You can purchase most stuff you need if you happen to need them. I know people who pack their guide books, travel information books when they go to other countries. There’s no need for that. The best information you’ll ever get is from the front desk at the hotels. Another tip is never pack your shampoos, hair products, and electric toothbrush. Pack regular toothbrush so they’re not so bulky and heavy.

Most international flights still allow 2 free bags checked in. But that doesn’t mean you have to. If you can fit all things in one bag, do that. Your life will be so much easier if you pack light and travel light. Never pack too many pairs of shoes, they take the most space and you won’t need them all. I know people who pack rain boots just in case it rains, do you wear rain boots at home?

Having too many bags and too much stuff will stress you out while traveling. Because you end up taking care of them and enjoy the trip less.

Unless there’s someone picking you up from the airport, it’s such a hassle to drag your bags in the terminals. Try to see yourself do that after 14 hours of flight. It’s not a funny thing to do. Frequent travelers all know that light packing saves you a lot of trouble. It’s easier just to buy locally if you forget something. I always look at the travelers who drag 3 bags around and wonder whether they’re moving to a different city or just traveling. Packing 5 days of clothes is sufficient for trips that are longer than a week. You can always hand wash your clothes in the hotel if you bring the right kind of materials. So the bottom line is, there’s no need for an actual packing list, but you do need to plan ahead.

A recent trip to Prague taught me a good lesson. Who would think opera tickets could be bought on the same day of the performance at such inexpensive price. So I showed up in white pants and a somewhat dressy shirt, with a pair of sneakers! All other goers seemed to be local or people who packed enough. So now the lesson learned it to pack at least one dressy dress going to Europe or Asia.

The bottom line is to plan ahead. Know where you’re going and lay out the stuff you want to bring and trim them down gradually. Not bringing enough is as bad as bringing too much. I’m a light traveler which sometimes can be a real challenge to fit one week’s of clothes in a backpack. There’s one little trick I learned over the years is that you can wash your shirts on the hotel. And you can re wear your jeans 3 days in a row!

I have friends who pack 3 to 4 pairs of shoes on a one week trip. You have to ask yourself, do you even wear that many pairs at home? I would not pack anything that I don’t wear often at home. And most important, break in your shoes if they’re new. Even sneakers!

Many women pack shampoos, conditioners, and everything they have in their bathroom at home. You don’t need all that. If you’re visiting relatives, friends, you don’t need those. If you’re staying in hotels, you don’t need those. The days of packing a dozen underwear are gone. You only need 5 underwear and wash them by hand in the hotel. Also you only need one formal wear, be it a dress or a blouse. Mix and match. Shoes, 2 pairs are enough. One pair to walk in and one pair to party with. I’m planning a European trip for one week in the summer with one backpack. I’ll let you know how it works out.

We would have paid $530 around Christmas time. So the best way to get deals is to avoid the time that everyone is going. However, how many people are willing to do that? Very few. Most working people are using the holidays for family visit to avoid spending vacation time at work. If you can do it, take a few vacation days off in January, then do it. Also check with grandmother and see whether she’s OK with it. Most often, it’s not that OK since the reason we’re going to FL is to celebrate Christmas with the family! If so, then keep paying higher price. It’s either money or family.

Bring your passport if you’re going overseas or driver’s license if domestic. Be sure to make make copies of the IDs and put them in the suitcase. Bring health and travel insurance document and vaccination documents depending on your destination. Print out all the confirmation number and contact number of your hotel, air tickets, car reservation, and itinerary. Don’t forget the address and direction to  your hotel or car rental place.

But if you want to pack all your belongings in one carry-on and skip the checked bag, you need a larger carry-on bag. The bag should have a total dimension of 45 inches. Use space saver travel bags to pack all clothing in order to save space. For one week in Europe, I suggest that you bring no more than 3 shirts or blouses; a light outerwear depending on the weather; 2 pairs of slacks since you’ll be wearing one on the plane; 4-5 days of socks and underwear; toiletries in smaller containers; some medicine; an umbrella; one pair of shoes; one dressy wear; and sleep wear.

The secret behind packing and traveling light is hand wash. Wash your clothes as you go and dry them in the hotel.

Many savvy travelers I know have been shipping their bags to destinations in advance. Or if you have one of those award programs, frequent flyer miles or airline credit cards that allow you one free luggage, then you can still pack all your essentials like the old days.

But for most travelers, the old days are gone. Plus I’ve never been a big fan of large check in bags anyway. I’ve gone to Europe and Asia with one carry-one even before the airlines started charging fees. If you’re just going for a trip, there’s no need to bring too much. Knowing what to pack and use all packed clothing is the key.

Be expected to hand wash some of your clothes in hotels. Bring wrinkle-proof and light, fast drying clothes. Take advantage of space saver bags to pack underwear, shirts. Avoid jeans as it takes too long for them to dry. Just pack enough for 5 days of clothes even if you’re going for 10 days. You can re-wear and hand wash.