This summer, while living in Barcelona, I had the chance to review Art Ticket Barcelona. And I must say this pass is the perfect thing for any art lover. If you plan on visiting any three of Barcelona’s premiere museums listed on the Art Ticket Barcelona, then you’ve already paid for the pass in one go. And with the pass, you might be pushed to discover some museums and galleries you might never have thought of seeing before. But many of these might open your eyes to works of art you will come to have a deep appreciation for.

Table Of Contents

1. About the Art Ticket BCN
2. #1. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
3. #2. Fundació Joan Miró
4. #3. Museu Picasso
5. #4. The Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona
6. #5. The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
7. #6.

About the Art Ticket BCN

Barcelona Art Passport invites you to take a fascinating journey through the art at the six best museums in Barcelona. Discover the finest collection of Romanesque mural paintings in the world, enjoy Modernisme and be surprised by the most contemporary art and creation at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona. The universes of Miró, Picasso and Tàpies await you as you embark upon this unique experience. The most obvious benefit of these passes is that you will save 45% off the normal admission price. But you also get to skip the line, which can be a real-time saver, especially in the busier summer months. The pass is also valid for 12 months, so if you plan on returning, it is easily spread out over a longer period.

How it Works

The best way to purchase the Articket is online. Once you’ve purchased your ticket online, simply exchange it for your Barcelona Art Passport at the ticket desk of any Articket museum. Then enjoy the experience of seeing the best art in Barcelona!

As someone who loves pieces of ephemera, I was so gleeful when I saw them stamp my actual art passport in each museum I visited. I loved collecting all the stamps as we went!

If you’re unfamiliar with some of the museums and galleries on this list and are considering buying the pass, I’ve given you all the details about each museum. As well as some of my favourite artworks in each space. This piece better helps you understand the culture and history of the Catalan people, as well as the artistic movements that put Spain and Barcelona on the map!

#1. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya sits in the towering Palau Nacional that looks over the city like an artful guard tower. The Palau National was the piece-de-resistance of Barcelona’s 1929 International Exhibition, so even just visiting the museum building itself is an experience. The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is the largest museum in Barcelona. It exhibits the world’s finest collection of Romanesque murals. Included in the collection are some fantastic paintings by influential Spanish painters El Greco and Diego Velázquez. It is also a wonderful place to visit to see beautiful examples of Catalan Modernism, with works by Gaudí. To end the experience, head to the roof, where you can enjoy 360º views of Barcelona.

Frescos of Church of Sant Climent de Taüll

The most important artworks to see in the museum are the Romanesque frescos. These incredibly preserved artworks from the Church of Sant Climent de Taüll were painted 1000 years ago! If they had been left in their original location they would have been lost to the ages, but art collectors and historians managed to move the fresco, by striping them off the walls and reproducing the exact same architectural details of the original churches here inside the museum. Here they will rest for ages to come in an environment which will assure their safety for hundreds of years to come. These frescoes are still as vibrant and the faces of the people painted on them still astonishingly emotive. It’s amazing to see the amount of colours used throughout and makes the world of thousands of years ago that much more amazing.

The Spanish Wedding by Marià Fortuny

Going ahead a few hundred years in Spain, we find ourselves in the middle of Catalan Modernism. Marià Fortuny is one of the most important Spanish artists of his era. He is best known for his incredibly detailed paintings, which provide an almost photo-realistic view of what life would live looked like in Spain in the 1800s. In this painting, we see the scene of a wedding party assembled to sign a wedding contract. Surrounding the group are textiles and furnishings which give us a glimpse in the styles popular at the time. Seated to the right of the wedding party are lower class groups of lower class people, highlighted with a bull-fighter in full regalia.

Address: Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona
Hours: From 10 am to 6 pm, from Tuesday to Saturday.
Until 8 pm, from May to September.
From 10 am to 3 pm, Sunday and public holidays.
Closed: Mondays (except public holidays), Jan 1st, May 1st, Dec 25th

#2. Fundació Joan Miró

The Fundació Joan Miró is an internationally renowned museum where visi­tors can enjoy and learn more about Joan Miró. Joan Miró’s imaginative and abstract art, characterized by playful shapes, vibrant colours, and dreamlike symbolism, blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, incorporating elements from his Catalan heritage and personal experiences. He was a pioneer in surrealism and contributed significantly to 20th-century modern art. 

The Fundació is an exceptional building designed by the architect Josep Lluís Sert. It stands inside the Parc de Montjuïc, and you can enjoy magnificent views over Barcelona. So even a trip up here will provide you more than just a visit to a museum but also a fantastic view of the city.

Catalan peasant in the moonlight

Catalan Peasant in Moonlight evokes two recurring themes within Miró’s body of work: the connection between humanity and the earth, symbolized by the peasant figure, and the mystical allure of the night, represented by the moonlight. The fusion of man and the earth becomes evident through the shared use of the colour red, both for the peasant’s face and the exposed portions of the landscape. However, in Miró’s artistic universe, the boundaries between sky and earth blur, highlighting their interdependence. This interplay results in a harmonious exchange: the peasant’s attire adopts the hues of the night, while the sky assumes the tones of the field. Additionally, the moon’s shape hints at a sickle, imparting a poetic layer of meaning to the scene.

Pair of Lovers Playing with Almond Blossoms

During the 1970s, Miró began to explore larger and more ambitious sculptural projects, receiving notable commissions for outdoor pieces, which he enthusiastically embraced. Pair of Lovers Playing with Almond Blossoms embodies a minimalist approach, featuring simple shapes adorned with vibrant colours, suggesting that the larger sculpture closely adhered to the smaller original model. The artwork portrays two abstract figures within an enigmatic, perhaps surrealist, realm.

One figure is a tall cylinder with yellow and reddish sections, crowned by a blue spherical shape embellished with prehistoric-style abstract motifs imbued with symbolic significance. The second figure is a tall structure with a pointed blue element leaning away, accented by a red, claw-like feature around its midpoint. This element could be interpreted as a hand reaching out to catch the ball perched atop the other figure, though further exploration is required for a definitive interpretation.

Address: Parc de Montjuïc s/n, 08038 Barcelona
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from April to October, from 10 am to 8 pm
Thursday, from 10 am to 9 pm
Saturday, from 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday and public holidays, from 10 am to 3 pm
Closed: Mon (except public holidays)

#3. Museu Picasso

The Museu Picasso of Barcelona is the reference centre for Pablo Picasso’s formative years. The 4,355 works of the Muse­um’s permanent collection reveal the genius of the young artist. The Picasso Museum of Barcelona is filled with a piece of Picasso’s work before he discovered Cubism, but many of which lend hints of what’s to come. Some people might be disappointed not to see any of his more famous pieces, but I think this collection is unique and truly personal to this city. We’ve all seen, at least in photographs, most of Picasso’s classic paintings, but these hidden gems are something you’ll only find in Barcelona. And they give us a glimpse of a young, burgeoning Picasso.

Science and Charity

At first glance, Science and Charity looks like it was painted by Goya or Fortuny. You’d never have imagined that a painting with such attention to realistic detail and subtle tones would be from the same man who later was defined by primitive geometric shapes and powerful colours. As a child, Picasso was a prodigy, and his father encouraged him to enter this piece into a competition, launching his career into the stars, where it would only expand from there.

Las Meninas Series

Pablo Picasso’s series of paintings based on Diego Velázquez’s masterpiece “Las Meninas” is a notable example of his exploration of art history through reinterpretation and reinvention. Picasso created a total of 58 paintings, drawings, and studies inspired by Velázquez’s iconic work between 1957 and 1961. In these reinterpretations, Picasso reimagined the characters and elements of Velázquez’s composition in his distinctive Cubist style, which he had pioneered earlier in the 20th century.

The original “Las Meninas” depicts members of the Spanish royal court, with a young princess at the center and various attendants and courtiers around her. Velázquez’s painting is celebrated for its complexity, use of mirrors, and exploration of perspective. In Picasso’s versions, he fragmented and deconstructed the figures, reshaping them into abstract and geometric forms. Faces became masks, and bodies dissolved into angular and overlapping planes. Picasso’s reinterpretations play with the viewer’s perception of space, form, and identity, challenging traditional notions of representation in art.

Address: Fundació Museu Picasso of Barcelona, Montcada 15-23
Hours: Tuesday to Sundays: 9am to 7pm (including holidays)
Thursday: until 9.30pm
Monday: 10am to 5 pm (from July 24 to September 25)
Closed: 1st Jan, 1st May, 24th June and 25th Dec.
On 24th and 31st Dec museum closes at 2.00pm.

#4. The Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona

The Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, commonly known as MACBA, is the most prominent contemporary art museum in Barcelona. The MACBA Collection consists of artworks produced by artists from Catalonia, Spain, and around the world, primarily from 1960 to the present day. These collections encompass a diverse array of artistic mediums and materials, encompassing painting, sculpture, drawing, collage, assemblage, objects, installations, audiovisual creations, and sound recordings, among various other artistic forms and expressions.

Self Portrait, Jean-Michel Basquiat

Basquiat’s self-portrait is a highly charged piece with many influences and expressions. Basquiat himself was highly inspired by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s work, which is especially evident in this work. He combines dynamic use of colour and abstract forms to convey layered meanings throughout his paintings. Basquiat was one of the first “graffiti” artists to make this type of work considered “good enough” to make it into the galleries and now is considered one of the seminal artists in the neo-expressionist pop movement. The brush strokes and colours used throughout the piece convey such emotion and, in this piece, anger; it is hard to view the piece without becoming enraged yourself.

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Barrière, Jaume Xifra

Jaume Xifra was a famous Catalan Conceptual artist. In 1959, he fled to France to escape the dictatorship. And it was here in France where he would pour his traumatic experiences into a new form of art. Xifra worked with cheap materials and objects to critique the world of consumerism. ‘BARRIÈRE’ is Xifra’s commentary on the police’s control over the people. A barrier, a device supposedly used to protect pedestrians, is here covered in barbed wire. Putting the supposed pedestrians at risk and creating an even more violent separation of the people from the state.

Address: Plaça dels Àngels, 1, 08001 Barcelona
Hours: From 11 am to 7.30 pm, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Until 8 pm, from June 24th until September 25th.
From 10 am to 9 pm, Saturday.
From 10 am to 3 pm, Sunday and public holidays.
Closed: Tue (except public holidays), Jan 1st, Dec 25th

#5. The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) is a vibrant cultural center dedicated to contemporary culture and the arts. It serves as a multidisciplinary space where various forms of artistic expression, including visual arts, music, literature, film, and digital culture, converge. Unlike the other museums on this list, the CCCB hosts a diverse range of exhibitions and installations that explore contemporary themes, trends, and issues. These exhibitions often incorporate innovative approaches and multimedia elements, encouraging visitors to engage with contemporary art and culture in thought-provoking ways. But the program is always changing as there is not a permanent collection.

When we visited, the exhibition on display was titled “Sade: Freedom or Evil.” This exhibition explored the contemporary cultural, philosophical, and political impact of the Marquis de Sade. De Sade’s writings are seen as both liberating and corrupting, embodying a philosophy of freedom and evil simultaneously. The exhibition delves into his influence on artists and intellectuals, as well as his role as an icon in mass culture. Although the exhibition was pretty confronting, it was by far one of the best-curated art exhibitions I have seen in years. So I can confidently say that any exhibition you come to see here is bound to be of the highest quality.

Address: C/Montalegre 5, 08001 Barcelona
Hours: From 11 am to 8 pm, from Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays.
Closed: Mon (except public holidays), Jan 1st, Dec 25th

#6.

 houses a large collection of artworks by Antoni Tàpies. And the foundation was created to promote knowledge of modern art. Many people don’t even know who Antoni Tàpies is, but learning all about him is a great way to spend a breezy afternoon. The foundation is housed in a modernist building designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. And the building is an architectural gem in its own right. 

For those unfamiliar with Tapies, he is one of the greatest Catalan artists. His father was a lawyer and Catalan nationalist who influenced his cultural and political identity. Tàpies initially studied law, but his artistic inclinations led him to pursue art at the Acadèmia Valls in Barcelona. His early works were influenced by Surrealism and Catalan artists like Joan Miró. Especially once you’ve visited the Joan Miró foundations, you can see how closely he was tied to the works of Tapies.

Earth on Canvas

Tàpies is famous for his ‘pintura matèrica’ style, where he often incorporated a wide range of materials, including found objects, mixed media, and unconventional materials like sand, string, and marble dust. àpies had a deep fascination with the materiality of art. His paintings are characterized by their textured surfaces, as he used thick layers of paint and collage elements to create tactile, three-dimensional effects.

Address: C/ Aragó 255, 08007 Barcelona
Hours: Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed: Mon, public holidays, Jan 1st and 6th, Dec 25th

With so many museums to see, it’s always nice to be able to save a few bucks where you can. With Articket Barcelona, you get access to all six museums for only 38€, a savings of 45% off the normal price of admission. And with this ticket, you’ll find that you’re more inclined to visit some museums you might not have thought to see and experience something unexpected.

The post An Honest Review of Art Ticket Barcelona, A Guide to the Most Amazing Museums first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Whenever someone else would come back from a trip, I would ask them all these questions about their travels. Hoping to re-live a part of it with them. And what I was always so astounded by was how easily we all could forget things. At the moment, that bowl of ramen is the best thing you’ve ever eaten!. But when you return home, sometimes it can be hard to separate that delicious meal from all the others you had. So, I set out to finally put pen to paper (or, more accurately, mouse to computer) and create The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal. 

