Practical Wanderlust Presents:

TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Planning a trip can feel like both the most exciting AND the most overwhelming part of travel. Sure,
creating a Pinterest board full of gorgeous pictures is fun, but then you start trying to figure out the
actual logistics and it hits you … this is SO MUCH WORK. But planning a trip doesn’t have to be the
source of constant anxiety and overwhelm! Breaking down each of the steps to planning a trip can help
you cut through the confusion and tackle stuff in a practical way.

Jeremy and I prefer to plan our travels in advance. Of course, when I say we plan travel in advance, I
don’t mean that we schedule out a travel itinerary minute-by-minute – that’s way too stressful. Striking
a balance between over-planning and under-planning is what works best for us. And after years of
traveling together, we’ve perfected our method. And we want to teach you all of our secrets! We’ve
written this guide to show you our process for planning a trip - hopefully you’ll be able to incorporate
these tips into your own travel planning process!

WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THIS GUIDE...

1. Where to Go
2. What to Do
3. Your Travel Planning Document
4. Where to Stay
5. Plan Your Arrival
6. Plan Travel Logistics
7. Minimize Travel Risks
8. How to Budget & Save for Travel
9. What to Pack
a. Packing List: General
b. Packing List: Winter for Her
c. Packing List: Summer for Her
d. Packing List: Winter for Him
e. Packing List: Summer for Him
f. Our 5 Travel Essentials
g. Travel Pants Guide
h. Travel Shoes Guide
i. Long Haul Flight Essentials
10. Long-Haul Flight Tips
11. Travel Planning Resources

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TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE
GENERAL
WHERE TO GO?
Sometimes you know you want to go somewhere, but don’t yet know exactly where. This is step 1 of how
to plan a trip! Browsing for travel destinations with an open mind can be really fun (and a little addictive)!
Here’s how we figure out where to go when we plan travel.

● Browse pictures on reddit, Instagram, and Pinterest for destinations that look incredible, and
then Google that location for more information.

● We shop on AirBnB like we’re browsing for clothes, making wishlists of places to visit. Once we
find an amazing AirBnB, we’ll Google to find more about where it’s located. We’ve planned a lot of
trips to places we’d never heard of before using this method!

● Search on Google Flights, which can show you the cost of flying everywhere in the world from
your hometown on the dates you specify. We’ve scored some great deals on places we might not
have otherwise visited!

WHAT TO DO?

This is the second step of the planning process, and is always the most fun part of planning for a trip:
finding all the amazing things you’ll do once you arrive. Compile a list of things you’re interested in for
your destination: a few museums, a couple of cool neighborhoods to explore, a few food
recommendations, some walking tours, that sort of thing.

● Open up a brand new document – like a shared Google Doc – to dump everything into. Just
copy/paste anything that looks fun and throw it in there! You’ll flesh it out and clean it up later.

● Let’s start looking! Google “Best things to do in [destination]” for tips from sites like TripAdvisor or
major travel publications. You can use the Mix app to save all the articles you find in one place.

● Head to Pinterest and type your destination in the search bar for tips from travel blogs. We
recommend creating a Pinterest board for your trip to save all of your resources in one place.

● Look up your destination on WikiVoyage. It’s like Wikipedia, but for travel! Compiled by travelers
and frequently updated, you’ll find everything from where to go and what to do, to how to get
around and other useful information.

● Search for discussions about your destination from the /r/travel subreddit or TripAdvisor. They
can be a gold mine of specific, first-hand experiences and suggestions. You can find some real
gems here if you dig deep enough!

As you find things that sound interesting, throw everything into your travel document. Literally just
copy/paste it all in there. At first, your list will be enormous, but later you’ll go through it and remove
everything that’s repetitive or doesn’t pique your interest now that you’ve found lots of cool stuff to do!

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GENERAL
YOUR TRAVEL PLANNING DOCUMENT
We’ll be talking a LOT in this guide about your travel planning document. We create one for every trip we
go on, from a 3-page document for a short weekend trip to a 50-page behemoth for our year-long
honeymoon. When you’re ready to leave for your trip, just export your document as a PDF and save it to
your laptop, phone, tablet, or print out a copy! Here’s what we use to we create ours:
● For Shorter Trips: We recommend creating a document on Word or Google Docs. It doesn’t have
to be fancy - just informative and useful!
● For Longer Trips: We recommend using Microsoft One-Note. It allows you to create an open,
free-form document - like a blank canvas that you can copy/paste anything onto without
worrying about formatting. We also love that you can add tabbed sections for extra organization!
If you’re visiting multiple places during your trip, you can create a “tab” for each stop.

