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How to Pack For Short Trips Tips: 6 Useful tips
Packing for a weekend or other short trips?? It seems like it wasn’t so long ago that we all used to drag suitcases with us no matter where we traveled to. I know l was definitely an over-packer. Those days are long gone as airlines have become even more stingy, not just with the luggage allowance, but with their seat space as well. I know it is becoming the norm in America. Now that we live in Europe, we fly a lot on low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air. You are only allowed to carry on luggage for free.
For the most part, you are limited to 10kg (about 22 lbs), with ridiculous size requirements. Anything over that, you have to fork over 35€ (~$42) or more, which is insane. You are also required to print out your own boarding pass, which must be on size A4 paper, otherwise, it’s a €15-25 surcharge. I have learned to cut down on what l carry and now, I’m good to go whenever. Here are some weekend trip packing tips.
How to pack for short trips: What to pack for a short trip:
- Underwear. Roll them up, Ziploc and put it in a shoe to take as little space as possible.
- Bra. Depending on how long you are away, you might just need the one you have on.
- Scarf in a neutral color. It is an easy way to give new life to an old outfit. I love my gold coloured pashmina
- Toiletry bag
- Tank Top. It is lightweight and versatile. It can be used as a “bra” replacement, a stylish top with a scarf, or as PJ at night.
How to pack for an overnight, weekend, or short trip:
Passport/ID check the night before:
1) Leave your passport and boarding passes in your luggage or handbag the night before! There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and discovering this. Tears will be shed!!! Fees will be paid. The money will be lost! You can never check too many times. I always do one last check as we leave and lock the doors. As long as you have these, you can still fly and shop for whatever is left behind once you get to your destination.
Duplicate toiletries in your weekend bag luggage:
2) Vacation checklist tip that saves time in the future. Leave a spare set of toiletries in the luggage. These include a spare toothbrush, deodorant, and toothpaste. Don’t forget the maximum size is 100gm. A good idea is to reuse sample size containers of moisturizers, eye shadow etc.
You can also get an 8-dram container from your friendly local pharmacist. It’s perfect for potions. I also save sampler perfumes. I once had to leave a very full bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Classique” to a bathroom attendant rather than leave it to those X-ray people, but l was sad about it, but l hope she enjoyed wearing it.
Pack light for short trips:
3) Pack light. I try to choose clothes that work together. I usually wear a pair of jeans and pack another one to alternate with. I pack more tops, casual for the day, and sweaters or shirts for dinner. Wear layers if it’s going to be cold. Bring a neutral or black sweater that will match everything. Your packing items for travel should be versatile.
Pack your lighter shoes:
4) Wear your heavier shoes and pack a pair of light sneakers or footwear. I know some people can get away with just one pair of shoes, but my feet hurt after walking all day, so l like to wear a different pair the next. If you have flat feet as l do, it is essential that you wear the proper shoes for flat feet. Roll your socks and put them inside your packed shoes.
Using your handbag as ladies weekend bags (overnight weekend luggage)
5) Bring a big enough handbag to fit a DSLR camera and lens if you travel with them. This leaves you more space in the hand luggage. I love this bag because l can use the short handle to hold it close under my arms in shady areas or as a crossbody bag. It has a zipper along the top as well as a side pocket on the outside for easy access to the passports.
I always notice that women who get pick-pocketed tend to be carrying handbags that have just a little closure in the middle. That is just making it super easy for a thief to reach in and grab your wallet. Don’t forget that men can have a second little bag too, so you can pack electronics (iPad, etc) in your second luggage piece.. a man purse maybe?
I consider my leather weekend handbag a must for travel. It looks deceptively dainty but is in fact very sturdy and deep. I’ve actually used it as a large weekend bag in the summer (minus the camera of course) when light weekend packing meant undies, a toothbrush, makeup, one change of clothing, and few other essentials like wallet and passport. You might want to consider your bigger handbag as an alternative overnight travel bag or weekend luggage :-).
Weekender Bags for Women:
My Coach bag also makes the best weekender bag. It is deep and already has the usual slots for cellphones etc. The depth allows you to carry clothing, a camera, makeup, and even a pair of shoes. You’ll notice the sides have openings where you can put even more weekend travel items such as suntan lotion and wipes.
Tip for packing right: Roll up your clothes and put them in a Ziploc bag before putting them in your handbag weekend bag. This not only takes up minimal space, but it allows you to be able to identify things quickly. I guess you could use packing cubes, but l find that the clear plastic bags do the same for less. Women’s large weekend bag on the go! :-).