The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal

The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal is an extraordinary and unique journal to record plans, capture memories, and bottle those precious once-in-a-lifetime vacations so you never forget a moment.

Prompt Journaling

Many travel journals are blank, but this one inspires and prompts you with fun and creative questions. This will help you capture even the smallest moments from your adventures. Remember your favourite foods, awe-inspiring sights, beautiful streets, and other emotional memories that make travel so fulfilling.

The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal also has pages to let you sketch the things you see and paste in paper mementos, like metro tickets, receipts, business cards, and other ephemera. PLUS, there are lots of blank lined pages to record your notes.

The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal also includes a personalized pre-travel checklist, customizable foreign words/phrases chart to help you speak the local language, and a day-by-day scheduler to help plan your trip. These day pages allow you to record the date, location, schedule, weather, and to-do lists. You can even note how your day actually went compared to what you originally planned. This is consistently my favourite part as things always go wrong, but it’s all about how you adapt and have fun on your travels!

The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal includes:

• 166 pages to record all your plans and adventures on beautiful retro designs
• Compact journal measures 6” wide x 9” high, the perfect size to throw into your carry-on bag!
• Creative questions and prompts that will help you capture your favourite moments in great detail
• Room to record up to four trips/vacations. Take them all in one year or slowly over time. It is an excellent keepsake to treasure for ages

You can buy The Creative Adventurer Retro Travel Journal on Amazon in the US | UK | Canada | Australia

How To Use the Travel Journal

The Creative Adventurer Travel Journal is super easy to use as it prompts you along the way to insert pre-travel information and interesting fact-finding to inspired some research! Then during your travels, it will advise you to record all sorts of different memories and moments along the way you want to keep forever!

But to really fill out the journal and make it as exciting and full of treasures as possible, pick up all sorts of things along the way. Grab fun paper coasters with cool designs or awesome travel maps of places you’re visiting. Take pictures on your Instax camera and paste them into the journal. Business cards and itemized receipts also make for great additions. I love bringing a few rolls of washi tape with me to help decorate the pages. Washi tape weighs almost nothing, so that it won’t take up much room in your bag. If you’ve always seen cute postcards but never really had the inkling to mail anything, these also make great additions to the book! Ticket stubs and museum admissions stickers are lovely to glue in there anytime you have one! I love visiting stationery stores along my way to pick up some unique stickers too! Honestly, anything that catches your fancy or you feel like you want to remember is worth plucking up and placing into your journal.

If you pick up a copy, please please share it with me! Follow me on Instagram and tag @thecreativeadventurer to share all your beautiful journeys with the rest of the Creative Adventurers!

The post How To Collect and Preserve All Your Travel Memories! first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. Pre-Travel Research
   • Vaccination Requirements
   • Covid Restrictions
   • Route Planning
2. Covid Testing
   • Test Pricing
3. Travel Insurance
4. Airport Packing Checklist
5. Masks
   • KN95 Mask
   • Ear Savers
   • Cloth Masks
6. Additional Packing Checklist
7. Medication
8. Covid-19 Airport Tips
   • Expect Delays
   • Avoid Touch Surfaces as Much as Possible
   • Wash your Hands
9. Mental Preparation

Pre-Travel Research

Before you book travel to any destinations, you need to consider various country’s requirements for incoming travellers. This step is the most important one to ensure you’re prepared with the correct documentation before arriving at the airport.

Vaccination Requirements

Many countries are beginning to change their requirements for foreign entry, and they may start to require a vaccine passport. Currently, Canada is requiring US travellers to be vaccinated to book travel within Canada. It’s always best to check in advance if this is a requirement for the country you’re visiting. And if you aren’t already vaccinated, get your shot! Otherwise, you may need to consider alternative plans.

This fantastic interactive map gives you a snapshot of information on different countries’ Covid-19 Travel requirements. It’s updated regularly, but I would also check the country’s official website for the most up-to-date information.

Covid Restrictions

Another thing to consider when booking your travel destination is Covid-19 restrictions. Covid-19 restrictions may vary from mandatory masks in public spaces to some tourist destinations being closed due to covid. 

Now, don’t let these restrictions keep you from travelling. Of course, if the one bucket list thing you want to see isn’t open, then for sure, maybe put that trip on the backburner. But if you’re like me and just miss being somewhere new, just plan on a different kind of trip. Think more walking tours, fewer indoor museums. More patios and picnics and fewer indoor restaurants. When I was in Sweden over the Christmas holidays in 2019, so many things were closed for Christmas. And yet that didn’t stop me from adapting and having the best vacation possible!

Route Planning

I wasn’t a fan of layovers before, and I’m even less of one now. Layovers mean more time wearing your mask, touching more surfaces and generally just being more exposed. So think carefully about how much you’re really saving by booking a layover vs. a direct flight.

Covid Testing

Most foreign travellers will be required to present a negative covid test to get onto an international flight. This does not apply for domestic travel. (At least at the time of writing this post – Aug 2021.) For this reason, many people have decided to travel domestically to avoid those fees for the test. Most countries require the negative tests to have been taken up to 72 hours in advance of the flight.

And when re-entering your home country, you will also need to present a negative covid test to return home. Sometimes taking the test will allow you to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine, but other times it is required regardless. Even if you have been vaccinated as you can still spread the disease. Because of this, countries are requiring mandatory testing for everyone. In country’s like Italy, you not only have to present your negative Covid test before getting on the plane but they also test you upon coming into the country.

Test Pricing

The price of these tests is pretty expensive! In Canada, a single PCR test costs $159. Testing sites are generally found all over the city you just need to do some research. But some cities also perform them inside the airport and can be ready in as little as 10-minutes. Prices in the USA, prices range from $119 to $299, depending on the turnaround time. In the UK, testing starts at £129. Depending on how many people there are at your travel party, this cost can REALLY add up! Since you need both a test coming into the country and going home. So travelling domestically might be a great idea to avoid those costs.

Travel Insurance

Whether or not you have been vaccinated, there is always a chance of contracting Covid-19. Even if you took all your precautions. While the chances are very low if you follow all the health and safety regulations, ensuring you have travel insurance is one way to have peace of mind. So if you do get sick, you won’t be left with astronomically high medical bills. Many workplaces offer travel insurance as a part of their medical insurance. So it’s always worth a call to check. Depending on where you’re located, the options for insurance will vary greatly. Be sure to do your research and find the best option that fits your budget. And always be sure to check if Covid-19 related costs are covered.

Airport Packing Checklist

Packing for the airport takes on an entirely new meaning during Covid-19. Ensuring you have everything you need to make your trip as safe and comfortable as possible is so important. So just add all these additional items on top of your normal packing checklist.

Masks

Masks are mandatory both in the airport and on the airplane. While you can take them off briefly for eating and drinking, you’re going to wearing these masks for a long time. And unless you’re used to wearing a mask for 8+ hours, you really need to prepare for this situation. Think about how long your flight is and add on the two-three hours before and one hour after the flight. I would even go so far as to recommend testing out your intended mask at home for that amount of time to make sure you know it will be comfortable. If it’s not, consider the options below.

KN95 Mask

There are so many different types of masks, but for flying, I would highly recommend wearing a medical mask. The KN95 mask is FDA-registered and filters up to 95 percent of airborne particles. Plus, the beak-shape of the mask keeps the front from pressing against your mouth all the time and feels way more comfortable. 

Ear Savers

Even if you don’t find masks uncomfortable in day-to-day life, there is no way around the fact that your ears might get sore after wearing the mask for a long time on the plane. That’s where “ear savers” come in. These extendable straps help hold the mask straps on the back of your head and the straps won’t dig into the backs of your ears. Especially if you are on a long-haul flight, these are a MUST-HAVE! You can also make your own DIY version if that is your thingl. No matters the ones you get, you’ll be glad to have them after a few hours of wear. I thought I would be fine as I wear my mask all the time and don’t find it uncomfortable at all. But after 8+ hours I had already added those ear savers to my cart.

Cloth Masks

I love cloth masks not only because they are reusable but because, well, I LOVE an accessory. Cloth masks come in as many colours, varieties and designs as you can imagine. It’s incredible how you can even tell a bit about someone’s personality just by the masks they wear. So even when we can’t read each other’s expressions, we still get a taste of someone’s character by their unique mask. Cloth masks are definitely not as good at filtering particles out. While they aren’t my first choice on the airplane, they are great for indoor activities and walking around once you get to your destination. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have a mask to match all your outfits. Just another way of making these safety measures more fun.

Additional Packing Checklist

• Hand Sanitizer: It goes without saying that a travel-size container of hand sanitizer is pretty essential. Great for when you can’t get to a bathroom to wash your hands. And remember to get one with an alcohol concentration between 60–95%. The higher the %, the more effective at killing germs.
• Hand Cream: Hand in hand with sanitizer is some high-quality hand cream. With all that hand washing, sanitizer and dry air on the plane, your hands will be aching for some moisture. I would recommend cream with vitamin e to really help dry skin.
• Lysol wipes: Although some planes offer you a Lysol wipe when you get onto the plane to wipe down your seat, other airlines don’t. And I have been wiping down my seat with Lysol wipes even before the pandemic. Plus, they’re great to have to do a quick clean of other surfaces in the airport.
• Pillows and blankets: Airlines aren’t giving out free pillows and blankets anymore. These are what you would expect to get on a long flight. But no more. So if you really loved using these, you’ll need to bring your own. Blankets are also a great thing to have on hand as they can be used for picnic blankets when eating outside to avoid crowded indoor dining.

Medication

If the worst happens and you get sick on vacation, it’s always good to travel with medication. Acetaminophen is excellent for fever and body aches. Fever often comes with dehydration, so I carry a few packs of powdered Hydralyte or Pedialyte with me. A sore throat might be easily soothed with a cup of peppermint tea and honey. I keep peppermint tea bags with me when travelling for its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Antihistamines are great to reduce stuffiness and congestion, often something you can suffer from after a flight due to the dry air. But remember, if you think you have Covid-19, you should always go to a hospital and get tested right away.

Covid-19 Airport Tips

Expect Delays

Travel during Covid-19 has some additional delays. Cleaning takes extra time, so if the flights were late arriving, they would be even later departing. So be prepared for that and try to keep a cool head. I feel like everyone is a bit more on edge right now, so being calm and having a relaxed attitude will go a long way. Not just with yourself but with the staff members who have to deal with so many different things on board. By booking a direct flight you’ll also save yourself the stress of flight delays affecting your connections.

Avoid Touch Surfaces as Much as Possible

Although the transmission of the virus is more prevalent in the air than on surfaces, it’s still a good rule of thumb to avoid as many touch surfaces as possible. One of the best ways to do this is by bringing your own food to avoid sitting inside a restaurant. Even those food kiosks are high-touch areas and if they can be avoided that’s one way to keep safe. Bring a large empty water bottle with you so you can simply refill your water without buying bottles from the shops.

If you can find an empty area inside the airport to eat or drink, that’s your best choice. These less high traffic areas will be cleaner and you will be able to get a little more distance from people than at the gate.

Wash your Hands

Remember, after touching anything, it’s a good idea to wash your hands. “But I have my sanitizer,” you might be thinking. Well, according to the CDC and medical professionals, hand washing is still the gold standard. And while “hand sanitizer may kill viruses and certain bacteria, but it does not ‘clean’ your hands like soap and water do.”

Mental Preparation

One of the biggest things I found caught me off guard when I took my first flight during the pandemic was the noise of people talking. It had been so long since I had been in a confined space like this, and I was so surprised how the rabble of voices totally threw me off. You also might find that your anxiety is peaked when travelling, as even pre-covid, travel can be a stressful experience. A great way to combat this is with a comforting podcast, a soothing piece of music or even just a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I know some people love the Calm app and use that to help with their pandemic anxiety as well. Remember, everyone feels a bit anxious these days, so don’t worry, it’s not just you.

Obviously, travelling during this period in history is an ever-changing situation and can be a stressful activity. And for some people, they would instead prefer to just take a road trip or enjoy time at home. And that’s absolutely fine! If you’re looking for some great virtual travel articles, I have some amazing ones that will allow you to transport yourself without leaving your sofa. But for those who choose to travel, be safe and follow these tips. Hopefully, if you do, you’ll be able to get back out there and see the world once more.

Happy (& safe) Travels, Adventurers!

The post Useful Tips for Air Travel During a Global Pandemic first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Eileen Aldis 

The travel vlogging world is filled with so many different personalities. But when I tell people I loved watching vloggers, I find sometimes this is met with a raised eyebrow. I think people have a very narrow idea of what a vlogger can be. And for me, Eileen Aldis is the very best of the best. She will put even the most skeptical viewer to rest. Her thoughtful narrations, wonderfully researched and informative videos paired with their incredible cinematography make for a perfect travel video! I find myself absolutely mesmerized throughout as she and her partner travel the world together. Eileen has a fantastic back-catalogue of videos to choose from. She travels to such unique and sometimes lesser travelled locations, making them even more fascinating to watch from your room!

Bald and Bankrupt

Benjamin Rich, better known by his YouTube channel name Bald and Bankrupt, is an English travel vlogger. He is mostly known for his travels to long forgotten states within the former Soviet Union. Most of these places are tiny villages and towns, that most of us would never put on our travel bucket list. But Mr. Bald, as his subscribers call him, sets out to explore them with unencumbered enthusiasm and has us all excited to see what they have in store for him. Rich speaks Russian fluently, which helps him greatly on his travels through these mostly undocumented parts of the world.

