Let me let you in on a little secret that not many tourist know about regarding shoes on locals feet in Europe vs. shoes on tourists feet....

All those really cute flat shoes, without sole support,  that are so trendy and fashionable and they are all over Europe, everyone's wearing them....please, please, please leave them at home!! Those are worn by the locals that are used to walking 4 miles or more a day...their feet are absolutely use to walking all day long. 

So, if you are going to Europe and planning on packing your cute trendy flat soled shoes, its better to save the luggage space and don´t take them on your trip. Those cute shoes will hurt your feet because your feet are most likely not used to hours of walking, not to mention the blisters you´ll get! 

I can tell you from my personal experience that my feet rarely hurt from all the walking I do, but when I first moved to Europe my feet ballooned up if I didn´t have super comfortable walking shoes on. That´s why its very important to be smart with the shoes you bring on your trip. And forget about strappy heels, all the cobble stone streets will force you to take them off and have to walk barefooted...not much fun while traveling around.

But if I do have tired feet and I know I have a big day of walking in front of me, I wear shoes that have a lot of support and cushion, and are cute! I usually go for white, it seems most Europeans stay with white and they match everything. 
I highly recommend to bring the best walking shoes on your trip, it will make all the difference!

My favourite walking shoes are these by New Balance: amzn.to/4kbuJHE

They are super comfortable, they go with anything and I love the quality!

Just to be safe with lots of walking, I always carry a bunch of band aids when I travel. I don´t want to get a blister then have to deal with finding where to get the right band aids on my trip. The ones I use are: amzn.to/4bilste
These band aids are especially made for blisters and have a cushion so there's no more friction during your trip as you walk. 
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I hope these travel tips help you enjoy tour next trip and help you travel with ease and comfort!!
​Happy Travels!!

I have a new travel trip that I started using just last summer! I ditched the carry on luggage for a large travel backpack instead, and it has been life changing in regards to how I travel!!

Before I would try to find the smallest carry on and jam everything I could into it and hope I meet the size and weight standards at the airport. Then I started looking around on my local European trips, flights within Europe, when I travelled and I saw that everyone had these huge backpacks that they just would carry onto the planes! There they were, hands free, looking comfortable and most of all avoiding any luggage fee that most European flights charge. So not only was it practical but economical. 

After some research I found the right backpack that not only is comfortable and easy on my back, but it had slots for my laptop, iPad, water bottle, and endless space for all  of my vacuum packed clothes1 
A no-brainer!!
Now when I fly, whether it is a long haul or a shorter European flight, I use this backpack!

Recently I flew from Barcelona to Munich then took a train to Vienna and then flew back to Barcelona, all wit this back pack. I couldn´t have been more comfortable, modern and hands free the whole time! 

I hope you hop on board and try this spacious backpack instead of a ridged carry on with what feels like limited space. 
Here's the one I use:  amzn.to/41tLCGk

So excite about this new, easy way to travel! I love this travel tip!
Although I do embarrass my teenage daughter when she sees me wearing lol....!

Happy and safe travels!

Aside from the obvious clothes, shoes etc. that are packed for a trip, its so important to keep in mind of the little things that will be needed to ensure a smooth flight and trip.  I usually make a list of what to bring because things will come to me at random times and I jot them down as I go.  I put all of these essentials in my carry-on/backpack, just to be safe rather then sorry...Here´s a few of my travel tips: 

Some of the things that are absolutely essential for me to start with is an electronic adaptor, especially if I´m going to a foreign country- I can´t always rely on the hotel or a local shop. Plus, sometimes there's a lay over in another country and I need to charge my phone or devise quickly! The best universal adaptor that I have found is an all in one - that way if I´m going to be in the UK and then Spain or anywhere else on my trip, for example, I have both adaptors on hand. The one I use is: amzn.to/4i9g7GW
 This world-wide adaptor is compact and is good for everywhere, and easy to use!

Another travel tip I like to suggest is for when we get to the hectic security check point! To make it faster and smoother, I put in my carry on a compact liquid carrier for all my liquids that I need to bring. The typical baggies are so awkward and they don´t stay closed which can slow things down at the airport, so the all in one bag holders are great and compact, easy to pull out and put back in at security. This one is my favourite: amzn.to/4hU931e Its also TSA approved and leak proof! Plus it looks so cute!

Another essential travel tip for the plane, and hotel/apartment, are earplugs. I never want to have someone else's conversation keep me awake on the plane, or an elevator outside my hotel room keep me awake, so I come prepared with good reusable earplugs. These earplugs have made my travels so peaceful! There´s quite a few out there, but I find these silicone ones amzn.to/4i7U7gh the best, they fit to any ear and really block out the sound, plus there's multiple ones in the case in case I loose some! 

