Anyone who travels regularly eventually learns that packing more doesn't necessarily mean packing better.
There are the things that come on every trip because you genuinely use them, and then there are the "just in case" items that travel hundreds of miles only to come straight home again.
The best travel essentials are the things that make getting from A to B easier. They keep you organised, save space, solve little problems and make being away that bit more comfortable.
So, whether you're packing for a weekend away, a business trip or a long-awaited holiday, here are the travel accessories we think are actually worth making room for.
1. A Travel Bag That Suits the Trip
Getting your luggage right is a good place to start.
A large suitcase makes sense for a two-week holiday, but for a weekend away or overnight stay it can be more of a hindrance than a help.
A good travel bag should give you enough room for what you need without encouraging you to take everything you own. Look for something that's comfortable to carry, easy to organise and smart enough to work for both leisure and business trips.
The Kingsley & Harper Oxford Cloth Travel Bag is designed with shorter trips in mind. It works particularly well for weekends away, overnight stays and travelling light, when a suitcase simply isn't necessary.
2. A Simple Way to Organise Travel Documents
Passport. Boarding pass. Hotel details. Travel insurance. Car hire confirmation.
You don't want to be the person frantically searching through a bag at the front of the airport queue.
Keeping important travel documents together is one of the simplest ways to make travelling less stressful.
A passport wallet or travel organiser works well if you prefer having physical documents to hand. If you keep everything digitally, create a dedicated travel folder on your phone and download anything important before you leave.
That last bit matters. The moment you really need your booking confirmation is usually the moment the airport Wi-Fi decides not to cooperate.
3. The Right Travel Adaptor
A travel adaptor is very easy to forget and incredibly annoying not to have.
If you travel to different countries regularly, having one multi-country adaptor that lives with your travel things is much easier than trying to remember which plug you need before every trip.
The Kingsley & Harper Multi-National Travel Plug is compact enough to keep packed away with your other travel essentials, ready for the next trip.
It's one of those small travel accessories that doesn't seem particularly exciting until you're standing in a hotel room with 3% battery.
4. A Portable Power Bank
Phones have become one of our most important travel companions.
We use them for boarding passes, maps, photographs, hotel bookings, translations, restaurant recommendations and working out where we're going when we've taken a wrong turn.
A compact power bank is therefore one travel gadget that really does deserve a place in your luggage.
Look for something small enough to carry around during the day rather than a large, heavy version that gets left at the hotel.
And remember to charge it before you leave.
5. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are one of those things you don't think you need until you've used them.
They help divide your suitcase into sections, making it easier to find what you're looking for without disturbing everything else.
You could have one for underwear, another for tops and another for swimwear, or organise them by outfit if you're moving between several destinations.
They're particularly useful when you're trying to travel with hand luggage only.
Do you absolutely need them? No.
Will you wonder why you spent years rummaging around the bottom of a suitcase once you've tried them? Quite possibly.
6. A Bag Just for Chargers and Cables
Modern travel seems to involve an extraordinary number of cables.
Phone charger, watch charger, headphones, laptop cable, power bank cable. Leave them loose in your luggage and they'll inevitably find their way into five different places.
A small zipped pouch solves the problem.
Keep all your electronics and charging cables together, then get into the habit of putting them back in the pouch when you're finished with them.
It's a very simple piece of travel organisation, but it also makes that final check of the hotel room much easier.
7. Comfortable Headphones
Whether you're facing a long flight, a busy train or simply want some peace and quiet, comfortable headphones are worth packing.
Noise-cancelling headphones are particularly useful for frequent flyers, but the important thing is choosing something you can comfortably wear for several hours.
Download a few podcasts, playlists, films or audiobooks before you leave too.
It's a much better plan than discovering your entertainment hasn't downloaded after take-off.
If you're buying for someone who's regularly away for work, take a look at our guide to the Best Gifts for Frequent Travellers and Business Travellers.
8. A Reusable Travel Tumbler
A reusable tumbler is useful well beyond the airport.
It can come along for an early morning drive, a road trip, camping weekend, day out or the daily commute once you're back home.
A good stainless steel tumbler is particularly useful because it isn't a travel accessory that spends most of its life waiting for the next holiday.
If you're building a collection of frequent traveller essentials, we'd always favour things that can earn their keep at home as well as away.
9. A Portable Bluetooth Speaker
This one isn't an essential for everybody, but for the right kind of holiday it can be worth the luggage space.
A small portable speaker is great for villas, camping trips, relaxed evenings outside and weekends away with friends.
The important word here is small.
If you find yourself rearranging half your suitcase to accommodate it, it's probably no longer a travel essential.
