Cameron’s Travels

Electronics play a big role in my travels: smartphone, laptop, serious camera. This post isn’t about those big items, but the smaller “support” items that help me get the most out of my gear. In the spirit of my 10 practical little items I won’t go to Europe without, here are five more electronics-related items that you’ll find in my bag anytime I hit the road.

1. Extra-Long Phone/Tablet Charging Cable

Europe’s characteristic old hotels were designed decades — or centuries — before everyone needed to plug in a phone at bedtime. I use my phone as an alarm clock, so I want it on my nightstand — not charging on the desk, halfway across the room. An extra-long, 6- or even 10-foot cable doubles your flexibility and takes up only a little more space and weight than a standard 3-foot cable. (Bonus tip: If the outlet is juuuust out of reach of my nightstand, I plug in my laptop, then plug my phone into the laptop — using my MacBook to daisy-chain my way to a few extra feet.)

2. Slide-on Euro Adapter Plug

If you have an Apple device or laptop, notice that you can slide off the American-style two-flat-prong plug, and slide on a plug for Europe (or wherever). This reduces the odds of leaving your plug adapter behind in the socket when you’re packing in a hurry.

3. Phone Car Charger and Windshield Holder

The first one’s a no-brainer — you never know when your phone’s battery will flatline at the worst possible time. Packing along a little charger helps tide you over on long journeys. The second item — a suction-cup windshield holder for my phone — may be bulky, but it’s worth it. Now that I’ve used one, I can’t imagine how I got by without it. (Quite dangerously, in all likelihood.) My travels in Europe often include long road trips where I’m the driver, navigator, and sole passenger. And I navigate almost entirely with Google Maps on my phone. With this combo, I can plug in my phone to charge, then affix it to the windshield — letting me navigate my way safely anywhere in Europe, all day long. (By the way, more and more European rental cars now have USB outlets, which let you not only charge your phone while you drive, but listen to your own music or podcasts on the car’s sound system.)

UPDATE (August 2018): Since I first wrote this list, I discovered the perfect solution for safely using GPS while driving: The Kenu Portable Vent Mount. It grips your phone tightly, and you insert its prongs into the car’s vents. And, since it doesn’t rely on bulky suction cups, it’s impressively compact — about the size of a cigarette lighter. The vent mount takes up a fraction of the bag space of a suction-cup model, and works even better…easily my favorite travel gizmo find of the last few years.

4. Headphone Splitter

My wife often joins me on my trips. And she always packs along this handy little device, which lets us share iPad videos without bothering fellow passengers on a plane or train.

UPDATE, December 2022: OK, I know: Times have changed, and these days it’s probably easier just to pair two sets of AirPods (or other wireless headphones) to the same device. But this splitter can still come in handy while sightseeing: It lets two people share an audioguide while touring a museum for the price of one. (Even when I’m alone at a museum, I look for a headphone jack on the audioguide handset. This frees up my hands to take notes, snap photos, or stroke my chin appreciatively.)

5. Camera Gear

I carry a bigger camera than most people do (Nikon D750), but that doesn’t mean I want to lug around a lot of dead weight. In my camera bag, you’ll find just the basics: an extra memory card and battery (I learned my lesson last summer, when my battery died just after I’d hiked up to a hilltop viewpoint over Rocamadour at “magic hour”); a spare viewfinder eye cup (mine tends to pop off easily when I slide my camera in and out of my bag, so I stocked up on a few cheap replacements); and a microfiber dust cloth (this one tucks up inside a little pouch). I don’t haul a full-size tripod, but every so often you want to be able to shoot in low light. After going through several, the best mini-tripod I’ve found is by Manfrotto — it’s sturdily built and can support a heavy camera, but still lightweight. And what about that little wooden fork? I don’t carry a day bag — just my camera bag. And I often eat a quick lunch on the run…like a salad from a mini-market that doesn’t stock plastic cutlery. This wooden fork has allowed me to eat several healthy salads…without using my hands.

One “caveat emptor” note: Online — even at some of the big vendors — you can find suspiciously inexpensive versions of some of these items. But I’d stick with a mainstream brand. I’ve bought a few extremely cheap camera batteries that turned out to be exactly that (they died after just a few uses), and some off-brand Euro adapters that broke the first time I used them. When surveying your options, read the reviews carefully.

What am I missing? Do you have any favorite electronics or related accessories?

This list is focused on electronics. But don’t miss my companion list of 10 Little Things I Won’t Go to Europe Without. Or, for a wealth of packing advice and information, check out the Packing Light section of our website.

While packing for a trip to Europe, I took a break for a little photo session of my favorite take-alongs. I’m not talking about the obvious stuff — backpack, day bag, toiletries kit, and packing cubes. No, these are the little odds and ends that 20 years of European travel have taught me to always bring along.

