We all agree that traveling can be incredibly stressful. Well, especially the time between leaving home and arriving at our vacation spot. Before I moved to Canada, I didn’t travel much. Since then, I’ve traveled every year in France and elsewhere. So I had to learn fast in order to be as stress-free and organized as possible, and to make the preparation of my trips as pleasant as possible. I figured I must not be the only one in this situation, and that you could surely use my list of essentials for a light and serene trip. I look forward to hearing from you!
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AirTags
One of my favourite trip essentials: my Airtags! They’re about the size of a 2 euro or 2 Canadian dollar coin, depending on where you’re reading this from. It doesn’t take up much space, but it can help you travel more serenely and possibly find your lost luggage. And above all, it’s something you buy once and keep forever. You can change the batteries in AirTags quite easily, once you’ve got the hang of the system. And off you go again.
How do Airtags work? You associate them with your iPhone, which you’ll find under Items in the FindMe app. Then you can rename them to find out which luggage you’re following. You can also make them ring. Note that the sound is very weak, so you’ll need to mute all surrounding sounds! Finally, the last option added last year I think, you can share the location with someone else. My boyfriend and I both have access to Airtags, so it’s handy in case one of us runs out of battery.
My experience
Personally, I have 4: 2 for my boyfriend, 2 for me: 1 in each hold bag and 1 in each carry-on. We bought coloured key rings to identify them more easily. My little trick for recognizing them: next to the name I put an emoji in the colour of the key ring. For example, the pink key ring has her name and a little pink pig.
One last tip: when you’re on the plane, it’s possible that you’ll still see your luggage at the airport, as there’s sometimes a time lag due to a lack of connection. There’s no need to panic or bother the staff on board. You’ll have to wait until you’re on the ground. On the other hand, if your luggage has really been lost or forgotten, this can really help. I have friends around me who have found their luggage just like that, when they were told they couldn’t find it. That’s what made me decide to get ours!
When we’re not traveling, we leave them in the bags we use every day. And we’ve even bought some to put on my grandfather’s keys, so he doesn’t have to make new ones every time he thinks he’s lost them. They’re often not far away.
Amazon link Airtags Canada // Amazon Link Airtags US
Wise
How to pay while traveling abroad is perhaps one of the questions I get the most from people coming to Canada. Not all banks offer attractive packages for using our local cards in other countries. We don’t always know what exchange rate will be used or what fees we’ll have to pay. For several years I’ve been using Wise to transfer money between France and Canada, and vice versa.
But for 2 years now we’ve also had a Wise bank card for our trips outside Canada. It allows us to reduce bank charges and to use it in all currencies. It’s super easy to transfer money on it. If you need to give European payment information while living in Canada, the app provides you with your European account. It’s easy to top it up as you like, so you can stick to your vacation budget without any nasty surprises.
Use my link to create your Wise account
Nanny bag
I discovered their services during a few days’ stay in Cannes and it quickly became one of my top trip essentials. My train was at the end of the day, and I’d given up my hotel room, which was a long way from the station. I still had time to enjoy the city a little, but I had no desire to lug my suitcase around with me. We’re not here to judge whether I’m traveling light or not, but let’s just say that if I hadn’t found Nanny Bag, I’d probably have abandoned my day of sightseeing after 2 blocks. I wondered where I could leave my luggage while waiting for my train. That’s when I discovered Nanny Bag.
The concept is simple
It’s a concierge network available worldwide. Nanny Bag has partnerships with local stores, convenience stores, gift stores etc, who have space to hold your luggage for several hours. You search on the app or on their website for available options in the area you’re interested in. Check that the opening times match your needs. You book your space, confirming the number of bags you want to leave. When everything is booked, you receive the exact address.
Then all you have to do is show up with your reservation. Remember to put a padlock on your suitcases for security. I’ve had different experiences: some put a zip tie to secure the luggage, others gave me a number like in the changing rooms to get my suitcase back afterwards. By the way, a little tip: take a photo of it in case you lose the little piece of paper. I also always have my AirTags inside, so I can check during the day that my suitcases are still where they’re supposed to be.
My review
My experience with Nanny Bag is very positive, I’ve tried it several times in Montreal, Cannes and Santorini: no worries and above all, feeling light to enjoy our last day. Especially when you decide to spend your last day away from your hotel. In Santorini, we left it next to the airport to pick them up just before our flight, so we didn’t have to cross the island to pick them up at the hotel. A real time-saver.
The cost varies from country to country, but we stay between 6€ and 10€, 6CAD and 10CAD per day. You pay the same for 1 hour or the whole day, for example.
Create your account and find the Nanny Bag that’s right for you.
An external battery
I can’t tell you how many times my external batteries have saved me from indelicate situations. Yes, in general, you should be able to find plugs everywhere. But between the ones that exist but don’t work, the ones that work but have a 2-hour queue because everyone else had the same idea as you. I prefer to recommend that you have your own power source. If I have the choice between a plug and my external battery, I’ll always take the plug to keep my battery in case I need it later.
We bought this model of external battery here, rather light, thin enough to slip in anywhere. With charge indicator and several ports for charging several devices at the same time.
Melatonin
Let’s end this list of essentials for a serene trip with melatonin! I’ve been taking it for years during my travels and it really helps me. But what is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by our bodies. It regulates sleep cycles. Basically, it warns your body that night has arrived and that it’s time to sleep. Taking it while traveling helps regulate your sleep. I usually take it when we’re served our meal on the plane, and start to feel the effects 30 minutes later. I also take some the following nights to counter jet lag and help my body understand that it’s time to sleep in our new destination. Note that there are several dosages and forms: liquid, solid, small capsule, large capsule. It’s up to you to decide what suits you best.
I hope this list of my essentials will help you prepare for your trip and enjoy your well-deserved vacation! You can find other useful travel essentials here.