As you research and plan your trip, you’ll throw everything into your travel document. Literally just
copy/paste it all in there. Our travel documents always include:

● Stuff to Do: All the cool activities you’ve come across as you’ve been researching your destination,
plus what you need to know about them (how much do they cost? What days are they open? What
transit stops are they near?)
● Things to Eat: All the yummy foods you plan to eat, so you can reference them while looking at a
local menu
● What You’ve Booked: Anything you’ve booked: your flights, your hotel, tours, rental cars, etc.
Throw it all in one spot so you know exactly where to find it when you need it. We just throw in
screenshots because it’s easy and we’re lazy.
● Travel Tips: Tips for visiting the destination: words you’ll need to know in the local language, the
currency conversion rate, etc

Here are some screenshots of our travel planning document from our 2016 winter trip to Europe:

Whenever we
book anything for
a trip, we throw a
screenshot of the
confirmation into
our document.

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WHERE TO STAY?
We always prefer to book sleeping arrangements in advance: showing up and figuring it out is something
we have tried and found that we really didn’t enjoy. It can be extremely stress-inducing to try and find
accommodation on the spot, and no one wants added stress while traveling. If that’s your preferred
method, feel free to skip this step, but if you want our recommendations, read on.

Here’s how to find your accommodations when planning a trip.

● If you’re traveling on a budget, HostelWorld is the best place to find budget-friendly hostels,
hotels, and bed & breakfasts. We love HostelWorld, and we’ve found all of our favorite hostels
through it!
○ Tip: Be careful to sift through recent reviews to make sure that the hostel is clean and safe.
Keep an eye out for photos of people partying or reviews from young travelers talking
about the “social vibe” - those are signs that a hostel is a party spot! If you’re up for a party,
great, but if you prefer a quiet night’s sleep, steer clear.

● If you’re looking for hotels, use HotelsCombined. It’s a hotel search engine that compiles budget
deals from ALL of the budget hotel sites (Expedia, Booking,com, Hotels.com – ALL of them) in one
spot. It saves us a ton of time and we’ve scored some major deals. We recommend looking for a
hotel as close to the city center or public transit as possible.

● If you’re looking to stay somewhere unique, browse AirBnB and GlampingHub and other
vacation rental sites. They’re great for when you’ll be traveling somewhere remote without many
options for places to stay, or just looking for something off-beat and unique. These can be hit or
miss – be sure to read recent reviews before you book!

● Before you book, check TripAdvisor reviews. Sometimes TripAdvisor has more photos than
HotelsCombined or Hostelworld and even photos posted by guests. Photos can be deceiving, and
we want the full story just to be safe. Plus, TripAdvisor has plenty of reviews so you can be positive
you’re booking somewhere amazing.

● For booking campsites in the USA, we use ReserveAmerica or Recreation.gov. Campsites near
national and state parks often fill up quickly, especially in the high season like the spring and
summer. We recommend reserving in advance online whenever possible to make sure you have a
space waiting for you.

● If you prefer a house to a hotel, Trusted Housesitters is a great way to enjoy the comforts of
home while traveling. Oh, and your stays are FREE! You just have to take care of someone’s home
(and maybe their pets, too) in exchange. We’ve done it a few times and it’s a fantastic way to save
money on a trip!

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GENERAL
PLAN YOUR ARRIVAL
You want your first moments in a destination to be as low-stress as possible. You don’t want to step off a
long plane ride, bleary and tired, in a new place with loads of exciting and confusing new things, and then
have to figure out how to get to my hotel safely and without getting scammed.

It’s so easy to get confused and lost, especially when arriving somewhere that isn’t primarily English
speaking. That first experience of leaving the airport and navigating to your accommodation is our first
impression of a place, so we always want it to go smoothly! Pre-planning your arrival when you plan
travel is a huge step to reducing misery and stress.

● As soon as you book your accommodation, take a screenshot and include that in your trip
planning document. You may need to show your check-in and confirmation information when
you arrive, and you can’t count on there being WiFi available for you to pull up your email. Plus, it’s
just a handy place to keep that information for whenever you need it!

● Plan out how you’ll get to your hotel. Your hotel/hostel is always the first place you go when you
arrive in a new place, so figure out how you’ll get there from the airport/highway/nearest major
city before your trip. Keep this information somewhere that you can access offline, like written
down in a notebook or saved to your phone. Be sure to add it to your master trip planning
document as well.

● Trouble-shoot in advance. You need to know the best way to get to your accommodation. Look
up things like: is a cab the cheapest option? Or do cabs at the airport take advantage of tourists
and up-charge them like crazy? Can you get a cheaper fare by walking down the street and hailing
a taxi? Is your hotel right off a local bus or train line? Is there Wi-Fi in the airport? Is there UBER
or LYFT, is it legal, and is it safe to use? How much should a taxi cost?

● In your travel planning document, include walking, driving, or transit directions to the hotel. In
case there’s no Wi-Fi or data while you’re in transit, you can still find where you’re going. We’ve
had to walk many a taxi driver through getting us to our destination many times, so this is really a
lifesaver in a pinch. You can write down instructions in your notebook or offline document, or use
Google Maps.

