Don’t Forget These! Essential Packing Tips for Your Next Vacation

In this episode of All Things Travel, Ryan and Julie help you avoid the common packing pitfalls that can derail your vacation. From forgotten chargers to sunscreen and car seats, they’ve compiled a list of often-overlooked essentials to ensure your trip runs smoothly. Whether you’re heading to a theme park, an all-inclusive resort, or a cruise, this episode is packed with advice to make sure you’re ready for any destination.

Key Points Covered:

• Commonly Forgotten Items: Chargers, hand sanitizers, toiletries, medications, and more—don't leave home without them!
• Destination-Specific Packing Tips: What to bring for theme parks, cruises, and all-inclusive resorts, including gear for kids.
• Travel Hacks: How to stay organized with pre-packed travel bins, laundry bags, and must-have travel gadgets.
• What Not to Pack: Avoid overpacking by leaving behind items like towels, excessive cash, bulky cameras, and too many workout clothes.
• Special Tips for Families: Traveling with kids? Don’t forget sound machines, rain covers for strollers, and car seats!

Make sure to grab your notepad (or phone) and listen in as Ryan and Julie share their expertise as travel advisors to help you pack like a pro!

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Transcript

Julie: 0:00

Hello and welcome to All Things Travel. Today we're talking about all those little things that somehow always manage to slip our minds when we're packing. You're settled into your hotel room, you're ready to start your adventure, and you suddenly realize you've left something you need at home. It might be a small convenience or a vital necessity, but these overlooked items can put a big damper on your trip when it's just started. So today we've compiled our list of commonly forgotten essentials to help make sure that your next vacation goes off without a hitch. Grab your notepads or your phones, and let's make sure you're truly ready for your next getaway. Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor, teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And I am a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, Top vacation tips or sharing personal stories. It's always all things travel.

Ryan: 1:06

Hi, Julie. How are you doing today?

Julie: 1:09

I am doing well. I'm coming off of a weekend that my kids were with Nana So I've been buckled down working and just hanging out.

Ryan: 1:20

Cool.

Julie: 1:20

live the Ryan life.

Ryan: 1:22

the Ryan life, right? yes, especially when we talk about our topic today of packing. Oftentimes, my packing is a lot faster than yours, I think. Although, when I took my teenagers to Disney a few weeks ago, I kind of relived some of that, heavy lifting packing, I stand by this hack that I've always talked about on this podcast. Have as much packed ahead of time with your toiletries, with your chargers, even if it means buying extra things, just for travel, knowing that it's there and making sure it's packed. Once you get back can save a lot of headache but I get it, you still forget things.

Julie: 2:02

Yeah, and what you're talking about is that travel bin, right?

Ryan: 2:05

So all of my travel stuff is together And then I know this is the bag that I'm gonna have with me on the plane I only really use it when I travel so The cords go in there. The charger goes in there, I even have a snack leftover from our last trip kleenexes. just kind of that stuff that i'm gonna want right at my seat It's all there. I'm not having to rethink how to pack it my toiletries literally other than my weekly medication Everything is in there. And if I use it up during the trip It goes right on the grocery list. It gets replaced that week. I get back. that's how I keep my sanity with this.

Julie: 2:41

You're organized.

Ryan: 2:43

in some things in my life, Julie has done a great job of pulling up some of those things that, you may forget, or you may not Think about when it comes to packing, she's going to break it down on various locations and types of trips.

Julie: 2:58

Don't forget to look for our new Facebook page, All Things Travel Podcast, and follow us so you don't miss any of our news coming

Ryan: 3:07

Julie loves to put, pictures of the two of us up there and pictures of trips, and does a really good job of calling back information with tips and all that stuff to our episodes, so check it out.

Julie: 3:19

let's start with some general things that people forget. this could apply to just about any trip you're going to take.

Ryan: 3:28

Yeah, and I would even say overnight trips. this isn't just a vacation, this is, hey, I'm headed out of town for a long weekend, or I've got a short business trip, what are those couple things that I need to make sure that I'm always packing?

Julie: 3:42

the first couple are more tech related chargers and adapters for those chargers. External battery packs if it's a longer trip and headphones and earbuds make sure you pack all those things and that can be a little bit of a headache and then you get somewhere and you're like I have my headphones, but I can't use them because they're not charged

Ryan: 4:03

right.

