advice for frequent traveller?

[bubbles4920]

im going to be travelling to the states and within the uk quite alot and i am only going to be taking a medium size pull along suitcase. any advice on travelling light and for a long plane journey. thanx.

[spudqueen]

When travelling light I always try to colour co-ordinate my clothes so that I can mix and match tops and bottoms. Eg I went to Barcelona for 3 days. I wore one pair of shoes on the plane and took just one other pair to change into. I wore jeans on the plane, took one skirt and a couple of tops which would go with either the skirt or jeans. Also look out for travel sized toiletries, Tescos are good for these.

[lady_p_gold]

Don't clog up your case with masses of shampoo bottles and things, its much easier to buy it there, or if you must take your favourite things use those little tiny bottles where you can just take a small amount.

[jno]

they're starting to sell mini sizes of toiletries at the airports now, as you're only allowed to take 100mg on the plane.

Pack knickers inside shoes to save space. (The shoes in your luggage, I mean, not the ones you're wearing.) Weigh the wheely bag itself before you buy it; they vary a lot, and the less the better. Real fanatics drill holes in their toothbrush handles to save weight...

[Trotbot]

If you need to wear business clothes during the day, you won't need many casual clothes (a great source of wasting space, I always bring clean polo tops home after a trip). Pack 2 pairs of shoes max, so make sure they co-ordinate (green heels / red brogues depending on sex are not the best). Most hotels provide hairdryers. There is a big difference between taking a gym kit in case you might use it (you won't) versus because you work out regularly (you will). If you need warm clothes, try and use higher quality ones that are not as bulky, and wear them onto the plane rather than pack them.

Remember you might by things on your travels. I take a small folded bag that can be checked in on the way home with all the extra stuff (but check the airlines restrictions on how many bags you can check).

As jno says, the bag is critical and it is worth investing in (but not too much, 'worldproof' metal cases still get trashed). I have three different bags, depending on the nature of the journey. Compartmentalised ones are great if you have frequent stops en route as you don't need to unpack, but weigh more.

Regular flyers work out when they need to sleep and plan the journey activities round that. Consider eating before you get on the plane, so you can sleep longer. I read a lot on planes when I am not sleeping.

[thugulike]

I always travel with a pod wardrobe. I wear black and white. So all tops and bottoms go together. I take 1 pair of comfy walking shoes and a lighter pair to change into. 1 pair of shoes is never a good idea as they need to rest and your feet need a change of shape. Keep it to a minimum and take some travel wash in a tube so you can rinse undies and t-shirts through. I have small bottles of everything, including perfume. Body shop have great small bottles. I always make a spreadhseet and I mark which clothes I haven'e worn when I get home and next time I don't take them. But then I'm a bit of an anorak. A lightweight waterproof is more useful than a coat as you can layer a fleece underneath if necessary. You should only take 1 handbag, I use a Radley across body which is secure and discreet and a rucksack.