Monday 1 June 2015

Summer Holiday Packing Tips


Hey Everyone!

I hope you're all doing well and having a nice chilled Monday, today I'm bringing you some holiday packing tips which hopefully will prove helpful for all you jetsetters! 

I was kindly sent a beach essentials kit* from Bonmarche to start me off on my packing journey which includes the real basics for any beach trip:

Sunglasses - to protect your eyes
Sunscreen - to protect your skin
Swimsuit -  to look fab while splashing around
Sunhat - to keep the sun off your face which looking incredibly stylish
Beach bag - to keep all your stuff in 


Now, let's get started with my top packing tips, because as a seasoned traveler I'd like to think I have quite a few!

1. Before packing anything, make sure you are 100% clear on what your hand luggage and hold luggage allowances are. You need to check the weight and also the baggage dimensions and to make things easier, they vary from airline to airline. Most airlines offer free hand luggage so make sure you utilise this where possible and I often put anything valuable or fragile in there so I can keep an eye on it and have it with me throughout the flight. I also like to take my own luggage scales along so that I can accurately check before coming home I'm not going to be stung on extra charges because I've gone crazy on gifts for my friends and family. (I have a fantastic story of me and my sister popping into a greengrocers to borrow their fruit and veg scales to weigh our suitcases in Amsterdam after a crazy shopping trip!!!)

2. Think carefully about what suitcase you use, some are heavier than others so this needs to be factored in against your allowance. Bare in mind though that the heavier ones are often the most sturdy and likely to keep everything safe if you manage to find a lightweight hard cased one like the one in my picture above you've hit the jackpot. Also preempt the number of suitcases on the carousel you need to spot yours among, any bright distinguishing print or obnoxiously large/coloured luggage tag will really cut down on time spent looking for lugagge. 

3. Now you have your suitcase sorted, we need to talk strategy. I'm personally a "roller" whereby I roll up all my clothes/things like towels to prevent creasing and to save space, but some might choose to fold, bundle and I even have friends that get really technical and use the vacuum pack bags which have all the air sucked out but pop open when you need to access your stuff. Whichever you choose, go with it but make sure you leave enough room for things such as souvenirs which you will pick up on the trip.

4. For security, I always have a lock on my hold luggage, usually a combination one. These come free with a lot of the newer suitcases I see in the shops but you can pick them up for literally a couple of pounds if you need one and it gives you that extra piece of mind. Some insurance policies insist this is done in order to be able to successfully make a claim if something goes missing, so check the details on that if unsure.

5. Liquids, if I had a pound for every time that a lotion bottle or toiletry has burst open from the pressure inside of my suitcase I'd be rich (or able to afford a moderate lunch at Wetherspoons!). If you are putting these sorts of items in your hold luggage, consider popping them in a plastic sandwich bag just in case they do explode as this will mean the mess will be contained and wont go all over your other items. I often purchase items like shampoo, conditioner and body lotion from the local shops at my destination, they are often cheaper than buying the mini version and I then throw them away or take back home what's left over to use up at home.

I'd say those are my main tips, asides from those it's common sense stuff like don't take more than you need, plan in advance and try not to leave packing to the last minute, writing a list which you check off etc. 

So you're all packed, but where are you going? All this leaves is choosing a destination.




My absolute favourite place to go (as you probably have guessed) is Iceland. For me personally nothing beats sitting in the warm blue lagoon, driving around route one taking in the amazing scenery or going shopping in Reykjavik, it's just such a relaxed atmosphere as well as the people are so laid back and friendly. I literally couldn't recommend it more, my second favourite would probably be Lisbon which is a complete contrast but in my opinion offers fantastic value for very little money spent, I once went away for 4 nights in a 3*hotel with flights for £117 which is just insane.

If you haven't yet booked your summer holiday, Bonmarche currently have an awesome competition to win a £3000 holiday. I've personally entered and you should definitely all give it a go! The link is here if you want to enter and be quick because it closes on the 6th June (this Saturday) so go go go!

I hope you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear your holiday packing teams and/or dream destinations so pop me a comment below if you'd like to share.

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you soon.

Love Sally X
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2 comments

  1. great post, loved the travelling tips!

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    Replies
    1. thanks! Hopefully they will be useful! x

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