Julie: 4:04

Tell us ryan go ahead and list off the next couple things

Ryan: 4:07

Sure. So obviously hand sanitizer, having a toothbrush, having toothpaste, extra meds. for GI troubles, headaches, muscle pains. usually what I tell people is have at least one or two doses of most of the types of medicines that you take so that if you Need it you have it if you're going to need more of it, you know You develop that cold or you have a prolonged migraine or something like that Then you can head to cvs and get more Have kind of that go to kit of just a couple doses and stuff that you know, that you, that your body takes well, especially for international trips, having stomach medication that you take versus what you have to find in a pharmacy, in a foreign country, but you know, even

Julie: 4:54

That sounds like there may have been a personal

Ryan: 4:55

not for me, but when I used to lead college students, you never knew what was going to pop up over those two weeks. comfort items as far as your temperature, are you one that tends to get cold? So having a jacket for cooler evenings even if you're in a warmer climate, understanding the day long temperature not just the high for that day. having stuff like snacks. And again, I think this is kind of the same with medicine, having snacks that you know, you like, don't rely on going someplace else and finding a protein bar, take the one that you know, your body likes,

Julie: 5:28

Alright, and then a quick mention to a laundry bag and laundry pods. Not everyone really thinks of laundry being part of their vacation, but having like a laundry bag or I actually just got those collapsible hampers to kind of dedicate a space for all your dirty clothes.

Ryan: 5:46

It helps keep

Julie: 5:47

nice way to stay organized in your room.

Ryan: 5:49

and I would say along with the laundry pods, having those shout wipes or tide wipes, if you get something on your shirt, something on your shorts, that's always happening to me and most of the time I can save those pieces of clothing, by using that shout pin or whatever, they have smaller versions that you can toss in your toiletry bag.

Julie: 6:10

am going to toss a couple kids specific items in here that you might forget if you're traveling with your kids. The first being a sound machine. in this day and age, every single child has a sound machine in their bedroom, basically. So you have to make sure you grab one of those before you

Ryan: 6:26

Okay.

Julie: 6:27

A stroller rain cover. Again, that's something that is kind of like, we're going to Disney. It's going to be good weather or, wherever it is you're going. It's going to be good weather. Okay, but it might not be. the rain cover is small, easy to pack. So just throw it in there. My issue is I always pack the rain cover to go to Disney. I never pack it to go to the park.

Ryan: 6:50

So you have it in

Julie: 6:52

a lot of good.

Ryan: 6:53

it doesn't make it.

Julie: 6:54

Such good intentions. the last thing being a car seat, the point I want to make with the car seat is thinking ahead. If you have kids in car seats at home, any other state or destination you travel to is likely to have rules surrounding car seats. for example, when I go to Hawaii, The rule is still that kids have to be in car seats. and you don't want to show up and try to take an Uber somewhere and realize, Oh, I can't take an Uber because I don't have a car seat. That really limits your transportation options. people kind of forgetting that Ubers don't have those. many times I hear clients and families say, Oh, we'll just get an Uber from the airport. I'm like, but you need your car seat. so just something to think about.

Ryan: 7:37

this list is for those things that you might not think of, Everybody's got their packing list, but these might be the things that slip through the cracks We've broken down some forgetful items By destination before we talk about that Julie I want to talk about where in the world is all things travel we are headed to Stroud, England, which is the market town and civil parish of Gloucestershire, in The western escarpment of the Cotswolds Hills, it's the meeting point of the Five Valleys, and it's a town noted for its steep streets. Does that not sound like a fun place to visit?

Julie: 8:22

That sounds

Ryan: 8:22

I can tell you from looking at the pictures that are popping up as I looked at Stroud, it is absolutely gorgeous. so it's known for being involved in the Industrial Revolution, But it is also known for its natural beauty. Stroud is utterly captivating with its vibrant art scene and expansive manicured landscape, where you'll find an age old reputation for sheep farming and wool. And this is just like the classic. Kind of Jane Eyre, you know, pride and prejudice type landscapes. It's just absolutely gorgeous. So Stroud Gloucestershire, we are so happy. You're listening to all things travel. Reach out to Julie or I on Facebook or via email, because we would love to send you a thank you gift for being a listener to all things travel.

Julie: 9:16

So cool.

Ryan: 9:17

Let's talk theme parks, Julie. What are some things that people often forget or need to make sure are in their theme park bags?

