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When traveling, carry-ons are super important. First, if you’re an over packer, it’s an extra bag for your belongings. Secondly, it’s a way to keep the important items with you just in case the airline loses your luggage, which unfortunately, happens often. But a carry-on is only so big. So what do you begin to pack? Below are 10 of the most essential items to bring with you in your carry-on. 1. Cash / Travel Documents There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and realizing you don't have the one thing you need to get on the plane: your ID. Make sure your driver's license/passport/visa is in your bag the night before your trip. Making copies and keeping them in a separate pocket isn't a bad idea either. Also, although credit card acceptance is nearly ubiquitous in the US, many places in foreign countries and smaller towns are cash only. Avoid having to pass on morning coffee or that amazing souvenir by packing some extra cash. Also, don't be that person that doesn't tip the hotel service or for your transportation. No one likes a non-tipper. 2. Toiletries / Medicine If your flight gets delayed or you don't have access to your suitcase, be sure to pack your toiletries. A toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, shampoo and lotion are all good options. And don't forget your deo for the B-O. If your medicine is essential to take daily, you definitely want to keep it on hand. It would also be prudent to pack some airborne. Better safe than sorry. 3. Valuables Anything that you would consider expensive or valuable, pack with you. Unfortunately things get stolen, and that would totally ruin a trip. 4. Pen When traveling, especially internationally, keep a pen with you. There's always a document that needs to be filled out and it will save you time to have your own pen instead of having to pester your neighbors or track down a flight attendant. Plus, flights can get boring. It might come in handy to do crosswords, doodle, or write. 5. Phone Charger Sad but true fact: No one can survive with a dead iPhone when traveling. Enough said. 6. Snacks We all know most airlines aren't as generous with their snacks as they used to be. Having something to nosh on can help get you through long flights. Being "hangry" is never fun. Also, bringing gum can help relieve the pain of when your ears pop. 7. Headphones If you want to listen to music for entertainment or just block out the crying baby on the plane, it's crucial to bring a good pair of headphones. Our favorites are BOSE's Noise Canceling Headphones. 8. Change of Clothes The elbow nudge that causes you to spill all over your shirt, the baby that accidentally gets sick on your lap or the sweat stains from trying to catch your flight---a change of clothes might not be a bad idea. 9. Hand Sanitizer Most things in the airport or plane have been touched by 20 million other people. Mo' people mo' germs--bring the sanitizer. 10. Pillow To make sleeping on a plane a little bit more tolerable, bring a pillow to avoid neck cramps or accidentally falling asleep on your neighbor. Everyone will have different needs depending on their destination and trip length. However, this is a definite must-have list for any globe trotter, explorer, pathfinder, weekender or voyager. A well-packed carry-on can lead to a happier travel experience.

We get it, having a million apps on your phone can get chaotic. But for those people who enjoy traveling, downloading travel apps can make the journey much easier and enjoyable. Below are some of the best travel apps available for free. With these top travel apps, you'll never get lost, you'll have an easier planning experience and will always have something to do during those lengthy layovers. 1. Kayak Rating: 4.5/5 stars What it does: - Searches numerous travel sites and compares prices on flights, hotels and rental cars - Helps organize travel plans and gives real-time flight status alerts More info here! 2. Roadtrippers Rating: 4.5/5 stars What it does: - Discover various places for your trip such as restaurants, roadside attractions, beautiful pit-stops, parks and places to stay - Plan trips directly from the app and share plans with friends and family - Review trip suggestions added by friends on the app More info here! 3. Bravolol Rating: 4.5/5 stars What it does: - Helps with the language barrier when traveling to a place where you don't speak the language - Use the parrot to speak for you or read the phrase yourself on your mobile device - Doesn't require data usage once downloaded More info here! 4. XE Currency Rating: 5/5 stars What it does: - Converts every currency in the world - Works without internet More info here! 5. Weather Bug Rating: 4.5/5 stars What it does: - 18 different weather apps - Discover real-time current, hourly and 10 day forecasts More info here! 6. Tripit Rating: 3.5/5 stars What it does: - Travel organizer that collects all your travel plans in one place - Forward your travel confirmation emails to Tripit and it will create a full itinerary More info here! 7. Gogobot Rating: 4.5/5 Stars What it does: - Discover the best restaurants, places to stay and things to do in a specific city - Personalizes things to do and events to go to based on your chosen interests More info here! 8. Google Maps Rating: 4.5/5 Stars What it does: - Map your way through the city with real time ETA's and updated traffic information - Find train, bus or transit info - Map out your journey by saving locations More info here! 9. CityMaps2Go Rating: 4.5/5 Stars What it does: - Access to offline maps of places to discover - Organize and plan your trip with a "save-it-for-later" feature More info here! 10. Skype Wifi Rating: 3.5/5 Stars What it does: - Go online at any wifi hotspot throughout the world - Skype face to face, access email and browse online and only pay for what you use More info here! 11. GateGuru Rating: 3/5 Stars What it does: - Receive all airport information and flight status (with push notifications) - Terminal and gate information as well as food options with reviews More info here! Downloading these top travel apps can make any trip easier and more enjoyable, regardless of your destination. These apps can help you from looking up flight status to picking the best restaurants on your journey. Be sure when traveling abroad to be aware of your data usage and opt for WiFi...or else you'll risk costly roaming charges. Have a trip coming up soon? Start downloading!

