The holiday season is here and whether you loathe or love packing- there is a handy knack to packing efficiently. Here we share our top packing tips with you so suitcase nightmares can be a thing of the past!
1.Make a list…and check it twice!
Worried you might leave your favourite beach dress at home? Writing a packing list means that you’ll be unlikely to forget the essentials and avoid that awful feeling that you might have left something important at home! It also stops you taking too much – which leads us nicely onto our second top tip…
2.Don’t over pack outfits
You have to be ruthless if you want to slim-line your case. Lay all your items on the bed and get rid of a third of them. You’ll only wear an outfit a day so there’s no point taking too many clothes. Plus a few well-chosen accessories like hats, bags and shoes can add variety to your outfits and transform them from day to night outfits!
3.Roll it up
Roll your clothes – don’t fold! Not only is it a space saver but it prevents your clothes from creasing, who wants to do a pile of ironing as soon as you reach your destination? You can even roll socks and underwear into shoes, then pack the shoes at the bottom of your case with belts around the outer edge. Plus try and travel with clothes that are made of crease-free fabric – you’ll find many holiday essentials are!
4.Just take the bare necessities
Check what your hotel provides as you probably won’t need to pack big, heavy items like towels and hair dryers that take up loads of room. They’ll likely provide toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner and body wash too, but if you want to take your own then go travel size and pack 50ml bottles instead. Make sure any caps are screwed on tight and wrap in cling film or plastic bags to avoid spillages in transit ruining your holiday wardrobe!
5.Pack some must-haves in your hand luggage
Be prepared just in case the unthinkable happens and your luggage goes missing. Don’t forget to pack some essentials in your hand luggage! Even just a maxi dress, cardigan and a set of underwear will see you through the first day there and not ruin the start of your holiday.
6.Know your limits
Each airline has different restrictions on baggage allowance and weight. Do your research to avoid paying out for baggage over the weight limit. You can also invest in a lightweight case and luggage scales to avoid any nasty surprise charges at the check-in desk! See this link to ensure you know the rules for flying in the UK.
7.Spruce up your suitcase
Make your suitcase easier to spot at the luggage carousel with things like stickers, ribbon or bright luggage tags.
8.Be wallet wise
Although many airlines now offer mobile boarding passes, it’s important to have all your paperwork, in an easy-to-access place. Invest in a travel wallet for your documents like foreign currency, travel insurance print outs, emergency credit card, passport and itinerary.
9.Stay fresh
A handy trick to keep your clothes smelling fresh, especially after a long flight, is to add a fabric conditioner sheet or draw liner to keep your clothes smelling like they’ve just come out of the tumble dryer!
10.Finally save some room!
Planning to do some serious shopping or stock up on souvenirs when you’re away? Then make sure there’s some space in your case. Surely that’s a great incentive to stick to our handy packing guide! So for example, instead of heavy guide books and trashy novels how about taking an e-book or kindle instead?
Need some extra help? Let Julie talk you through her additional hints and tips for stressfree packing!
Get packing! Now you know how to sort your suitcase in the most efficient way, you can shop for holiday essentials at damart.co.uk today!