Holiday packing tips

05 October 2010

When packing luggage, it is important to take into account weight and size limits. On low cost airlines, you can only take one piece of hand luggage on the standard ticket price, the size must not exceed 56cmx45cmx25cm. You must pay extra for a suitcase, (20-30 €), and the weight must not exceed 20kg. There are hefty charges for overweight luggage, so it is worth your while packing correctly.

Here are some basic, common sense packing tips when going on holiday:

Electrical goods

You will probably require adaptors for your electrical items, which take up space and add weight to your luggage, so it is a good idea to assess what you really need to take with you. Are you sure you need an electric shaver, could you not use disposable razors? Most hotels and accommodation provide hairdryers and irons on request, so you are wasting space by bringing these.

Plus, take a look at your array of gadgets, do you really need to take your laptop, external hard drive, ipod and speakers with you? You are supposed to be going on holiday, is chatting on facebook how you really want to spend your time? Leave them at home, and you have the added benefit of not worrying if someone is going to steal them.

Toiletries

Liquids, pastes, gels and pastes must be in small containers of 100ml or less and placed in a plastic bag not bigger that 20cmx20cm when flying. Only take what you absolutely need, you can always buy anything you are missing at your destination.

Clothes

Try to take the minimum amount of clothes you can, packing items that you can combine and dress up or down with accessories according to the situation.

You can minimize creases and wrinkles by placing your clothes flat on top of each other, and rolling them into a bundle, thus eliminating fold creases. When you arrive at your destination, unroll your bundle and hang your clothes up as soon as possible. See videos: how to pack a suitcase for more packing tips.

Your bag

It is important to choose a quality, sturdy bag to take with you, as they get thrown about in baggage handling. Choosing a bag with an extendible handle and retractable wheels is invaluable when it comes to lugging your bag around. Even if your bag has wheels, make sure you can carry it up a flight of stairs without any problems. A good sign of a quality bag is the zipper, you want a strong, resistant zipper that is not going to break.

When choosing a bag for taking on as hand luggage, you want a sturdy bag that is not rigid, so it is easier to fit into overhead lockers.

Choose a good quality padlock to secure your bag. Also, make sure you put your name, address and flight details INSIDE the bag, as the airline tickets strapped to the outside of the bag can quite easily become separated from your luggage.

Remember, only take what you need, do not take anything with you that is valuable or you are not prepared to lose. And remember to keep your travel documents in your hand luggage, do not pack them in your suitcase!