subject: Comfortable Shoes And More: Essential Must-haves On Foreign Vacations [print this page] If you are finally taking that once-in-a-lifetime foreign vacation, you want to be sure that you remember to pack everything you need to help your trip be a successful one. Too many of us concentrate on the itinerary and travel arrangements without stopping to consider the nitty gritty of what we will actually need once we get there. You have to think beyond basics and consider the practicalities of everyday touring: here are the essential must-haves that smart tourists always bring with them.
Comfortable Walking Shoes
Think you will spend all of your time riding public transportation and needn't spend much time thinking about your everyday shoes? Think again! Even in places like Paris where visitors regularly take the train, taxis, and especially the Metro to get to popular, there is plenty of walking to be done. It may be tempting to want to wear chic stiletto boots in a setting such as this, but your nights will be spent soothing the agonies of your sore feet.
Save the fancy footwear for evenings; for daytime, make sure you bring along a really solid, high quality pair of comfortable shoes such as Wallabees. Your feet will thank you and your vacation won't be ruined by blisters and bunions.
Washable Undergarments
Even if your trip is a long one, you should get along fine by bringing along five pairs of really good underwear. Nylon is best since it is easily washed in a sink and will hang-dry in no time. You will need room in your suitcase for other essentials: don't fill up space with unneeded undergarments.
Basic Medications
The last thing you want to do if you get sick is try to locate a pharmacy in a strange environment, especially if you are in a foreign land. Unless you are staying at an upscale hotel or resort, you probably will not recognize the names of the medicines contained on the pharmacy shelf Make sure you take basic over-the-counter medications with you along with your prescriptions: aspirin, ibuprofen, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diarrheal.
Traveling Sewing Kit
Sewing kits made for travel are tiny and compact and can be stuffed into virtually any corner of your suitcase or tucked away in a shoe. They come in handy for quick repairs on any article of clothing and help you to be a little more self-reliant in a foreign land.
A successful foreign vacation depends greatly on what you pack: make sure you have comfortable shoes, practical underwear, basic medications, and a sewing kit: you'll be glad you did.
