The Best Packing Tips for a Stress-Free Travel Experience

You’re excited to be leaving for your trip next week, and you’ve just finished making a list of things you need to bring. You’re staring at your empty suitcase wondering: how can you pack your clothes so that you have more room in your suitcase? What happens if you lose your passport or another essential travel document while you’re in a foreign country?

These packing tips will help you avoid stressful situations you might encounter while traveling so that you can enjoy your trip without any worries.

Keep some essentials in your carry-on

Plan ahead and keep the items you’ll need most in your carry-on just in case your checked baggage gets lost or stolen. A few things you’ll want in your carry-on are toiletries, a change of clothes, and other accessories depending on where you’re going.

If you’re traveling to a hot destination, you might want to pack a bathing suit and flip-flops so that you can head to the beach as soon as you get there. Another tip that can save you time and money is putting heavy items in your carry-on instead of your suitcase since carry-on baggage usually isn’t weighed with checked baggage. That way, you won’t have to deal with the extra fee you would have to pay if your luggage was overweight.

Always make sure the contents of your carry-on meet your airline’s standards, especially when it comes to hygiene products since you’ll only be allowed to bring a minuscule amount of liquid on board.

Roll, don’t fold

Rolling your clothes instead of folding them prevents wrinkles from forming and saves you a ton of luggage space. You’ll have extra room to pack everything you need, and you can fit shoes and other heavy items between rolled clothing, preventing them from getting crushed and creased like they would if they sat on top of folded clothes.

You won’t have to scramble to iron clothes that have been wrinkled in your suitcase when you reach your destination. Plus, you’ll have room to bring back more than you came with, so you can feel free to shop for as many souvenirs as you want.

Carry all of your important documents together

Keep all of your most important travel documents, including your passport, driver’s license, plane tickets, and secondary forms of identification in one wallet. Putting these items in separate places or in different compartments of your carry-on can make for a stressful travel experience since you’ll be fumbling with your bag every time you need to show a document at the airport. If everything is in one spot, you can easily access these items when you need them, and you’ll be less likely to lose the documents you need most.

Pack extra bags in your suitcase

Once you’ve finished packing, put one or two lightweight bags in your luggage. They’re the perfect solution for items you can’t toss in your suitcase with the rest of your clothes. If you have a wet bathing suit, a pair of shoes, or dirty laundry you need to take back with you, simply place it in the bag and keep it separate to avoid making a mess of your luggage.

You can use whatever clean bags you have in your home for this purpose; even a plastic grocery bag or garbage bag will do. If you forget to bring one with you on your trip, you can use the laundry bag that most hotels provide in the closet of each room.

In addition to these tips, remember never to leave your baggage unattended and to keep an eye out for pickpockets in touristy areas of your destination. Know the local phone number for emergency services and locate the embassy that is nearest to you, just in case. Now that you have the best packing tips for stress-free traveling, sit back, relax and enjoy your trip!

See Also:

• Best Concealed Carry Backpack