Here is a group of our favorite travel tools that make traveling easier. We will constantly update this grouping as we find new products we like.
This page contains affiliate links for products we love. We use these items ourselves especially for traveling. From time to time we will update this page with new items or replace items if we found a better one – so check back once in a while. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. For our full disclaimer, click here.*
At the bottom of this page, you will find a professional recommendation. Raffaella assisted us in finding some of our Italian documents regarding ancestry in Italy.
Favorite travel tools in no particular order:
Travel Adapter: I love and use this on every trip we take. Type E/F works in Italy too as we have found out! This little unit is equipped with 2 USA outlets, 2 USB (3. 6a) with Quick charge 3. 0 & Micro USB cable. It is perfect for travel to use with cell phones, laptops & other devices anywhere in the world. Click to find out more or purchase: Travel Adapter
Where has this tool been all my life? This item might not be a true “travel” tool but is a must for me every day! I’ve heard that it is good but didn’t know you could use it for emails, MS Word, and especially BLOGGING! I was very surprised and pleased with how easy it is for you and all the mistakes it caught that I missed. Great for students and professionals! Find out more: I LOVE Grammarly
We LOVE SendOutCards! We share our travel photos and keep up with family and friend’s birthdays quickly and easily. We can even send gifts too! We send postcards and regular cards – sometimes for no reason at all. Just to let someone special know we are thinking about them. You design it and SendOutCards prints, folds, stamps and mails it for you the next day!
Did I mention we earn residual income too? Oh ya, baby! We get paid for being nice to people!
If you’ve never used the system before – send a free card and try it today. SendOutCards
Travel Bags: These hanging travel toiletry bags are great for organizing cosmetics and medications. They are waterproof and come in a huge amount of colors. Some are even geared for young girls with unicorn prints and more. Check them out. Great to have when traveling as counter space is not always available. Click here to read more or purchase: Travel Bags
Fantastic Travel Cubes: These cubes are amazing and keep everything in the right spot. I got black for Gary and pink for me and an extra set of a mix of both so we could each have another 2 bags. They are a great way to even put things in an overnight bag. I got a few small ones just for little items. They are great for keeping long sleeves separate from short ones when I don’t need to unpack everything! These are my new favorite things! Fantastic Travel Cubes
Travel Handbags/Purses: These bags are amazing. They are light and easy to carry and some filled with security options! You can indeed use them every day, but I especially love them for traveling. Great colors and styles! Travel Handbags
Waterproof Shoe Bags: These waterproof shoe bags are amazing. When doing any hiking and then have to pack the next day – these are a lifesaver! It keeps all of our clothes clean so we never have to worry. Click to read more or purchase: Travel Bags for Shoes
Favorite travel tools regarding travel books:
Authors Nancy and John Petralia have become best friends – friends that Gary and I have yet to meet in person! This couple changed our lives after reading this book, we followed their path and lived in Parma, Italy for 90-days. They also recommend a town in Puglia for our two-month stay in 2019. The family that owned the house we rented was as wonderful as they said and the town perfect (Conversano.) Since then they have written another book but it really all began with this fantastic book about their year in Italy. We highly recommend this book. Follow them on Facebook and if you haven’t read this… you should! Not in a Tuscan Villa
Their Facebook page Facebook
Author Kathryn Occhipinti has become a friend through social media. She sent us this book to get our thoughts about it. We love it. It is a great little book – packed with just the right information. A must as a traveling companion in Italy.
If you order, please consider emailing orders@stellalucente.com after your purchase and tell them you saw the information about this book here at “OIJ.” This way we can get credit for referring you to Katheryn’s website! Thank you. Pocket Phrase Book
Off the Beaten Path spotlights over 1,000 of the United States’ most overlooked must-see destinations. Plan an unforgettable vacation with this best-selling travel book-a a super-easy reference that shows you where to go, how to get there, and what you need to know before you begin your adventure. Click here to read more or purchase: Off the Beaten Path
Rick Steves: We are huge fans of Rick Steves! His information has been spot on every time we use it. We even used his recommendation for a doctor when in Florence in April 2017. The doctor was wonderful and spoke English – just what Rick said. His pricing was spot on too!
Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 20,000 travelers to Europe annually. He does all of this with the help of a hardworking, well-traveled staff of 100 at Rick Steves’ Europe in Edmonds, Washington, near Seattle. He is always updating so Amazon will have the most current version for you to purchase – click to read more or purchase: Ricks Steves Italy 2020
Rick Steves: Rick Steves, a bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and keywords to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling, an English-Italian and Italian-English dictionary, the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Sistine Chapel. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves’ Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler! Click to read more or purchase: Phrase Book & Dictionary
Another one of Rick’s books: You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know. Plan your travel itinerary and maximize your time with Rick. Avoid crowds and tourist scams by reading his tips. Rick considers this travel skills handbook his life’s work. With this guidebook, you’ll experience the culture like a local, spend less money, and have more fun. Click to read more or purchase: Europe Through the Back Door
Lonely Planet Italy is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Take in a gondolier’s sweet song while gliding past Venetian palaces, sample olives, and wines as you traverse Tuscany’s storybook hills, or be humbled amid thousands of years of Roman history and art; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Italy now! Click here to read more or purchase: Lonely Planet Italy
About DK Eyewitness Travel Guides For more than two decades, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have helped travelers experience the world through the history, art, architecture, and culture of their destinations. Expert travel writers and researchers provide independent editorial advice, recommendations, and reviews. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more. Click to read more or purchase: DK Eyewitness 2020
Professional Recommendation
If you are interested in finding information on your ancestry, we have a recommendation for just that. She is located in Italy and you pay her for her through PayPal. She is very thorough and found many documents we needed for our dual citizenship.