● Write down (or have on your phone) the name & address of your hostel/hotel, clearly visible and
readable. This way you have it handy in case you get lost. To be extra safe, screenshot your hotel
on a map, too. This is helpful for asking someone at the airport or bus station how much it should
cost to get there or what the best way to get there is (in case information wasn’t available online)
and especially for communicating with taxi drivers when you don’t speak the language. Plus it’s
insurance just in case you get lost and forget where you need to go!

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PLAN TRAVEL LOGISTICS
At this point, you should spend some time researching logistics for all of the places you want to go and
things to do in your destination. Now, it’s time to pare down all that “stuff” that sounded so exciting in
your Travel Document, removing duplicates and things that don’t sound as good now that you know
more about where you’re going.

Once you’ve pared down your list, it’s time to flesh out the stuff you know you want to see. Here’s what
you should add to your travel document for each point of interest or attraction you want to visit.

● How do I get there/what transit do I take?

● How much does it cost?

● What are the hours it’s open?

● What travel tips have I found online for this attraction?

Once we’ve got all of the logistics taken care of, we won’t have to spend any time sitting in our hotel
room frantically planning for the day, or worse, wasting our time to get somewhere only to find out it’s
closed or too expensive.

Instead, we simply wake up, scroll through our document and find whatever we feel like doing that day.
We like to map stuff out a little bit too to group things that are close to each other into manageable days.
Don’t forget to pack your daypack with everything you need for the day, including any snacks, maps,
guides, cameras, passport copies, and anything else you may need.

Here’s an example of a
trip planning
document we created
for our 2016 trip to
South America.
Before our trip, we
make sure to fill out
our travel planning
document with all of
the necessary
logistical information
for each activity.

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MINIMIZE RISKS WHILE TRAVELING
It’s extremely important to take measures to protect yourself while traveling. Anything can happen while
you’re on the road, and you want to be prepared for just about any incident that could cross your path.
There are several steps we take to minimize risk on our travels.

● Don’t travel without travel insurance. Make sure you’re covered in the event of emergencies,
medical issues, trip delays, or trip cancellations – it is WELL worth the expense. After
experiencing the claims process firsthand, our favorite Travel Insurance provider is World
Nomads. We also recommend sending your insurance policy information to your family members,
just in case they need to help coordinate medical help or provide at-home support.

● Research vaccines or medications you will need using the CDC website. Consider visiting a travel
clinic or doctor well before you leave to get all of your health needs taken care of in advance. Note:
for our non-American readers, your process for getting vaccines may be different.

● Look up what documentation you will need for each country, including proof of vaccines, Visa
requirements, etc. Lonely Planet has a “survival guide” that covers all this information for each
country. Don’t make the mistake of showing up somewhere only to realize you needed to apply for
a Visa months earlier!

● Research the likelihood of theft. Look up things like what neighborhoods to avoid and common
ways that travelers get taken advantage of in the location you’re visiting. Sometimes that
information is easy to find on blogs and travel websites, other times we have to sift through advice
from travelers leaving comments online.

● Stay up to date on political tensions and unrest. Try to avoid areas that are unsafe and situations
that could compromise our safety as much as you can. Also, we recommend avoiding places with
dictatorships or corrupt/fascist governments, because we want our tourism dollars to support
the local economy rather than a corrupt government.

● Keep others up to date on your travel plans. Before you take off on a long trip, make sure
someone trustworthy has an itinerary so that they know where to find you and when they can
expect to hear from you. It will ease both your mind and theirs.

● Scan copies of important documents and put them in a secure but easily accessible location
online, like Dropbox, Google Drive, or some other secure, high-tech cloud somewhere. Include
everything from copies of our passports and driver’s licenses to other documents like visas, birth
certificates, and marriage licenses. It’s a good idea to give family members access to that secure
drive. It’s also smart to travel with hard copies of your passport that you can keep in a separate
location from your physical passport.

TRAVEL SAFETY GUIDE

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HOW TO BUDGET FOR TRAVEL
Now that your planning is well underway, it’s time to start to save for your trip. We do this year-round,
but when we have a trip coming up, we kick our budgeting into high gear! Here are our favorite ways to
save money for travel.

● Maintain a monthly/yearly budget for travel so that you always have money set aside for trips.
We use Mint.com for budgeting and tracking all of our expenses.

● Research ways to save money while traveling. Think about how you can save money while on the
road, whether that’s using the most cost efficient method of transportation or staying in
accommodation with a kitchen so you can cook some meals.

● While planning for a trip, create a trip budget to estimate your expenses. To estimate our travel
budget, you can use averages and estimates from online sources using sites like BudgetYourTrip.
Once you know how much your trip will cost, start saving money with your vacation in mind.

This is an example of our

South America trip budget,
which lays out each expense, a
short description, and a dollar
estimate.

TIP: It’s helpful to research

your expenses for each line
item in your trip budget
document so you know
roughly how much you’ll need
to budget for your trip overall.