You can only imagine the freedom of walking through the airport without lugging the luggage. Nothing beats that feeling. Once you are at your destination, just unpack quickly, and you have a stylish bag that’s ready to go. A bag like this doubles as a regular handbag and as a stylish ladies’ weekend travel bag.
Here is a stylish and posh looking, and definitely cute weekender women’s bag that is oversize and will a lot of stuff, also comes in a variety of colors from BAOSHA. It’s a versatile bag that can also be used for the gym. Perfect.
Grab yours right now on Amazon.
To complete the look, you can add the matching Dopp kit for your toiletries.
Purchase yours right now
Weekender Bag for Men. BAOSHA also makes the large weekend bag for men in sturdy canvas and leather. Believe it or not, packing for a 5 day trip with this bag is entirely possible. My husband uses it often when we travel on short trips.
Yours for purchase on Amazon
This MSG vintage dopp kit for men compliments the weekend bag nicely.
Grab your own here
*Protect your trip with the best travel insurance. Get your free quote.
Bring your own snacks and food:
6) Bring sandwiches in your bag, and buy drinks at the airport to save money. It sucks to be hungry when you’re waiting at the airport, not to mention the price gouging. €10 for a ham and cheese sandwich? I don’t think so. It still sucks to pay €3 for a small bottle of water, but better get it at the airport and not on the plane! Nuts are good snacks to bring with you. Filling, and they help lower cholesterol! 🙂
*** Bonus Tip*** – Make sure to pack any prescription medication you have into your hand luggage or purse. Do not leave them in your checked luggage. Lord forbid the airlines lose or misplace your bags. You don’t want to ruin your holiday by running around looking for a doctor. Most countries will require you to see a doctor in that particular country. I always carry a copy of my prescription in my wallet just in case. It would make it easier for the prescribing doctor to find the equivalent foreign name. So make sure in your list of things to pack, you include your prescription copies.
Since we had our epic travel fail, we have taken to carrying insurance. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind since things can, and do go wrong on your vacation. Travel insurance saves you money in the long run.
It has been a big adjustment for me learning how to pack for short trips, but l must say it’s been freeing too. It’s nice to get off the plane and head out of the airport straight away instead of waiting at Baggage Claim. It also makes it easy to move around, especially when you are in unfamiliar surroundings. A lot of times, you realize just how nice it is if you arrive too early to check into your hotel for instance. Better to zip around with a small piece than a bulky suitcase.
What to pack for a short trip checklist: (Travel essentials checklist)
This is a good base list of what to bring when traveling, whether it’s for a short weekend trip or a longer international trip
- Passport or government ID
- Medications
- Camera
- Phone
- Food/snacks
- Extra underwear in your hand luggage or handbag
- Make sure any liquid containers are less than 100ml in size
- Put all liquids in a Ziploc bag. This makes it easy to pull out at security. No waiting.
- Download maps that you can use offline to save on data charges. Maps. Me or Triposo are good
- A scarf is good for covering up on the plane/train/bus instead of airline blankets that are rarely washed and it dresses up an outfit.
- Noise-canceling headphones or any other travel comforts that you like, such as neck pillow.
- Phone bank charger for when your phone runs out of juice.
What about you? How do you travel? Do you have any tips on how to pack for short trips or any holiday packing list items to share?
I am always a sucker for new books and reading material from new places I visit. Thus I always under pack my luggage because I know I’m going to be adding to my maximum weight with the new books I buy. I’m sure we all have something we like to bring back from trips.
Right you are! I used to carry books to read with me. Now, my books are on the ipad, but l do bring back loads of pamphlets and souvenirs, usually fridge magnets and t-shirts, sometimes shoes. It is important to save room for them. Thanks for the tip and for visiting the blog.
When I first started to travel, I packed all my belongings in suitcases and had the most terrible time in the world carrying them around. It didn’t take long to realize that for a 7 day vacation I don’t need 14 t-shirts, 10 pairs of pants and so on, so right now I’m trying to travel as light as possible.
It seems that Wizz Air is our best way to getting to Malta, but since we’d be packing for 2 months, we’ll probably have to go for that outrageous fee to carry more luggage…
Yeah..it sucks when you lug all this stuff and don’t even wear them on the holiday! Wizz Air is even stingier with space than Ryanair. We had to pay €10 euro extra each way because your free carry on allowance is 46cm x something or other! and our dimensions were 56x. I’m afraid you are going to have to pay the outrageous fees, there is just no getting around it. I miss the good old days of two 50lb luggages :0)
I totally agree with this post. I usually travel with tons of stuff and after my recent trip from Spain to London, I promised myself never to travel with a lot of stuff anymore. Its not worth the stress and extra body ache. I finally realized there must have been a reason airlines made the 50lbs limit on luggage – we just don’t need that much stuff.