Rick Steves’ Europe

My travel guru has always been Rick Steves. When I was 14, I went on my first international trip, and I had his guide book with me like my bible. His voice guided me throughout the city. I will always thank him for such gentle and easy instruction for travelling. Rick Steves’ Europe is a series that Rick began producing for PBS in 2000. Since then, they have made over 129 episodes.! Each episode focuses on a different city in Europe and features Rick’s charming narration leading you through the best things to see and do while in town. Although the show is meant more as a travel planning guide, it is a great way to travel to these cities from the couch during the lockdown! Most of the episodes are now available on Rick Steves’ Youtube Channel.

The Chateau Diaries

The Chateau Diaries focuses on the busy life of Stephanie Jarvis. Jarvis bought the 16th-century “Chateau de Lalande” in the heart of France, 15 years ago. Ever since she has been slowly restoring the castle. A few years ago she opened it up as a B&B to supplement her renovation costs. But when the pandemic hit, all her guests cancelled their reservations and she was left with no monthly income. She had been vlogging periodically over the years but the shutdown inspired her to get serious about it!

But Garvis doesn’t live here alone! Her palace is filled with volunteers, each of whom possesses their own set of artistic skills and camera-ready stories. Her mother and her adopted brother are also two of the most hilarious personalities. This cast of characters makes watching her vlogs feel like you are stepping into her world and you get to know all of them as friends. Her channel has brought so much happiness to people all over the world. The Chateau Diaries were even covered in a recent CNN article! For those of us at home, dreaming of a life outside our four walls, her fairytale existence is just the thing we need to escape (at least virtually)! 

Crash Course

Crash Course is a series of educational videos created by Youtube royalty John and Hank Green. These two real life brothers have been on YouTube almost as long as the platform has been around and their content is some of the best of the site. This series, partnered with PBS Digital Studios, is meant as a literal “crash course” for anyone interested in learning more about world history. While the channel doesn’t physically travel to these faraway destinations, it instead dives deep into their histories and myths. From these videos you can better understand the cultural heritage of your favourite destination or learn a little bit more about someplace you’ve always dreamt of visiting. It’s endlessly fascinating and will keep you entertained for hours and hours! 

This Natasha

When I was planning my first trip to Japan, I sought so many YouTubers’ advice to learn about the country. And Natasha was my #1 resource. Natasha was lucky enough to live in Japan for a few years. Although she has now moved back to London, she has since visited Japan dozens of times and documented it for our viewing pleasure.

Natasha is the perfect resource since she has that comprehensive blend of being both a local and a tourist. Sometimes full-time locals don’t always see their cities in the same magical way that tourists do. Even the most ubiquitous things entertain me endlessly when I’m visiting a new city. And locals can’t tap into that curiosity in the same way. But Natasha has curiosity in spades! She is always investigating things and asking the questions we are dying to know! I love her trips into the country and the beautiful vistas that Japan has hidden away in the villages far away from the big cities.

Abroad in Japan

Abroad in Japan is a channel hosted by Englishman, Chris Broad. Chris is one of the funniest people on Youtube (in my obviously biased opinion). He moved to Japan from the UK in 2012 and has been there ever since. Although he started off in Japan working as an English teacher, his growing audience on Youtube allowed him to make Youtube his full-time gig. His videos focus on Japanese culture, Japanese food and travel in Japan. Since Japan hasn’t seen lockdowns as severe as elsewhere globally, he and his friends could still continue to travel the country. This series filmed during the pandemic is called “Journey Across Japan.” If you’re looking to have a laugh, see Japan from your computer chair and enjoy some exciting anecdotes, then that’s the channel for you.

Jay Swanson

Jay Swanson is an American who moved to Paris for a job and fell in love with the city so much, he has been there ever since! He loves Paris’ rich history, and his vlogs are full of fascinating anecdotes of what life in Paris is really like. Spoiler: it’s not all macaroons and berets! His life-hacks for travelling in Paris are unparalleled. And his wonderful video skills and unique vlog subjects always keep me coming back to watch week after week.

Cecilia Blomdahl

Cecilia Blomdahl is a vlogger who completely blew up this year with her addictive TikToks. Her newly created Youtube channel is all about her life on Svalbard, an arctic island close to the North Pole. Originally from Sweden, she has lived on this otherwordly island for the last 5 years. Svalbard is the northernmost town in the world! During the winter, they experience “polar night,” a phenomenon where the nighttime lasts for more than 24 hours. Conversely, in the summertime, they also have a “polar day” when the sun remains above the horizon for more than 24 hours! Whenever she leaves the house, she must be armed with a gun, in case of polar bear attacks! She is a drone instructor and her drone skills are UNREAL. All of this allows up to peek into life inside this unique village and its artful and historic glaciers that surround it.

Thomas Heaton

If you love travel photography and want to hone your skills during the pandemic, then Thomas Heaton is the channel for you! Heaton is a landscape photographer and travels to some amazingly remote locations to get shots that belong in an art gallery. His on-location videos are full of excellent tips and tricks for landscape and travel photography. Plus his destination vlogs clips take you with him on his photography adventures. His channel also has lots of technical tutorials and how-to videos to help you learn how to be a better photographer. If you find yourself with some spare time, his videos are an excellent resource for training up your skills.

Drew Binsky

Drew Binsky is probably the most well-known YouTuber on this list, but with good reason. His down to earth attitude is a refreshing take compared to many other vloggers and “influences.”. Drew’s goal is to travel to every country on earth, and he was less than 10 countries away from his plan before the pandemic struck. But that just means you have a lot of videos to catch up on! His vlogs are more like mini-documentaries, all about the unique people he meets along the way, the food they eat and the culture that defines them and their country.

I hope these vlogs help with the yearning to get out there and explore! Not only are these videos a great way to get outside your house (virtually), but they can also inspire some future trip planning. We will be back out there one day! Until then, enjoy these charming, binge-able travel vlogs!

Happy (Virtual) Travels, Adventurers

The post 11 Amazing Youtubers to Cure Your Wanderlust During Lockdown first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

I think that there is always a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) for any seasoned traveller. You want to experience everything a town or city has to offer. When you feel like you didn’t get to participate in something, you feel like you not only let the city down but yourself down as well. I remember well listening to stories from my friends of their late-night escapades. I would scan Instagram feeling jealous of those “cool” people thriving in the nightlife. They were out late at the bars or dancing on rooftop pubs having the time of their lives. I really thought, “maybe I need to change things up a bit?” 

One morning, on Magnetic Island, in Queensland Australia, I awoke with the sun beaming in through our hostel window. The morning light shining right into my tired eyes. The iron bunkbeds creaked with the sound of people moving around in their sleep above me. I tried to lie in, in the hopes that maybe I could stay out late with everyone else the next day. But the thin sheets which I raised over my head did nothing to block out the income rays. I decided to just accept defeat and get up.

I dragged my feet as silently as I could out the door. Quietly closing it behind me so my fellow bedmates could sleep in. The morning dew was still wet on the ground when I walked out the door, but the warm sun was heating up the air all around me already. I snuck into the communal kitchen and filled up my coffee thermos. With hot brew in hand I headed out to the beach.

Magnetic Island is already a pretty tranquil place, but it seemed to be almost deserted in the early morning. The tourist shops and restaurants wouldn’t be open for hours. They also serviced late-night vacationers. With no one else out here, it felt like my own private island.

A gorgeous white horse was gracing in the distance. I stopped and watched it trot up and down its paddy for a few minutes, as it was my only companion. A few koalas stirred in the tree above me. I smiled up at their adorable little faces. It seemed like all the animals were coming out to greet me as I walked. Like I was some “Snow White” character in an Australian fairytale.

I made my way to the beach and sat on the wet but warm sand. I looked out and watched as the sun rose in the distance. Casting its reflection against the still waters. I walked along the hiking trail to Alma Bay, a beautiful hour-long walk that was normally filled with tourists. But in the dawn of the morning, I had it all to myself. I sat in the bay for another hour, sipping my coffee and taking in this private moment. It felt like that scene was made just for me. And all those years ago, sitting on that beach, I made a strong realization. I understood that being an early riser, I wasn’t missing out, I was just having a different experience. One not superior to the other, but one that was also worthy.

Despite being in that minority, especially as a younger person, I realized how many advantages there were to early morning explorations. And I never looked back. I never saw those other people’s late-night antics as something I missed out on, rather just a choice. They were also missing out. I got to see a myriad of amazing things I would never get to do on the other side of the clock. And that was something to be proud of. Not to be ashamed of or feel like I needed to change.

I made that realization more than ten years ago, and still to this day, I LOVE being the one who gets up before the sun. Whenever I visit a new city, no matter who I’m with and if they feel like joining me or not, I always wake up at the crack of dawn and explore the city as it begins to wake. It’s a ritual I never miss. So, what have I found are the best advantages of being an early morning traveller?

It’s Better for Jetlag

Waking up with the sun is a great way to help beat jetlag. It’s essential to expose yourself to the natural morning light to change your inner clock to the new time zone. While it might be challenging to get up when you just wanna sleep, the best way to cure that is to force yourself to get up and get moving! Exercise, even just walking around, helps get the blood circulation going and will help reset your sleep cycle.

Sunrise

Sunrise, I find to be far superior to sunset. Maybe not visually but experientially. I have always chased the sunrise in every country I visit. Nine times out of ten, I am the only one looking at it. No one seems to like getting up at 5 am to walk a mile to a lookout point (since the public transit isn’t yet running). But I sure do. That little trek to get there on the power of my legs alone makes the entire thing feel all the more incredible! Watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee is my ideal way to start the day. 

At sunset, these same viewpoints are often much busier as more people are already out and about. Some people might argue that sunsets are far prettier. While sunset is more colourful, this is mainly because the sky is full of pollutants and wind-borne particles. These particles create a scattering effect that casts light across a greater region of the sky. This creates a more dynamic range of colour. Sunrise, on the other hand, is “cleaner” and therefore the colours are a little purer. More authentic. 

COFFEE!

Speaking of coffee…I LOVE coffee! I would rather drink ten cups of coffee than one cocktail. Being an early riser means you have so much more time in the day to explore the myriad of coffee shops all over the city! The last time I was in Lisbon, I spent an entire morning exploring as many different cafes as I could. Trying all their different brews and beans. Are a caffeine lover like me? In that case, there is nothing better than exploring a new city with a latte, cappuccino, or plain ol’ brewed coffee in hand. Many cafes close by midday as their chief patron is only there to get their morning cup o’ Joe. Later risers who don’t make it out the door until the afternoon miss out on all these fantastic concoctions.

Cities Before Tourism

Tourists, as a general rule, are late risers except. The sole exception is when they’re trying to make it to busy tourist attractions early in the day. I have found that early mornings are a great way to see the city before tourists overtake it. This is especially important in big cities like Venice, Paris and Rome. I loved reading and pouring through Sarah’s post about Paris Before Tourists. She gets to see Paris at the crack of dawn on her early morning walk to work. It’s absolutely incredible. Such a contrast seeing those iconic streets and buildings silently standing in the sunlight before their beautiful facades are blocked by the faces of travellers clamouring to take a picture. 

Early Access to Tourist Attractions

More times than not, popular tourist attractions will get busier and busier as the day wears on. Almost every blog post or guide book will advise you to “arrive early.” If you’re already an early riser, getting in line or heading down to that destination first thing in the morning won’t feel like as much of an inconvenience. When we visited Sintra and the famous Pena Palace, our early arrival was the difference between feeling like we could really explore the palace for ourselves and feeling like we were a bunch of sardines crammed inside a tin.

Breakfast Around the World 

Anyone who wakes up late in the day misses out on breakfast. Many people say that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. Whether this is true or not, I love discovering what different countries take on this important meal is. In Mexico City, I would chase down the tamale sellers who only appeared in the early mornings. In Japan, a fresh piece of fish and miso soup was served up in our Ryokans as the best way to start the day. Breakfast in Stockholm in the winter was filled with warm saffron pastries straight from the over. I can’t imagine these cities without tasting the memories of my perfect first meals of the day.

Enjoy a Siesta

I actually love napping. I quick power nap is an excellent way of restoring all your energy after waking up at 5 am. Learning to enjoy an afternoon nap, or siesta, was something I got into after my first trip to Spain. I used to be that person who liked to “go-go-go” intensely. I looked at any form of sleep as something which took time away from exploring. But a short siesta has HUGE health benefits. They are known to decrease stress and lower your chance of heart disease by 30%! This is how so many Spanish people can eat all those fatty foods and still live a long and healthy life.

While in Barcelona, I would return home to my incredibly beautiful apartments and take a quick nap under the afternoon sun. It was the best way to relieve any fatigue. It also helped me get up and face the rest of the day with a renewed vigour! Now, this is something I try to schedule into most of my days whenever I’m travelling.

Flea Markets

If you have your heart set on a visiting a flea market and are a keen antiquer, early mornings are the ideal time to get the best selection. As the gates open or blankets go down, avid collectors are the first to nab the one-of-a-kind items. To be amongst them, and get your hands on some unusual things, waking up early is essential.

Farmers Market

Farmers Markets are another thing that is always only open during the beginning of the day. And the best produce is often cleared out before people have had their first coffee. Trendy food items, which have been made famous on Instagram, are gone in an instant! But if you’re like me, and there early enough, you’ll be one of the lucky few to get your hands on them!

It Feels Easier to Fit In

As mentioned before, most tourists tend to get a late start on the day. So waking up early in the morning makes you feel more like a local. People will often even start conversations with me in their native language. They think I’m a new neighbour only to discover I’m just visiting. They are always so friendly and happy to start up a dialogue. These early morning conversations have often resulted in some of the best recommendations in my travels. Since they’re not overrun with other tourists, its more comfortable for them to feel like they can talk to me one-on-one as we both sit and sip a cup of coffee.

