Have all your liquids in bottles of less than 100ml and not more than 1 liter in total, all in a zip lock bag. Remember that gels that can turn into liquids are counted as liquid. Some stores sell sachets of toiletries.

Any medication you may need on your trip should be with you. Don’t forget to put in some anti nausea and tummy bug stuff. Small vials of artificial tears are wonderful on long trips.

Take tissues and wet napkins.

Remember a raincoat or jacket if you need one at your destination.

When packing assume your luggage will go missing. Pack 3 sets of underwear and a couple of tee shirts. If you can, a spare set of jeans. Include toiletries you may need for a few days and extra medication.

Scan all important documents and put onto a memory stick. Even if you don’t have a lap top you can get access to a computer to reprint e-tickets if you should have to.

Have a list of all your contact telephone numbers and addresses. In the case of a long layover in a town it may be useful to look up an old friend. If all else fails you have everyone’s numbers in case of delays.

Take an empty water bottle. You can fill it up on the plane. Some times you are allowed to take water from the duty free. But it does make it easier to have your own water supply.