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Travel Must Haves… Everything You Need to Pack Smart and Pack Light!

Cardigan / Pants / Underseater / Pillow & Blanket / Carry-On

Good evening! Coming to y’all this Wednesday evening from our little apartment here in Antibes, France! We arrived mid-afternoon Monday and it’s felt like a bit of a whirlwind ever since. I think tomorrow will be the first day we can move at normal speed. Travel days are of course always exhausting and a bit of a wash and then Tuesday we got unpacked and organized and did a good bit of shopping. Well, more like shopping attempts 😉 We rode to Saint Laurent du Var and Nice which are super close to us here in Antibes. We are on the serious hunt for a few furniture pieces for our tiny place and although I’d found a few places that looked promising, they all ended up being not quite what we were looking for. Every store was either way too modern or looked like a Versailles furnishings estate sale. So, we’ve decided to head out on an adventure! Later this week… Friday we think… we will be renting a car, packing an overnight bag just in case, and heading to Provence! There are lots and lots and lots of vintage, quintessential French country kinds of furniture stores that seem to be much more of what I am looking for. So wish us luck and follow along as always over on IG stories!

Today I am sharing all of my travel MUST HAVES… from luggage to gadgets to my little secrets to surviving long travel days. I’ve done lots of travel posts over the years but of course I learn more and more along the way and like to share my newest finds and updates.

First things first… packing carry-on! As I have shared lots of lots in the past, I only bring carry-on luggage ever, no matter how long I am traveling. It means less time at the airport, less time after landing, less to roll down (usually) cobblestone streets to an Airbnb and just less to deal with overall! Plus, even when I packed way more I would come home and realize I only wore 30% of what brought. So here to share my tips and tricks once again to packing light. First things first, AN UNDERSEATER! These are LIFE for traveling light! This is the teal luggage pictured here and it counts as your PERSONAL ITEM on most major airlines. Meaning you can take a carry-on sized roller bag PLUS this as well! It slides under the seat in front of you and holds a ton. I usually have only clothes in my carry-on and then in my underseater I have my toiletry bag, laptop, hair styling tools, an extra pair of shoes, my jewelry case and lots of other random little things. LIFE. SAVER.

Underseater / Pillow & Blanket / Carry-On

Next up, you’ll need a good crossbody! Not only are these a perfect sized purse for traveling but they’re also pretty inconspicuous as an additional personal item. I also flip mine around to my back and I’ve never had anyone say a thing!

Crossbody

Here are a few MUST HAVES and fun little things I keep in my crossbody…

Portable Charger

Passport Holder

Personal Refresher Kit

Clean Hydration Packet

Cocktail Kit

A few extra little MUST HAVES I keep in my underseater…

Monogram Jewelry Box

If you’re ever a little timid about traveling or in particular staying in an Airbnb versus a hotel, this is a GREAT little door lock gadget that’s small enough to pack on every trip!

Portable Door Lock

Portable Door Lock

After blowing my pricey flat iron by not using the correct converter, I did lots of research and this one is THE BEST! It even has a little picture of a hairdryer and flat iron on the front with a little green checkmark.

Travel Converter

Another MUST for travel is a good travel pillow! This is a pillow/blanket combo that is SOOOO soft and easy to attach to your luggage. I got one for me and two for the girls years ago and we LOVE them!

Pillow & Blanket Combo

Next up, COZY SHOES! You will never regret packing comfortable shoes. I always wear a pair of sneakers and then pack a pair of flats…

Sneakers

Flats

And finally, dress cozy and in layers…

Cami / Cardigan / Pants / Sneakers

Bon Voyage!

XOXO, Brittany Palazzo

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ABOUT

Hi, I'm  Brittany

Addison's Wonderland began in 2011 as everything that I dreamed of for my daughter's room. I wanted to create a dreamy wonderland for her full of colors, patterns and precious details. Once her room was complete, Addison's Wonderland was born.

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