Any Downsides?

• Waking up in the morning can have its downsides. You might be bored. Most attractions and sights don’t open that early. If you’ve gotten up at 5 am to catch the sunrise, you might find yourself needing to kill a lot of time between then and 10 am. As that is when most big attractions open. If you’re not great at finding ways to occupy your time without something specific to do, you might find this problematic. I usually spend this downtime enjoying people watching at a cafe. I find a seat outside, edit some photos or go through the plans for the rest of the day. It’s also a perfect time of day to wander around and take pictures of the city as it’s much less crowded.

• It’s cold. The mornings are usually much colder than the rest of the day. So just layer up, and you’ll be fine. I sometimes come back to the hotel, my mid-morning, to change if I felt like I needed to shed a few layers.

• You do miss out on late night magic. I know that I have more than once wished I had stayed out late as I listen to an exciting story about a fantastic night out at so-and-so bar. And it’s true, after dinner, I’m usually ready to head back to the hotel and don’t have much energy to stay out and dance the night away. But it’s all about balance. While most morning for me might be spent waking up at 5 am and heading out the door, I always allow myself to let the experience take me where it takes me. If I’m really enjoying myself and have the energy to stay out, I stay out. That is where those naps really come in handy!

I’m sure there are just as many advantages for night owls, but I wanted to make this post for any other early birds who feel like they might be missing out like or that there was something wrong with them for loving being an early morning traveller. It took me too long to embrace this part of my personality and especially in the travel community I feel like it’s rather obscure. My hope is that other early risers can see this side of themselves as a positive quality and not negative. Or maybe this post will encourage some later risers to give this way of living a try when they’re travelling and discover something new!

Let me know if you’re an early riser or night owl and what you like best about that side of travelling!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post Why I Explore the World as an Early Riser first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Even though I travel a lot, it still surprises me that I haven’t had more close calls with missed flights. Maybe I’ve been lucky. Maybe too confident. Either way, going through it for the first time taught me more than any travel blog warning ever could. At the end of this post, I’ve added the things I wish I’d known then. What to do if you think you’re going to miss your flight. How to stop it from happening in the first place. And what your options are if you actually do miss it.

Now that I’ve lived through it, I feel oddly calmer about the whole idea. It’s stressful, sure, but not the end of the world. And maybe that’s the real takeaway.

The Backstory

I knew flights would be expensive around Christmas time but I had set my heart and mind set on going. And when I do that, there is little anyone can do to stop me. Luckily, a family friend managed to get me a discount code for my flights on a particular Canadian airline. When I went to book them, I unfortunately discovered the code wouldn’t work. I checked the fine print and knew there were no blackout dates so I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

I called up the airline and they told me that since there are no direct flights from Toronto to Stockholm, I would need to make a stop-over in Copenhagen. And for some reason, the coupon code wouldn’t work for the second leg of the journey. Thinking I knew better than the system, I thought to myself, “Well then, I’ll just book the flight from Toronto to Copenhagen using the code and then book the Copenhagen to Stockholm flights on the other airline’s site directly.” I thought I had gamed the system, and started happily planning the rest of my trip.

Departure Day

The day of my flight arrived, the sun was shining in the morning and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was leaving right from the office so feeling relieved I went about my day and set to work. About 3 hours later I got up to eat lunch and turned to see a blizzard outside the window. My heart dropped. I immediately went online and checked the departures schedule on the Pearson airport website. When I opened the website I saw every single flight was delayed out of Toronto.

I had no idea what I was going to do. Why, you ask? Because I had done something very stupid. By booking my two connecting flights separately it meant that if I missed the connection, neither airline was responsible for rebooking me without a charge. I don’t know why this never crossed my mind. I had never done separate bookings before, so I think in my naive brain I just assumed that I could get on the next flight without paying for a new ticket. But after a quick google, I found out that was not the case (at least in most situations).

I only had an hour and a half to make my connection at Copenhagen airport. At this moment I had no idea what I could have been thinking, how could I have made a mistake like this? Especially in the winter when I knew there were always travel issues with the weather.

Arrival at the Airport

Eventually, the storm passed, but flights were still delayed. My stress was getting the best of me and I decided to go to the airport and be stressed out there. The airport felt deserted, so many flights have been cancelled and passengers were safely tucked away at home. I sat near my gate and watched the arrivals board like a hawk. I looked out the window, waiting for my outbound plane to arrive. To my surprise, as the snow dissipated, more and more planes began arriving and departing on time. Before I knew it my plane was sitting at the gate, hours before we planned to leave. The time on the board had us departing exactly on time and with no sign of bad weather, I thought we were in the clear….

Key Decision Making

As we were about to board they made an announcement asking passengers with carry-on luggage if they wanted to check their luggage to their final destination. I went up to the woman at the counter and sheepishly asked her if I could do gate-check instead. She told me that that wasn’t an option but I should take them up on the offer of checking my luggage to the final destination.

I told the associate how worried I was about making the connecting flight since the connection was only an hour and a half. She half laughed and tried to assure me it would be fine since they were set to depart on time and the Copenhagen airport wasn’t very large. I hemmed and hawed and she just stared at me blankly. I just had the worst feeling and knew that travelling with your bags is key to making connections. After a few more minutes of chatting with her, I declined the offer and kept my bag with me. This would be a key decision in this entire journey.

Finally Boarding!

We began boarding early and before we knew it, we had boarded the entire plane and we were ready for taking off. At least we thought so. The plane felt oddly empty… But I just assumed this was from all the delays. Then the announcements came on and they told us we were waiting for passengers to arrive who had late connections. But I knew to wait for them meant I would be late for my connection. My nerves started up again.

Minutes counted down on my phone and soon we had been waiting for more than 40 minutes for these passengers. When they finally arrived we pulled out from the gate. I asked the flight attendant if we had a clear flight plan and she assured me that even with the 40-minute delay we would arrive with enough time to make my flight. There were 25 other passengers on the plane that were in the same boat as me so she assured me we’d all be ok. I tried to relax but as the plane began to pull away from the gate, I could see we weren’t going in the right direction. I know this airport and the runways, and in a moment I knew where we were going…The dreaded de-icing.

De-icing

If you’ve never flown out of an airport during the winter, feel blissfully lucky. De-icing is a necessary evil for winter flights but it adds sometimes hours to your take off. All the planes have to line up to be spewed with a bunch of sludge to ensure the engine doesn’t freeze upon take off. Necessary? Sure. Disappointing when trying to make a connection? YES!
As we crawled through the line of planes, we slowly realized that none of the passengers who were attempting to make that connection were going to make it.

I asked the flight attendant and she said all those with Air Canada connecting tickets would simply be rebooked onto the next flight out and not to worry. I told her I didn’t have an Air Canada ticket, as I booked the second part of my journey with SAS directly. Her smiling face dropped and I knew this has a bad sign. She said more than likely I would have to buy a new ticket as my only option. She gave me the most sympathetic look and as my eyes filled with tears.

Buying a new ticket was out of the question, it would have cost me too much money. Almost as much as the entire trip combined. I quickly grabbed my phone and started to look for alternatives. I knew there was a train that left from Copenhagen to Stockholm every few hours so I took a few screenshots of the schedule. This was my backup plan. I had a good little cry in my seat but knew I just had to keep my heart focused on the joy I would feel upon seeing my friend. These things were completely out of my control and I shouldn’t let them get the best of me.

The Kindness of Strangers

To add insult to injury when my special gluten-free meal arrived (I have celiac), it was a fish dish. Not only did it smell to high heaven, but I’m also allergic to fish. Things just weren’t coming up roses for me today. When my kind-eyed flight attendant walked by I asked her if there was anything I could buy since I couldn’t eat this meal due to my allergy and couldn’t eat the regular meal due to being a celiac. She took my meal away and came back with a fruit tray. It was her diner, the one she ordered but gave it to me since she could see I was really having a hard day. It was a little touch of kindness that went a long long way in this kind of situation.

I watched a few movies and tried to fall asleep. When I awoke I checked the flight plane and saw we had made up some time in the air and our plane was to arrive about 20 minutes before my connecting flight was set to depart. I had been to Copenhagen airport before but couldn’t’ remember the size of it. But even in some of the smallest airports, 20 minutes to taxi to your gate, disembark and get to your new gate was an impossibility. The man sitting beside me on the plane was also on this connecting flight. We had chatted briefly during the descent and had made a plan to try to run together to our flight if there was a chance of making it. A pack between seatmates!

The pilot came on the PA and made an announcement. He blurted out that upon landing could almost all passengers please not disembark the plane. He asked that they allow the 25 passengers attempting to make the Stockholm connection to deplane first. My flight partner and I looked at each other with a glimmer of hope. But upon landing they announced, instead of our connecting gate number, that we needed to head directly to the customer service counter. Since we didn’t know what this meant I tried to keep a positive attitude.

Run for It!

The second the seat belt light went off my seatmate and I ripped off our belts, grabbed each other’s bags and ran out the plane. We immediately sprinted to the customer service counter, followed by a few dozen of our fellow passengers. When we got there, a surly flight agent told us very curtly that our plane had already left and to please form a line so that we could be rebooked onto other flights. My heart dropped.

All this hope and it had been dashed in one sentence. But I was confused. I looked at the clock on the wall. We still had about 15 minutes until the plane was scheduled to leave. I looked at the bright blue, digital gate sign behind the gate agent. Displaying on the board was our flight, “BOARDING AT GATE B4”. I knew in my heart and in my seasoned traveller brain that planes never left that early. Especially when they still had so many passengers left to arrive. And without thinking I started to run.

Gate B4

Upon seeing me sprint away, my seatmate and a few other passengers started running alongside me. We all caught each other’s eyes and collectively gave each other the look of, “well, let’s give this a try!” The ground sped underneath our feet and we blew by slow-moving passengers carrying bags of Christmas presents. I had worn every single heavy piece of clothing I had packed in order to save space in my luggage so the second I set off I was sweating bullets. We had arrived at the “A” gates so I knew we had to run to an entirely different terminal. But I still didn’t stop. I am not a fit person and running is not my forte. But I kept repeating the name of the gate in my head as I went like a mantra. “B4, B4, B4”. I was making good progress, tracking how many gates I would pass every minute. I thought to myself for a second, I’m going to make it….and then – PASSPORT CONTROL.
“NO!” I thought to myself. This meant talking to an agent and who knows how long that would take. But no one was in line so I ran up to the counter.

The agent at the front took my passport and I just yelled at her out of sheer panic, “STOCKHOLM!” She looked at my passport and then up at me indignantly and said, “...is the captial of Sweden?” I grunted and repeated, “No, no that’s my destination!” She simply shrugged, glanced at my return ticket (which I had printed out and passed to her with my passport) and stamped my passport. I was off again! I saw out of the corner of my eye, my seatmate leaving the EU passport control booth. He smiled at me with an exhausted look and we kept running. I could see our gate coming up in front of my eyes. We had 2 minutes to make it.

And then suddenly, I could see my seatmate’s knapsack start to open as he ran in front of me. I guess all the running had loosened the zippers and everything had started to fall out. I knew if I stopped and helped him I might miss the flight. But as I screamed at him to stop, a stuffed animal in the form of a Canadian moose fell out. I knew I had to be a good Canadian and help him. I stopped and gathered his things in my arms and we kept running together. We rounded the corner to gate B4 and tore up to the gate and screamed, “WE’RE HERE FROM THE TORONTO FLIGHT!” With one minute to spare, I thought we had made it…

An Airport Miracle

The woman at the counter looked at us with a sad expression and said, “Oh you’re the Air Canada passengers? I’m sorry you’ve already been rebooked.” But then I remembered, I wasn’t technically an Air Canada passenger. I had a separate SAS ticket. They might not have even known I was a connecting passenger, just a late arrival. So I exclaimed, “WAIT! I have an SAS ticket!”

The gate agent looked up at me, clearly frustrated, but glanced down at her computer and began typing. Then she glanced back up with a sly smile and said, “Are you the passenger on this booking?” Relief rushed through my body. “Yes, that’s me!” She looked down at my bags. “And you don’t have any checked luggage?” I shook my head and repeated, “No, it’s all with me.” She gave me another wry smile and pressed the red button on her desk to reopen the closed metal gate. “It’s your lucky day. The flight is still loading passengers on the jetbridge. You can get on.”

I collapsed in tears upon hearing these words and must have looked pretty ridiculous. I wandered down the jetbridge in a daze and onto the plane. When I finally sat down in my seat, I turned to my new seatmate and whispered, “Excuse me is this the flight to Stockholm?” He chuckled, “Yes. Oh, do we have a Home Alone situation on our hands?” I laughed and exhaled loudly, “No, I just can’t believe I made it.”

I wiped the dripping sweat off my face and closed my eyes in sheer exhaustion as we took off. When they came down the aisles offering beverages I immediately asked for a huge glass of water. Which of course they don’t have, so they gave me two small plastic cups instead. I honestly think I looked like I had been through hell and back and the flight attendants were just hoping I didn’t have a heart attack on the plane. I watched Copenhagen drift off into the distance as we flew off and felt one of the biggest waves of relief wash through my body.

Arriving in Stockholm

I immediately fell asleep, even though the flight was only 40 minutes, my body didn’t care and just shut right down. I awoke, to the jostling of the landing plane, Swedens’ countryside was splayed out in front of me. I stumbled clumsily off the plane, half from exhaustion half from being so dehydrated from my run. After disembarking I took a moment to sit down with my bags, buy a huge bottle of water and change into something less sweaty.

