It’s that time of year again. Summer is here , school’s nearly out and most Europeans take their ‘big holiday’ of the year in the coming weeks. Packing is often one of those dreaded tasks left until the day before . Being smart about what you bring and how you bring it goes a long way. Packing definitely doesn’t need to be a headache! Here are my top 5 packing tips …

1. Do not over pack

Lay out all your clothes before you go so that you don’t over pack. Make a list of the days that you will be at your destination and activities that you know you will need specific clothes for. Factor in day and evening wear and items that can be used for both. When you’ve made a list of the clothes you think you’ll need lay them out and start to cut back. Who hasn’t brought 4 dresses too many on a trip when 1 would have been enough. Be ruthless! Less is always more.

2. Use packing cubes

If you don’t already have a set of packing cubes you need to buy some now. You can get a set on Amazon for about €10 ! They are that cheap. A set usually include 3 cubes and 3 pouches for laundry. Pack the cubes by clothing type and then arrange them in your case. Cubes eliminate dead space , make unpacking far easier and it is so much easier to find items.  If you are travelling with kids use different colours for each person in the family. Since  I started using cubes I only ever bring a carry on suitcase no matter how far I’m going . They are a game changer.

3. Leave room for souvenirs

Make sure to leave enough space in your suitcase for some inevitable souvenirs. I usually pack one side of a carry on case with packing cubes and leave the other side free for souvenirs. Shopping of some sort or another will always happen and it’s better to have space in your luggage than to be dragging extra bags with you so factor it in before you go.

4. Carry on only (if at all possible)

If possible don’t check in luggage and travel with one carry on light weight suitcase and 1 tote bag (toiletries, electronics, passports , money) per person instead. It saves time at the airport and your luggage is not going to get lost en route to your destination. You can use a laundry service wherever you go in the world. There is usually no real need to check in large suitcase.

5. Checked in baggage

If you must check in a suitcase you should label it with luggage tags and tie something like a colourful ribbon or a shoelace to a handle so that it is recognizable on the baggage carousel in a sea of identical suitcases.  Pack a change of clothes in your hand luggage if you are checking in a bag in case your suitcase goes missing.  And again only check in a suitcase if you really really need to!

Thanks for reading and happy packing!

Trish