Every seasoned traveler has a little bag of doodads stuffed deep in their suitcase, “just in case.” But I’m evangelical about packing light. So I’ve narrowed my MacGyver bag of tricks down to items that are practical, useful, and light enough that even if I don’t wind up needing them, they’re still worth packing along. Here, in no particular order, are the 10 little items that I may never need in Europe…until I definitely do. (You can download or print the list here.) While this list was originally posted in 2016, I update it routinely and occasionally add some new items — most recently in December of 2022.

1. Two types of tape

In a previous post, I mentioned how I use a little roll of black electrical tape to cover up annoying little lights in a hotel room. I’ve used it for dozens of other things, too: band-aiding a fraying headphone cable, de-linting a sweater, fastening a plug to its adapter so I don’t leave it behind in the socket, and on and on. I also bring another type of tape: a very small roll of white duct tape. I often ship a box of accumulated dead weight home midway through a trip, and this tape is essential for sealing the box and reinforcing its seams. Duct tape has so many other uses, too. For example, I’ve used it to help keep stubborn drapes closed to avoid an early-morning sunbeam wake-up call.

UPDATE (December 2022): A roll of tape, even a small one, is admittedly bulky to pack. Imagine how glad I was to learn, from one of my Facebook followers, about RediTape, a flat-pack duct tape. This has replaced that bulky roll in my rucksack. )

2. Vapur Water Bottle

Of course, you could just buy a bottle of water, then re-use the bottle throughout your trip. But an empty plastic bottle takes up more than its share of space in a tightly packed day bag. Instead, I carry a collapsible Vapur water bottle, which you can roll up and tuck (unobtrusively) into any pocket until it’s needed. The plastic carabiner-type hook on the cap is handy for attaching it hands-free to my camera bag or a belt loop. And they’re durable — mine has survived several multi-week trips.

3. Trader Joe’s “Just Mango Slices”

On an hours-long plane or train ride, junk food is tempting. But instead, I carry a couple of bags of Trader Joe’s dehydrated, unsweetened “Just Mango Slices.” They’re explosively flavorful and hearty enough to cut through any jet lag-induced hunger — and they’re more nutritious than a candy bar.

4. Resealable Plastic Baggies (Various Sizes)

It can be hard to find these in Europe. And even if you do, why buy a dozen when you really just need one or two? To save time, I pack away a little bundle of zippered baggies — a mix of gallon, quart, sandwich, and “snack” sizes. I never know just how I’ll use them…until I do (sticky snacks, wet swimsuit, edible souvenirs with a potential for leakage, somewhere to safely stow my phone when I hit the beach or pool, and so on).

5. Sea Bands

I’m fortunate not to have too many problems with motion sickness. But you never know when you’ll wind up on a plane through heavy turbulence, or a bus ride on a serpentine mountain road, or a boat on rough seas. These elastic bands slip onto your wrists, with little beads aimed at pressure points related to combating nausea. This non-medicinal cure has earned many loyal fans among cruise enthusiasts, morning-sickness sufferers, chemo patients, and the perennially carsick.

6. Go Toobs and FlatPak Soap Case

I’ve tried all different types of little bottles for my shampoo, laundry soap, and other liquids. Most have failed — often messily. But a few years back I discovered Go Toobs, and now that’s all I use. The silicone bottle is sturdy yet flexible, and the cap is firmly built and stays on well. By the way, I always seal little bottles like this in “snack-size” plastic baggies before plane trips — just in case the pressure changes trigger any problems.

UPDATE (December 2019): Russ Whealy, who manages merchandise here at Rick Steves’ Europe, recently added to our product lineup one of my favorite new discoveries: the Matador FlatPak soap bar case. It’s a little collapsible baggie where you can keep your bar of soap. Somehow, it keeps your moist soap from becoming a soggy mess while also preventing leakage. This seemed too good to be true. But I took one on my latest research trip…and it worked like a charm. I used to carry around a heavy plastic soap dish that took up more than its share of space in my toiletries kit. Never again.

(You can also thank Russ for our “spinner” carry-on wheeled bag — my wife’s new favorite bag.)

7. Starbucks Via Instant (or Instant Cappuccino)

If your accommodations don’t provide breakfast, it can be a pain to go prowling the cobbles, bleary-eyed at dawn, just to caffeinate. A few packets of Starbucks Via Instant can save the day. (I also carry single-serving packets of sweetener and powdered creamer. ) This is especially handy if you’re renting an Airbnb-type apartment that comes with a way to heat water, but nothing to put in it. A cup of Via (and maybe a couple of mango slices) tides me over just long enough to get ready for the day and go find a real breakfast.