After catching my breath, I wandered through the Christmas laden gates of Stockholm airport. It felt like walking into a dream. There were twinkle lights everywhere I looked and Chrismas music was playing throughout the airport. After all this stress it felt like a sweet reward. I barely remember anything about how I got from the terminal to the airport bus towards the city. It was like I blacked out in my Christmas stupor.

I took the bus from the airport to the centre of town where I was met by my friend’s wonderful partner (my friend was at work when I arrived and couldn’t pick me). He greeted me with a HUGE smile and a bouquet of flowers. As I got off the bus, he gave me the biggest hug and I collapsed in tears in his arms. He laughed and asked me if I was ok. I laughed through tears of joy and we walked off as I told him the entire tale over Fika in an adorable coffee shop.

What to Learn from this Experience?

Today, this is one of my favourite stories to tell. Was it stressful and dramatic? Yes. But did I learn a lot? Yes. The experience reads like an exaggerated tall-tale but trust me, it did happen just like that. But what can we learn from this experience? Well, here are my top tips for ensuring you don’t miss your flight or what I learned to do if you don’t make it to the gate in time!

Don’t Book Connecting Flight Separately!

Although the booking of the two separate tickets was in the end why I ended up making the connection, I still wish in retrospect I hadn’t. If I had booked my connecting flight together with just one airline, I would have been WAY LESS worried since I would have simply been rebooked on one of the next flights out, which ran throughout the day. The way I had done it, if I hadn’t made that flight, I would have had to either pay for an entirely new ticket, (which would have been very expensive during the Christmas season) or taken the 6-hour train ride in Stockholm (assuming I could even get a seat on there either). Make sure that if you’re booking a connecting flight you do it all on one ticket!

Call in Advance

One thing I learned is that if you know you’re going to miss your flight, you should call the airline in advance to let them know. By doing this you might be able to make a last-minute flight change for a fee (which would be much much cheaper than an entirely new ticket.) The airlines appreciate you calling in advance since they then can open that seat up for a standby passenger. If you’re lucky and ask nicely, they might even waive the fee since you were nice even to give them a courtesy to call in advance.

Flat Tire Rule

There is some evidence that certain airlines have an unofficial “flat tire rule” which they can use at their discretion that allows the ticket agent to rebook your flight at no charge. This wouldn’t work if you’ve just slept in but if you went through something like I did (where its the other airline’s fault) they might be more inclined to use this discretion. Just don’t rely on that happening, but its always worth asking. They might only charge you a rebooking fee or ask you to pay the difference between the new flight and your old one, but either of these options is more than likely still cheaper than a new ticket.

Don’t Risk Short Connections

The other thing I learned was to NEVER book a flight with that short of a layover during the winter seasons. There are always bound to be delays due to the winter weather (at least in the city I live in). As much as you might wanna get to your destination ASAP, a longer layover will just mean you don’t have to worry as much and your trip will feel much more stress-free.

Ditch the Checked Luggage

If you think there might be any chance of missing a flight, be sure to pack carry on luggage only! In the end, having a few fewer clothes is well worth being able to catch the flight. While this is a decision you can’t make at the last minute, it’s just a good piece of advice for travelling altogether.

Talk to Your Flight Attendant

Being kind goes a long way, and I found that asking my flight attendant questions was so helpful. I was sure to do it in a way that didn’t make them feel like I was upset or blaming them. My flight attendant was so helpful in calling ahead to try and see where our gate would be and to check to see if that flight perhaps has been delayed itself (in which case we would have been able to more easily make the connection).

Never Give Up

Lastly? Never give up. Ask questions nicely, people are more likely to be helpful than not that way. And help others even when you’re in crisis yourself. Good karma is never a bad thing to have on your side. The enormity of the stress I felt on arrival just meant that I treasured the rest of the trip so much more. Everything felt like a dream and I just felt so lucky to be there, on time and on budget. Anything that went wrong just slid off my back and I didn’t take it to heart. All that mattered was that I was there, in Sweden, at Christmas, with my friend, and making memories that I will hold in my heart forever!

I’d love to hear your worst travel stories and see what tips or tricks you might have learned from them! I hope you’re all keeping safe and healthy!

The post That Time I Almost Missed My Flight at Christmas and What I Learned! first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

I listed all the different amazon links to these books but I’ve also found that most local libraries have kindle or e-book versions available online. So if you have a library card, your local library might be doing more of these digital downloads to provide readers with more options during the pandemic when most libraries are closed. Also, if you’re local book shops are doing home delivery you should check these out too to help out those small businesses!

An Idiot Abroad: Travel Diaries by Karl Pilkington

Ok, I know this might be a silly one, but it is truly one of my favourite books. I grew up listening to the Ricky Gervais podcast and then went back to the XFM radio show archives and completely fell in love with Karl Pilkington. Karl is unknowingly hilarious and his almost child-like view on the world is so unique. Ricky Gervais produced a television show called An Idiot Abroad with Karl where they sent him all over the world to places he’d never even dreamed of visiting. As a reluctant traveller, Karl has the most opposite opinion to all of us in the travel blogging world and that’s what makes it so funny. While the show is great, I loved the book as it gives a little bit more insight into his mind and also feels like his very own printed travel blog. There are also so charming illustrations and photos from his journeys that are exclusive to the book here which just add to the entire story.

Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky

The Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky is such a charming and beautiful book. In a time when we feel like we’re never going to be able to travel anywhere again, her book brings a new perspective to visiting places in your mind. Judith’s book is all about 50 different islands that she herself has never visited (and never will). But by weaving together various scientific studies and recorded historical events, she manages to create a snapshot of each different island’s personality and character on every page. Each page features a gorgeously drawn cartographic view of the island and a story about it. It’s a wonderful way to learn about these faraway lands from the comfort of your couch!

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

The Bone People was a book I read as an angsty teenager and still to this day love to pick up and read. Its wildly descriptive pages transport you to the shores of pastoral New Zealand. The stories centers around Kerewin, a part-Maori artist, who herself self-isolates (by choice) and loves this isolation. But her life is torn apart when she comes to meets Simon, a mute six-year-old and his foster-father Joe. The book itself is quite emotional and riveting but also is a love story to the South Islands and Maori myths which are so important to New Zeland and its people.

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

If you’re looking for a book to pour over and plan future travels and adventures then this is the book for you. While some travel books focus on the most popular and highly regarded travel destinations and attractions, this book focuses on weird, wild, and even slightly odd experiences and collections around the world. This book inspired me to visit a few cities I would have otherwise never thought of travelling to if it were not for the one interesting exhibit or attraction to see there. And once you’re there you’ll find a myriad of other wonderful things to see as well. I treat it as a paper version of a cabinet of curiosities with treasures from all over the world.

In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

I think I left my copy of In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson in Australia, lost on a beach somewhere no doubt. But luckily my library had digital versions of it which I could take out to get my Bill Bryson to fix. Bill Bryson is a comedic travel writer, who brings his unusual personality to his travel experiences and his writing. I had read Bryson’s other books but his book on Australia was the one I loved the most and I treated it like my bible to pour over before I moved to Australia for a year in my 20s. His descriptions of this country on the other side of the world are some of the best representations of what it is like to travel there, so if you can’t go yourself, this is the next best thing!

DaVinci Code Series by Dan Brown

I think almost everyone has a dogeared copy of a Dan Brown book somewhere in their house. Maybe your quirky aunt gave it to you one Christmas and you never got around to reading it. Well, this is the perfect time to pick it up. While I think the overhype for these books in the media might have caused a lot of people to expect more from it than it intends to be, I LOVE these books. Especially for their descriptions of art, history and the cities in which they are set. Don’t take them too seriously and you’ll have such a great time with them! My favourite I think is Inferno, not for the storyline, but his sumptuous descriptions of Venice, Florence and Istanbul!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Fear and Loathing is one of those books you can easily read on the porch over a weekend. It’s a frantic and fantastical tale set in Las Vegas in the 1970s. It is a slightly fictionalized account of Thompson‘s experience over one highly drug-fueled week in Las Vegas while trying to get a story. While his descriptions are at times surreal, I think it does a fantastic job of getting across the feeling of Vegas during that time in space. 

A Year in Provence, Peter Mayle

This book was one of the inspirations for my trip to Provence a few years ago. We rented a house in a small, non-touristy town, and although we were only there for two weeks, it was impossible not to imagine moving there for good. Mayle‘s book follows his journey of buying a hundred-year-old farmhouse in Provence and the adventures he encounters throughout his first year of living there. As you can imagine, there are a fair share of mishaps and misadventures but also so many joyful stories which make you wanna just pack up and move to France (after the pandemic of course).

The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

Before visiting Sweden last year, I dove back into this book. Although not set in Sweden, there is something so interesting about learning about the Scandinavian way of life. The book follows British journalist, Helen Russell throughout her year abroad in Denmark. She wanted to understand why Danes are the happiest people on earth and so she spent a year living Danishly to see why this formula works! Not only is it a great book about another country there are so many things from this book that you can take and apply to your own life, even in quarantine!

Visitors to Versailles

This was a new acquisition to my library when I knew we would be put into self-isolation. I have a few books on the history of Versaille and its architecture and ornamentation but this book focuses on the visitors which have for centuries come to visit the palace. It follows stories of dignitaries and even 18th-century tourists as they came to see this architectural treasure for the first time. It allows the readers to see Versaille through the eyes of these visitors during different eras. It’s a gorgeous coffee table book full of rich photos of the clothing visitors would have worn and even – my favourite part – the souvenirs that visitors came away with even hundreds of years ago.

Vivaldi’s Virgins by Barbara Quick

When I was a little girl I would fall asleep almost every night to a book on tape about Vivaldi and the school he ran for girls in Venice. While that story was meant for children, this book follows the same theme but in a much more grown-up fashion. The book is rich with descriptions of 18th century Venice when the city exploded with new art, music and splendour. The story is a fictional tale of an orphan abandoned at Ospedale Della Pietà, Antonio Vivaldi’s school for music, and her journey to discover where she came from. Throughout the book, she explores the different areas of Venice in her search which allows you to feel like you are on the journey with her and are seeing these visions of Venice for yourself.

Colour by Victoria Finlay

My copy of Colours is so beat up at this point from the many times I’ve read it, but I suppose that is just the mark of a great book! This book details the history of colour through author Victoria Finlay‘s travels around the world. I read it for the first time when I was studying the colour blue for a paper I was writing at school. This history of where colours come from and their symbolic and cultural meaning is so fascinating to me but her descriptions of the places she travels to discover these secrets is one of the best parts of the book. Pure wanderlust.

Let me know if you’ve already read any of these books or what your favourite travel-inspired books are! Looking for anything and everything new to read these days! I hope you are all keeping safe and healthy and doing well!

Happy (imaginary) Travels, Adventurers

The post 12 of the Best Books to Inspire Wanderlust first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

I’ve you’ve ever been to my house, it feels like a little museum. Tchotchkes dot every shelf and bookcase in my home. They are one way I decorate my house in travel memories. Every time I travelled to Japan, I had a hard time packing at the end of the trip, just from the sheer amount of souvenirs I wanted to bring home. Everything is so cute, so cheap and so precious! I wanted to share with you the best things to buy both for yourself and your loved ones on your next trip to Japan and where to find them!

Goshuincho

My favourite souvenir, which I can never recommend more, is a goshuincho. Goshuincho translates into an “honourable stamp or seal book.” People who visit temples and shrines use these books to collect the calligraphic stamps, which are hand-drawn by the priests in the temple. The stamps are used to prove your pilgrimage to these places. But as a tourist, they are pieces of art to collect from all your travels. If you plan to return to Japan, they are a great way to preserve the memories throughout the years.

I love filling mine up and hope to get it so full one day I need to buy another. The books themselves can be purchased at any temple for around ¥1,500 and come in a variety of beautiful designs. The stamps cost around ¥300-¥500 and the money acts as a donation made towards the temple.

Harajuku Fashion

Harajuku, perhaps because of its prevalence in the pop song “Harajuku Girls” by Gwen Stefani, is a word everyone seems to know. But going to the real place and seeing what Harajuku is really all about is so much more than just a word in a song. Harajuku fashion is a movement against strict societal rules and the pressure to fit the norm, especially in Japan.

Harajuku fashion is often associated with bright colours, nostalgic references and a childlike flare. Bringing home some of these bright and pastel pieces of clothing either for yourself or your friends is something which will surely be a big hit! My favourite store to find well-priced Harajuku fashion is WC. There are several WC stores along Takeshita-Dori in Harajuku which are the originals and where you’ll find the best and more “harajuku” selection.

Cosmetics 

Japanese cosmetics are one of the top-rated items that travellers tend to search out and bring home when coming to Japan. Not only are they super affordable (especially if you get that Tax-Free refund, more about that at the bottom of this post), but they are also of the highest quality. And to top it all off, they look SUPER CUTE. Cute is called ‘kawaii‘ in Japanese and cosmetics here are definitely kawaii. Every drugstore will carry a wide range of popular brands like CANMAKE and CEZANNE, but my favourite store to buy cosmetics is ITS DEMO. ITS DEMO features Disney and Anime themed beauty products whose packaging will make it so even after being empty for years you’ll still keep them around – or at least I do!

Beauty Products

If you’ve been into skincare and beauty over the last five years, you’ve seen the huge trend in face masks which exploded all over the North American marketplace. Well, it all started in Korea and Japan. So while visiting the home of this trend, you need to stockpile them. There are entire rows of face masks in some shops which seem to go on forever! You’ll find extremely unique varieties, which, even if you can’t read the labels, are always worth trying!