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HOW TO BUDGET FOR TRAVEL
Now that your planning is well underway, it’s time to start to save for your trip. We do this year-round,
but when we have a trip coming up, we kick our budgeting into high gear! Here are our favorite ways to
save money for travel.

● Book whatever you can as early as possible. The longer you wait, the more prices go up. This is
true of flights, cars, and hotels, and even food tours or museum tickets. Book early! We’ve even
got a comparison tool to help you out: score travel deals!

● Save and splurge on your trip carefully. Deciding what “splurges” you’re going to make in
advance can help you plan out your budget more accurately. For example, if you enjoy sampling
local foods when you travel, choose a few places to eat that you’re really excited about and eat in
or cook for the rest of your meals.

● Use credit card points and miles to save on big expenses like airfare. We have a few travel credit
cards that we use frequently to build up points: a Barclay Arrival card, a Chase Sapphire card,
and a Capital One Venture card. All of these cards are foreign transaction fee free and reward us
with points or miles that can be redeemed for cash or other travel benefits.
A huge caveat: DON’T do this if you tend to carry a balance on your credit cards. It’s not worth it!

● Use a debit/credit card with no ATM fees or foreign transaction fees. Ours is from Charles
Schwab. Cash is king in most developing nations, and we save hundreds by avoiding these
annoying fees every time we withdraw cash while traveling abroad.

● Give up small luxuries in your everyday life to put towards travel. Each time you are tempted to
spend money outside of necessities, think about your upcoming trip. Every dollar you don’t spend
adds up to money you can spend later on travel!

● Use a car as little as possible. If you live in a place where you can avoid using a car, try to take
public transportation or bike. While we were saving for our year-long trip, we sold our car and
relied on transit, biking and walking, renting a car or getting a Zipcar or GetAround when we
needed one. This may not be an option in many places, but if it is doable for you, we highly
recommend it!

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WHAT TO PACK
So you know where you’re going, you’re super stoked for all of the fun activities you’re planning to do
there, and you’ve saved up money for a great trip. What’s next? Figuring out what to pack! The trick to
packing well is finding the balance between over-packing and packing too little and having to buy things.
Here’s how you can plan out what to pack for a trip in advance:

● Clothes: To plan your clothes for a vacation, think about the environments you may encounter on
your trip. What will the weather be like? Will you be doing anything active? Will you be going
anywhere fancy? Then, bring items that you can dress up or down, like this versatile pair of travel
jeans (and my other 3 favorite pairs of travel pants). Try to start with a basic item (like a dress or
a pair of pants) and then add some variety: a cardigan, a scarf, a belt, a statement necklace, a
t-shirt, a dress shirt.

● Toiletries: Try to bring the bare essentials you need. When you’re packing, put everything in small
bottles and fit them all in a small ziplock or clear, reusable toiletry bag (sometimes these clear
bags are required by TSA so it’s good to come prepared).

● “Just In Case” Items: It’s great to carry a few emergency, “just in case” items, especially
medications you might need, as these can often be tricky to find abroad. However, make sure they
don’t take up too much space. Typically, I recommend packing things like Tylenol into tiny
containers and squeezing any liquids like sunscreen into a small bottle to take with you.
Something like a small, travel-friendly first aid kit and a pocket-sized sewing kit might come in
handy, too. If it’s big and bulky, highly unlikely that you’ll need it, and/or easily found in a
pharmacy or mainstream chain store, leave it at home.

In the next few pages, we’ve included a few packing lists you can use to make sure you’ve got everything
you need. Here’s what you can find:

● General Packing List

● Cold Weather Packing List for Her
● Warm Weather Packing List for Her
● Cold Weather Packing List for Him
● Warm Weather Packing List for Him
● 5 Must-Have Travel Essentials
● Our Favorite Travel Pants
● Our Favorite Travel Shoes
● Long Haul Flight Essentials

We've also got location specific gear guides & packing lists for South America, the Galapagos, Colombia,
and Europe in the winter.

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PACKING LIST
GENERAL
WHAT TO PACK: GENERAL

ELECTRONICS LAUNDRY
❏ Plug adapters ❏ Sink stopper
❏ Camera ❏ Travel laundry wash
❏ Smartphone ❏ Travel clothesline
❏ Laptop ❏ Lightweight travel towel
❏ Outlet splitter
TOILETTE
STUFF TO PUT STUFF IN ❏ Night-time facial
❏ Backpack moisturizer
❏ Day bag ❏ Chapstick
❏ Packing cubes ❏ Hand moisturizer/salve
❏ Laundry bag
❏ Toiletry bag SAFETY
❏ Money belt/bra pocket
FLIGHT NECESSITIES ❏ Locks for bags
❏ Travel Pillow ❏ Passport
❏ Dramamine ❏ Drivers License
❏ Kindle/tablet ❏ Copy of Passport, license,
❏ Sleeping pills (or SS card, etc uploaded to
Benadryl) Dropbox
❏ Itinerary sent to loved ones
ETC
❏ Lightweight umbrella
❏ Travel towel
❏ Travel slippers
❏ Re-usable water bottle

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PACKING LIST: HER
FOR WINTER
WHAT TO PACK: COLD WEATHER FOR HER
For even more cold weather packing tips, read our winter packing post.