For cancelling out all exterior sounds, I also use these Apple headphones for listening to music or watching a movie I downloaded, they are so comfortable and with great sound! amzn.to/43cGo34

My eyes can be sensitive to lights and the sun coming through a window on a flight, so I always carry an eye cover to cancel out any disturbing light that might interfere with my much needed sleep. My go-to is this ultra comfortable, soft eye cover: amzn.to/4beopLk
 This eye mask totally blocks out all light and the design makes it incredibly comfortable and easy to pack for your trip and work well with false eyelashes, a bonus!

For a more comfortable long haul flight when traveling, I always bring a neck support pillow. I make sure it has a bag that comes with it, it feels more hygienic to tuck it in a bag rather then have it hanging out attached to my carry-on or backpack. I personally never have liked hanging my neck support pillow on my luggage, it doesn´t feel very elegant... I also like the ones that are made with a memory foam, it forms to my neck and head, it makes such a difference! The one I use is this; 
amzn.to/41zQKYr

Another thing I pack and put on during the flight are compression socks, the last thing I want to get on a flight is a blood clot, so just to keep my blood moving, Due to sitting so long on a flight when traveling and with the air pressure on a long flight when traveling, my legs tighten up and the blood flow gets restricted.  So, I wear these compression socks to keep the blood moving: amzn.to/4ifoYH4 They are so comfortable and I love the quality.  I also bring along some flat slippers too, for walking around on the plane on my flight. 

A flight can be so dehydrating on the skin, that I constantly am hydrating my skin, especially on my face, where wrinkles can form if not well hydrated. My favourite carry on hydrating face lotion to hydrate is amzn.to/43daC5U My face feels so hydrated and it lasts for a long time, at a reasonable price. This cream isn´t very expensive and it does the job for flying to Europe, and when I arrive I always load up on my favourite skin care products at the local pharmacies, as they are much more economical in Europe! 

These are just a few of my packing essentials tips when traveling on a long haul flight anywhere in the world, I never fly without them! Hope these travel tips have helped make your flight experience a bit smoother!
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​Enjoy and safe travels!

If you are anything like me, you probably dread having to pack and often wait to the last minute to do so. Well, after learning my lesson the hard way, and after being up all night until my flight packing (not recommended!), I am here to tell you there is a solution and also a way to bring all those outfit changes you want!

What I first do is simply get out my luggage a week before hand. This somehow prevents me from really procrastinating. Then I make a list of what to bring. After having a global idea of what I will need to take, I start getting out the essentials, things I also won´t be needing at home before I leave.

The very first thing I get out are my vacuum bags, and making sure I don´t need to order more. Vacuum bags have revolutionised how I travel, now I can take so mush and save so much time and not even worry about having enough space on the way home after I (of course!) buy more clothes there!

My favourite vacuum bags come with an electric, small, compact pump. This saves me so much time and stress especially when leaving my hotel to come back home, which used to be so hard to get everything back in my luggage.  I love these vacuum bags, so fast easy and my over-packed wardrobe is condensed to a flat, airtight, compressed bag, its amazing, they have transformed my whole packing process! These are the ones I use: amzn.to/3PZPCYs
 
After I have out my luggage and vacuum bags, I get the most essential item out: my passport - which will not be in my luggage, but I just get it out. I feel its risky, or not very secure, to just carry my passport at the airport and while traveling without a passport holder, so after trying out a few, I came across this holder that also doubles as a boarding pass holder, making it an all in one when I get to customs and check in amzn.to/3WEcD79 I really like this holder because there´s room for other passports if traveling with family and there is a handle so I am less likely to leave it somewhere.

Another essential I get out (to be sure I have it on hand with enough time to order more, just in case), are my AirTags. amzn.to/3WLftY6 I put my AirTags in my luggage, but carry an AirTag holder amzn.to/3EdUmHh in my luggage. This helps me not loose my AirTags and keeps things organised for me, not to mention it looks elegant. More times then I can remember, my luggage did not arrive when I arrived, and it was a long drawn out process of finding and getting back my luggage. With AirTags I am already one step ahead of the game, as I can tell the airlines that lost my luggage and   "cant find it yet" where to look. And with these AirTag holders, I don't loose my AirTags in the process of packing, which adds to a less stressful adventure!

What many people over look is that the electrical adapters are different in many countries in Europe. Such as in the UK they have a whole different adapter plug then the rest of Europe. And often times there isn´t an adapter at the hotel or apartment to use when my phone battery is going down. That´s why I always make sure I have a multi-country plug in adapter, even for those long waits when traveling in airports to charge my phone. The one I use is: amzn.to/4gmTpK7   Its an all in one adapter and compact enough to not take up space, and I like the colour (which doesn't get confused with other peoples adapters)!

These are a few packing essentials I get out about a week before my trip and make sure I have them ready to go, and if not, I still have time to order more. It is so much better then waiting until the day or night before to pack for an international flight! 

Happy traveling!!
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