Another Japanese beauty product I can’t live without is the aching muscle pads that come in a variety of scents. These draw out the heat from sore muscles and relax your body. They work so well, and I always pick up a huge package when I’m in Japan as they are more than four times the price in Canada (when you can even find them!) One of the best places to buy these, which has unbeatable prices, is Don Quijote. Don Quijote is the biggest discount store in Japan, and there are locations all over the country. 

Folding Fans

A folding fan is one of the more iconic images of Japanese culture. Fans in Japan were used for more than just cooling down. They were used in dance, to show off wealth, or even just to accessorize an outfit. The first historical record of a folding fan is as a gift from the Japanese to the emperor of China in 988. The neighbourhood of Nihonbashi, in Tokyo, is known for its craftsmen and is a great place to search out handmade fans.

If you’re looking for something less artisan, I think there is nothing wrong with the mass-produced fans you’ll find in any local marketplace. You can even find these fans in stores like Daiso for a fraction of the cost of fancy handpainted ones. Folding fans are such a great thing to buy for children, and they are great for dress up and for display. Plus if you buy the dollar store once you don’t need to worry too much about them breaking it.

Omiyage

Omiyage is a popular form of gift-giving in Japan. It’s a tradition that when you return from a trip or vacation you bring home omiyage to your friends, coworkers, and family. This omiyage is most often a sweet treat. Omiyage desserts are often packaged individually, inside a large box that is beautifully wrapped. Different regions of Japan have various specialties of omiyage. For instance, in Tokyo, one of the most popular omiyage items is called the Tokyo Banana. The Tokyo Banana is a tiny, banana-shaped cake filled with custard and is as soft as a pillow!

In Kyoto, you’ll find yatsuhashi, a traditional triangular-shaped sweet which is filled with red bean paste. If you aren’t fussy about which omiyage you get, these can often be bought from at the airport or train station just before departing the country. Since omiyage are fresh, they are best eaten within a week or so after purchasing. We made the mistake is not paying attention to the expiration date when we bought our Tokyo Bananas and realized the day before they expired. So we ate them all ourselves in our hotel room – while still delicious, our poor friends never got their gift

Jewellery and Hair Accessories

Japan LOVES accessories. Anything and everything you could think of to decorate your outfit can be found in shopping malls and along street shops in Japan. Paris Kids is a name brand shop that specializes in accessories and often has the best trends of the year at bargain prices. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s for everyone. WEGO is another great place where you can find adorable jewellery. But if you’re looking for something a little more high-end and handmade, you can always check out neighbourhoods like Shimokitazawa, whose hipster shops always have a selection of wonderfully unique handmade jewellery.

Ceramics

Japanese ceramics are one of the oldest forms of handicrafts in the country. While bespoke stores sell only the very best ceramics and pottery from local artisans, most marketplaces around the country will usually feature a stall or two which sell beautiful Japanese ceramics at a fraction of the cost. One of my favourite places to explore to find these types of products is the Tsukiji outer market. While the Tsukiji Fish market may have moved to a new location outside of Tsukiji, the outer market with all its food stalls and merchandise is still going strong. If you’re looking for more artisan quality products but at a lower price point, check out any local antique store or flea market, like the one which occurs once a month in Yoyogi Park. These antique markets often sell true works of art at a previously-used price point.

Yukatas

A yukata is the more casual, summery version of a kimono. Unlike a kimono, which is made of pure silk, yukatas are made of cotton or synthetic fabric, and unlined. This not only makes them lighter, but it also makes them much less expensive. Even Japanese people will only wear their kimonos on special occasions. Otherwise, they will relax at home in a yukata. A full yukata set comes with; the robe, an obi (belt), some yukata strings and even perhaps a special pair of shoes called “geta.” Geta shoes are sandals made from wood and often slightly raised off the ground as per tradition.

While you can buy these sets new around touristy areas, I think the best way to buy these is at a vintage shop. There are hundreds of vintage shops in Japan, as they are one of the top countries supporting sustainability. Vintage shops in Japan are impeccably organized, and the clothes almost always look brand new. You can find complete yukata sets for a fraction of the cost, and they feel almost more special since there is an imagined history to go along with them. My favourite vintage store is HARAJUKU CHICAGO. Their selection of used yukatas and kimonos is huge so whatever your style you’ll find the perfect one!

Train Merchandise

The major way in which people get around in Japan is by rail. Japan is home to 46 of the world’s 50 busiest stations. As such, it is a huge draw for trainspotters and train collectors. Trains are almost celebrity characters with their own merchandise. You can find toy replicas of real trains, train plushies, train home goods, train totes, train costumes, train stationery and more! Inside any train station, you’ll usually find an entire store dedicated to the local train or train station. Even if you’re not obsessed with trains, these adorable items are a great thing to bring home to remember the places you’ve been. Plus kids love them so if you have little ones at home this is a great option for them!

Flavoured KitKats

KitKats, while available all over the world, is chocolate of another nature in Japan. Instead of just plain milk chocolate, the KitKats here come in dozens and dozens of different flavours. Eating a plain KitKat is unheard of. You can find flavours like Sake, Matcha, Strawberry, Red Bean, Creme Brulee, Apple, Banana, Pumpkins and hundreds more! While you can usually find discounted packages of these at Don Quijote, the best place to find the most unique and collectable flavours is at the KitKat Chocolatory stores around Japan. These carry the largest selection as well as some seasonal and exclusive flavours.

Stationary and Stickers

I’ve never found more amazing stationary in any other country I’ve visited. Japan is the king of stationary! Everything here, no matter the price point, is given an artistic treatment. Even the simplest notebook or day-planner is turned into a work of art. There are thousands of stationery stores in Japan where you can find unique versions of anything you can imagine to suit your personality or tastes. But they don’t just stop with notebooks. The selection of stickers, washi tapes, pens, markers and more is unparalleled! And it’s all incredibly cheap! Making it pretty much impossible not to buy it all.

While most shopping centres will have a variety of stationery stores, two of my favourite stores to find the best deals are Tokyu Hands and Daiso. Tokyu Hands is a DIY-department store but with an entire floor dedicated to stationary. Daiso is a Japanese 100 Yen Store, the equivalent of a dollar store in North America. But the quality of the products at dollar stores here in Japan is far superior to those in North America. I was blown away by just what I could find.

Crane Game Stuffed Animals

While these adorable stuffed animals might not be the most unique thing in the world, winning them at arcades around Japan means that every stuffed animal comes with a story! There is something so satisfying about winning them, which makes these little dudes all the more sentimental. There are videos on youtube you can watch to amp up your skills and let me tell you, they really work. Knowing how to win is half the battle.

If you’ve spent a bunch of money and are really close to winning, don’t hesitate to ask the staff for help. They usually are kinder to tourists and even sometimes will reposition the toy for you so you can win it easily on your next turn. Arcades like Taito, SEGA and Joypolis can be found all over the country where you can make your best attempt at winning your favourite character! We brought so many home and they made the perfect gifts for the kids in our life!

Chopsticks

There is perhaps no other product more useful and yet also commemorative of a trip to Japan than a pair of chopsticks. The Japanese adopted chopsticks from the Chinese in A.D. 500. Different Asian countries each have variations on their chopsticks. Japanese chopsticks are 7-8 inches long and have a pointed end compared to the longer chopsticks in China with blunt ends. Today, you can find these chopsticks in a variety of different materials and patterns.

You can find carved wooden versions made by aged old sculptors at art markets or head on down to Can*Do to find them for only 100 yen, cheap enough that you can buy one for every member of your family and for all your friends! Can*Do is another 100 yen shop and while they are much smaller than Daiso, I actually find for things like chopsticks and housewares they have a more curated yet lovely selection.

Pose-Skeleton Figurines

Ok, this one is a little unique, but we completely fell in love with them and had to share it with you all as well! Japan has one of the best relationships with death than any other country. They have classes to help teens understand death and suicide, and they don’t shy away from discussing death openly. This has perhaps created a levity around images of death in Japan. And that is never more visible than with these Pose-Skeleton figurines.

There are hundreds of different skeleton figurines, accessories, minature items of skeleton furniture and more to create an entire minature skeleton doll-house! These figurines can be found in stores like BIC Camera, Yodobashi and sometimes Toys-R-Us. We found the best selection was at BIC Camera of all places!

Sake 

The most beloved and iconic drink in Japan is Sake. The alcoholic beverage is made by fermenting rice. It makes for a wonderful souvenir to bring home, especially to those who have perhaps never tried it. Often when we had a great glass of sake at a restaurant, we ask for the name brand so we could buy it in-store before leaving. There really is no better way to know what kind of sake you’ll like other than trying it for yourself. Luckily there are these wonderful places with sake vending machines spread out across the country. At these places, you put into around 200-400 yen and will be dispensed a tiny glass of sake to try. There are hundreds of varieties here and once you decide on your favourite there are full bottles available to be purchased on site.

Magazines

I think there is something so charming about the design of Japanese books and magazines. Even without being able to rest the words inside, I fell completely in love with a few different magazines and books I found while exploring their bookstores and brought them all home with me. Much to the dismay of my luggage weight limit My favourite magazine was the Disney Guide book. This magazine, released a few times a year, features Disney news, shots from the park, insider tips, merchandising highlights and more. Some of this was in English, and I was able to translate the rest using my google translate app! Their fashion magazines are next-level too. Their graphic design is otherworldly like the mind of a teenage girl just exploded on the page but in the most joyous way!

Some of the magazines also come with a pretty cool free gift, like a tote bag or makeup sample! I can’t recommend more picking these up at the very least for the visuals. While HMV might be disappearing in North America, in Japan, HMV is one of the best places to find books and magazines. Most HMV stores have over two floors dedicated just to print products. I spent HOURS just sitting on the floor and leafing through the incredibly pages of the books I found therein.

Omamori 

Omamori is small, charm or talisman that you can buy at temples and shrines around Japan. The word mamori means protection in Japanese. Omamori is available at both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples with a small donation. The Omamori are made of colourful textiles and tied together with a white cord at the top. The various charms and blessings are to help with things like love, childbirth, money, good grades, family and more. I buy one every time I’m in Japan and try to focus on what my goals are for the net year and buy a talisman, which corresponds to that. If there is anyone in your life who is struggling with something it can never hurt to buy one for them as well.

Matcha Tea

Japan loves tea almost as much as the English and bringing some back home with you will allow you to extend the feeling of being in Japan throughout the year. Matcha or macha tea is the most popular variety in Japan. It is made from finely ground green tea leaves, and the powder version is dissolved into boiling water instead of steeped inside a tea bag. You’ll often find this kind of tea free of charge at your table in various restaurants as a compliment to the entire meal.

Some of the best, fresh matcha can be found at local food markets, sold in beautifully decorated tins that make them perfect for gift giving. If you’re looking for something a little simpler, you can also find tea at any supermarket! I love exploring foreign grocery stores and the tea selection in Japan is stellar! Just give anything you think looks good a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Capsule Toys

Gachapon refers to the little vending machine which dispenses capsule toys. The word ‘Gachapon ‘is onomatopoeia for the sound the crank makes when you use the machine. These devices each contain different sets of toys, and you never know which item from the set you’re going to receive. It’s totally random. Most sets include some rare items which become sought-after collector treasures. The toys set change pretty often, so there’s always something new to buy.

We found little plastic cats were sitting on rice cookers, tiny replicas of vintage buckets, Pokemon shaped cookies and lots of Japanese characters often themed the various holidays. These make for small, cheap souvenirs to bring home for friends and family as they are wonderfully weird and always unexpected.

Purikura

In the basement of any arcade, you’ll find dozens of Purikura photo cubicles, each one from a different company offering a unique experience. Purikura machines are where you can get those classic Japanese printed photos where you can add text, stickers and give your face the “anime” treatment. The Purikura experience costs 500 yen ($5 US). Unlike photo booths you find in North America, where you step in and just take your picture, these use a green screen. The camera moves around, so you get a bunch of different options from portrait mode to full body and even sometimes animated GIFs.

Once you finish your photo shoot, you’ll be directed into another booth where you’ll get to decorate, alter, add filters and text to all the photos you took. Afterwards, your photos will be arranged into a collage (often picked by you) and printed out at the same station where you initially put your coins inside. It was great fun trying out different poses and spending as much time as we were allowed decorating the photos into something absolutely ridiculous. These are some of the best mementos of are trip so don’t hesitate to make one anytime you see a Purikura machine!

Sports Souvenirs

Japan LOVES a merchandising opportunity. And one of their most popular assets is sports merchandise. Japan has a fan base for their sports teams like no other. During baseball games, they have entire sections of the stadium dedicated to the cheerleaders who have a special theme song they sing for each and every player. When attending a sporting event, don’t skip visiting their retail shop. And there is always more than one! Each featuring a different selection of products. From towels to jerseys and more, there is literally something representing each player in any form you might dream of. My husband is a huge wrestling fan, and we were lucky enough to get to see a live show while we were there that also had a plethora of awesome swag to pick up after the event. 

Daruma Dolls

These adorable little round characters are called ‘daruma‘ dolls. Daruma dolls are fearsome-looking men who symbolize good fortune. When you buy these dolls, their eyes are blank and it is your job to fill them in. When you come up with a goal, you fill in one of the eyes as you set your intention and the daruma will bless that goal with good fortune. Then once the goals have been achieved, you fill in the other eye and display the daruma, a way of thanking him for his blessing. A great place to find Daruma dolls is in Asakusa along the traditional shopping street Nakamise. Here you’ll find traditional souvenirs shops selling darumas in various sizes. The bigger the daruma, the bigger the blessing.

