Travel 101 - Packing and other advice

In today’s newspaper there is a Dennis the Menace cartoon – the family is packing numerous bags to go on holiday and Dennis is asking: “How can it be called getting away from it all if we are takin’ it all with us?” Which reminded me of my recent trip to Sweden with a big, clunky case. And it was very hard to get that big, clunky case up and down the narrow winding stairs when I stayed at a friend’s house. 

Normally, I pride myself on packing light (or lighter than my husband does). This time, literally as I was about to walk out the door to go to the airport, I discovered that the medium suitcase which I had neatly packed to fit had a broken zip and the pull-handle would not collapse down. So I quickly had to transfer to the bigger suitcase in which my neatly packed clothes were now swimming. Then, mistake of mistakes, decided that since I had space, to throw in a few extras (gloves, scarf, another jersey) – ‘just in case’. To add insult to injury it was not quite as cold as I expected, so I came home with quite a few unworn items. It’s amazing how you can get by with essentials and how stress-free it is to get dressed in the morning when you have limited options.

So here is a reminder of "Travel 101" for me and anyone else who may need it. 

• Travel lightly - the experts say lay out everything you think you need and then reduce it by half!
• Restrict your clothes to one or two colours - that way you can mix and match everything. 
• Accessorise, accessorise.
• Make sure all your bags and possessions are labelled with your name, address and a contact number.
• Be prepared to lose whatever is in your luggage - it gets lost, arrives late or not at all.
• Always pack an overnight bag with a change of clothes - it's no fun having to go around in the same clothes or try to buy underwear in a foreign language if your baggage gets lost.
• Wear comfortable clothes on the plane.
• Pack a good book to read or anything that could keep you entertained if you have long delays or stopovers.
• Drink lots of water or juice to prevent dehydration.
• A shower is the quickest way to feel better after a long flight (not a sleep!).
• Don't let your bags out of your sight and never, never carry a package for someone else. 
• Keep your passport with you at all times - you can lose everything but not that. 
• When you find a decent toilet, use it - you never know when you will find another or what state it will be in when you do.
• Be nice to the locals - you are privileged to be entering their world - say please and thank you nicely, and bonus points if you do it in the local language. Engage, be respectful, learn.
• Choose your companions or train them well. 
• Be on time - Murphy's law is fully operational and it helps having some time to move around in. 
• Don't charge around like a maniac trying to see everything - leave some for next time. 

Travel safely and don't forget to have fun!