preppy and bright? The rugged explorer look? Sleek and professional?? We alternate between them all!
First Row: London Love | Passport Stamps – Personalized | Leather World Map |
Kate Spade Cedar Street | Hayden-Harnett Bon Voyage
Second Row: Jack Spade Dipped Leather | Jonathan Adler Fractal | J.Crew Leopard Calf Hair | Leather Dodo Case – Personalized | Kikki.K Adventure Awaits
I’m definitely in love with the Hayden-Harnett Bon Voyage case, but how CUTE is that London Love case by whitelilly at Zazzle?? Corgis and teapots! The adventurer in me, however, loves the rugged beauty of the Leather World Map case! You can get it on Etsy, and it comes in all sorts of shades.
Which of these are your favorites? Do you have a favorite that we missed? Share it with us in the comments!
[Featured Image Credit: Walsh Worldwide]
I’m a hyper-organized travel planner. I definitely love a lot of spontaneity, but when I have too much time between booking and departing, I tend to spend a lot of my free time planning out all of the details. That’s just how I satisfy my wanderlust in the meantime. I have a few tools and apps that help me keep it all together for the most organized travel planning possible:
I save so many details here, and I love that I can access it very quickly on my phone. I usually create a spreadsheet schedule that includes arrival and departure times, especially if I’m traveling by trains in addition to planes, hotel confirmation numbers and contact information, and any other details I might need. Another perk: you can share all the details with your fellow travelers!
Above: Schedules are easy to make and view in a spreadsheet.
In addition to my travel schedules, I save the following in Google Drive for easy access:
Above: the custom Google Map I created for an upcoming trip.
Think about it. You’ll look less like a tourist if you’re looking down at your phone instead of at a large, unfolded map.
You definitely need to try out City Maps 2Go and MAPS.ME. These apps are a recent discovery for us. These apps, available for both iOS and Android, allow you to save your destinations on detailed maps even when you don’t have Wi-Fi or data. How brilliant is that? It’s another easy way to find your destination without having to pay for roaming or Wi-Fi!
Most airlines now have apps for your phone that let you check-in online without having to print a ticket. They can scan your phone at the gate. So easy! This is especially great for the minimalist traveler with just a carry-on. There’s no need to stand in line for a check-in counter or kiosk!
Call me old-fashioned, but I like to have some hard-copies as well. For a big trip with lots of stops and connections, there’s something that just eases my mind about being able to quickly flip through a stack of reservations and train tickets so that I know they’re all there and in order. I have a trip coming up that includes 3 hotels, one AirBnB, 3 separate train journeys for 3 people, bicycle rentals, and a car rental. I’ll do a quick print out of all my reservations, color-code them by city and put them in chronological order.
Finally, consider printing directions and addresses in your destination’s native language, if it isn’t one that you speak well. This can save you lots of headaches when hiring a cab!
Yes, I’m a huge organization nerd, but now I have a simple back-up system stowed neatly in an envelope. For what else are you going to use that flat exterior suitcase pocket?
Here are some of my favorite document organizers. You can use a travel wallet or just a flat, zip-pouch to keep your documents close by!
Top Row: Delfonics x Monocle | Tokyo Travel Organizer | Prendre Multi-Case
Middle Row: Clair Dot Medium Pouch | Aspinal of London Travel Wallet | Kikki.K Adventure Awaits Travel Wallet
Bottom Row: Mark & Graham Zip Pouch | Stella & Dot Zip Pouch | J.Crew Calf Hair Pouch
[Featured Photo: Boarding Passes by Mark Hamilton]
