You may think this post is for you but in all honesty, this post is for me to triple check ahead of going away to make sure I don’t forget a few of my favourite non-standard things to pack. For my last two trips, I have forgotten a couple of crucial-to-me items and I’ve had enough with myself now!! But hopefully, you learn something new for improved packing!
We typically travel with hand luggage and this is for two reasons, one being you pay more to take more on the airlines (and we’re cheap) and the other being travelling with more luggage just makes everything harder! We have been doing hand luggage only for a fair amount of time and it’s surprisingly easy once you get into the swing of it. I can do a separate post on how we travel with hand luggage only but I just feel there is so much information out there already. This is my packing list that make our travelling lives a little easier.
Disclaimer: I have linked things in here but I do not benefit in any way from you clicking these links. Just sharing for convenience 🙂
Packing list for all trips
- Dark face cloth – I feel awful getting mascara / makeup on the hotel’s beautiful white face cloths when removing my makeup at night. I am not about the wet wipe / micellar water life so my first oil-based cleanse does unfortunately leave makeup marks on white towels. I pack a microfibre quick drying face cloth in a dark colour that I can use to save on the guilt. I have these ones from amazon but honestly go with what you have – it is nothing special!
- A ziplock bag – This is great for popping in the dark face cloth which might be a little damp from the night before. Kinda gross popping a damp face cloth in with your clothes. Just make sure to throw the face cloth in the washing machine when you get home to keep it fresh and lovely.
- My own tea bags – You will not believe me if I told you how much I struggle to get a proper cup of breakfast tea when travelling. And I don’t mean – my special specific exact tea brand – I mean ANY cup of English Breakfast tea or similar equivalent. And because I don’t drink coffee it’s crucial I get a cup of tea! The easiest solution has been to pack my own tea bags and in all honesty, I still drink awful tea on holiday but it’s better than no tea at all!
- Mini medical aid kit – This has saved our lives so many many times. It’s awful to be out on your big adventure and have to divert or disrupt plans to find over-the-counter medicine. It’s even harder when English isn’t widely spoken and you’re trying to explain symptoms to a confused pharmacist. You’ll know what medication you use but we always pack painkillers, allergy medication, Imodium for upset stomachs, Gaviscon for heartburn, plasters and anti-bacterial cream, buscopan for stomach spasms, tampons, med lemon/lemsip, Corenza C and ACC 200. I love these little coin purses from Elizabeth Scarlett for my drug stash.
- Statement jewellery to elevate an outfit – when you’re limited on packing space you’re pretty limited on clothing options. I like to pack bright bold earrings or rings to help elevate a summer dress or jumpsuit so it feels like I am more “dressed up” for an evening out even when wearing the same sundress I wore on the beach. Accessories take up such little space so it’s worth popping a few in your bag!
- Umbrella – this is irritating but now that we live in the UK and travel within Europe we always pack an umbrella. Jono tends to pop one in his backpack and we have ended up using it more often that I ever thought. Of course, if you’re going to Greece in August, you should be fine! But always check and if it miiiiiight rain – pack an umbrella!!
- Sunglasses – something we regularly forget across the both of us! Don’t forget your sunglasses even for iffy weather as there is nothing worth than squinting about in the glare.
- Mini travel shoe horn – this is SO dramatic but I absolutely love a shoe horn. We keep a big one by the door at home for slipping trainers and boots on. Jono bought a mini plastic one for travels that he keeps in his toiletries kit and I am always happy to have it along with us.
- Mini liquid bottles – If you’re travelling with hand luggage only you will need to decant your favourite products. We use little 100ml bottles. I’d link mine but I don’t think they’re great – I went for the hard plastic ones but the internet actually recommends soft squishy ones so they don’t take up as much space if you don’t completely fill them. For short weekends we only take one for face wash. For long trips, I pack shampoo, conditioner and veet. I have existing minis of these, but other ideas could be face cream, body moisturiser and sunblock. We never pack body wash but just use whatever is provided in the accommodation. There is always something these days!
- Underwear – Please don’t laugh. I have now forgotten this twice in my packing life and this is truly just here to help me be less of an absolute muppet!
Summer specific bits
- Hat clip – I am a big fan of a sun hat. I try my best to largely keep out of the sun, so a big sun hat comes with me on any of our summer adventures. I have found adding this little hat clip onto my handbag means I am more tempted to always pack my hat and helps prevent me from losing it on the go.
- Water shoes – One thing we have learnt is that as lovely as the beaches look in Europe, they’re often brutal on your feet!! I used to suffer through but I have decided I am done with that life. I resisted for a long time because they’re super dorky but ultimately I wasn’t getting into the water because of the rocky shores! When we head to destinations with beaches we now throw in these super lame but lightweight water shoes.
Packing list for longer trips (more than 2/3 nights)
- Exfoliating glove – at home we use a shower rose for day to day use which we don’t pack for travelling as it’s a bulky thing. BUT after a few nights away, I don’t always feel squeaky clean using a face cloth and this isn’t always provided anyway. I have recently been packing this exfoliating glove which has been a game changer and will now be coming on all my trips. It doesn’t take up much space and can also be packed in the ziplock bag with your dark face cloth when travelling about.
- Hairbrush – this might make you laugh. But I used to leave this at home to save space and kind of get by with hotel provided combs. But that’s taking the minimal luggage approach too far. This is now a mandatory pack for me for a slightly longer trip. I can luckily still stumble through a weekend trip without a hairbrush with my curly mop.
- Thin robe – This is a bougie item but for me worth sacrificing the space of one more sundress. Most of the hotels we stay in don’t provide robes. It is so lovely at the end of a busy sunshine day to jump in the shower, pop on your robe and potter around before dinner. This feels like such a luxury to me and worth its space. If you’re packing pyjamas then maybe this is unnecessary for you.
- Laundry bag – when we go on longer trips we often need to do a little laundry along the way. Having a soft cotton bag to pop in underwear, socks and other bits as you go is super helpful both in terms of keeping your luggage organised so what’s out is all clean and what’s tucked away is ready for a wash. AND it means you’re good to go when you do have a moment to do a little laundry.
- Mini laundry liquid – we used to buy laundry liquid as we went but you end up with a giant bottle that you end up leaving at the end of your trip. We’ve now started packing this really lovely little laundry liquid from Dr Beckman.
- One bougie beauty product – this is a me-specific quirk but I’d encourage you to borrow it! When we go on longer holidays I take one beauty product that I am excited to try. I have an extensive collection of mini beauty products from my advent calendars or saved samples from beauty orders. BUT you shouldn’t think you need these things. Ideas for finding bougie beauty products to save for trips: one-use sheet masks, perfume samples from magazines, a new nail polish colour, look out for mini products in pharmacy chains (Boots is really good for this), a cheapie bright coloured eyeliner or a new mini hand cream. Find a little extra joy!
- Fold up tote bag – when we pack for bigger trips, it’s done with intense military precision and it can be a pain having to repack perfectly when moving about. I like packing a good quality tote bag for throwing bits and bobs in as we travel about. It’s also super useful for day trips – think swimming costumes, towels, sunblock, bottles of water and snacks! I really love the big thicker Anya Hindmarch Universal Bags. Anya Hindmarch bags are stupidly expensive but she does collabs with local grocery stores that are gorgeous. I have the forest green from the Waitrose Collab and the navy blue from Tescos. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of this linked page to the FAQ you can see where to grab one in the UK. Hot tip – buying them in London is hard as people are all over them, in Cornwall, not so much!
