Standard travel luggage tips

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Would you like to become a packing pro? Can’t take all your clothes with you on holiday? Need to know how to arrange your stuff so that everything fits into your suitcase? No worries; Easytobook.com comes to the rescue and reveals all the secrets of the perfect suitcase!

First of all, you have to ask yourself the right questions: Where am I going? For how long? What will the weather be like? Which suitcases do I have to choose? etc…
We advise you to start preparing your suitcase a few days before your departure. Don’t leave it until the last minute, for the simple reason that there is every chance you’ll forget something or you’ll want the only pair of jeans that is still in the dirty washing basket.
Here are some tips that we might not initially consider, but can be very helpful when packing.

No matter where you want to go in holiday, don’t forget these items:

Your passport (& photocopy)
Tickets!
Wallet
Your identity card
Your phone + battery charger
First aid kit (aspirin, disinfectant, bandages etc.)
Do not forget to put a label (with your last name, first name, phone number, and your address) on all your suitcases just in case they get lost or forgotten.
A torch.

Keep with you a copy of your driver’s license, passport, identity card, visas, credit cards etc. or have a high resolution scan of your papers on your phone/computer. This can be invaluable if you lose something.

Some tips to help you to prepare your suitcase in a best way:

Lay out all your luggage on your bed before you pack anything; that way you can have a good overview of exactly what you’re taking and how much space it requires.

Choose the right kind of bag for your trip (suitcase, handbag, backpack, bag with wheels…) – which one is most appropriate to take on the train, the plane or the bus?

Do not fold your clothes in your suitcase; rather, if you roll them up (not in a ball, I mean in a cylindrical shape) they will come out less creased than if you folded them. Besides, this method also helps you to save space in your suitcase.

Fold both legs of your pants against each other, then put the waist end in your suitcase, then put your other clothes on top of it (shirts, towels, tops…), then fold the ankles of your pants onto your clothes. This will allow you to avoid creasing your pants during your trip. (Refer to the image)

Last in means first out: if you want to have a shower as soon as you arrive, you’ll want access to your towel and toiletries when you open your bag. If you pack them last, you won’t have to unpack your entire suitcase in order to reach them.

Not to crease your suit, always put it on top, with nothing packed on top of it, and fold the sleeves in diagonally.

Pack some stuff in corners of the suitcase (between your clothes and edges of your bag) such as your belts, ties, make-up bag, first-aid kit, toiletries bag, battery charger, adapter, undergarments…

Wrap your fragile items (perfume, glasses, varnish) in your clothes – in this way they will be protected from shock.

Place heavy items (books, bottles) at the bottom of your bag in order to avoid damaging anything. Alternatively, tuck them into the corners of your suitcase to distribute the weight.

Put a towel in the bottom of your bag just in case a liquid container, such as a shampoo or perfume bottle, is broken or opened. The towel can absorb the spillage.

Wrap your cosmetics in a plastic bag. Pressure differences, careless baggage handlers…you may want to put your sun cream and shower gel in a small plastic bag, rather than risk them exploding inside your toiletries bag.

Take small bottles of shampoo/conditioner etc with you, instead of your large bottles, as you will not need all your large bottles for a weekend. You could take the doses that you need without overweight your suitcase.

Take an empty plastic bottle with you. During a plane trip you are not allowed to take liquids through the security check, but you can fill it up again from a tap on the other side.

Fill your shoes with your small clothes in order to save space in your suitcase. This also prevents your shoes from deforming in your bag. Put your shoes in a plastic bag in order to avoid soiling your clothes.

Take other plastics bags in your suitcase; they don’t take up any space, and they will be useful when you travel home. You can separate your dirty clothes from your clean ones and protect them from leaking liquids.

And finally, take a foldaway bag with you. It will not take much space in your luggage, and will give you the option of taking some souvenirs back home even if your suitcase is already full.

Last tips: if, when you arrive, your clothes have little creases, hang out them in the bathroom: water vapours from the shower will help to remove creases.

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