Packing For Vacation? The 5 Tips That Will Transform Your Trip For Good

If you have any trips planned this summer & you’re stressed about packing, look no further, because I have 5 tips that will transform your trip for good!

I am an extreme over-packer. When I go on vacation, I go through every single thing in my closet, even if I haven’t worn it in 5 years, and I’ll say to myself, ‘I can definitely wear that on my trip.’ So, you could imagine my stress when I found out I was going on a 9-day European adventure with Contiki, a global travel tour company for 18-35 year olds, where I went to 3 countries and 10 cities. Between the weather, the activities we had planned, and more, I found myself freaking out over what to pack — until I tried these 5 simple and easy packing tricks that you need to try ASAP.

With Contiki, I went on the ‘Munch Tour,’ and you spend each night in a different hotel and city, and each day is packed with different activities. For example, Barcelona had a bike tour of the city, but then Lake Como was a boat cruise, so I needed a ton of different outfits, but couldn’t overpack. Also, I didn’t want to lug my gigantic suitcase into each hotel every night, so instead, I practiced these 5 packing tips:

1. Packing Cubes: I cannot STRESS ENOUGH that packing cubes changed my life. Packing cubes are little mesh zip-up bags that are packable & foldable. In each packing cube, I planned what I would wear during the day & night for each day I’d be on my trip. So, all of my outfits were ready to go & laid out for me.

2. Overnight Bag: I packed a large oversized tote as an overnight bag, and instead of taking my suitcase on and off the bus, I threw my packing cube for the next day, into my overnight bag, and brought that into each hotel — GAME CHANGER.

3. One Less Pair Of Shoes: I had a pair of shoes and heels for each outfit I was going to wear every day & then I realized I was insane. So, I took a step back & realized that all I needed was one pair of sneakers for activities, a pair of sandals for the beach/ boat, and 1 pair of heels for my going out outfits. I left all of my other cute shoes home, to my dismay.

4. No Hot Tools: I left all hot tools behind — not one straightener, curling iron or blowdryer. It was unnecessary because I wouldn’t have time to do it, plus it saved a lot of weight in my suitcase. Also, I bought shampoo in Europe when I got there instead of bringing it. Every place you go will have shampoo, so don’t worry.

5. One Pair Of Jeans: I only packed one pair of jeans which was SHOCKING. Thankfully I did, because that one pair lasted me through days and nights with different tops and shoes.