Must Have Travel Items

Just when you thought you could not possibly cram any more into your suitcase, someone comes up with a list of `travel items you can`t manage without`! However, before you embark on your next trip, there really are a few things that will make your time away better without breaking the bank or the weight restrictions at the airport.

One of the best things a canny traveller should invest in is a travel toiletries set. You might choose one that is readymade for you by a particular manufacturer and crammed with shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, etc from your favourite range. Or for longer term sustainability, there are plenty of toiletry sets containing the little bottles and containers which you fill up with your own products at home before travelling. What is important is that the bottle and container sizes are small enough to meet the restrictions on fluids currently demanded by security at the airport. These do vary from time to time so check these with your airline before you travel.

If you are going to a different country, you will probably find that the electrical plug system is different from that at home. Invest in a sturdy universal plug adapter before you go and for a relatively low outlay you will be covered wherever you venture in the future. If you buy an adapter at your destination you may find it only works to convert plugs in that particular country.

These days we are all used to being able to carry thousands of music tracks with us wherever we go. iPods and MP3 players in general are a boon to travellers, but whilst they are fine to use with headphones on the plane, would it not be nicer to be able to share your music in your hotel room or villa? There are dozens of different mini plug-in speakers which will allow you to do just that and which will tuck tidily into a corner of your suitcase.

Talking of suitcases, there is another travel gadget that will save a lot of heartache and worry when it comes to packing. A digital device to measure how heavy your luggage is could literally be worth its weight in gold! If you have ever gone over the luggage allowance and had to pay punitive excess baggage fees, you will understand exactly why. There are many different models available and these devices are so small and light that you should take yours away with you to make sure all those presents and souvenirs have not pushed your luggage over the weight limit.

At the airport, it is often easy to get your luggage mixed up with someone else`s at the baggage reclaim. You can make sure your suitcases are instantly identifiable from all the others by getting brightly coloured and patterned luggage straps.

A good method of whiling away the time at the airport, or during the coach transfer to your destination, is a travel game. Small versions of many popular games such as Monopoly and Cluedo are available, often with a magnetic board and pie