The Best Travel Accoutrements

a big ole Amazon list and my #1 travel tip

Welcome back to this April series on travel! In case you missed it, I’ve been writing about my solo trip to Paris (here’s post 1 and post 2). Today I’m sending you a big, buttery, delicious list of recommendations and links to peruse!

I’ve divided this post into three parts. The first one you’ll see by scrolling below, and it is non-Paris specific. It’s simply 12 of the best travel products that I’ve collected and my absolute, best, number-one travel tip that I tell EVERYONE.

The second post is a list of my Paris-specific recommendations… basically, my itinerary. So that I don’t overload your inbox, you can find that post here.

My Paris Itinerary

And the third post is answering the most-asked question I’ve gotten, which is what I wore on my trip. This was super fun to answer, including the one type of sneaker that absolutely every cool Parisian was wearing. You can find all of that here!

What I Wore in Paris

Please note that any of the Amazon links below are affiliate links, meaning that I will get a few pennies if you purchase through that re-direct (and I do appreciate those pennies!)

13 Things You’ll Want to Travel With

We all know that the flights are the worst part of travel, especially the overseas variety. I flew Economy (gasp!), but these items helped me get through the 7-hour flight.

Bonus tip: I’m generally unable to sleep on planes, especially when I am overly excited. My counselor gave me some excellent advice: download an hour-long meditation. If you aren’t sleeping, at least you can practice mindfulness and get a bit of peace. It worked—I downloaded a few from Spotify and also used the Endel app and left the plane feeling more rested than I had on any other overseas journey.

1. The best little reading light: when I saw this recommended over at Big Salad, I was intrigued but skeptical. Do you really need your own light on the plane? Yep—the overhead lights are so high and so bright and tend to piss off your fellow passenger. This light is a soft amber glow, easy on your eyes, and won’t disturb your seatmate.

2. A total black-out eye mask: the flimsy eye masks just don’t cut it. Go ahead and get yourself this eye mask that is extremely comfortable and blocks out all light.

3. A lightweight blanket scarf: I think the trick to flying, especially in Economy (bleh), is to trick yourself into thinking you have personal space. I wrap this over my head (like a hoodie) and around my shoulders, making me feel a bit like I’m in my own little world. Especially with the eye mask and some good headphones. This can also double as a lightweight blanket, pillow, or…duh…as a scarf. The Parisian trend is to have your scarf be the same color as your coat, which is why I went with navy, but this comes in a zillion colors.

4. A chic yet comfy travel outfit: tough fact—only Americans are wearing athleisure, y’all. As amazing as joggers are, I didn’t want to show up at my hotel screaming US of A. I also didn’t want to have to bother with changing clothes on the plane or airport. But this sweater outfit from Amazon! The monochromatic vibe elevates your look, plus it’s super comfortable and has a good medium weight to it.

I am a chronic under-packer. I tend to prioritize space and efficiency over comfort, and this often leaves me unprepared for the weather. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to buy jackets, sweatshirts, or shoes because I didn’t pack properly. I was determined to change that this time, and I did so well!

1. Wind-Resistant, Easy-up-and-down Umbrella. Paris, like a lot of European destinations, is known for being gray and drizzly. I had quite a few pop-up rain showers (and even hail!). It was surprising how many times the wind would threaten to ruin my umbrella. This umbrella option is wind-resistant, small, and cheap enough that if you lose it, you won’t be upset. It’s on sale right now and I ordered three.

2. Iconic trench coat. I actually brought two coats this trip, and I’m so proud of myself. One was my (again, very American) thin puffer coat, which easily rolled up in my suitcase. The other was this classic trench coat, which helped me fit in with the European crowd. I ordered the navy color, but it comes in the iconic khaki as well. It is not lined, which I prefer. It’s breathable, has just the right amount of stretch (not much), and mostly protects from the elements. The puffer jacket came in handy on the coldest day of my trip when I knew I would be outside most of the day—I am glad I brought it!

Jet lag hit me pretty hard on my 2022 trip. The evil Meta algorithms must have known this because Facebook kept showing me ads for military-grade jet lag supplements. They were super expensive though (that military budget, I guess)… too much to risk on something that might not work. I did a little detective work and found out what was in them, and just ordered those in more generic vitamin form. Here’s what I ended up with in my medicine kit:

(Reminder to find my Paris Recommendations here and What I Wore here)