These are the 12 travel essentials I recommend packing for a stress-free vacation

A travel charger, headphones and travel fan. — (Image credit: Amazon / Edited by Gemini)

I'm a big planner. If I've booked a trip, just know I've already researched it extensively, read far too many reviews, and scheduled everything to a tee. It shouldn't be all that surprising then to hear that when it comes to the contents of my luggage, it's packed out with essentials that I've meticulously chosen.

But, that hasn't always been the case. I used to proudly say I was winging it, packing up my bag in the final hours before it was time to go. It wasn't fun. It was stressful. So, to make sure I never feel like that again, I've spent a wild amount of time and written a lot of notes to come up with this list. It's helped me to travel as stress-free as possible over the years and I hope it'll help you, too. Here's the 12 items I recommend if you're looking to harness the same kickback and relax feeling.

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Grace is a freelance journalist working across homes, lifestyle, gaming and entertainment. You'll find her writing for Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Space.com, and other sites. If she's not rearranging her furniture, decluttering her home, or relaxing in front of the latest streaming series, she'll be typing fervently about any of her much-loved hobbies and interests. To aid her writing, she loves to head down internet rabbit holes for an unprecedented amount of time.