Packing for holidays

I am in the middle of packing and flying out on Wednesday. I came for Christmas and am still here I never expected to be away for so long, I will be glad to be home. I have bought extra clothes and shoes now I have to fit most of it in my suitcase. My GSs are coming with me too, (parents coming later). I am very excited, I never dreamt that DS and family would decide on a tree change.

Since I have been here for eight months I have taken up pottery, art classes and bought a new bike. No chance of any of that fitting in my suitcase ever, luckily DS and DIL will bring my extra things later by car.

Well you know what they say........... A Faye isn't just for Christmas !

Just wondered, what's a "tree change" ?

We travel to Ireland all the time with Ryanair; believe me, this makes you a very light packer. Really good training.

I usually take 2 pairs black jeans (wearing one) several lycra T shirts (usually black) wear the flat shoes, pack the heels, and ring the changes with scarves and dangly earrings.
And, as DH says,"anything forgotten can be bought at the detination". Usually much cheaper than booking baggage onto the plane.
Smug eh?

For the first time in my life I took hand luggage only for a week's holiday and not only kept under the weight limit but also didn't wear a number of items.
I've decided never to use hold baggage again, it was stress-free and I loved getting out of the airport ahead of everyone else.

gillybob sometimes I felt like flying away so I could have a sleep in.

A tree change is a term when people move from a city to a rural setting, like a sea change.

This should sum up quite a few of us - me include I have improved, not before time, and now travel light. After returning from one holiday, I laid out all the clothes I hadn't worn on the bed - it said it all really

Sorry, don't know why it's sideways

The only tip I can offer is never ever forget your medication. That is more important than all the fancy clothes we cart around and never wear.

Travelling on budget airlines solves the problem and you learn quickly what you don't need.

In a month's time I am off to the States for 3 weeks, doing a tour of the National Parks and for the vast majority of the time only one night at each stop, so lots of finding stuff in the case and then repacking. Like stansgran I always do a list on the way home of the things I've packed to decide what was good/useless and what I wished I'd had. I have several 'travel' items of clothing, usually bought in the Rohan sales, that I can rinse through, drip dry and wear the next day. Before I went on a similar holiday I made a few drawstring bags, like PE bags, one for undies and socks, one for batteries and chargers and so on - this saved endless rummaging so they will be coming out again. I will also ditch a handbag and use instead a bum bag, or as they are known in the US, a fanny pack. I won't win any fashion awards, that's for sure!

Just back from a week's holiday. Luggage was two and a half days behind us - courtesy of BA!. Showed me how little you could get away with having with you!

Hi just a tip. I take bla ck and white trousers and t shirts then lots of scarves to ring the changes. Also take earrings to match scarves and hey presto, a different look each evening.

Over 3 weekends, in whatever season you are travelling, make a loose not of what you wore. This is a 6 day wardrobe so you can wear everything twice on a 12 day holiday with one outfit for travelling maybe? Depoending on what colour jewellery you wear, silver or gold, buy the same sandals for pretty time, one pair of 'walking' shoes and a pair of cheap flipflops for beach/pool. A decent large scarf/sarong incase its chilly. Job done. Recipe for a 2.5 week tour of Poland with a very upmarket cathedral christening (pure slik dress that folds to nothing) at the end with mountain hiking and evening/day extreme of temperatures and cities/churches, lakes mountains beach.

Inspired by a well known store I often said that my family ' never knowingly underpacked'. But like many I am getting fed up with lugging luggage. Co-ordinating clothes before you go so that you don't end up with a pile of tops that don't match anything definitely helps and begrudgingly I have to admit that those who say it is possible to do with a few pairs of shoes are right but four pairs are the fewest I have it down to.

A tip I remember reading in a Sunday Newspaper was if you need mostly casual clothes and just a few dressy items don't forget that a simple outfit can be 'dressed up' with jewellery and perhaps a belt which don't take up too much room.

We often fly with 10kg limit. This is ok in summer or when travelling to a hot destination but can be testing when you need jumpers and thicker trousers. Shoes are always the biggest problem. I now have this down to a fine art and we are usually grams within the limit. We could never purchase anything whilst on holiday as we never have the space or weight allowance - certainly saves money! When the children were small I packed for 5 of us in one suitcase and can never understand why people take so much when they've got to carry it all. I'm with Grannyknot all the way.