If you had a dollar for every time you said you were going to save money (and followed through), you probably wouldn't be reading this blog post right now. But we get it. There are SO many things you need to buy, or bills that you need to pay, or cupcakes asking you to buy them and take them home. It can be hard to save your money. We won't lie: traveling does take a pretty penny (and a few quarters, too) out of your wallet. Despair not, for we have the key to saving up for a nice vacation. You deserve it. Here are 9 ways to save money and afford your wanderlust. 1. Start Using Cash Credit cards are basically like spending monopoly money and it's easy to think you can just keep spending. A few swipes here, a few more there, and before you know it, you've spent over $200 in one day! Whoops. By only paying with cash, you start to see exactly where your money goes and when you run out. Give yourself an allowance per week so you know how much to spend and not to go over the top. 2. Shop Differently Ordering groceries online is a great way to spend less on basic items like olive oil and salt. For clothes, check out brands like Everlane, who sell (really cute) quality basics without retail markups. And Gentlemen, if you're trying to upgrade your wardrobe AND save up for travel, check out Urbana Custom - sweet suits, and again, no retail markup. 3. Learn to cook Going out to eat is one of the biggest money suckers. Plus, we all know how annoying it is when you have to split the bill and your meal was the cheapest and you only got one drink... Brush up on some cooking skills and save money. And for social meals, host a potluck. No 20% gratuity and leftovers for dayzzz. Bon appetite. 4. USE YOUR SKILLS Have some skills that could profit you? Use them! Tutoring, consulting, nannying, and blog writing are all great options to make a little side cash. Even if it's just $50 week, that's $50 dollars more that you didn't have for time that would have been otherwise used to rewatch Lost for the third time. In three months, you could have a plane ticket to Europe. 5. Cut the coffee Well not, like, completely. But those fancy coffee drinks add up. Keurig or Nespresso capsules cost about $15 for a 20 count. That's less than three pumpkin spice whatevers you're getting at X coffee shop where the baristas act like they're doing you a favor by steaming your hemp milk (just LA?). We know sometimes you just gotta, but be smart about it. 6. USE Tax Returns Conventional wisdom would tell you to save your tax return for a rainy day. We would argue that saving it for say, a trip to Europe, is just as worthy an investment. 7. Sell, sell, sell That dress from Neimans you never wore (but had to have)? That forth watch that just sits in your closet? Get rid of it. If it's not getting used, sell it. It's an easy way to make money while de-cluttering your living space. Don't know where to sell your things? Craigslist, Poshmark, Let Go, or your local Plato's Closet are all good options. 8. Ask for travel-related gifts for your birthday or holiday Instead of letting fate take its course during the holidays or your birthday, ask your relatives for travel-related gifts. Hello there, AmEx travel gift card! (or FTLO Trip deposit, just sayin'...) 9. Book things gradually and in advance "All in moderation" may be what people say towards eating habits, but it also works when booking travel as well. When you book things all at once, it's going to seem like a lot. But doing it gradually and spreading it out might help you budget more. Trips add up when you wait too long to book, so make sure you plan and book early. Also, when you pay for most things up front, you won't be stressed about spending a lot of money on your trip. Don't let money get in the way of being able to see the world. Use these 9 ways to save towards your next trip!