COATS UNDERWEAR
❏ 1 Heavy wool coat ❏ Wool travel bra
❏ 1 Lightweight packable ❏ Underwire bra
down jacket ❏ Underwear
❏ 1 Lightweight Raincoat
ACCESSORIES
WARM LAYER ❏ Wool socks
❏ 1 Wool cami ❏ Scarves
❏ 1 Pair Wool leggings ❏ Warm hats
❏ Gloves
TOPS ❏ Necklaces
❏ Button-down flannel
❏ Loose sweater SHOES
❏ Tight sweaters ❏ Warm winter boots
❏ Collared shirt
❏ T-Shirts MAKEUP
❏ Cardigan ❏ Tinted facial moisturizer
❏ Waterproof mascara
BOTTOMS ❏ Red lipstick/lip stain
❏ Black jeans ❏ Cream blush
❏ Blue jeans ❏ Baby wipes to remove
❏ Pair Leggings makeup
❏ A-Line Skirt
❏ Warm dress
❏ Warm tights
❏ Cozy PJ pants

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PACKING LIST: HER
FOR SUMMER
WHAT TO PACK: WARM WEATHER FOR HER
For even more hot climates packing tips, read our warm weather packing post.

TOPS UNDERWEAR
❏ 1 Half zip sweater ❏ Sports bra
❏ Lightweight T-shirts ❏ Wool travel bra
❏ Basic tank tops ❏ Underwire bra
❏ Nice tops or blouses ❏ Underwear
❏ Cardigan
ACCESSORIES
BOTTOMS ❏ Sweat-proof socks
❏ Pair of jeans ❏ Lightweight scarf
❏ Pair leggings ❏ Necklaces/jewelry
❏ Quick-dry shorts
❏ Skirt SHOES
❏ Sundresses ❏ Trail runners/hiking shoes
❏ Cozy PJ pants or shorts ❏ Sporty sandals
❏ Flats
SWIM
❏ Swimsuits MAKEUP
❏ Cover up ❏ Tinted facial moisturizer
❏ Waterproof mascara
❏ Red lipstick/lip stain
❏ Cream blush
❏ Baby wipes to remove
makeup

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PACKING LIST: HIM
FOR WINTER
WHAT TO PACK: COLD WEATHER FOR HIM
For even more cold weather packing tips, read our winter packing post.

COATS UNDERWEAR
❏ 1 Heavy wool coat ❏ Several pairs wool
❏ 1 Lightweight packable underwear
down jacket
❏ 1 Lightweight Raincoat ACCESSORIES
❏ 4 pairs wool socks
WARM LAYER ❏ Scarf
❏ Wool undershirts ❏ Warm knit hat
❏ Wool Base Layer ❏ Gloves

TOPS SHOES
❏ Button-down flannels ❏ Warm winter boots
❏ Chambray button-down
❏ Sweaters
❏ T-Shirt, for sleeping

BOTTOMS
❏ Black jeans
❏ Blue jeans
❏ pair Chinos
❏ Cozy PJ pants

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PACKING LIST: HIM
FOR SUMMER
WHAT TO PACK: WARM WEATHER FOR HIM
For even more hot climates packing tips, read our warm weather packing post.

TOPS UNDERWEAR
❏ 1 Light jacket ❏ Underwear
❏ Crew necks
❏ V-necks ACCESSORIES
❏ Button down ❏ Sweat-proof socks
❏ T-shirts
SHOES
BOTTOMS ❏ Trail runners/hiking shoes
❏ 1 Pair jeans ❏ Sporty sandals
❏ Quick-dry shorts ❏ Travel boots
❏ Cozy PJ pants or shorts

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WHAT TO PACK
5 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
WHAT TO PACK: 5 MUST-HAVE TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
We've tested countless travel gear, clothing, and other essentials during our adventures, and we've
managed to distill our favorites down to 5 must-have items.

● Travel Towel: Travel towels like this one have been immortalized as a must-have travel accessory
everywhere from Douglas Adams to South Park. Don't forget to bring a towel! Seriously, because
your hostel probably doesn't have one and even if it does, there's a 99% chance it won't fit around
your entire body.

● Travel Safe Wallet: One of the biggest mistakes you can make while traveling is carrying a wallet,
especially in your back pocket. Any savvy pickpocket will head straight there. Instead, we opt to
wear two different kinds of travel safe wallets: a money belt for Jeremy and a bra pocket for Lia.
I've also got a zippered passport pocket that can fit my phone too, which I wear on travel days.

