Make sure you can easily carry all your stuff up two flights of stairs twice. Seems silly but it won’t when you come face to face with subway stairs. Bring at least two pairs of shoes so that you can change back and forth. Bring Band-Aids, earplugs and an eyeshade. Bring any medications you need to take. If flying make sure your luggage is small enough to fit in the overhead bins or under your seat or be prepared to pay hefty baggage fees. If packing light just isn’t your thing look at airlines like Southwest that still offer free baggage check and consider booking their tickets even if they aren’t the cheapest. Most airlines now have a $25.00 per bag fee. If your bag is over 50 pounds or oddly shaped be prepared to pay about $100.00 per bag.
While you are preparing for your trip it is helpful to use a vacation packing list to remind you to take all the things you will need on your holiday. A travel-packing list is especially important if you are also packing for other people like children. The most important things to pack are your identification, including health insurance & contact information; you travel plans & tickets and your money & credit cards. Everything else is just stuff and you can probably buy it if you have to. When packing remember that sharp objects and liquids or gels larger than a travel size are not permitted in your carry-on luggage. Try to pack appropriate clothing for the location and weather and pack multitasking clothing that is easy to wash and dry. There is several travel clothing manufactures these days that specialize in clothing designed especially for travel. Also remember to pack entertainment materials and a few snacks. Traveling can have long patches of waiting and having a deck of cards or a good magazine can come in very handy for entertaining children as well as yourself.
Here are some examples of travel packing lists:
You will notice that most of things on the previous two packing lists are not clothes. There are many things- like the right shade of makeup for your skin- that you can’t buy easily. Clothes on the other hand are everywhere in abundance. If you need an extra swimsuit- splurge a little- you are on vacation!
One last tip for packing your bags- try to leave a little space in that tiny bag I am suggesting you take. There are two reasons for this. One you don’t want the bag to burst on you. Secondly, you will probably want to buy some things on your trip and you will need a place to put them. One way to make extra space in your bag is to wear layers of clothing on the plane. It also helps to roll your clothing and keep everything tidy. Bon Voyage and have a great trip!