Stash this everyday item in your carry-on for fewer hassles during international travel
I’m a travel writer who doesn’t like to fly overseas. Given that I fly, well, a lot, I should shrug off my discomfort. Unfortunately, unfamiliar noises and close quarters stress me out. Plus, I know that after landing, I’ll have to navigate immigration and customs before any fun can begin.
My anxiety is why I load my carry-on bag with very specific items, from a wool scarf to keep things cozy and headphones to tamp down the noise to a tennis ball (really!) to improve circulation and relieve tightness. But there’s one more item that I pack especially for international travel, and it’s both commonplace and often overlooked.
Read on to find out about the small, simple object that can make your next trip overseas a whole lot easier. Trust me, you’re going to want to stash it in your carry-on the next time you fly.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.
Which item should you always take on an international flight?
A ballpoint pen. Yes, the humble, inexpensive, easily found-in-your-desk-caddy ink pen. While there are several reasons to bring one along, the most important is to be prepared to fill out any needed documents, such as immigration and customs forms. This is true even as governments are phasing out these forms in favor of digital processes such as Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control.
While “many countries are phasing out paper forms for arriving visitors in favor of digital ones, depending on your country of citizenship or origin, you might still be required to fill out a paper form when arriving,” says Eric Rosen, director of content at The Points Guy. And not all airlines have those forms on board to fill out before landing. If you don’t have your own pen, he adds, “you might find yourself in a mad rush to fill them out when you get to your destination airport.”
It’s why Rosen makes sure to travel with a few different pens. “That way, I can either [fill it out] on board if the airline hands them out or grab a form from a counter at the airport and fill it out while waiting in the immigration line, which lets me skip ahead of other travelers who have to wait on using a pen.”
Should you also bring a pen on domestic flights?
It couldn’t hurt! For one, if you don’t have a port or AC power outlet at your seat and your phone dies, you’ll be out of luck if you need to write yourself a note or add an item to a list.
And because in-flight Wi-Fi is not always reliable, your entertainment options might be limited. With a pen and key printed materials, you have uninterrupted time to do that crossword puzzle book you brought, catch up on your journaling or tackle that paperwork for your job.
Pens are also great to add to your children’s carry-on knapsack. Flights give them the time to play with their favorite activity books and dive into any worksheets they’ve been assigned at school.
Some people use pens with a little more purpose. Former flight attendant T.J. Newman, a New York Times bestselling author, jotted down the idea for her debut novel on a cocktail napkin mid-flight while working and continued to write it by hand whenever passengers were asleep on overnight flights.
Are all pens equal?
No. That is, while there are no restrictions on the kinds of pens you can bring on board, ballpoint or gel pens—with either blue or black ink—are your best bets.
The color matters when it comes to filling out any official documents. Plus, ballpoints and, to a lesser extent, gel pens have added thickeners in their ink that make them more stable. Heat and cabin pressure can affect the more watery ink found in fountain pens and rollerballs, making them less reliable.
That watery ink is one of the reasons fountain pens and rollerballs are more prone to leaking and exploding. The last thing you want is to arrive at your destination with a stain spread over your pants like a Rorschach test.
Make your mark
Flying inches from a stranger can be awkward—even maddening. (Please, I beg you, bring socks if you want to take your shoes off.)
And yet it can actually be fun. After all, you never know who you’re going to meet. “Carrying a pen with you is also just a good idea,” notes Rosen. “And who knows, someone might ask to borrow your pen, [and] you could make a new friend.”
RELATED:
- New Report: These 3 Airlines Offer the Cheapest Fares (Bonus: They Still Allow Free Carry-On Bags!)
- Dangerous, Hazy Smoke Has Been Seeping into Airplane Cabins—Here’s What You Need to Know
- Airline Passengers Are Reportedly Doing This 40% More Frequently—And Flight Attendants Aren’t Having It
About the expert
|
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Eric Rosen, director of content at The Points Guy; email interview, Oct. 28, 2025
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection: “Mobile Passport Control (MPC)”
- MSNBC: “Flight Attendant turned two-time bestselling author”
- Goldspot: “Why Do Ink Pens Explode?”