● Water Purifier: The Steri-Pen portable water purifier is a tiny, powerful UV filter that saves us
from buying countless plastic water bottles during backpacking trips to South America, Southeast
Asia, or anywhere else without drinkable water.

● Travel Clothesline: This teeny tiny travel clothesline is SO handy. It's easy to hang up almost
anywhere and holds a ton of clothing even though it weighs next to nothing takes up roughly the
same space in your luggage as a box of tic-tacs. We bought ours initially for laundry purposes, but
we also use it whenever we have wet bathing suits or towels that need to be dried. One tip,
though: we've learned through trial and error that hanging wet clothing up in a moist bathroom is
just a recipe for mildew - hang your clothing up somewhere dry, with plenty of airflow and sun!

● Insect Repellent Lotion: Most insect repellents are not worth that unpleasant oily feeling you get
after applying them, the icky hacking cough you develop after spraying them, or that skin-burning
feeling you get after applying 100000% chemicals to your skin. There is, however, one insect
repellant that avoids these pitfalls, and it’s this amazing lightweight bug repellent lotion. You rub
it into your skin and it absorbs crazy fast with no oily residue. It lasts all day. The coverage is
amazing. It doesn’t smell disgusting and it’s never made my skin burn (it's made with Picaridin, not
DEET). This is one of our tried and tested travel essentials and we’ve noticed that we tend to get a
LOT fewer bug bites than our travel companions!

To see more of our gear guides & packing lists, take a look at these posts:

● 42 Backpacking & Travel Essentials for Hot Climates

● 25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel: Winter Packing Guide
● The Ultimate Guide to Makeup & Beauty for Backpacking

We've also got location specific gear guides & packing lists for South America, the Galapagos, Colombia,
and Europe in the winter.

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 Practical Wanderlust Presents:
WHAT TO PACK
TRAVEL PANTS
WHAT TO PACK: TRAVEL PANTS
TRAVEL PANTS FOR HER

● Travel Jeans from Aviator USA: These are the BEST travel jeans, hands down. They're soft as
butter, as stretchy as leggings, and best of all, they have 5 FULL SIZED POCKETS. And TWO of
them are zippered and tucked away out of site for theft prevention.

● Halle Pant from prAna: The BEST hiking pants for women. They're incredibly stretchy and
comfortable, super quick-drying, roll up to convert to shorts, designed to resist rips and tears,
and they've even got a hidden zippered side pocket that's the perfect size for an emergency
back-up credit card.

● Lucerne Pant by Royal Robbins: These magical pants look like leggings and are cozy like leggings,
but they have 2 zippered pockets that are big enough to actually keep my huge phone in. These
are my go-to pants for days when I want to look like I put on actual pants but feel like I'm wearing
leggings all day.

TRAVEL PANTS FOR HIM

● Travel Jeans from Aviator USA: These are the best travel jeans in the world, and actually possibly
the best jeans in general. They have SEVEN pockets, they’re theft-resistant, they’re SUPER comfy,
and they look awesome.

● prAna Stretch Zion Pants: For hiking and all things outdoors, these are a man’s best friend.
They’re made with prAna’s amazing Zion fabric, which means they’re stretchy, comfortable, and
breathable. These pants also convert into shorts for those long, hot days of hiking in the
summertime. They also have a bunch of pockets, but look stylish (unlike their pocketed cousin, the
cargo pant).

● The Furrow Pant by prAna: These SUPER comfortable pants are the perfect pair for any occasion.
You can wear them out to dinner OR while hiking - that’s how versatile they are! Because they’re
made of hemp, they’re incredibly breathable and are also environmentally friendly.

● The Icebreaker Merino Men’s Shifter Pants: These merino wool pants are super comfy, perfect
for lounging around or a rest day from travel. Perfect for both warm AND cold weather, they’re a
fantastic addition to your travel wardrobe.

For more information about these pants, we've written even more detailed guides on travel pants here:

The Best Travel Pants for Men & The Best Travel Pants for Women

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 Practical Wanderlust Presents:
WHAT TO PACK
TRAVEL SHOES
WHAT TO PACK: TRAVEL SHOES
TRAVEL SHOES FOR HER

● VivoBarefoot JingJing flat: These are my go-to “nice” travel shoes, which I wear with casual
clothes or dressing up to go out. I can walk in them for miles and miles! On top of that, they are
lightweight and easy to pack, since they roll up into teeny mini shoes.

● VivoBarefoot Gobi Hi: This is the lace-up ankle boot that does it all. I have literally worn these
babies everywhere from professional events to snow-shoeing. They’re adorable, warm,
comfortable, and waterproof. Yup, pretty much the perfect travel boot for any occasion.

● Teva Capri Sandals: If you’re looking for a cute, durable, versatile pair of sandals, look no further
than the Teva Capris. They’re made with durable leather straps and flexible soles for optimal
comfort and durability. And they’re actually cute!

