Packing Tips

This is a minor question, but I was wondering about something ahead of our upcoming trip to Greece. My husband watched some travel videos that mentioned hotels in Greece may not provide washcloths, so he suggested we bring our own. Is this actually true in most places? This post...

I am flying with Aer Lingus from RDU to Dublin on a relatively new route and I am unsure if my carry-on bag will be accepted. My suitcase is an Away “bigger carry-on” measuring 22.7 x 15.4 x 9.6 inches, but my ticket allowance states a maximum carry-on size of 21.5 x 15.5 x 9.5...

To reduce baggage fees, we usually plan to do laundry midway through our trips. While some hotels offer washers and dryers, we often run into the issue of missing or unavailable detergent, which forces us to buy a full pack locally and leave most of it behind. To solve this,...

Hi everyone! My husband and I are going on our first cruise this Saturday, and I want to make sure we’re fully prepared without overpacking or forgetting anything important. We’ll be sailing on the Royal Princess from Los Angeles to Mexico (April 18–25) and have the Plus...

I had a question about standard carry-on luggage dimensions, which are often listed as 22 x 14 x 9 inches. I understand the 22" and 14" measurements, but I’m unsure about the 9" depth—does that include the wheels, or is it measured from the body of the suitcase only? Most of my...

Hello, I’ll be flying with Starlux later this year and I’m trying to understand their personal item size policy. The allowed dimensions for a personal carry item are listed as 16 × 12 × 4, which seems quite restrictive compared to other airlines. I was considering using an...

This is one of those things that gets hyped a lot, so this was interesting to read. First leg was fine (Osaka to Kyoto), but even then a suitcase came back damaged. Then on the return, bags just… didn’t show up when promised, and tracking said “under investigation” with no real...

Been going back and forth between a soft-side Travelpro carry-on and a hard-shell one and can’t decide. Soft seems more flexible and easier to squeeze into bins, but hard looks cleaner and maybe protects stuff better. Curious what people actually prefer for carry-on use after...

Flying domestically in the US and planning to pack some kid snacks in my checked luggage. Things like granola bars, protein bars, trail mix, small Pringles packs, etc. I’m planning to put everything in ziplock bags just in case something breaks open. My bigger concern is...

Hi everyone, I’ve been traveling around Southeast Asia for the past few months and started the trip with almost 30 kg of luggage. Pretty quickly I realized that moving around with that much stuff is exhausting. My back is constantly hurting and I’m also spending a lot on checked...

Just finished a 7 day cruise and realized I seriously overpacked. Haven’t cruised in about 15 years so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this cruise line. I brought a full suit with 3 dress shirts and ties, 2 sport jackets, 3 pairs of slacks, a bunch of polos and nice t-shirts,...

I normally travel with a roll-aboard, but on a recent trip I ended up using a duffel bag instead. Surprisingly it worked out better than expected. Even though the overhead bins were packed, the duffel squeezed right in when a hard suitcase probably wouldn’t have. Saved me from...

Saw a discussion asking women what they pack that usually never shows up in those aesthetic packing photos. One person mentioned always bringing a scarf because it ends up being useful for everything. Covering up at temples, extra warmth on flights, fixing a bad hair day, even...

I’ve got an early morning flight and need to go straight to an event in a full suit. No hotel stop, no place to steam or iron. Trying to figure out the best move. I’ll probably want to sleep on the plane, so wearing the full suit sounds uncomfortable. But I’m also worried about...

Every single time I travel I pack like I’m about to star in a Pinterest board. Dresses, cute tops, extra shoes. Options. And then I rotate the same formula the entire trip: One comfy bottom One breathable top One reliable layer That’s it. The “nice” stuff just sits there taking...

I’m flying NYC to Costa Rica later this month and I’m stuck on what to wear travel day. It’ll be cold when I leave home, but hot when I land. The bigger issue is the return… landing back in NYC and possibly waiting outside for a taxi in real winter temps. How do you all handle...

I actually love this idea. Washi tape is one of those things that sounds silly until you realize how often duct tape would be useful, but you don’t want to carry duct tape. Non damaging, tears by hand, super light, and weirdly versatile. Covering hostel lights, taping zippers in...

Random travel question. Other than grabbing extras from airport lounges or Starbucks, does anyone have a good source for single serve honey packets? I’ve checked Amazon and everything I’m seeing is like $30 to $50 for huge bulk quantities, which feels excessive. I really want...

Just got back from Antarctica and wanted to share a few packing things I really didn’t fully get until I was there. Biggest takeaway: wind and water matter way more than cold. Zodiac rides and wet landings mean waterproof gear is everything. Wind decides how cold you feel, not...

On Quark and similar expeditions, the day usually runs in two main activity blocks, but it’s flexible based on weather, ice, and wildlife. A pretty typical day looks like this: You’ll head out in the morning after breakfast. Zodiac ride to shore or a cruise among icebergs, then...

Yeah, boxers only is a no go in a mixed dorm, so good instinct there. Gym shorts with no shirt is super normal in hostels. You’ll see way worse, trust me. Most people just want to sleep and don’t care what you’re wearing as long as you’re covered and not making it weird. Shorts...

I used to download every app influencers recommended and never open half of them. These are the ones I actually rely on when traveling. Google Maps offline. Download the area before you go. Works shockingly well even with zero service. I’ve used it walking and hiking in random...

Done a few of these and it’s tight but doable. Best trick is rolling everything and sticking to one pair of shoes. Packing cubes help but even a couple zip bags work fine. As for a pillow stuffed with clothes… Ryanair usually counts anything in your hands as part of your one...

We hand off our big bags in the morning before boarding on the 9th, which is fine, but we weren’t sure what happens with carry on stuff. We’ve got cameras we don’t want to let out of our sight. Does the ship let you bring a small backpack or hand luggage when you board later in...

I fly Southwest a couple times a week with just a backpack, and it drives me nuts that I’m always told to shove it under the seat “to save room” for the roller bags. So the folks who bring the biggest allowable bags get full legroom and the bin, and the people who pack light get...