I’ve always loved travelling and since moving to Australia we’ve travelled more than ever. It’s funny how you don’t travel much in your home country but, when you move somewhere new, you can’t stop exploring!

This post is sponsored by Philips and it contains affiliate links.

I’ve been on lots of different types of trips in Australia – I’ve taken family holidays, weekends away, holidays with friends and I’ve attended conferences and gone on travel writing trips. I’ve seen more of our local area in Queensland than many of our friends who have lived here for decades! Next year, we’re planning to do some long haul travel, so I’m always thinking about how I can travel smarter, travel more comfortably and travel in style.

As I enjoy travelling so much, I love buying travel accessories for myself and I really enjoy receiving luxury travel accessories as Christmas gifts as it feels like a real treat given that travel is one of my most important values in life.

I can’t promise that I’m particularly fashionable or stylish (I’m a busy mum with three young kids, a business to run and a husband who works too many hours!), but I like feeling good when I travel and I’m willing to invest in travel gadgets, travel luggage and travel outfits that make me look and feel better.

Travel gadgets  and travel products can make travel easier

For this post, I’m sharing some travel luggage essentials that will help you to travel in style, whether you’re packing your carry on for a weekend away or you’re about to travel to the other side of the world with your family.

Travel essentials to help you travel in style

If you want to look and feel stylish while in transit and when you reach your destination, here are some essential travel accessories you might want to add to your packing list for your next trip.

The best travel luggage: A weekender bag for women

The best travel bag suits the type of trip and the amount of travel gear you need to take with you. There is a travel bag for every occasion and choosing the right one will make your travels a whole lot easier too!

I love my weekender bag – it’s large enough to throw in a couple of outfits, a pair of sandals, a washbag and my laptop. I use my weekender bag when I’m travelling solo, but when I’m travelling with the gang, we use one large wheeled rucksack between us for a short break or a couple of big wheeled suitcases if we’re travelling for a longer family holiday.

Using the best travel luggage for the occasion will allow you to travel in style.

>> Shop for weekender bags on Amazon Australia

>> Shop for weekender bags on Amazon US

>> Shop for weekender bags on Amazon UK

Bose noise-cancelling headphones


I don’t travel anywhere without my Bose noise-cancelling headphones. I’m a podcast addict and I like listening to my Spotify playlists on full blast, so this means I can listen to what I like, when I like.

I can switch the headphones to silent when I need some peace and quiet to get some writing or blogging done as well.

>> Get Bose noise-cancelling headphones from Amazon Australia

>> Get Bose noise-cancelling headphones from Amazon US

>> Get Bose noise-cancelling headphones from Amazon UK

A handheld garment steamer

A suitcase full of travel accessories and travel gadgets including a Philips garment steamer

No matter how carefully you pack, you’ll always end up with creases in your going out gear. A handheld garment steamer is one of those must-have travel accessories that you never even knew you needed until you get one! The last conference I went to involved me wearing a dress full of creases for the closing party and feeling so self-conscious.

A hand held steamer doesn’t take up much room in your luggage and you can get rid of the wrinkles in a couple of minutes without any fuss. I have to confess – I’m not somebody who irons often. I do what I can to avoid it as it’s something about the hassle of getting the ironing board out and setting it all up that feels like way too much hassle even at home let alone while I’m travelling. The Philips handheld garment steamer is compact, it works on all fabrics and there is no need for an ironing board which totally makes it my kind of easy peasy travel gadget.

The second bonus with using a hand steamer is it refreshes your clothes and removes odours, so your clothes feel and smell clean again which means you don’t need to take as many clothes with you on a trip.

If you’re travelling abroad, don’t forget to take your travel adapter so you can plug you garment steamer in.

>> Shop for Philips handheld garment steamers for travel here

Zinc sunscreen

Sunscreen is one of my travel essentials. It’s my non-negotiable – you won’t ever find me leaving the house without wearing some reef-safe zinc sunscreen. I don’t always have time to apply make-up, but I always find time to protect my skin as we only get one chance to take care of it.

It’s handy to also carry a handbag-sized bottle of sunscreen so you can top up while you’re out and about. Don’t forget this is a liquid and will need to go in the plastic bag at the airport though.

>> Get zinc sunscreen from Amazon Australia 

>> Get zinc sunscreen from Amazon US

>> Get zinc sunscreen from Amazon UK

Eye mask and sleep headphones


I know this sounds really cheesy, but I honestly always travel with this luxury sleep mask and headphone set from Hibermate. I initially bought a set for my husband when he started working shifts so he could get some sleep during the day. I borrowed them a few times and realised how amazing they were so I bought my own set!

I struggle to sleep in bright places, and my kids wake up at the crack of dawn and like to put the TV on loud. This travel gadget has been life-changing for me – it means I can rest in the mornings on holiday when we’re away and I can come around when I feel ready instead of being blasted awake at 5am by ABC Kids!