● Altra Lone Peak Trail Runners: My go-to travel hiking boots...aren’t hiking boots. These trail
runners are the best thing that have ever happened to my feet while hiking! They’re flexible,
breathable, and durable. Most importantly, they’re super comfortable and are perfect for travel -
they compress down into a tiny flat shoe, unlike traditional bulky hiking boots.

TRAVEL SHOES FOR HIM

● VivoBarefoot Gobi II Desert Boot: They’re expertly constructed from leather with a comfy cork
insole, with a sole that’s so thin and flexible that you can literally feel the cracks on the ground as
you walk – fantastic for balancing and stretching out your toes as you explore.

● VivoBarefoot Scott II Boot: These are the perfect all-weather boot, perfect for long walks in
questionable weather conditions. Waterproof AF in both snow and rain. They’ll keep your feet
warm and comfortable all day. They also look great!

● Teva Sandals: For hot climates, you’ll want a comfortable pair of sandals you can wear in the city
OR on the beach. Tevas are THOSE sandals. With leather straps and a flexible rubber sole, they’re
just as durable as they are comfortable.

● Altra Lone Peak Trail Runners: Like the women’s section above, our favorite hiking boots for men
aren’t actually hiking boots. Jeremy always hikes in his trail runners and loves how quick-drying
and flexible they are. They’re also portable - you can pack them down nice and tiny in your bag.

For more information about these pants, we've written even more detailed guides on travel pants here:

The Best Travel Shoes for Men & The Best Travel Shoes for Women

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 Practical Wanderlust Presents:
WHAT TO PACK
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS
WHAT TO PACK: LONG HAUL FLIGHT ESSENTIALS
We've been on plenty of long-haul flights in our lives, and some of them were pretty miserable. Here are
a few must-have items that will make your trip as comfortable as possible.

● PacSafe Carry-On Backpack: My favorite practical carry-on backpack for heavy duty travel.
● Tortuga Carry-On Backpack: This bag is basically like a big rectangle that opens exactly the way
a suitcase does, allowing for A TON of space.
● Away Carry-On Suitcase: This beautiful carry-on suitcase is currently on my Christmas wish list.
It’s not only stunning, but it’s incredibly high-tech.
● Re-Usable Water Bottle: Cut down on those single use plastic cups by bringing your own water. I
like the HydroFlask bottles because they handle pressure changes without spilling and keep your
water ice cold for ages.
● Baby Wipes: To give yourself a sponge bath and clear that plane feeling off your face,.
● Travel Deodorant: Honestly, this is more for whoever’s sitting next to you.
● Lip balm & Moisturizer: So your lips don’t suffer from that dry plane air.
● Cuticle Scissors & a Nail File: Just in case.
● Snacks: Just in case, I usually bring a little pack of almonds and a protein bar.
● Hair Things: You’ll probably want to tie your hair back out of your face at some point.
● Emergency Entertainment: Just in case you can’t sleep and the plane doesn’t have any good
movies, download some TV shows, movies, and podcasts to a tablet or phone.
● Gum: Both to help with your ears and your long-haul breath.

TRIPS FOR THE PLANE RIDE

And here are a few bitesize tips to get you prepared for your next long-haul flight::

● Pack light and carry on. You'll save a ton of money on international flights if you can avoid
checking your bags! Our sneaky trick when we have a lot of stuff is to bring 2 carry-on bags.

● Book an airport lounge. Airport lounges make those long, multi stop journeys bearable - and
they're not as expensive as you think. For as low as $25 you can get access to hot showers,
unlimited food and drink, peace and quiet, outlets and chargers, and even a comfortable place to
take a nap. We use LoungeBuddy to book airport lounges for cheap.

● Prepare for the plane. A few little tweaks to your plane ensemble will make your journey a breeze.
Wear the right clothes, plan your medication and pack some cozy extras.

For more information on how to survive a long-haul flight, check out our post:

12 Long-Haul Flight Essentials & Travel Tips

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 Practical Wanderlust Presents:
TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE
GENERAL
WEBSITES AND TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES
We mentioned a lot of websites and resources in this guide, but here they all are in one place for your
convenience.

TRAVEL RESOURCES: WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO?

● WikiVoyage: Like the name implies, WikiVoyage is Wikipedia for travel destinations, written and
maintained by travelers. Just type in your destination! There’s also an offline version of WikiVoyage in
the App Store, so that you can access downloaded pages for your destinations whether you have WiFi
or not.

● The /r/travel subreddit: Fantastic to browse for getting inspiration about where to go from trip
reviews and photos, or searching for a specific location to see recommendations and advice.

● Pinterest: Pinterest is a visual search engine that’s fantastic for browsing and compiling photos, travel
tips, and itineraries. I like to create a board specifically for a single trip and add everything I find about
that location to that board for my own reference.