UPDATE (December 2022): The only catch with Via is that I take milk with my coffee. For a few years, I brought along some individual packets of powdered Coffe Mate…a workable hack, but a little cumbersome. Finally I realized that Europe already has the perfect solution: Over there, it’s easy to get instant cappuccino (Nescafé is one ubiquitous brand), either in individual packets or a little plastic can. Just add water, and you have a coffee drink that’s nicely frothy (how do they do that?) and just the right amount of sweet. While instant cappuccino is tricky to find Stateside (especially in individual packets), it’s readily available at grocery stores all over Europe. I still bring a couple of Via packets for emergencies, then hit a grocery store early in my trip for some instant cappuccino.

8. Airplane Barf Bags

I’ve never used one of these for its intended purpose. But I never leave one behind when I get off the airplane. I have quite a collection of these practical little enclosures, which are just the thing for organizing receipts, postcards, or other random bits of paper…or for just about anything else.

9. Earplugs

As an absurdly light sleeper, I’ve tried every possible kind of earplug (believe me), and I’ve settled on this as my favorite brand: Mack’s, which are soft (comfortable) yet substantial (soundproof). Even if you are a heavy sleeper, you never know when you’ll check into your hotel and discover that the new nightclub next door happens to be holding its grand opening rave…tonight. (This actually happened to me once.) Pack along a few sets of earplugs, and you’ll increase your odds of sleeping soundly.

(If you’re a terrible sleeper like I am, check out my tips for getting a good night’s sleep on the road.)

UPDATE, December 2022: OK, this is hardly a “little thing.” But more recently, to get a good night’s sleep in noisy surroundings, I go to bed wearing my Bose noise-cancelling headphones. (I travel with them anyway, for a little peace and quiet on long flights and train trips…so why not use them overnight?) I never tried this until recently because I simply thought there was no way I’d be comfortable sleeping with them on. But now that I’m used to them, I barely notice them. It’s nice having a second option in my arsenal for noisy nights: Depending on the kind of clamor I’m dealing with, sometimes earplugs do the job, other times the headphones work better, and on occasion, having both is not a terrible thing.

10. Plastic Sheet Protectors

Magazines and assorted papers tend to get beat up when you jam them into a bag, or when you’re fishing around in that bag to find something. For years, I’d eventually succeed in ripping off the cover of any magazine I brought along. But now, to keep papers and magazines organized and tidy, I slide them into plastic sheet protectors. I can see just what’s inside each one: This one has my trip schedule; some extra screen protectors for my phone (which tend to wear out on a long, intense trip); a few of those handy barf bags; and postcard reminding me of my travel motto. Also, did you ever think about how much gross grime and germs live in those seat-back pockets where you stuff your iPad? If you slip it into one of these first…then you never have to.

11. (New Bonus Item) Smartphone Vent Mount

Since I first wrote this list, I discovered the perfect solution for safely using GPS while driving: The Kenu Portable Vent Mount. It grips your phone tightly, and you insert its prongs into the car’s vents. And, since it doesn’t rely on bulky suction cups, it’s impressively compact — about the size of a cigarette lighter. This is also included on my list of Five Electronics Essentials for Traveling in Europe.

UPDATE, December 2022: Things just keep on changing! Since I added the vent mount to this list, I’ve noticed that more and more of the cars I rent have built-in screens that let me plug in my phone and use Google Maps right on the dashboard…making this item unnecessary. However, this vent mount is so tiny that I still tuck it into my bag, just in case I wind up with an older car (which still happens on occasion).

Minimalist packers would say this is all just clutter: “You might not ever need that stuff! And if you do, why not just shop for it in Europe?” But when I’m traveling, every moment is precious. And anytime I have to go on a wild goose chase around a supermarket or department store to find some obscure little item, that’s a museum I didn’t tour, or a gelato I didn’t lick, or a park bench I didn’t get to people-watch from. Each of these items has saved me time, money, stress, or all three. And even if you add them all up, the combined weight and space they take up in my bag is negligible.

What are your favorite clever packing extras?

Affiliate disclosure: I receive not one dime if you purchase any of the items mentioned in this post. Like all of our travel advice at Rick Steves’ Europe, this is based purely on my judgement of what’s best for the traveler.

Be sure to check out a related post: my list of affordable, lightweight, and handy electronics-related items I’d never go to Europe without.

For more practical travel tips — hard-earned from 20 years of being a professional traveler — check out my 10 Europe Travel Hacks and 10 MORE Europe Travel Hacks.

Better yet, review the Travel Tips section on our website, a comprehensive, in-depth collection of tips and advice covering every angle of European travel.

And, if you enjoy my take on travel, be sure to get a copy of my travel memoir, The Temporary European: Lessons and Confessions of a Professional Traveler. It’s a collection of my favorite travel tales from 20-plus years of working with Rick Steves; an inside look at what it’s like to write guidebooks, lead tours, and make travel TV as a living; and, because I’m a travel teacher at heart, plenty of practical advice (like this list) for how to experience Europe like a pro.