Packing List: Carry-on for International Flights

5 Things You Won't Want to Forget for an International Flight

1. Passport and pen: Most international destinations will require you to fill out immigration and customs forms en route, requiring your passport number and something to fill out said form with.

2. Any necessary medication and toiletries: Delays are inevitable during air travel, but with international flights, it can be a long time before you are reunited with the luggage you've checked. Make sure you keep your daily medications with you so you don't miss a dose. No matter how long the flight, you'll feel fresher with access to basic toiletries like your toothbrush and paste, facial cleanser, baby wipes, deodorant, dry shampoo and more.

3. Water bottle: Dehydration is expected on long flights; make sure you always have enough water on hand by packing an empty water bottle from home and filling it up once you've passed through security.

4. Change of clothes, extra socks and bathing suit: Bags get lost, things spill during flight. You'll be happy to have an extra set of clothes in either event. Going to a beachy spot? Bring your bathing suit onboard as well, you wouldn't want to miss any time in the sun because you're separated from your checked bags.

5. Snacks: It can be hard to get healthy snacks onboard, especially at times when you're most hungry.

Complete Packing List for an International Flight

Packing for an international flight requires travelers to very carefully select a well-edited list of what's essential for a trip that can be as long as a day. We encourage all travelers to fly as lightly as possible, but here's what we recommend lining up before stepping foot on the plane:

• Passport
• International credit cards
• Health insurance card
• Travel documents, like hotel reservations and car rental information
• Eyemask
• Headphones
• Hand sanitizer
• Light jacket or scarf
• Ear plugs
• Sleep aids
• Glasses and contact case with solution
• Change of clothes, socks and bathing suit
• Water bottle
• Snacks
• Pen
• Entertainment, such as books, magazines or an iPad