At the pack suitcase It can happen that important things were forgotten or that you didn’t take enough with you. In order not to spoil your vacation right from the start, it makes sense to plan ahead of time what you really need and to pack it correctly. Many things are not allowed in hand luggage, but others must always be with you, such as all important documents, valuables and medication. In addition, hand luggage should be optimized for all cases so that you can get by with just these things for a few days. When packing, it makes sense to ask yourself: ‘Which utensils can I never do without?’
Packing your bags – the preparation
Preparing for the trip and your luggage starts with the weather check. A look at the current weather forecast 1-2 days before departure can throw a spanner in the works. Avoid unpleasant surprises and outfits that don’t suit the weather conditions if you are well prepared for the temperatures in your destination. Use this valuable information to create a packing list.
Pack your bags – create a checklist
The day before you start packing your suitcase, create a well-thought-out suitcase checklist. Think about what you really need. Find out in advance which utensils are provided in the hotel. In particular, towels, bathrobes and hairdryers are part of the standard equipment in many hotels. There are also cultural differences from country to country, such as electricity connections, and you can inquire about them by email. You then put the packing list you have created in your luggage so that you don’t forget anything when you leave.
Pack your suitcase or travel with hand luggage only
Many people like to travel without a lot of luggage and are therefore more flexible. This has many advantages and, especially with low-cost airlines, you don’t have to pay extra. In addition, no time is lost when checking in and arriving. The different airlines have their own regulations regarding how large and heavy a piece of hand luggage should be and you should find out about this in good time. Most have the size limited to 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm and the weight to around 6 to 10 kilos depending on the airline. If you can manage with just a few things during your vacation, you can save a lot of money on luggage fees. It is worth investing in a piece of luggage that is specially designed for these dimensions.
Pack your suitcase – what things are not allowed with you in your hand luggage
For safety reasons, certain items may not be taken in hand luggage. We have put together a list:
- (Several) lighters
- Soups, jams, spreads, …
- Large amounts of liquids, including pastes, syrups, lotions and gels
- Medicines without a prescription and not in their original packaging
- Pegs for camping
- Certain sports and leisure equipment
- Fishing rods
- Peroxides and hair dyes
- Drills and other tools
- Nail files, nail scissors & razor blades
Liquids, creams or gels may be taken in hand luggage if they are filled into lockable individual containers of up to 100 ml and packed in a lockable plastic bag of up to 1 liter.
Packing your suitcase – How many pieces of luggage are allowed?
Many airlines allow you to take a second bag or personal item other than hand luggage into the cabin of the aircraft. In general, this should be a lot smaller than regular hand luggage. A personal item can be, for example:
- a coat or jacket
- an umbrella, crutches/walking stick
- a handbag
- a small camera or laptop bag
- Reading material
Pack your suitcase – plan your actual luggage carefully in advance
Randomly pulling clothes out of the closet with the idea that they will be dressed during the vacation or arriving at the vacation destination and realizing that this and that has been forgotten are situations that can spoil the good mood. Once you have everything you need in your hand luggage, move on to clothing.
Plan outfits and pack them in your suitcase
To save time and space from useless things, plan your outfits before the trip. Of course, you should have found out about the weather in the holiday destination for the specific period and choose clothes accordingly. In addition, you take parts that can be combined in different ways. Coordinate your looks in your head. A striking top can be combined equally well with jeans and sneakers during the day and with a skirt and high heels in the evening. You certainly wouldn’t need five different cardigans for every single day of your vacation in case it gets cold. A cool leather jacket is enough to enhance the look. It’s always a good idea to try out outfits before traveling. This means you won’t waste any time later hesitating about exactly which part to combine with which.
Pack your suitcase and take as few valuables as possible with you
Valuables such as jewelry, cameras and the like must be with you and are part of your hand luggage. If your suitcase is lost or stolen, everything valuable is with you. Basically, take as few valuables as possible because it can happen that you lose your wallet or even get stolen. That’s why you don’t carry anything valuable other than pocket money and room keys, and don’t carry money, EC cards, passports, etc. with you all the time. Many hotels and hostels have small lockers with locks for valuables. You can also design your own hiding place and make your valuables invisible to thieves. Rinse an empty shampoo or sunscreen container well and cut it open at the top. This is where you put your valuable things and documents.
Pack cosmetics in your suitcase – sample packs save a lot of space
You definitely wouldn’t need a full bottle of shampoo for a week’s vacation. The small packs and sample bottles are designed specifically for travel. Despite the small quantity, these are not cheap at all. Once purchased, the small plastic containers can be used several times, even if the contents have long since been used up. Wash it thoroughly, remove the brand label and use a marker to label what is in the bottle. Please note that you are not allowed to carry containers larger than 100ml in your hand luggage.
Pack your suitcase – Clever tricks and tips save space in your luggage
Heavy things down: Pack the heavy things, such as shoes, cosmetics, books, in the lower part of the suitcase. This means that they will not push the other contents down, bend them or possibly damage them when transporting the luggage.
Pack cleverly: Stuff socks, tights and other soft items into shoes to save space in your suitcase. In addition, with this little trick the shoes will not lose their good shape.
Pack your suitcase and put heavy things downstairs
Pack wrinkle-free: Pack your clothes by placing tissue paper (from the hobby store) or sandwich paper between each item of clothing. You can also pack dresses, blouses or trousers separately in transparent plastic bags, such as those from the dry cleaners. Fold shirts and blouses together; to prevent the shirt collar from being crushed, roll a belt into the collar opening. T-shirts, light sweaters and other cotton clothing can be rolled up instead of folded, making it easy to fill gaps in your suitcase. A piece of cardboard between the layers prevents creasing, especially with fine fabrics. To help bras keep their shape, pad the cups with socks or underwear.
Stay organized when packing your suitcase
Small things such as charging cables, medication, costume jewelry and hair accessories can quickly get lost in the large suitcase. Pack them in separate plastic bags or small containers. You can easily store hair clips and elastics in an empty Tic Tac box and keep them tidy. For fragile items, such as sunglasses, roll them up inside your clothes to protect them from being crushed during the trip.
Pack your suitcase and prevent excess baggage
Is it possible that you have bought too many souvenirs and your suitcase is bursting at the seams? Take a foldable travel bag with you in your suitcase when you leave. If necessary, you can use these for hand luggage or additional luggage on the return journey. Depending on the airline, additional luggage costs a flat rate of 15 to 45 euros. It is significantly cheaper if you book it online, at the service center or at a travel agency before departure.
Packing your suitcase – an insider tip: Duty Free items are exempt from baggage regulations
Duty free is anything you buy after going through security checks. Items purchased in the duty free zone are exempt from hand luggage regulations and you can take them on the plane. You can also quickly store something extra in a duty free bag.
Pack your bags and travel safer
In general, every passenger should pay attention to the security of their luggage and therefore always lock it. On the other hand, a small lock cannot prevent theft, but it can indicate it. It may happen that after the x-ray a piece of luggage has to be opened for security reasons, usually without damaging the lock. With the help of a master key that the security guards receive from the suitcase manufacturer, almost all locks can be opened without any problems and are only broken open in exceptional cases. In all cases, the passenger always receives an information sheet about what is happening.
Valuables such as laptops, cash and jewelry must be put in hand luggage
