Disclaimer: I was provided with one carry-on bag from American Tourister. No other compensation was received. All opinions/thoughts are my own.
We just came back from vacation at Walt Disney World and I have so much to share. We had magical moments and some not so magical moments. But before I get into any of that I thought I’d share some of packing do’s and don’ts and a few other travel tips I learned on our recent vacation.
It’s been a few years since we’ve traveled by plane as a family and I knew I wanted things to go as smoothly as possible. Since I wasn’t sure how Norrin would handle waiting on long airport lines, carry-on luggage was a must. The American Tourister carry-on bag was lightweight and the spinner wheels made it super easy to maneuver. (Norrin loved wheeling it around.) And the best part – we fit clothes for 3 people in 2 carry-on bags!
There have been times when I’ve over packed and times when I’ve under packed.
This trip, we were able to just squeak by. We left for vacation on Tuesday and returned on Saturday – here’s an idea of what we packed and why.
For myself I packed: 6 dresses, 2 pairs of sandals, 2 pairs of PJs, 1 bathing suit, 4 bras and 7 pair of underwear.
When it comes to underwear, I’d rather over pack than under pack. In the summer I usually wear a lot of dresses. And when on vacation, I love tube dresses It just makes dressing/packing easier and you don’t have to think about putting together an outfit. Also – the dresses folded really well and didn’t take up much space in my bag. I still had plenty of room for all of our toiletries and other vacation essentials.
I know it’s tempting to pack every shoe, sandal and bathing suit you own but it’s not necessary. Keep it simple.
Packing for Norrin, I wasn’t as successful. While I packed the right kind of clothes and enough underwear and socks, I didn’t pack enough t-shirts. (I mean, Florida gets pretty hot and by mid-day Norrin was sweaty.) And on the last day, I bought him a t-shirt because he didn’t have any clean ones left. Next time, I’ll pack 2 shirts per day and at least an extra pair of shorts/pants. Norrin was able to get by with 5 pairs of shorts because 2 pairs were dark colors and I was able to spot clean the few little food stains. I only packed 1 bathing suit for Norrin as well.
Joseph said he didn’t pack enough undershirts but he was successful in packing his clothes and Norrin’s into 1 suitcase. I was pretty impressed. And we all wore everything we packed.
Other Travel Tips:
Call your bank and let them know you’re traveling. The last thing you want to deal with is having your card declined because your bank suspects fraud.
RESEARCH and read the fine print. Know exactly what your hotel offers.
Download any useful apps like park maps, transit map or navigation system. If you don’t have a smart phone, purchase a physical map or travel book of your destination for easier planning.
Carry cash. (I know, I know. In this day and age of debit cards – cash seems like a thing of the past.) And not just twenties or larger bills, have a few singles just in case you need to tip someone.
Take a picture of your luggage contents – just in case items are lost.
Print out your reservations – yes, even if you have it on your smart phone.
The packing plays a big role in the outcome of your trip. This handy guide contains advice to help you pack like a pro as well as special pointers which includes the means used for travelling.
mapdestinations.org