A compact portable Bluetooth speaker gives you the best of both worlds and can be used at home between trips too.
10. A Luggage Tag
Even if you rarely check luggage into the hold, a luggage tag is worth having.
Bags are left in hotel luggage rooms, put into car boots, stored on trains and moved around airports. Having a simple way of identifying yours makes sense.
It also helps when you're staring at a luggage carousel wondering why everybody appears to own exactly the same black suitcase.
Keep the information displayed on the tag to what's genuinely necessary.
11. A Lightweight Waterproof Layer
Weather forecasts are useful. They're not infallible.
A lightweight waterproof layer is particularly useful for city breaks, walking holidays, festivals, camping trips and almost any weekend away in Britain.
Look for something that packs down small enough to sit at the bottom of your bag without taking up valuable room.
If it can stay there until you need it, rather than becoming something cumbersome you have to carry all day, even better.
12. A Small Personal Essentials Kit
There are certain things you don't want buried at the bottom of your main luggage.
Put together a small pouch containing the personal essentials you regularly need while travelling.
That might include:
- any medication you need
- plasters
- pain relief
- tissues
- hand sanitiser
- lip balm
- a pen
- a few basic toiletries
Keep the kit between trips and replace anything you've used when you get home.
Next time you're packing, one job is already done.
If you're flying, always check current airline and airport rules for liquids, medication and what can be carried in your hand luggage.
13. A Change of Clothes in Your Hand Luggage
If you're checking a suitcase into the hold, it's worth considering what you'd need if it didn't arrive at your destination when you did.
Important medication, travel documents, valuables and chargers should generally stay with you.
For longer journeys, adding clean underwear and a fresh top can also be a very good idea.
Hopefully you'll never need them. If your suitcase spends an unexpected night somewhere else, you'll be glad they're there.
If you're preparing for a flight, our Carry-On Essentials: What Every Traveller Should Pack guide goes into much more detail about what belongs in your cabin bag.
Your Travel Essentials Checklist
One of the best travel packing tips we can give is also one of the simplest: stop creating a new packing list every time you go away.
Make one master travel essentials checklist and keep it on your phone.
You can then adapt it depending on where you're going and what you'll be doing.
Travel documents
- Passport, if required
- Tickets and boarding passes
- Accommodation details
- Travel insurance
- Driving licence and car hire documents, if needed
- Copies of important documents
Money
- Wallet
- Bank cards
- Local currency, where needed
Electronics
- Phone
- Phone charger
- Travel adaptor
- Power bank
- Headphones
- Watch charger
- Laptop and charger, if needed
Clothing
- Everyday clothes
- Underwear and socks
- Sleepwear
- Suitable footwear
- Lightweight extra layer
- Waterproof jacket where appropriate
- Swimwear if needed
Toiletries and personal essentials
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Everyday toiletries
- Medication
- Sunscreen
- Personal essentials kit
Useful travel accessories
- Travel bag or suitcase
- Packing cubes
- Luggage tag
- Reusable tumbler
- Cable organiser
- Portable speaker, if you'll use it
Then add the things that are specific to your trip.
A beach holiday and a three-day business trip clearly don't require the same luggage. Your checklist is there to stop you forgetting the essentials, not persuade you to pack things you don't need.
What Travel Essentials Are Worth Spending More On?
Not everything in your suitcase needs to be expensive.
If you travel regularly, it makes sense to invest in the things that get the most use or would cause the biggest inconvenience if they let you down.
A reliable travel bag is one example. A good adaptor, comfortable headphones and dependable power bank are others.
For smaller items, practicality usually matters more than price.
Before buying the latest must-have travel gadget, ask yourself:
Would I actually pack this every time I go away?
If the answer is yes, it might deserve a place in your travel kit.
If not, leave the luggage space for something you'll actually use.
Build a Travel Kit That Works for You
There's no single perfect travel accessories checklist because everybody travels differently.
A frequent business traveller might prioritise chargers, a power bank and a smart overnight bag. Someone heading off for a fortnight in the sun will have completely different holiday essentials. A regular weekend traveller might be able to keep most of their favourite accessories packed and ready to go.
The more you travel, the easier it becomes to recognise what genuinely makes your trips better.
Keep the things you reach for every time. Leave behind the things that repeatedly come home untouched.
And if you're looking for inspiration for someone else's next adventure, take a look at our 15 Thoughtful Gifts for People Who Love to Travel.
At Kingsley & Harper, we like things that are useful, well considered and made to earn their place. That's not a bad rule for packing either.
Explore the Kingsley & Harper Travel Gift Collection