● TripAdvisor: The old standard for travel reviews and recommendations. This site has been around for
ages, so most places have hundreds of reviews. I like to vet a place I’ve found using TripAdvisor before
booking: primarily hostels/hotels, or maybe a city or tour. There are usually more user submitted
pictures of a hostel on TripAdvisor than I can find on a site like HostelWorld, and more reviews. The
only downside with TripAdvisor is that a lot of the travelers tend to be older and a little more
risk-averse and less cost-conscious than I am, so I read some of their reviews with that in mind.

● Google Maps: We recommend using Google Maps for planning out your itinerary and mapping
your routes through a new city. You can create an an itinerary using Google Maps and save it for
offline use. Just follow this step by step tutorial: How To Export Your Google Map Itinerary To
Your Phone & Use It Offline!

Google Maps can

WikiVoyage is a
help you plan out
fantastic resource,
your routes within a
written by travelers, for
city, like this walking
travelers.
tour of Lima.

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 Practical Wanderlust Presents:
TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE
GENERAL
WEBSITES AND TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES
We mentioned a lot of websites and resources in this guide, but here they all are in one place for your
convenience.

TRAVEL RESOURCES: WHERE TO STAY?

● AirBnB: Many a weekend trip has been based off of a cool AirBnB we found and decided to
book. Because AirBnB’s are personally owned and rented by regular people, the variety is
endless – you can rent a beautiful house in downtown Portland, or an electricity free cabin
with a composting toilet on a working coastal farm in Mendocino (let us know if you want
the links to those!). You can find AirBnB’s in places that no hotels are allowed to operate, like
neighborhoods, or where no hotels WANT to operate, like tiny towns on remote scenic
highways. And they almost always have great amenities (kitchens! hiking trails! pets!) for less
than the cost of a hotel room! All in all, check it out if you haven’t yet.

● HotelsCombined: Sometimes the sheer number of hotel booking options can be

overwhelming. That’s why we use HotelsCombined - it aggregates the prices of several
popular online booking websites to bring you a real-time price comparison. You can search
for a city or a particular hotel you’ve been eyeing and compare prices across the web with
one easy click.

● HostelWorld: Our favorite site for booking hostels, bed & breakfasts, and inexpensive hotels.
The reviews are usually honest and helpful, so I can make sure my hostel has A/C and hot
showers as advertised, or evaluate the location. The site is clear and easy to use, booking is
free (we do recommend paying the $2 security fee though, in case you need to make a change
later and want to reuse your deposit), there are always clear instructions on getting to the
hostel written by the owners, and I have peace of mind knowing that my bookings are
stored somewhere electronically. Don’t make the mistake of assuming “hostel” means
sketch, dirty, or full of young college students partying – those are certainly out there, but
carefully reading reviews and looking at photos can help you find some REALLY amazing
options! We’ve stayed in some incredible hostels, such as these hostels in Colombia.

● ReserveAmerica: My favorite site for USA campsite reservations. A little clunky to use, but
once you get the hang of it, it’s fine. Campsites are released in blocks 6 months in advance,
so that for really competitive campsites (lookin’ at you, Yosemite), you may actually need to
hop on it ASAP once it’s available! For those of us who aren’t thinking about their June
campsites on New Years, you can also set a Notification for a specific campsite and date
range, and when someone cancels their trip, you’ll get an email letting you know a spot has
become available.

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 Practical Wanderlust Presents:
TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE
GENERAL
WEBSITES AND TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES
We mentioned a lot of websites and resources in this guide, but here they all are in one place for your
convenience.

TRAVEL RESOURCES: PRACTICAL & SAFETY INFORMATION

● The CDC Travel Site: Researching disease prevention: it’s not glamorous, but it’s safe and it’s
smart. Know what to protect yourself from and how for the countries you’re visiting.

● LonelyPlanet: I typically use LonelyPlanet only for their practical and logistic information.
They call them “Survival Guides” and they contain detailed information about visas,
documentation, paperwork, health advisories, transit, currency, and other really important
basic information. I like to search a country and lay out all that practical information in
advance.

TRAVEL RESOURCES: SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL

● BudgetYourTrip: This program compiles traveler submitted data to provide average prices
for various commodities with variable travelling style, so you can select how fancy you plan
to get and then plan accordingly. Also has some helpful travel tips and food suggestions as a
bonus!

● Google Flights: The best search engine to find cheap flights, in my opinion. Scours the web
and all kinds of airlines that aren’t often included in flight comparison sites. Also, you can
search for “Everywhere” as a destination and just see what’s affordable from your home
airport!

● Travel Comparison Tool: Did you know we actually have our own tool for helping you score
travel deals? Search for deals on airfare and hotels right here on Practical Wanderlust. You’ll
save money AND help support your favorite travel bloggers. Ahem: us. It’s us, right?!

We hope you enjoy planning your next trip! Be sure to tag us on Instagram
(@PracticalWanderlust) from your next destination to let us know how it goes!

FOLLOW US!

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