Julie: 9:27

so for Disney, specifically, a marker for your autograph book, because those characters can't really sign with a pen, in my case, something washable because you never know where else that market is

Ryan: 9:38

Got

Julie: 9:39

A poncho, which I think is a lot easier than a rain jacket because you know in Florida it's like raining on and off and those rain jackets are hot. Like the poncho is just easier. a fan for walking around the park yeah, everyone needs their own personal handheld fan, especially if you're going in the summer. extra walking shoes. I always pack two pairs of walking shoes so you can alternate the days. for kids too, but also if they're sitting in the stroller, their shoes aren't getting as much wear as yours are. And sunscreen. So many people forget sunscreen at Disney if they're going, when it's cold at their home. So, when we go in December or January, I never really think about sunscreen at those times,

Ryan: 10:18

I went to a minor league baseball game today and there was so much cloud cover. I bet we had 10 minutes of sun. I came home with a sunburn, because you don't think about it because you don't see the sun, but yeah, it's still there and you're still getting sunburned.

Julie: 10:37

Alright, tell us about the

Ryan: 10:38

All right. So motion sickness meds, because we want to make sure that if we get struck by that, even if it's just sometimes we have access to that. And I would also throw in with the meds, having good tummy meds, because you're going to be eating differently. You're going to be drinking differently. Those magnetic hooks that Julie and I talk about often to hang stuff on your walls or magnets to hang up the daily navigator or things like that. A cruise safe power strip. If you just take a regular power strip, they're going to confiscate it from you. So making sure that you have a cruise safe power strip just for USBs, not for plugs, cash for tipping. So for your porters, people like that, your transportation to and from the port, if you're using a non rideshare option, a waterproof phone case, you're going to be walking around the pool deck. Maybe you're going down a slide and taking a video. You want to make sure that phone is, dry, check the dress code. You don't want to show up and not have the right thing. Your wife or husband wants to do that fancy dinner and you didn't pack the right clothes. You don't want to be that person that is asked to wear a jacket or tuck in their shirt

Julie: 11:59

Mm

Ryan: 11:59

A cruise lanyard. You know, I kind of go back and forth with this. I like the convenience of it. But I don't always use it, I always tell people they should because they use that card so often, I think it's a good thing to have a luggage tag holder. basically what we mean by this is something where you can put the tags that you print off from the cruise line if you get on Amazon and type in cruise luggage tags, they'll pop right up and you can get them at a very decent price. Basically just helps with those cruise, luggage tags that you take to the port. shower accessories. We know from the last cruise with Julie and Michelle, they were not a fan of Royal Caribbean's shower accessories. So making sure that you bring what you like to use.

Julie: 12:43

Before we move on to what you don't want to forget for your all inclusive resort, I just want to have like a little funny aside when you talk about the dress code and a fancy outfit. Have you seen the reel that's going around, like this prank that women are doing on their husbands,

Ryan: 13:01

Where they're showing up in the same

Julie: 13:03

it's

Ryan: 13:03

Yeah.

Julie: 13:04

Yeah, it's like, let's find out who did the packing for this trip. I know that there was a cruise one and a high school graduation one. I've seen a few others too, in different settings where all the men show up in the same shirt it just shows that they clearly did not pack their own clothes and they're all walking into the room like, what,

Ryan: 13:22

I always pick my own clothes. I always know what I packed. So Julie, what about an all inclusive resort? Are there things that we often forget there that would be helpful to add to our packing list?

Julie: 13:36

the first thing an insulated tumbler because you're out in the heat you want something to keep your drinks cold throughout the day Water shoes. Sometimes those beaches can be rocky or like on an excursion you might need water shoes reef safe sunscreen bug spray couple small bills for tipping and beach toys. Now sometimes they will have beach toys for you, and it's hit or miss if you have to rent them or if they're free to use. I just keep a bag of collapsible sand toys for my kids with our travel stuff and we just bring that so that I know for sure that we have

Ryan: 14:14

I like that. Now, one thing I'll say about the insulated tumbler. bring that when you go up to the bars, when you go up to the swim up bars, they are not going to put your drink in that, but you can fill your insulated mug with the drink. depending on where you're at, you may find that you need to order two drinks at once to fill up that mug. That's not such a problem, is it?

