I love to travel, there is nothing more exciting to me then waking up in a foreign country and trying new and exciting things. I’ve planned some great getaways for this year so I thought I would share some of my travelling tips with you. As I’ve started to pack for my next getaway I thought I would firstly start with the task that is sometimes a chore or sometimes a joy, packing.
♥ Do your research!
Before you even think about packing your suitcase it’s important you find out as much about the place you’re going to as you can. Don’t just look at the weather forecasts, find out what places you would like to visit and if there’s a certain dress code. Some temples in Thailand require you to cover your shoulders and wear a skirt which covers your knees, occasionally they will give you a robe but in some more secluded places they may not have any clothing to provide you with to allow you to enter. You may think all you need is a bikini and some suntan lotion but what if it rains or the beaches are closed? Try to find out as many interesting things to do and see before you go and make a list of them, you may not be able to do everything but you certainly won’t be short of different things to do and see whilst you’re there.
♥Check airline/country customs and allowances
Find out the baggage allowance for your flight and what things you are and aren’t allowed to take on board the flight. Some countries are very strict with what you take into them, Australia is extremely strict with what you take into the country and you may find your favourite biscuits, soap etc. being taken off you when you arrive and even worse a fine to pay! If you often find yourself over the baggage allowance (as I used to do) then get yourself a smaller suitcase as this will prevent you from packing so much, also remember it’s not just the contents inside which attribute to the weight it’s the suitcase itself so even though a nice solid steel suitcase would be a great and safe option how heavy is it and will you be able to take all the contents you need with you?
♥ Plan your outfits
So now you may have a rough idea of what you’ll be doing whilst you’re on holiday and it’s important to pack accordingly. Whilst it’s good to be prepared for all outcomes be sensible about it, if you’re planning 2 weeks on safari in Kenya the chance of snow there is pretty low so you probably won’t be needing that big warm winter coat or if you’ll be trekking in the Amazon rainforest it’s best to leave the stilettos and that little sequined dress at home.
♥ Vacuum bags are a godsend!
I’ve been using vacuum bags on my last few trips and they are brilliant! Sometimes when you pack your bags you find that although you’ve packed very little your suitcase is almost full, vacuum bags utilise the space in your suitcase and keep your clothes fresh throughout the journey.
Here is a weeks worth or dresses I packed to go to San Diego:
Here they are vacuumed packed
That’s a huge space saving they’ve given me which allowed me plenty of room to bring lots of souvenirs back. For my fellow Lolita’s packing your clothes in vacuum pack bags is fine they will pop back into shape once they’re given a good shake and hung up but DON’T pack your petticoat in one this should be the last thing you pack, this will ensure that it keeps it’s poof and doesn’t go flat during the journey. You can get special travel vacuum bags (which are what I use) where you squeeze the air out of them instead of using a vacuum cleaner to suck the air out, get some you won’t regret it!
♥ Always pack a swimsuit
You may not think you need it but an occasion may crop up when you do, so if you’re like me and a bit squeamish of wearing a rented suit or going naked in those communal showers best to pack a swimsuit just in case.
♥ Pack towels
Hotels do provide towels but sometimes they don’t or they’re so dirty and threadbare that you may not want to use them. I pack a couple for the simple reason that if one is not dry enough to use there is another one spare and so I have one to use for my hair and my body. Towels also make good blankets so if you find yourself stuck for one in a hostel or lonely airport you at least have a towel to keep you warm for the night! Another tip would be to pack any other colour but white as you may end up getting them confused with the hotel ones. A long time ago I found my beautiful , soft, white towels had disappeared from my room as the maid had confused them for the hotels towels needless to say that was the last I ever saw of them.
♥ Don’t forget your chargers & travel plugs
The last thing you want to do is get to a place only to find you haven’t packed your phone charger or travel plug which leaves you un-contactable for the next week and people at home fearing you dead (true story!). Pack your chargers, pack travel adaptors and pack spare batteries because I guarantee at some point you will be needing them.
♥ Everything is better in miniatureIf you’re only going away for a short while then you probably won’t need to pack your full sized beauty products, often they take up too much room so a better option is to pack miniatures. You can buy miniatures from most stores now but you can also get them for free to. Check beauty websites and see it they’re offering free samples, ask in stores if they have samples of your favourite products, keep the ones you get free in magazines and make the most of those hotel and airplane cosmetics they hand out. You can also transfer the products you use into smaller bottles or containers so you won’t need to take a big bottle with you only what you’ll need, and be sure to label them so you know what’s inside.
♥Leave yourself room
Don’t try to cram everything you can in before you go, leave yourself room for souvenirs and presents for friends and family. If you’re going on a longer trip or just a weekend break remember that you’ll be able to buy things out there (and most likely will) so it’s better to leave with a half empty suitcase of the essentials than an overflowing one of things you don’t need.
♥ Tag your suitcase
You never know when your luggage could go stray because once it’s checked in you won’t be seeing it till you arrive at your destination. Luckily in all my years of travel this has only happened a few times but although it’s rare it DOES happen. I’ve always made sure to label my suitcase with my name, home address (and/or hotel), contact number and flight details this way if it does go stray there is a clear indication of who it belongs to.
♥ Remember what you’ve packed
I sometimes make a list of my contents just in case a country requires me to declare any of the contents or my suitcase goes missing. If an official has to ask you what is inside it’s better to know than not to as this could be mistaken for something more serious. Travel insurance often covers the contents of your suitcase so if you need to make a claim make sure you know exactly what you packed just in case something does happen to it in transit.
♥ If you can’t lift it you’ve packed too much
I may be weak in the arms but if my suitcase is too heavy for me to lift I know I’ve got too much inside it. Unless you have an army of Sherpa’s to carry your luggage you might want to be able to lift your suitcase because unless you’re an A-list celebrity I doubt anyone will be willing to carry your heavy luggage for you!
I hope this somewhat relives the stress that packing can be, remember a holiday is supposed to be fun so don’t stress yourself out and make everything as enjoyable as you can. I’ll be back soon with some more travel tips so feel free to share you packing tips and secrets <3>
Petaling Candy by boopsie.daisy