Everyone knows that como estas means how are you in Spanish. But how the heck do you say that in Greek? In Russian? In Italian? How do you say please and thank you? And how do you ask where something is? Don't worry, we got you covered. You don't have to be fluent in the language, but knowing some key phrases of the place you're visiting can help your trip go much smoother. Plus, you'll look cool. Yes, we realize you can easily look this up in your iphone. But that takes time..and data. And we all know how spare WiFi is when traveling. To help you out, we've created a list of key phrases you need to know when traveling abroad, all on one page. Spanish Hello/Hi: ¡Hola! How are you?: ¿Cómo estás? Please: Por favor Thank you: Gracias Sorry : ¡Perdón! My name is..: Me llamo ... Where is... : ¿Dónde está....? Bye: Adiós Numbers 1-10: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez I don't understand: No comprendo Italian Hello/Hi: Ciao How are you?: Come sta? Please: Per favore Thank you: Grazie Sorry : Mi dispiace. My name is..: Mi chiamo… Where is... : Dov'è ....? Bye: Arrivederci Numbers 1-10: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci I don't understand: Non capisco. French Hello/Hi: Bonjour How are you?: Please: S'il vous plaît Thank you: Merci. Sorry : Excusez-moi! My name is..: Je m'appelle Where is... : Où est _____ ? Bye: Au revoir Numbers 1-10: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix I don't understand: Je ne comprends pas Japanese Hello/Hi: 今日は (konnichiwa) How are you?: お元気ですか？ (o genki desu ka) Please:ください (kudasai) Thank you: どうも (dōmo) Sorry :ごめんなさい! (gomen nasai) My name is..: ... だ (... da) Where is... : はどこですか？(… wa doko desu ka?) Bye: さようなら (sayōnara) Numbers 1-10: 一 (ichi), 二 (ni), 三 (san), 四 (shi/yon), 五 (go), 六 (roku), 七 (shichi/nana), 八 (hachi), 九 (kyū/ku), 十 (jū) I don't understand: わかりません (wakarimasen) Greek Hello/Hi: Γειά σου (Ya su) How are you?: Τι κάνεις; (Ti kánis?) Please:Παρακαλω. (pah-rah-kah-LOH) Thank you: Ευχαριστω. (ef-khah-rees-TOH) Sorry :Συγνώμη (signomi) My name is..: Με λένε ... (Me léne ...) Where is... : που είναι (pou eínai) Bye: αντίο (adio) Numbers 1-10: 1 = ena - ένα2 = dio - δύο3 = tria - τρία4= tessera - τέσσερα5 = pente - πέντε6 = eksi - έξι7 = efta - εφτά8 = okto - οκτώ9 = enia - εννιά10 = deka - δέκα11 = endeka - έντεκα12 = dodeka - δώδεκα I don't understand: Δεν καταλαβαίνω (Then katalavéno) Russian Hello/Hi: Здравствуйте (Zdrastvooyte) How are you?: Как поживаешь? (Kak pazhivayesh?) Please: Пожалуйста ("pa-zhal-sta") Thank you: Спасибо (Spaseeba) Sorry :Извините (Eezveeneete) My name is..: Меня зовут... (Meenya zavoot...) Where is... : где? (gd'eh) Bye: Пока [Pa`ka] Numbers 1-10: один ("a-deen"), два ("dva"), три ("tree"),четыре ("chye-tir-ye"), пять ("pyat"), шесть ("shest"), семь ("syem"), восемь ("vo-syem"), девять ("dyev-yat"), десять ("dyes-yat") I don't understand: Я не понимаю (Ya nee paneemayoo) German Hi: Guten Tag How are you?: Wie geht es Ihnen? Please: Bitte. Thank you: Danke. Sorry : Es tut mir leid. My name is..: Ich heiße… Where is... : Wo ist...? Bye: Auf Wiedersehen. Numbers 1-10: Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn I don't understand: Das verstehe ich nicht. Don't let a language barrier get in the way. These are key phrases you must know to communicate when traveling abroad. Using these key phrases will make your trip much easier and will facilitate communicating with locals. Not seeing what you need? Here is the best translator.

Shape Magazine has named our Isla Holbox trip as one of the best trips to take to start off 2017! This trip is full of opportunities to relax while connecting with local island culture and your new travel mates. If you're up for it, the island is a great place to practice yoga, get a seaside massage, or even learn to kite surf! And if you're looking for even more feel-good opportunities, join our March trips here with celeb spiritual guru, Kelsey Patel.

We are so proud to share with you LA Lady Magazine's interview with FTLO Travel founder Tara Cappel! If you haven't already, check it out. Tara explains her background, how and why she started FTLO Travel and the ups and downs of creating a start-up. You can read the full article here. "My biggest fear was that people wouldn’t think I could do it. I was so nervous about finally telling people what I had been doing and when I finally made an announcement on Facebook, it felt like jumping off of a cliff. I had to give myself a pep talk. I was like, “Tara, if you can’t do this, you can’t do any of it, and you can. And if someone doesn’t think you can do it, good, all the more reason to get out there and prove them wrong.” And then as soon as I hit send, congratulations and words of encouragement started pouring in from so many people I had met over the years, even people I had lost touch with when I left Tufts. I remember sitting in my hotel room in France watching the number of users on my website go up and up as people explored my creation. And I just burst into tears." -Tara Cappel, Founder

A picture is worth a thousand words... So instead of telling you how fun our Weekender Series is, here is a round up of some of our favorite pics from the last couple of trips. Each edition is designed to bring together small groups of young professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs from the same city and spend the weekend exploring somewhere 200 miles of your home city. We take care of the hotels, transport, and activities so you don't have to. So far, we've taken groups from Washington, DC, Dallas, and Los Angeles (and have a Denver Edition coming up October 1st). Our New York, Chicago and San Francisco Weekenders are in the works! You can find more information about all of our Weekender Series here.

Here is video evidence that our Weekender Series are hands down the most fun. This video is of our LA Weekender spent in Paso Robles where we stayed at the stunning Allegretto Vineyards Resort, explored three wineries, drank (a lot of) wine and relaxed and surfed at Avila Beach. In the video below are actual people on the trip. Almost no one knew each other beforehand. Two of the girls who met on the LA Weekender are now roommates. This just goes to show that FTLO Travel style group travel is truly the best. Check out the video of our first edition of the FTLO Weekender Series:

If you haven't already, check out The Skype Blog's article on FTLO Travel founder, Tara Cappel, and how she uses their technology to plan FTLO Trips!