Julie: 14:35

And that's how Ryan makes the most of his drink package.

Ryan: 14:40

So, Julie, what are things that we don't need to worry about packing?

Julie: 14:45

Yeah, so this is kind of the opposite take on it. Things that you can leave out of your packing. An extensive first aid kit. you want to have a couple things, but you don't need to bring everything. There's going to be a nurse's station wherever you are. Towels. They're always going to have towels in your room for bathing, but then at pools, beaches, they're also going to have towels there. Excessive cash, that's just not safe. Hair dryers are almost always available. Same with an iron and ironing board, it's almost always available. And if it's not in your room, you can typically request one. Bulky camera or any recording equipment like these days your iPhone is fine

Ryan: 15:27

Unless you're doing, a safari or something like that where you are specifically going to take photos.

Julie: 15:33

yeah, but generally you don't need to bring all your fancy camera stuff Snorkel gear for cruising and resorts a lot of the times are included or you can easily rent them unless you have a specific I know like our friend Michelle is a specific snorkel mask that she likes, but if you're okay with like the general regular snorkeling equipment They're most, most likely going to have it there. Life jackets, and this is specifically in relation to my kids and, anyone traveling with their little ones, they might still wear those life jackets in the pool if they're not experienced swimmers. Most of the time they're going to have those on board. The crews at the resort, they're at all the Disney resorts, and I know from our experience, if we haven't found the size that we need, they will go and find it for us place or cribs. They're almost always on site. excessive formal wear. So like Ryan said, Check the schedule or check the details of the dress code at your resort or cruise or wherever it is you're going, but you don't need a lot of it. alcohol, obviously, cruising, sometimes you can bring some on, but don't, you don't need to bring that other places. And this is kind of a funny one, multiple workout outfits. I always pack a lot of

Ryan: 16:45

going to work out.

Julie: 16:47

We all say we're going to work out on vacation and then you get there and you're like, wait, I'm on vacation. if you are thinking about participating in your fitness routine while you're there, like maybe just bring like two, not for the whole week. All right. And then just two things that are Disney specific. You don't have to bring your stroller. I do because I like the convenience of knowing my stroller and having it in the airport, but they are available to rent. So you don't have to bring it. fancy clothes. I will just use this as an example. I was meeting with some clients. A couple of weeks ago before they went on their Disney trip I was meeting with two moms and they were each bringing, two of their kids they were like, how many outfits do we actually need to pack? Because I read that we need to pack three outfits for each day and fancy clothes for all the dinners. I was like, no, please don't do that. so I don't know if it was a blog or a tic tac. It was probably a tic tac that was telling them that in the summer they needed three changes of clothes for each day.

Ryan: 17:51

Crazy.

Julie: 17:52

So you don't need to bring that much. You can do laundry on site, most places, and you don't need any fancy clothes. unless you are going to a very special dining experience, the majority of restaurants on site are resort where or park where is what they

Ryan: 18:10

Absolutely. If you are planning a signature dining restaurant outside the parks Or doing something very special then check into that If you want everyone to dress alike one night for a meal so you can get pictures other than that

Julie: 18:25

Yeah.

Ryan: 18:26

I don't yeah, you don't need to worry about that at a place like disney.

Julie: 18:30

These same clients were asking me, how fancy the dress for Cinderella's Royal table needed to be so that they could change in the park. And I was like, no, you can just wear your park clothes. They're like, Oh, well, we saw this tick tock.

Ryan: 18:42

So another plug then with that, Julie is work with your travel advisor and ask them questions, not tick tock or Facebook groups because we, you and I spend a lot of time debunking what somebody, heard on Facebook or talk to an aunt who had visited the same location in 1992. yes, exactly. this is a really good list because these are the things we often forget or don't think about when we're packing. So, folks, what I would suggest is listen to this episode, write some things down that you tend to forget and make sure that you put it wherever you have your stuff. So next time You've brought your sunscreen from home. You want to plan a trip to an amazing destination but don't know how to get started? As your travel advisors, we work with you to create a customized itinerary for your vacation and take the stress of planning away so you can focus on the fun and creating memories. You can reach me at Ryan at creating magic vacations. com.

Julie: 19:44

you can reach me at Julie at CreatingMagicVacations. com.

Ryan: 19:48

We look forward to talking to you next week on all things travel. When I share, a secret list of Disney food and drinks.