Most people’s carry-on bags hold items like a sweater, book, tablet, chargers, snacks, maybe hand sanitizer, and an eye mask. Pop music icon Shania Twain is bringing a mini recording studio everywhere she goes. “In my carry-on for many, many years is my Pro Tools set-up for recording,” says Twain. “I do a lot of writing and recording in my hotel rooms, so I bring an Apollo [audio-processing hardware], my microphone, the laptop, all of that.”
Her latest album, Little Miss Twain, features songs that she wrote and produced years ago, with themes stretching back to her teen romances. The best-selling country-pop artist of all time, Twain got nostalgic with Condé Nast Traveler about her first business-class flight, which she took after signing her record deal, as well as more recent travel—like her 12-night stint performing with Harry Styles in London at Wembley Stadium this past summer—and shared future trips, like the one she’s plotting to India this winter. Plus, other quirky items on her packing list.
Her favorite mode of transportation:
If we're speaking about touring, bus is my favorite way to travel. I just love moving into it and then not having to unpack every day. I don't love living out of a suitcase. I like to settle in; that's my thing. I like sleeping in small spaces.
Her first flight in business class:
It was from Toronto to Nashville, after I signed to my record label. They bought me a business-class ticket. People were still smoking on planes then, and I’m so sensitive to cigarette smoke. I thought ‘gee, if you’re moving up in the world, do you have the right to say, Do you mind?’ I was so perplexed that people could smoke in business class, but that was the way it was. And I remember the food was better.
Her packing approach:
I'm a good packer, a really good packer. I would say I'm a thoughtful packer, in the sense that I've got a good routine down. I pack in categories: I’ll do the shoes, then jewelry, then pajamas, then underwear and socks. Quite organized.
How she passed the time in London between shows this summer:
I love London. I love to walk, and London has a lot of really quaint, walkable areas with pubs and cafes and shopping. I love Hyde Park. I've ridden horses and gone to concerts there, and it's all walkable from the hotels. And there's the theaters! This summer, I took advantage of seeing Paddington, which was extraordinary. It was just adorable. The cast is really exceptional. I mean, the story is great—we all know the story—but I just thought the theater was ideal for the intimacy of it.
Her favorite places to stop through on tour:
Quebec City is a great place for a day off on tour. It’s very Paris-like, this little time capsule—like a little bit of Paris was brought over to Canada. It's so quaint and beautiful, and on the water. Very walkable as well.
The part of Canada she wants more tourists to see:
I would recommend people visiting Canada see more of where I'm from [in northeastern Ontario], because nature is the most extraordinary. We've got areas where you can go moose watching, for example. You're not in a zoo. You see all these wild animals and it's really beautiful.
Her priorities when planning a vacation:
Food definitely motivates me when I'm traveling. I need to make sure that I'm going to enjoy the food because, as a vegetarian especially, it can be quite limiting. One of my favorite places to visit and eat as a vacation trip is Egypt, because it gives me everything I need. I like to walk everywhere and see the architecture. That's a big thing for me—to see history on every block. I love ancient history particularly, and the cities and villages that are museums in themselves. And then, like I said, the food. The Lebanese food [in Egypt] is extraordinary for vegetarians. So that's a part of the world that I really love.
Why she chose to have a home in Switzerland:
I had a language base of French growing up in a bilingual town in Ontario and I wanted to maintain that, which I get to do in Switzerland, living on the French side. Plus, the benefit of being in Switzerland is you have the valley and the lakes below, but then you can just drive up for 20 minutes and be on a glacier. I'll never give up my four seasons—and being Canadian, I love winter.
The items she needs in her hotel room:
One thing I miss the most when I'm traveling in hotels is not being able to cook. I love to cook so I always make sure that there is a really good blender, and that I have things like raw spinach, avocados, tomatoes, and bread—things that I can put olive oil and salt and pepper on and make my own snack without calling room service.
The place she’s never been that she’d like to see next:
Even though I’ve been very lucky to travel in my career, there's a lot of places I haven't been. I've never been to India. I've got a trip planned this January to Hyderabad, because I have friends from there. I've heard so much about [the country], and I know so many people that have gone, but this will be my first experience. And don't forget, India has the best vegetarian food!