A thoughtfully packed travel bag makes all the difference when jet-setting around, especially if you’re trying to survive a long-haul flight. These are the inflight essentials that I never fly without. In order to make going through security and my inflight routine easier, they are all organized into small pouches, and my toiletry bag and electronics are the easiest to reach. A sturdy, organized travel bag is essential for your personal carry-on bag, and you can find our favorites here.
Here it is, friends! We are so excited to bring you our 2016 holiday gift guide for travelers! This gift guide includes our favorite goodies that make travel easier as well as those that let you display your wanderlust loud and proud!
A sleep mask is always one of our travel essentials we don’t travel without! It’s a must-have item in our carry-on to help with sleeping better during long-haul flights. You may have seen it on our packing lists since it’s also handy to have in case your hotel room curtains allow light in. 
For such an important item, why not make sure you find the right one? Here’s our handy roundup of perfect sleeps masks that are comfortable and luxurious. And they make wonderful gifts as well! There are fun options too, like Etsy’s fox and cats, Bucky’s patterned ones or the eyelashed Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s!
Travel isn’t always easy. It isn’t always glamorous. A long road trip, a train with no air conditioning, an overnight flight – our transportation options never offer true comfort – that’s for us to worry about. However, we don’t believe you have to sacrifice style for comfort. We know you can have a chic and comfortable travel style.
Our tried and true airport uniform consists of stretchy but conservative pants, a warm and cozy cardigan, stylish sneakers, and a warm scarf that can double as a blanket. We love bringing along a minimalist backpack like the Everlane one below as a hands-free carry-on that holds all of our must-have travel accessories that add a little luxury to our long-haul.
With summer on its way, it’s time for a weekend getaway. We know you’re already planning your beach trips and weekends in the mountains. We’re ready for lazy days spent in hammocks and strolling along the beach. But before you set off on your road trip, you need the perfect bag for a weekend away. Leave those rolling suitcases at home! We’ve featured some of our favorite weekender bags before, and now we’re going tell you about one we both own in this Everlane Weekender Review.
We both own an Everlane Weekender bag, so that’s a good start to this review and should really tell you something. Meagan bought a suede version that has since been retired, and Stephanie followed suit by buying the navy canvas weekender with the black leather straps. Continue reading
We’ve been traveling a lot for work and pleasure lately, and it’s only about to pick up! We’re always SO excited about our destinations, but we have to get there first, and flying in coach can be such a drag. Am I right?
Here’s the good news, travelers! We have four travel hacks to make flying in coach as comfortable as possible. With Salem Kitty’s help, Stephanie just filled her new Delsey Tote
Are you in the market for a new personal carry-on bag? I was back in the fall and did some research on Google as well as consulted Meagan, our resident expert in all things related to fashion. I decided on the Lo & Sons O.M.G. medium overnight bag based on reviews, price point and the company’s “travel light and look smart” mantra. Here’s a Lo & Sons bag review based on a few months in of using it almost daily for work and on my travels!
[photo courtesy of Lo & Sons]
One of the characteristics that is super important to me is functional pockets so I can (try to) keep myself organized! This bag has a ton of pockets and dividers! The front pocket includes places for your pens, business cards, keys and your work badge. The back pocket zips on the top and bottom so you can use it as a pocket but then attach it to your roll-aboard handle when you travel, which is a key feature I love! As long as I keep everything where it’s supposed to go, this bag helps me keep organized. There’s a sleeve for your shoes if you want to keep a pair of sandals, TOMS, or ballet flats handy when traveling or around the office.
If you have to get work done on such a gorgeous day, head to the pool with your Lo & Sons O.M.G. bag.
Everyone loves a “what’s in my bag” post, and this one is “packed” with the Top 10 Travel Essentials that we don’t leave home without! A long-haul flight may require a lot more to keep you comfortable, entertained, and sane than a short flight or train ride, but these are the items we’ll be packing no matter the trip. If you catch us at the airport, here’s what you’ll find in our bags…
We’ve been compiling lists of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to make your next trip easier to plan and enjoy. Since mobile apps have been changing the way we travel, here are our Top 10 Travel Apps that we use to plan our trips, keep up with our itineraries and tickets, and find our way around.
Since the end of year is quickly approaching, we thought it would be fun to do a roundup of some of our most popular blog posts since launching A Friend Afar earlier this year! They include content from some of our big trips abroad to Cuba, Greece & France as well as a day trip closer to home. It also includes packing tips, bag reviews, planning tips, and a guest post about family travel! Check out our top posts of 2015 below.