>> Get a sleep mask headphone set from Amazon Australia 

>> Get a sleep mask headphone set from Amazon US

>> Get a sleep mask headphone set from Amazon UK

A portable foot hammock or foot pillow


You can turn your long haul flight into a comfortable place to unwind by taking an inflatable foot pillow or travel hammock. I haven’t actually tried one yet but I’m considering investing in one for our long haul flights next year to see what they’re like – although I suspect there will be a lot of fights about who will get to use it (I may need to just buy five of them!)

I like the idea of being able to stretch out and anything that helps you get more sleep on a plane and arrive well rested is worth it.

>> Shop for foot hammocks on Amazon Australia 

>> Shop for foot hammocks on Amazon US

>> Shop for foot hammocks on Amazon UK

Maui Jim sunglasses


I stopped wearing contact lenses when we arrived in Australia as my eyes felt too dry in the heat. I’ve never owned good quality prescription sunglasses before, but last year I invested in a pair of Honi Maul Jim sunglasses with blue mirror lenses. I’m totally and utterly smitten with them.

They were expensive – even with our health insurance reducing the gap fee – but they give me a clear and crisp vision and they look amazing. I’ve never had so many compliments on a pair of sunglasses before. And I feel like they’re giving my eyes such awesome protection from the strong sun here, too.

You can buy them with non-prescription lenses too.

I’ve never been one to obsess over expensive accessories like this, but I don’t leave the house without these beauties, even in winter! They aren’t just a travel essential – they’re an everyday style essential!

>> Shop for Maui Jim non-prescription sunglasses on Amazon Australia 

>> Shop for Maui Jim sunglasses on Amazon US

>> Shop for Maui Jim sunglasses on Amazon UK

Travel hair straighteners


If I’m going away for a relaxing weekend, I don’t usually bother taking my hair straighteners – I pack some [easyazon_link keywords=”salt spray” locale=”US” tag=”smart08a-20″]salt spray[/easyazon_link] and embrace the messy-hair-don’t-care look. But if I’m going away for longer than a couple of days, or if it’s a conference and I want to look a bit smarter, I pack hair straighteners. When my hair was long, I could get away with putting it up, but I find that short hair needs so much more styling.

If you’re looking to invest in some travel straighteners, look for some that are compatible with international voltages so you can use them anywhere in the world. There are heaps of compact straighteners and lightweight straighteners to choose from which won’t take up much room in your suitcase or carry on. They’re a tool that can instantly give you a lift as having great hair gives you a real confidence boost.

>> Shop for travel hair straighteners on Amazon Australia

>> Shop for travel hair straighteners on Amazon US

>> Shop for travel hair straighteners on Amazon UK

Travel water bottle


Staying hydrated when travelling is so important, so I always travel with a BPA-free, non-toxic water bottle. I didn’t used to drink much water before we moved to Australia but now I always have a bottle of water in my bag. Actually, I always have four bottles of water in my bag as all of my kids are as obsessed as I am about carrying water everywhere we go! It’s a good job I have a big travel handbag.

>> Shop for water bottles on Amazon Australia 

>> Shop for water bottles on Amazon UK

>> Shop for water bottles on Amazon US

Lucas’ Papaw Ointment


I’ve only just discovered this brilliant little pot of goodness but Lucas’ Papaw is incredible! It acts as a lip balm/gloss which is really handy when travelling (especially for long flights) and it’s also great on mozzie bites, burns, cuts, splinters and dry patches of skin. One little tube does so many different things. It’s a multitasking miracle cream and I love that it is made from fresh fruit grown in Queensland!

Do yourself a favour and make sure it’s on your packing list.

>> Shop for Lucas’ Papaw on Amazon Australia 

>> Shop for Lucas’ Papaw on Amazon US

>> Shop for Lucas’ Papaw on Amazon UK

Mosquito repellent bands


I’ve only just discovered the idea of mosquito bands as I bought some for my nine-year-old twins when they went on a school camp trip recently to an area in the bush close to water. One of them usually gets bitten really badly. I sent them wearing mosquito wristbands (as I knew they’d forget to apply mosquito repellent) and they both came back three days later without a single bite!

I find that chemical sprays have never really worked for us and I hate putting them on our skin, but now I’m loving that we’ve found a natural and safe alternative. The ones I bought were disposable citronella bands (that lasted 2 -3 days), but I’ve been looking at investing in some refillable bands so that we can reuse them over and over again as I hate the idea of throwing the bands away into landfill.

>> Shop for refillable mosquito bands on Amazon Australia

>> Shop for mosquito bands on Amazon US

>> Shop for mosquito bands on Amazon UK

Travel gadgets and travel accessories for people who love to travel

Whether you were looking for some travel style tips for yourself or you were looking for some travel gift ideas for a travel-obsessed person in your life, I hope you found this post about how to travel in style helpful.

Happy travelling!

Thanks to Philips for sponsoring this post. If you’re looking for a travel steamer, check out their handheld steamers here.

Pinterest image of a suitcase of travel accessories to help you travel in style

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