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I spent 6 weeks traveling alone in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark from the end of March until May of 2023. Most of my previous overseas travel was before the pandemic, although I did travel with my children to Barcelona and Bordeaux in August of 2022. Things have changed, and will continue to, but I have to say that with some of these items, traveling alone is much easier than five years ago.

On the Westminster Bridge in London, England

Here are my 6 must have items for overseas travel:

A Portable Charger. I have an iPhone 11 that’s about 4 years old and the battery, especially when taking pictures, is easily depleted. I bought a portable charger about 7 years ago and, while I know there are lighter, more efficient chargers on the market, my current charger can recharge my phone at least three times before being depleted. I would carry the charger everywhere with me, whether on a plane, bus or walking the streets. Sometimes in my jacket pocket and sometimes in my backpack. There were several all-day tours I went on like the highlands of Scotland, that I know I would have lost the charge on my phone without it. Without a charge on my phone, I would have been lost (sometimes literally).

iWatch. I’ve had an iWatch for over 7 years and have come to depend on it especially when walking in unknown areas (like the streets of Dublin or Copenhagen). One of the great features of the iWatch is that it will give you turn by turn directions on foot if you have put your destination on your Maps application on your phone. This was critical when, while in southern England, I was walking two miles to the train station with my luggage. No need to juggle getting out my phone, I could just look at my watch and it would tell me how many feet to my next turn and the street name (did I mention it was about to rain?). It saved time and would vibrate in advance of my next turn.

Google Maps. Google Maps is a game changer in Europe. When I wanted to walk to my ancestral home in Walberton England, I wasn’t sure if there was a walkway (the roads in England are tiny!). I could look at the entire route and could see a picture (yes, photo) of each turn and see if there was a pedestrian walkway. I’m not sure I would have taken the pilgrimage without google maps. In addition, when I was in Wallingford, England trying to get to Oxford on a bus, they had recently changed the bus schedule to eliminate some of the time slots. Apple Maps was not up to date, but Google Maps could tell me where the next bus was and when it was going to arrive. I helped a woman with a small child in a stroller by keeping her up to date as to where the bus was (it ended up being 25 minutes late). In both Apple Maps and Google Maps, you need to select mass transit instead of driving directions and it will give you a plethora of options.

Packable Backpack. I bought a 16 Liter packable backpack several years ago and it’s been awesome. It comes with a small wallet size bag that it packs into which takes up less space in my luggage. I had a carry-on suitcase and larger laptop carrying backpack to take on the plane and didn’t carry a purse or fanny pack. I kept my passport and phone in my pocket. When I would arrive at a location, I would take out the backpack and be able to put in my portable charger and sunglasses, umbrella, water, jacket or other essentials for a day long tour.

Air Tags. I watched several YouTube Videos about overseas travel before embarking on my trip and several folks suggested air tags. Air tags are a small disk the size of a quarter that you can slide into anything to keep track of them. They send a signal as to where they are located. Air tags saved my butt at the Copenhagen airport. I had slid one tag in my laptop backpack and one in my roller bag. I ended up checking my roller bag from London to Copenhagen. When I arrived, I had to go through customs so by the time I got to baggage claim, I had no idea what carousel the bag was on (it was not clear and certainly not in English). Sure enough, I opened my ”Find My Tag App” on my phone and the suitcase sent out a signal that it was close by. I turned my head and there was my bag coming down the carousel. It would also send me a reminder when I left my Airbnb for the day that my bags were left behind.

Food Basics. I packed instant coffee packets, decaf tea bags and oatmeal packets before leaving the United States. I always assume that something will go wrong or there won’t be a grocery store close by when I first arrive to a destination. The last thing I want to do after an 8-hour red eye is go find a grocery store. I took about 10 coffee packets, 10 tea bags and 6 oatmeal packets. As I got the lay of the land, I would replenish my supplies or use what was available in the Airbnb I was staying at (most had tea bags but not coffee). Yes, I missed a good old cup of brewed coffee but instant will work in a pinch. I also kept one packable microwavable meal and used it my last night in Copenhagen before returning home. I have to say that I slept better knowing that I would at least have breakfast in the morning before heading out to wander.

There are a few more items that made my trip easier, an International Travel Adapter that had usb plugs as well as electrical plugs all in one. I bought a carry-on bag with four spinning wheels which was a game changer walking down cobblestone streets. I also invested in packing cubes which kept me organized and able to pick up some gifts on my trip. I didn’t think they would make a difference but they really reduced the space my clothes took up in my suitcase. So, there you have my list with 3 bonus items to help keep your world traveling more enjoyable. What are your overseas travel must haves?