Tax-Free Advice

If you are a foreign traveller, you have the chance to buy many your souvenirs tax-free! Consumption tax in Japan is 10%, although some products like food have a reduced rate of 8%. Still, saving 8-10% is a huge deal especially if you’re on a budget so you don’t wanna miss the opportunity to do so. While getting your tax-free refund isn’t a piece of cake, its easier than you might imagine and totally worth the effort. Most stores will have large, clearly displayed signs in English which say “TAX-FREE available“. If there are no signs, just inquire with a staff member.

To qualify for a tax-free rebate, the total purchase amount of wares bought in the same shop, on the same day, must be at least 5,000 yen or more (but must not exceed 600,000 yen). These purchases must be for individual consumption and must not be sold in your home country or used for business purposes.

Types of Tax-Free Items

There are two main categories of tax-free items; general goods and consumables. An example of general goods is; clothes, shoes, toys, electronics, jewellery. Consumable goods are things like, food, drink, beauty products and cosmetics. Each category must exceed 5,000 yen to be tax-free as the two categories cannot be combined to reach the total amount. Consumable goods are also placed in a sealed bag once purchased tax-free and the bag cannot be opened until you reach your final home country. So you can’t buy $100 worth of KitKats and just eat them in your hotel in Japan if you bought them tax-free.

Here are the steps in getting your tax-free refund:

1. Find the tax-free counter in the store. If you can’t find one, or they don’t have a dedicated counter, just as a staff member for help.
2. Bring your passport! You’ll be asked to present your passport to prove your country of residence at the counter. Paper or digital copies of your passport will not be accepted!
3. A record of purchase will be printed and stapled inside of your passport, so don’t be put off if they take it away to do this – its totally normal. If they don’t, be sure to ask for the record of purchase and keep it with you. Do not remove it from your passport as this is required at the airport.
4. Sign the purchaser’s pledge which affirms you do not live in Japan and are taking the items out of the country within 30 days.
5. Consumables are placed inside a plastic bag that cannot be opened until in your home country. General goods can be worn or used while in Japan but must be brought back home with you.
6. When you arrive at the airport, you present your passport with the record of purchase to the customers’ officer.
7. Once you arrive at home you are free to enjoy all your goodies and share with family and friends!

Have you been to Japan? What was your favourite souvenir you brought home with you?! Let me know in the comments.

Happy Travels Adventurers

The post The Best Japanese Souvenirs and where to find them! first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

As someone who hates the cold, I was worried the chilly weather would keep me from seeing everything. But what surprised me most was that with proper preparations, I actually enjoyed it. The look of the icy water, snow-topped hillsides and twinkling Christmas lights against the midnight blue sky. I found my time there in the winter, more enjoyable than in the summer! Maybe just because it was so different. There are a myriad of reasons to travel during the wintertime to these snowy destinations. Hopefully, this list inspires you to get out and enjoy the world, north of the equator in the winter months.

Table Of Contents

1. #1 Embrace "hygge"
2. #2 Deals on Airfare!
3. #3 Try out the Slopes
4. #4 Christmas Markets!
5. #5 Winter Comfort Food
6. #6 Coffee Culture
7. #7 Museums are the Perfect Escape from the Cold
8. #8 See the Northern Lights
9. #9 Staying inside an Ice Hotel
10. #10 Warm up in a Sauna
11. Here are some TIPS to ensure you have the most fantastic winter vacation!

#1 Embrace “hygge”

Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness. It conveys the feeling of wellness and contentment. Hygge is so crucial to the people of Scandinavia that it is considered “a defining feature of our cultural identity,” according to Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute. These countries who practice hygge means that everywhere you go; you’ll find burning candles, cozy fireplaces, delicious hot coffee or chocolate and rich homemade sweets. Hygge makes every interior you find one of the most welcoming and warm places in the world!

But hygge is not just about hybernating. It is also about enjoying long walks outside. Despite the cold weather, you’ll find parks decked out in decorations, beautiful skating rinks and a feeling of a country that embraces the winter. Welcome the spirit of hygge into your heart during this season, and you’re bound to have a wonderful time.

#2 Deals on Airfare!

Winter is by far the cheapest season for travel in Europe. From early December to about mid-March, you’ll find flights around Europe super inexpensive. This time of year people are usually looking to escape to warm-weather destinations. Keep in mind you should always be booking these trips three months in advance as that is when the flight prices are usually the cheapest, outside of any last-minute sales. Travel during the week of Christmas is at its peak since families commute home during this time, so avoid going around those days if possible. If you’re worried about not being able to see Christmas Markets because the Christmas week is expensive to travel, fear not! Christmas Market opens as early as the last week of November.

#3 Try out the Slopes

If you’re someone who loves to hit the slopes, winter isn’t a downer but instead your favourite season! Just a short train ride into the countryside you’ll find ski resorts like Hemsedal, Riksgransen, Are Duved, Ruka, Vemdalen and Lillehammer. They are easily accessible from any major city in Scandinavia. If you don’t want to stay at the resort, the towns around these ski hills are full of alternative options for every budget. Also, if skiing isn’t your bag, many of these resorts also have toboggan or snow tubing hills. This allows you to enjoy the scenery and mountain top hot chocolates without needing an ounce of skill!

#4 Christmas Markets!

There is just something about a European Christmas market that gives me all those warm and fuzzy feelings. The twinkle lights on the trees, the smell of mulled wine floating through the air and freshly baked breads ready to warm your hands. If you’re a couple, there is something truly romantic about an evening stroll under the lights of the market. Most of the big cities have multiple Christmas Markets you can visit while you’re there. These places are not only beautiful but also great spots where you can find traditional handicrafts. You can also sample some of their famous Christmas foods.

If you’re looking for something outside the big cities, visit the Christmas Market in Lapland, which is the home of Santa Claus! As such, this town goes all out at Christmas time. Tivoli Park in Copenhagen is transformed during the holiday season into a real-life fairytale book. They even perform the traditional Christmas ballet The Nutcracker on stage inside the park, which makes for the ideal Christmas evening.

#5 Winter Comfort Food

Scandinavian foods are meant to be enjoyed in the winter. This is a country that knows how to make a warm and cozy meal. Almost all of their food is comfort food. Smørrebrød, rye bread, meatballs, stewed reindeer, pancakes and waffles are all the best things to enjoy in the winter. The portions are huge, as are the flavours. After you’re finished eating you’ll be ready to take on a long walk in the winter cold, without feeling a thing as you’ll be warmed from the inside out!

#6 Coffee Culture

Did you know that Scandinavia is at the top of the list of the most coffee-consuming countries? There is a good reason for this aside from just that their coffee is delicious. Coffee in Scandinavia is more than just a to-go cup you grab alone on your way to work. Having coffee is a chance to get away from the daily grind and catch up with friends. In Sweden, they call this Fika. Fika in Swedish means “to have a cup of coffee and a snack with a friend.” It’s absolutely built into the fabric of their daily life. They embrace the idea of bettering relationships while enjoying something scrumptious.

While other Scandinavian countries don’t have that words, the concept still remains. The prevalence of this coffee culture means there is an abundance of fantastic coffee shops to stop into on your trip to warm up while you enjoy the city. Take this time to step back for a minute, stop rushing around, enjoy the moment and reflect on your adventures.

#7 Museums are the Perfect Escape from the Cold

If you’re feeling particularly chilly, museums and art galleries are the best places to pop into to escape the cold. And what’s more, in Scandinavia, most state-run museums are free of charge to enter. Unfortunately, in countries like Denmark, recent government cuts have changed these policies. However, many of those museums are still open on certain days of the week for free. In Sweden, there are over 15 different museums and galleries which you can still enter free of charge everyday of the week! They make the perfect place to hide away from the cold without worrying too much about your budget.

I went to a myriad of different museums, some of which I didn’t even know anything about before I went. Still, since they were free, I didn’t have anything to lose. I could wander around and look at what interested me and simply head out once I finished. There was no pressure to make a whole day out of it since I didn’t pay a huge admission fee, which would have made me feel more inclined to “make it worth it.” It was the ideal place to get warm and see something exciting and new while I was at it.

#8 See the Northern Lights

Scandinavia is by far the best place to see the Aurora Borealis. The high latitude in Finland, Sweden and Norway makes these countries the best place for spotting those iconic green and blue waves in the sky. And winter (September to March) is the only time you can reliably spot them! Alta in Norway is probably the most famous city to travel to see them but other popular destinations are Abisko National Park and Porjus in Sweden, Senja in Norway and many cities in Finnish Lapland. Just remember you need to go far north for this, don’t think your visit to Oslo will allow you to see the lights!

#9 Staying inside an Ice Hotel

Ice hotels are one of the trendiest new things to come out of winters in Scandinavia! These luxury creations are somewhat of a novelty but combine cozy, fireplace lit interiors with icy architecture. The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi Sweden was the first hotel in the world to be built out of ice. Every springtime, the ice melts, and come the next winter, a new design is created to form a brand new looking hotel. So every year, there is something unique to experience. Despite being at least -10°, you’ll be nice and cozy with the special thermal PJs, and cold weather insulated sleeping bag you’re given. These will keep you snug all night long while enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime views.

There are plenty of other Ice hotels around Scandinavia from The Lapland Hotel’s Snow Village in Finland to The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta Norway. All of these locations also have on-site activities like dog-sledding, an ice bar or ice church and even snow sculptures to see in ice galleries. It’s truly something you just can’t experience anywhere, or anytime other than in the winter in Scandinavia!

#10 Warm up in a Sauna

All over Scandinavia, you’ll find strangers getting together, in a small, hot spaces to indulge in sauna . Saunas originated in Finland, and the word “sauna” comes from the Finnish word for bathhouse. Pits dug into the ground were the first saunas. Stones were added atop a burning fire to fit the pit. Water was then thrown on top of the rocks to produce steam. There have been sauna pits discovered as far back as 4000 B.C.E in Finland. It is a commonly shared belief in the Nordic countries that saunas relax muscles, soothe pain, releases endorphins, increases blood circulation, flush toxins, relieve stress, help fight illness, cleanse the skin, burn calories and also provides a social space to enjoy with friends. It’s basically thought to be a cure-all for everything.

While there are some small differences between sauna culture in the different Scandinavian countries, overall, the experience is the same. While some same-sex saunas are clothing optional, in most big cities, you can find tourist-friendly options where bathing suits are worn. This is great if you feel like you might be uncomfortable being naked around strangers. But once you take the plunge, the feeling of freedom is pretty unparalleled.

Cold Dips

Speaking of taking the plunge, some saunas also offers a dip into cold, almost freezing water. This could be just a cold bath or some spots located near bodies of water offer access right into the frozen sea. The dramatic plunge into cold water from the hot sauna is thought to increase the blood flow in the body and help increase all those other benefits we spoke of before. While some might be scared to try it, I vote to give it a go. It sure might feel unpleasant at first, but man does it wake your body up in a way that is indescribable and entirely worth it!

Here are some TIPS to ensure you have the most fantastic winter vacation!

Dress for Success

Making sure you bring the right clothing is key to ensuring you are in the right mood throughout the day. There is nothing worse than being freezing cold to ruin a perfectly lovely experience. I was terrified of this exact scenario when I was planning for my trip, so I made sure to buy warm thermals to wear to help keep that heat in. In addition to this, I bought a few 100% wool sweaters, which were perfect for keeping the heat in without overheating and making me sweat. Wool sweaters can be purchased brand new online, but also you can find them at your local thrift shop for a 10th of the price of a new one! I found some with the most amazing designs, so don’t be afraid to go digging as you might find something amazing!

Hours are odd

Although I disagree with Rick Steves about not visiting Scandinavia during the Winter, I love this quote from him, “Scandinavia’s metabolism slows down like a hibernating bear’s, and many sights and accommodations are open on a limited schedule (especially in remote fjord towns).” This is something to be aware of. Outside of the official government holidays around Christmas, I never found anything to be altogether closed. But various attractions did run on shorter winter hours. Definitely nothing to cancel your trip over just something to be aware of and plan around.

Christmas Holidays

If you’re planning on staying over the Christmas Holidays, December 24th and 25th specifically, you will want to check to see what’s open on those particular days. While I heard EVERYTHING would be closed in Sweden on Christmas day, I actually found a few museums which were still open and holding special events. I also managed to find some once a year community events to take part in while I was there that made me feel like celebrating with a huge group of new friends. So many people might tell you there will be nothing to do, but trust me, I found a bunch of things to do, you just need to dig a little bit. If you know a particular museum will be open on those government holidays, make note of that and save that activity for those days when lots of other things might be closed.

Christmas Day

I also found that attending a church service on Christmas Day was a great experience. There were plenty of services which were non-denominational if you want to enjoy the spirit of the holiday but might not identify with a particular denomination. While there are some restaurants still open on these days, I did find that the majority were closed so you might want to hit up a grocery store on the 23rd to grab some easy to make meals. If you don’t have a kitchen, you can always buy cheese and meats, which you can make into an in-hotel-room charcuterie dinner. A lot of fast food restaurants remain open on those holidays as well so that’s always a last-ditch option.

Daylight is Precious

In Scandinavia, there are only a few hours of “daylight” in the winter, and depending on how far north you’re going, this could be as short as 4 hours of light with 20 hours of darkness. While the locals might find this darkness exhausting, I actually found the long hours of darkness exciting since it wasn’t something we experience in North America. But if you’re planning on taking any photos which require the light, such as any wide cityscape shots, just be sure to plan your schedule accordingly. I always headed out early in the day to take my pictures of the city and then scheduled my indoor activities, which didn’t require sunlight, for the afternoon into the early evening.