You have a good point about the body ache.. :o) as the body is no longer willing to suffer. We definitely don’t need that much. I must admit that l worry sometimes that my pictures will look the same, just different backgrounds, that’s the vanity talking, but who cares? Life is a whole lot simpler, and my back thanks me. I can’t wait to see your post from Budapest. I thank you for stopping by and for your comment.
I am the worst with clothes. I will literally bring 3X as many outfits as I need…for no reason!
“I am the worst with clothes. I will literally bring 3X as many outfits as I need…for no reason!”
Hah hah! That used to be me. They really make it so tough on you now. Some of these airlines, even your handbag must fit in the luggage! It’s funny seeing people go to the bathroom and take off all their layered clothing.
I remember the first time I went to Europe on a 2 week tour I packed way to much. It was such a hassle and it was winter time so also had to deal with heavy coats. Not good. Best to pack light.
I definitely agree with packing light. I suppose we did it because we were allowed to. I always felt like l needed to have my full 50 lbs, you know, like they did scientific research and determined that 50lbs was just right..lol.. Now, of course we make do with less. Nobody needs that much stuff, but it does suck in winter with the bulky sweaters. Thanks for your comment.
This is a really good post. I especially like Nr. 4. I recently forgot this on my last trip to London as it happens! I was trying to cut down on weight and only brought one pair of boots that I was wearing. Ha! It rained and I went on a walking tour too. My feet were awful by the end of the day so I’ll follow your advice next time!
Re. Nr. 5. I like to buy lots of books when I’m in an English-speaking country and depending on why I’m travelling, I have this lovely leather man-bag that I stole from my husband. It’s huge and looks classy, so I put all the heavy books there LOL!
Thanks for sharing kemkem. 🙂
Oh..I bet you were mad about the wet boots and having to wear them again the next day! Good idea about books in the big bag, not to mention the sandwiches etc..your leather man bag sounds perfect!
Great tips Kemkem, I also like to roll up my clothes since it takes less space and I put socks and underwear inside shoes etc. I got quite good at packing light now. Even when travelling with the RV I have really cut down on the amount of clothes I take.
Thanks Gilda. I’m surprised you pack light in the RV too. My first instinct would be to overpack since there is more space… haha! I love rolling my clothes since l have very few things that need ironing. Yeah, it’s fun to challenge yourself and see how light you can go :-).
I’m still having problems packing light, and we also enjoy the advantages of having a young kid traveling with us – we basically get a free extra bag since his clothes and everything else takes so little space. But we usually manage to do it with 2 bags only, which is a huge progress from several years ago when it always seemed that we don’t have enough space – I will always remember my first vacation abroad in Greece where I brought so many clothes that I didn’t even end up wearing them all – almost my entire wardrobe for a 7-day vacation. Lessons learned :)))
It is a bit hard and takes practice, but like you, after overpacking for so long, and not wearing half the stuff, I started to really pay attention to what l can do to change that. For me, the pashmnina was a game-changer as l could really change the look of things. I guess it would be weird for a man with a scarf… haha!
It’s also very nice that you have extra space thanks to your son :-). The airlines are determined for us to travel with just the clothes on our backs it seems. That way you have no choice but to spend when you get to your destination. There will always be a way though.
Loved reading your post and the necessary reminder for me NOT to pack so many clothes, Kemkem! Even as a veteran overseas traveler, I know better but have fallen into the same trap year after year. Have been planning our first overseas trip since the pandemic and your post was what I needed to pack far fewer clothes come September. I have always been the ‘I don’t want people to see me in the same outfits day after day’ type but I am sure no one would remember anyway. Simply a case of my own vanity, I guess, and also getting bored seeing the same clothes so often. Plus, with advancing age, it’s harder to lug around heavy bags for two plus months up and down hotel stairs.
Thanks Annie! I have a feeling that it will be a struggle for me post lockdown now to pack light. Part of my brain keeps thinking “what if you get stuck somewhere? etc.” and it might be hard to shake. It just seems like l have to relearn a whole bunch of things..haha. It’s funny, almost on a daily basis l ask Fede if anyone would remember that l wore the same pants yesterday? It’s all in our heads, and l’m sure most people wear the same things too. Haha! Age does indeed make it harder to lug luggage. I am so over that. Change it up with scarves is my motto now. I can’t wait to read about your upcoming overseas trip. I’m just catching up on your NC trip.