Big plus for vacuum bag tho some may seem too large for suitcase. I place items inside while in the suitcase then apply the vacuum cleaner nozzle and it shrinks the bag to fit size of suitcase = magic.

I have a very lightweight trolley bag for Ryanair who now allow a second small bag so now I can ditch my 'coat of 8 pockets' including in those the two sleeves stuffed with items and secured with safety pin. Winter outerwear was always a problem when hanging about a crowded airport. A duty free plastic bag is now allowed as extra bag so a bar of bought chocolate can provide valuable extra storage space.

I also travel frequently to visit elderly relative and leave stuff there. I write myself an email list and update as I would forget what was there or what I needed to include on next trip.

Holiday gear is bit boring as mostly only suitable for foreign climates and chucked into storage crate on return. I bring handwash powder and rinse items every day or so when in hot climate, things dry so easily.

I am flying to Orlando Wednesday with family. Have made lists put clothes out, mixed and matched and going to pack tomorrow, BUT am still dithering. In fact am going back into spare room to try and downsize. I will let you all know if I succeed! ✈️��

If it fits within the airline weight limit it goes with us! I have it off to a fine art and as my suitcase is wheelable it matters not how heavy it is. I don't want to be without something on hols, I like my clothes.

I have this down pat now. Even DH has latched on and is now even more minimalistic than me. Easier for a man though I think.
So for anything up to a week I pack only a carry on size piece of luggage, for longer than that I use a larger case. The rules I go by are that I pack mainly clothes of two colours, with maybe a splash of alternative with a scarf or throw. I wear a pair of walking/comfy shoes and pack one or maximum 2 others which are lightweight and slim. One pair in the summer being sandals. I have lots of sample sizes of cosmetics, shampoos etc which I save up year round and then use those when I travel. If I take a jacket I either wear it on the flight or pack it, in which case it must be lightweight and crushable. At the end of the day, you can wear only one set of clothes at a time…..
I hand wash underwear whilst away, easy and takes seconds to do and dries overnight.
This works well for me, and I usually wear everything I've brought. If necessary I can buy something whilst away if I find there's something vital I've forgotten. Not happened so far, but well may do now that I've said that!
I usually pack the afternoon/evening before flying, so I can't dither too much either.

Am very good at travelling light. It makes life so much easier. Our daughter has inherited this. She has just left to travel S. E. Asia for 8 months with a rucksack weighing only 9 kilo.

The trouble with only taking hand luggage is that I find it impossible to limit all creams and liquids to one plastic bag for security. Sometimes they overlook 2 or 3 plastic bags - sometimes not. Last time I did it I had to ditch loads of stuff at security and then replace it all in Boots - I am sure they are in cahoots!

Hi Noni, like you, I only carry hand luggage now, ever since I went to India on my own and got mobbed by porters trying to snatch my luggage off me. I make a rule not to take anything that I couldn't carry myself for at least a mile. No, I know that this doesn't make sense, but it works. So for a week, one pair comfy/walking shoes (to wear for travel) one pair of pretty sandals, one pair of flipflops to double as slippers. trousers (to wear for journey), one pair shorts and one pair shorts with zip on/zip off trouser legs. two dresses, 7 teeshirts, 7 changes of underwear and a pashmina to cover up. Two swimsuits. I take old knickers that I can throw away when I take them off. Likewise teeshirts - I don't take new ones, only oldish M and S basic ones, and discard them as I go along. That way I can make room in the bag for little bits and pieces I buy during the week. If it's a fortnight, I take enough for a week and wear it again! This doesn't really sound like fashion fun, and it isn't, but I like to relax on holiday and not be bothering about clothes. I roll everything up rather than folding. If you roll really tight things don't crease up. And I usually buy something mad in a market, like a 10euro sundress, that I would never buy at home.

I agree toiletries are the bugbear of hand luggage. We frequently go to Spain with just hand luggage. Last time I found a range of inexpensive copy perfume. Smells approximately like the real thing. So I leave perfume at home and spend a couple of Euros on the copies, to use there.

x

I'm packing now and I know I'm taking too much...

We've just arrived home today from Florida. We took two large cases and definitely could've just taken one. No fancy dresses or trousers were worn because it was too hot. Plus we have a washer and dryer in the villa. Sore arms from lugging those bags through the airport. Next time, I'll be more discerning......