I recently returned from a 6 week trip to the UK, Ireland and Denmark. Denmark was the last stop on my trip and I found it to be quite surprising. I stayed at a flat in Copenhagen and really lucked out with the location. It was only a block from Torvehallerne (a huge market open 7 days a week), the metro and train station. This made it a terrific jumping off point for traveling around Copenhagen, the countryside and made finding provisions quite easy.

The author and her friend Alison on the canal in Copenhagen.

Here are the 7 surprises I found in Denmark:

Bikes, bikes and more bikes. I have never seen so many bikes ever. When I got of the metro from the airport, I could not believe the massive amount of bikes parked at the metro station. There had to be upwards of 1,000 bikes within a one block radius. As I walked to the flat, I saw bikes leaned up against every building and, to at least my untrained eye, they looked to not secured in anyway. Most of the bikes were basic black with a large basket up front. Copenhagen has the most cyclists per capita, and the city with the most cyclists with 62% of the population using bikes for the daily commute. There are 6 bikes for every car in Denmark.

Hej. I studied Scottish and Irish before arriving in each country. The thing is, while the signs might be written in Irish in Dublin, I never heard anyone speaking Irish. On the other hand, in Denmark, people greet you will “Hi” which is how “Hej” sounds to me (Hej means Hello in Danish). So I mistakenly thought that it was obvious I didn’t speak Danish but frequently, it was followed by something in Danish that I didn’t understand (although I did try to learn some Danish before arriving). The signs, the products, the menus are all in Danish although there is frequently a translation. Everyone flawlessly (I mean without skipping a beat and in perfect English) would transition from Danish to English and then back with another person.

Baby strollers. They have taken baby stroller to new heights here. Babies are cocooned in a padded cover, head covered and swaddled lying flat on a carriage with four sturdy wheels. In the US strollers are valued for being convertible and able to move from stroller to car easily. When you don’t have a car (see number 1) you might as well have a Rolls-Royce for a stroller. Mom’s get 12 months of maternity leave (yes, 12 months) so why not make sure you can stroll with your baby in comfort.

Green energy. As we took a canal tour of Copenhagen, we saw the very modern building called, Amager Bakke which is a combined heat and power waste-to-energy plant. It’s shaped like a hill (ironic since Denmark is so flat) and while it’s converting waste to energy, you can dry ski down the slope, go hiking or climb a climbing wall. Denmark has committed to being net zero on carbon emissions by 2025. I have to say that for as close as we got to the plant, I didn’t smell anything and, probably due to so many bikes, I don’t remember smelling exhaust the whole time I was there.

Metro and trains. Getting a train or metro ticket in Copenhagen was easy and simple. There were kiosks at every stop and it was easy to buy a single or multi use ticket in English as well as Danish. The trains themselves are immaculate and most that I traveled on, showed each stop of a lit board and let you know where you were on your journey. Every train had at least a half a car devoted to bikes and and baby strollers (see 1 and 3). There was one point where I saw a man leave a stroller on the train and go sit down with his back to the stroller (through a doorway and about 10 feet from the stroller). I could not believe that the man sat with his back to his baby and anyone could have taken the stroller off at any given stop. I will say I saw a least one mother stand next to their stroller while en route.

Driving. My dear friend Alison who is an American expat and has lived in Denmark for over 20 years. She picked me up at the train station with her car. The first thing is that every road has pedestrian side walk on each side of it, has a bike path (one in each direction with bike traffic lights) and a two lane car lane. This is found in the city of Copenhagen and out in the hinter land. Walking, biking and driving, are all equally welcome. The crazy part was that cars would park in the car lane in the middle of the street so as not to block the bike lane. It almost feels like the bike is number one, followed by pedestrians and then, last on the list, is the car. There is not right turn on red because of the bikers.

Food. I had wonderful food while in Denmark. The highlight was probably the humble Danish which, as it turns out, they call “winderbrød” or Viennese bread. So some Austrias who settled in Denmark, made the beloved pastry. As opposed to what is called “danish” in the US, the flakey croissant like crust is amazing and the creamy rich center is divine. I also had a smorgasbord which is just an open face sandwich and they had many hearty breads on which they make the smorrebrød on. There is also something called Flødeboller which is a chocolate covered marshmallow puff although the marshmallow part is light and delicate. The food was amazing.

I should mention the architecture and the all the color buildings along the canals, but you most likely already think of that with Copenhagen, I think that in the combination of electric transportation, their focus on green energy and the use of bikes, it’s amazing how quiet an pollution free it feels in Denmark. That must be why it’s the one of the happiest places on Earth.