Travelling is the done thing nowadays: everyone seems to be doing it. Flights, for the most part, are more than reasonably priced and enough planning ahead can get you abroad and exploring for very little cost. It’s only when you start adding on additional costs, like choosing your seat on the plane, breakfast at the hotel and that dreaded additional luggage charge when things start to get a little bit more expensive.
It is more than possible to travel abroad for both short trips and longer trips alike, you just need to be savvy about your packing and ensure that you’re only packing the essentials. Over the years, I’ve found that I’ve seriously over-packed and only worn half of the clothes in my suitcase – let’s be realistic, you don’t need 20 different outfits and 10 bikinis for 7 days in the sun! That’s without even mentioning the shoes…
Pack strategically
Packing is probably one of the only stressful things about going away: ‘have I forgotten something?’ being the question on everyone’s lips upon arrival at the airport. Chances are, yes, you have but as long as it’s not your passport, your boarding pass or your wallet then you’ll be absolutely fine and nothing bad will come of it. Make a checklist of everything you need to pack and cross it off the list as and when you put it into your case to completely eliminate the risk of you forgetting something important! Pack a rucksack or bag that can be easily flattened – I find that my Fjallraven Kankenbackpack is perfect for travelling as when it’s empty it flattens down and takes up absolutely no space in my hand luggage and it’s roomy enough to store all of my handbag essentials, sunglasses, a book, my camera, a large bottle of water and a light jacket. I also pack a small Kate Spade cross body clutch for evenings.
Buy toiletries when you get there
The temptation to stock up on those tiny little bottles of shower gel and shampoo before you go – not only are they a complete waste of money, they use up some of your limited liquid allowance, allowance you should be using on sun cream and makeup (if you wear it!) Believe it or not, supermarkets in Spain stock shampoo and shower gel just like they do over here in the UK and they’re not that expensive. Save your money in the UK and buy these items when you arrive. You can then just throw them away when you’re leaving, saving the hassle of having to cart them all back home.
Plan your outfits
One of the most exciting things about waiting to go away is checking the weather forecast for the time you’re being to be there and bragging shamelessly about just how hot it’s going to be. With this in mind, it’s easy to plan ahead and think about the type of clothes that you’re going to need to wear. Despite what you might think, if you’re going away for a week then you don’t need to pack your entire wardrobe. Think about what you’ll be doing whilst you’re there – if you’re planning on spending the entire holiday by the pool, then you’ll only need 3 or 4 bikinis and some loose dresses to throw over the top and then full outfits for the evening. If you’re more of a touristic type of holiday goer then pack loose and light clothes, the odd bikini and your evening outfits. Pack shoes that can be worn with a number of different outfits and shorts that can be worn with multiple blouses. Generally there is no weight limit across airlines for hand luggage, so as long as it fits in the correct-sized case and you can lift it easily into the overhead compartment, there’s absolutely no reason to worry about bringing additional luggage with you.
To summarise, hints and tips:
- Check the maximum hand-luggage dimensions of your specified airline.
- Think ahead about what you want to be wearing, based on your activities.
- Make a list! Pack only what you need to take with you!!!!
Travelling light is so much easier than it used to be and it seriously saves you money in the long run. Do you have any hints or tips for travelling lightly? Let me know in the comments and share your wisdom!
