Not everyone lives somewhere with crunchy leaves and pumpkin-scented air. The writer behind this piece grew up with proper North American autumns — Montreal, Vermont, New York City on one recent foliage-hopping route, and a month-long trip through California, Missouri and Minnesota on this year's calendar — but now calls a temperate Mediterranean climate home, where fall barely registers. The solution: pack the season itself.

The idea is simple. If you can't make it to New England for peak foliage, a handful of lightweight items can recreate that cool-outside, warm-inside feeling in any hotel room or rental, anywhere in the world.

First up is scent. A compact candle or a set of scent sticks in vanilla, pumpkin, musk or pine instantly transforms a generic room into something spiced and woodsy. Two practical caveats: never leave a burning candle unattended, and double-bag any oil-based diffusers so they don't leak into your luggage.

Second, coffee flavouring. Rather than hunting down a pumpkin spice latte every morning, bring packets or a small bottle of spiced syrup and make your own in-room brew. The syrup pulls double duty in the evening — it works in hot toddies and Irish coffees too.

Third, fuzzy socks. A blanket is too bulky to justify suitcase space, but a pair of autumn-coloured socks (plus a scarf if you have room) delivers most of the same coziness for a fraction of the weight.

Fourth and fifth are entertainment. A physical book beats an e-reader for atmosphere — curling up with paper pages, a spiced latte and a candle burning is the full fall aesthetic. If packing a book feels like dead weight, buy one at your destination, or simply download a stack of Halloween and comfort shows to a laptop or tablet before you leave. A cosy film at the end of a sightseeing day, drink in hand, completes the illusion.

The charm of this list is that none of it is destination-dependent. It works whether you're in a cabin in Minnesota, a city apartment rental in Montreal or a beach town that's never seen a red leaf. For travellers who chase a specific seasonal feeling rather than a specific place, it reframes packing: a few ounces of candle, syrup, socks and screen time can carry the mood across continents.

It's also a nudge towards slower travel — the hike, the big-window reading session, the rewatch of a favourite series. Autumn travel, this argues, is less about where you go and more about the atmosphere you build once you get there.