Be Cautious with Winter Air Travel

I had a near-disastrous flight to Sweden this winter. Luckily for me, everything worked out by some Christmas miracle, but I’m sure I’m not always going to be that lucky. Flying during the winter means weather might impact you more than other times of the year. To avoid as much stress as possible, be sure to book a direct flight if at all possible. This means should your outbound flight be delayed, you won’t need to worry about missing a connection. If you can’t book direct, ensure the layover between your two flights isn’t too tight. I BARELY made my connecting flight and felt so silly, not ensuring I had more time to account for bad weather. Yes, this might mean not getting to your destination as fast as possible, but trust me, it is worth it for the peace of mind. 

Let me know if you’ve ever travelled to somewhere cold in the winter and how you enjoyed your experience. Or comment to let me know what’s holding you back from a snowy adventure in the north!

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post 10 Reasons Why You Need to Take a Winter Vacation to Scandinavia first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Creating a Travel Capsule

My capsule dressing advice here can be adapted to various styles. I’ve created a very neutral base palette, which will work for almost everyone’s fashion sense. Most of the items I’ve included are pieces everyone already has in their closet. This way, you won’t need to go out and buy a whole bunch of new things. There are already plenty of more subdued examples of Fall dressing online. But I wanted to create a capsule styled towards the autumnal season with many colour pops throughout. I wanted to include some more alternative items but feel free to adapt these examples to your style. If you don’t like such bright colours, you can always use a similar hue in a different tone. Hopefully, you find something that works for you!

Check the Weather Before You Leave

Before we dive into the individual wardrobe times, here are some of my favourite general tips for packing for the Fall season. While this seems obvious, many people do a quick google months before they go and don’t really delve into the details the day before. If you’re expecting a colossal rainstorm, you might want to swap out a pair of cute ankle boots with a pair of sturdy rain booties. And despite the list below of average temperatures, you never know when there’s going to be a polar vortex or hurricane, which can drastically alter the weather. Check the forecast a few days before leaving to ensure you’ve got all the right things packed away and won’t be too surprised by the daily forecast.

Average Fall Temperatures in Mediterranean Europe:

September 26°c / 20°c with Average Precipitation 14mm
October 23°c / 17°c with Average Precipitation 53mm
November 18°c / 12°c with Average Precipitation 58mm

Try NOT to Look Like a Tourist

When you’re travelling, you want to be comfortable, of course! But being comfy shouldn’t look like you just woke up and rolled out of bed. Travelling for most people is perhaps when they take the most photos. So you want to be looking your best in them! We’ve all done it, threw on a pair of leggings just to avoid the idea of getting dressed when you’re jet-lagged. But when you see those photos afterwards, you’ll be disappointed. Many Mediterranean cities in Europe have the chicest fashion sense. So it’s nice to feel like you fit in. Looking like a tourist also means you might be an easy target for pickpockets.

Things NOT to wear:

• Baseball caps (just not a European thing)
• Athletic wear
• Dirty clothes
• High heels (yes, they look cute, but they’re hard to walk in and aren’t great for any old city with cobblestones)
• A cheap windbreaker (If you’re expecting inclement weather, bring a beautiful weatherproof coat which is still fashionable. Plastic windbreakers are a dead giveaway you’re a tourist)

Don’t Dress for Summer

If you’re visiting from a colder climate, it’s easy to want to throw on your summer clothes when it’s 28 degrees in Barcelona but 8 degrees back home. While I get this inclination, it will immediately make you look like a tourist. The minute the temp starts to drop, even a little, Barcelona’s residents begin to put away their shorts and start to dress for Fall. Fall is perhaps the chicest season, and you don’t want to miss out on these stylish outfits.

Pre-Plan Your Outfit

Take pictures on your phone before you leave off your pre-planned outfits. Especially if you’re tired or jetlagged, sometimes you don’t have time to think about your ensemble. So just popping on your phone and looking at your pre-plan outfits is an easy way to get effortlessly dressed for the day. I find this trick works insanely well, and it’s become one of my favourite tricks to looking super well put together without effort.

Know Your Rough Itinerary

To plan outfits appropriately, having a rough trip itinerary is an excellent idea. While you don’t need to know hour by hour what you’re up to, it’s a good idea to see if you will be going hiking, in which case you would have to bring a pair of hiking boots. Or if you’re planning on going to a fancy dinner restaurant, you might want to ensure you have an exquisite dress packed. If you are just having home-cooked meals at the hostel, you also want to ensure you don’t overpack those dressy items that won’t get used and take up much-needed waste in your carry-on.

Lean Towards Darker Colour Scheme

Choosing dark colours over light for most items sets you up for success. Darker tones are much more versatile. An LBD can quickly be dressed up compared to a white one with cute boots and fun jewellery. Also, if you have a smaller capsule, you’ll re-wear items multiple times. Darker colours will help mask any dirt you might pick up along the way and won’t need to be laundered as much.

Choose the Right Fabrics

During the Fall, it’s essential to wear the right materials. These are fabrics which are breathable but also warm. Wool, or any wool blend, is a great choice. Wool keeps the heat in when it’s cooler out but will also remain breathable, so you’re not just sweating inside a sauna as it begins to warm up. Wrinkles are a dead giveaway that you’re living out of a suitcase. Choosing fabrics like jerseys is great to pack since they won’t wrinkle. There are also lots of companies which make wrinkle-resistant fabrics which are a great choice.

Don’t Bring your Most Expensive Jewellery

Wearing expensive clothing or jewellery anywhere in the world can make you a target for pickpockets. This is a sign to them that you might have money to steal so I always find that travelling isn’t a time to bring those expensive pieces. Plus, when you’re jetlagged, you also don’t have the same kind of wits about you. I’ve lost a few pairs of earrings just with all the hustle and bustle of travelling, and thankfully they were all super cheap!

Try to Keep your Hair Simple

If you can get away without bringing a hair straightener or blow dryer, you’ll save a ton of space in your luggage. For someone people, this might mean keeping their hair up while travelling for ease, so I would make this a fun dressing exercise instead of a downer. I have fallen in love with these simple headbands for the Fall, which can really dress up any outfit. Velvet scrunchies or ribbons will also make a simple up-do a little fancier, and these take up almost no room in your suitcase.

Jackets

The coat you choose to bring might be one of your most important decisions. I have three options for you here, but you can pick out just two depending on the weather.

Faux Leather Moto Jacket: A sleek, faux leather black jacket is one of the most elegant items for your wardrobe. They look dressy paired with dark jeans or a dress but can look super street style when added to a more casual outfit.

Jean Jacket: A jean jacket is my ultimate travel must-have. They are so comfortable and yet also are such workhorses for any weather. They are adaptable and look as casual as they do chic.

Packable Puffer Jacket: This coat is SUPER lightweight and was honestly one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. It comes in various colours and can be compressed into a tiny ball. It’s the BEST for putting on in the morning and then stashing away in your bag when it warms up. I cannot express how lightweight it feels, but how much warmth it manages to keep in! SCIENCE! If you’re expecting torrential rain, this might not be the best, but an umbrella should be suitable for most rainy days as it’s rain-resistant (not proof).

Dresses

Long-Sleeve Dress: This yellow lace dress is a statement piece. Colourful dresses are great to bring since they are perfect for those more upscale evenings. This looser-fit style is comfy enough to wear all day without feeling constricted. Since it’s still all one colour, it can easily be dressed up or down and pair well with many items in the capsule.

Jersey Dress: Jersey dresses, especially those with pockets, are the perfect travel item. Light, wrinkle-free and easily layerable. I picked one with long sleeves for the Fall since it means you can wear it out on slightly less chilly days without a coat.

Long Sleeve Shirts

Cashmere Sweater: A cashmere sweater is one of those investment pieces which is ideal for travelling. It’s lightweight and breathable. And while it looks super lux, it feels so cozy and comfortable. The best of both worlds.

Deep V-Neck: A lightweight, deep v-neck is a simple but stylish look to throw on in the morning. There is just something about a v-neck which makes your entire outfit look smart. Pair that with a thin gold pendant, and you’re ready to hear out the door. This one is made from jersey, which is super easy for travelling as it doesn’t take up much room but is still full sleeves and won’t wrinkle.

Striped Shirt: A striped top feels like the perfect piece for your travel wardrobe no matter what the season but in Fall, I think it just pops! I love this one from ModCloth with a tiny fox in the top right which adds just a bit of fun to the simple, striped shirt!

Cardigan: Cardigans are great to pack with you since they can easily be layered on top of a shirt or dress and removed if it gets too hot. Or if it’s extra cold, you can always add a jacket on top. This luxurious wool cardigan in a bright burgundy is an excellent addition to the fall hues in the mix.

Short Sleeve Shirts

Camisole: A simple camisole is great for layering. This one has a bit of lace added, making it spiffy! It just looks a bit more thought out than a plain version. These come in all different colours so you can choose the best one for your wardrobe.

Typographic Tee: I adore a typographic shirt for travelling. When the words on the shirt seem to embody something about your travels, it just feels like the perfect thing to wear for killer photos. These little things can make a big difference in how you feel about your travel wardrobe. Don’t wake up and feel like you don’t like anything you brought. Wake up and be excited to wear what you did bring!

Blouse: This mustard-coloured blouse takes up practically no room in your suitcases. I love how bright it is; definitely a statement piece for photos! The little touch of a half-turtle neck and flared cap sleeves is one of those details that makes a big difference.

Bottoms

High-Waisted Skinny Jeans: Dark wash jeans in a skinny, high-waisted style are another great piece, as they seem to go with everything. Jeans are one of those items which can withstand weeks without washing and still maintain that fresh look! This is why all the bottoms I picked are made of denim.

Denim Skirt: A denim skirt is just one item I feel belongs to Autumn like nothing else. I picked light-wash denim for this item to provide a spectrum of tones for the bottoms.

Grey or Black Jeans: Dark wash denim or black jeans look super chic, and almost everyone already has one pair in their closet. If you have a pair that is dark enough, they can sometimes even look like blank slacks without the need for ironing.

Shoes

Flats: Pack yourself a pair of sophisticated flats. Easy to pack, lightweight and super cute. Leopard adds interest and texture to your shoes, making them look a bit more upscale. I went for a pair with the tiniest hint of a heel, so they remain extremely comfortable, but they also provide that elegant look you want if you’re wearing them out to a fancy dinner.

Ankle Boots: These are the most versatile shoes for Fall. They can look so sophisticated when paired with a dress, but they are super casual with bootcut jeans. Stick to ones with no big heel and the right insole for the most comfort when walking all day. 

The Modern Sneaker: Sneakers are often thought of as leisurewear wear, but there are so many styles available that look extremely dapper these days. Stick to low-profile sneakers; they look more dressy and less casual. They can be worn with skirts and dresses easily. Choose a sneaker in one or two colours. For me, I want to find something bright and colourful. But I also love these simple white kids as they go with EVERYTHING, and (when they’re clean) they look so modern.

Accessories

Infinity Scarf: An infinity scarf is essential for Fall and winter in Europe. You can wrap these around your neck and sometimes around your arms if caught in the rain, or the temperatures drop suddenly. It’s almost like a mini blanket!

Wool Hat: Even in the Fall, the sun is still out, and these wool hats are almost all you need to wear to suddenly turn an outfit from ordinary to super-stylish! Anyone who thinks they don’t look good in hats needs to try this one out because I truly feel like it suits everyone!

The Modern Backpack: Backpacks get a bad reputation for making you look like a tourist. But over the past year, I’ve seen more and more people wearing backpacks are high fashion. Chanel, Gucci and Dior have all come out with their own line of backpacks since people have finally realized they are so comfortable and easy to use but can also look amazingly chic! This piece from Modcloth is perfect for travelling since it’s extra secure. It has two belt loops to open and close it and also has some additional inside zippers to put your extra secure items. I think people go a little overboard regarding security, and most of those theft-proof bags are super ugly. This one works great and is just fiddly enough to keep out thieves but also be usable.

Sunglasses: There is still plenty of sun, and sunglasses are a fun accessory to bring that really brings out your personality. Choose whichever one is your favourite from your closet!

An umbrella (optional): Bring it along if you can see a ton of rain in the forecast and you have a sturdy yet compact one at home. If the forecast is pretty sketchy, I will leave this out. You can always buy one on the street; plenty of street vendors sell them during the storms. Or just jump into a department store where you can generally find them for sale pretty cheap.

PJs

One of the hottest trends this year is fashionable sleepwear which can be transitioned into daywear. One of the most popular companies doing this is Sleeper, which creates aw-worthy nightdresses and pyjamas that look like high-fashion womenswear. Having an outfit like this means you don’t need to pack pyjamas since you can wear just what you went to bed for dinner the next night. While Sleeper might be a bit lux for some people Target and even Zara, have also begun to come out with similar styles of night-into-day sleepwear. But the Atlanta Sleeper dress with the long sleeves is PERFECT for fall dressing.

Additional Packing Items:

• 2 bras
• one pair of underwear per day
• one pair of socks per day
• one pair of tights (great to layer if it’s extra chilly)
• Toiletry Bag
• External battery charger
• camera
• notebook and pen (I always keep travel notes, great way to reflect on your day)
• a book to read
• additional electorincs (kobo or other edreader, chargers etc.)

Example Outfits:

Below of some outfit ideas, I put together so you can get a taste of just how many looks you can put together from such a small capsule!

To download the checklist of all the items described in this post, click here!

Let me know what you’re favourite travel item for Fall is and how you style your wardrobe when travelling throughout the seasons!

Happy Travels Adventurers

The post The Ultimate Carry On Packing Guide to Europe in the Fall: What you NEED and What to SKIP first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.