Nothing should seem simpler then packing. To the seasoned travelers it has almost become an art form. Providing packing tips like knowing what to pack and where to pack it is very important with all the restrictions on what you can put in your carry on.

The first of my packing tips are to put all prescription medication, Jewelry, cameras, computers, electronics including your power converter from 110 to 220 if you are from a country that uses 110, otherwise you won’t be able to charge your camera and cell phone batteries, and anything expensive should always be packed in your carry on. Other things you should put in your carry on would your travel itinerary, travel insurance papers, rental car information if you are renting a car, a copy of everything in your wallet or purse with account numbers, phone numbers and your travel visa if you are going somewhere that requires a visa. I pack this way because I don’t want anything of value or importance packed in my checked luggage.

I also try and take at least one set of clothes, tooth brush, travel size tooth paste which is anything four oz and under, a razor and deodorant. I want these items in my carryon not only so I can get to them while on the plane but so I have everything I need for a few days just in case my luggage is lost. Many people have given me their packing tips and some say they even pack a pair of slippers change into to be more comfortable on the trip.

Everything else goes in your checked baggage which can include liquid items over four oz, sun block and full sized tooth paste for example and one of my packing tips for liquids is to put them in plastic food storage bags so if they leak nothing will get on your clothes.

A question many ask is how much to pack? That all depends on what time of year you are traveling and how long you will be away. If you dress up to go out for dinner and how many souvenirs you are planning to buy can help determine this. When I started traveling I went on at least two trips where I needed to buy another piece of luggage just for the things I bought while vacationing. I wish I had some of these planning tips back then. Another thing to consider is how far will you have to pull your luggage around if you're taking a train to different cities, especially Venice where there is no cab service to take you to your hotel. Think about how big your main piece of luggage is, you may be able to take the next smaller size and make commuting a little easier.

Some of my personal packing tips are. I will go through my closet and find older shirts but still nice ones, mostly golf types with collars and tee shirts that I haven't worn in at least two years and have been thinking about getting rid of and pack them. After I have worn them a day I just throw it away. Take a few things that you're not going to get rid of also. I do the same thing with socks and underwear, not only does it make room for some of the things I am going to buy but it is a good way to get rid of some of the older clothes in my over stuffed closet. You can still pack like this if you are going to be away for a long time but pack a little more clothes that you're going to keep and just have them cleaned while your away. Most hotels and curies ships have a reasonable priced laundry service.

Although many types of clothes travel well ( don't wrinkle much ) many people have found that rolling their clothes rather than folding them helps greatly, more so on dresses and dress type shirts than pullovers. Dress pants generally are better folded though. I always put shoes into a small trash bag so if there is anything on them at all it won't make any of my clean clothes dirty. Also you don’t want to take too much stuff but don't be afraid to take something you might not think you will need, like a spring coat that is water proof so it can double as a rain coat if needed.

Other packing tips I learned a long time ago and is a little off the subject. Pick pockets and other types like this can spot an American tourist a mile away because for some reason Americans have a tendency to buy brand new ( white ) sneakers before going on vacation. I know my parents always bought new white shoes, so buy and pack a different color. Why would that mater. I think Americans are known as easier marks by Europeans and just the fact that we would have a difficult time communicating with the local police is one reason. As for luggage Unless you have luggage with bright colors or something you can spot from a long way off I always put a brightly colored luggage band around my luggage so I can spot it more easily at the airport.

Just a note, as airlines are charging more for checked bags and making carryon bags sizes smaller it may be a good idea to check out your airline to see what their requirements are. That way if you need to buy any new luggage you will have plenty of time to do so. If you end up needing any new bags I would recommend E bags, they have a wide variety of brands, have great prices and you won’t have to waste time driving from store to store trying to find luggage you like, just buy it and they ship.

Don’t know what size to buy for a new suitcase, just measure it, if it seems too big or too small when you are looking for luggage on E bags everything they show lists the height, width and depth so you will be able to judge how big a bag you are looking at online is. If you need anything else including electrical adapters you can either click E bags above or I have a link to the right for your convenience just click on it and see what they have to offer then bookmark it so you won’t have to look for it later.

The last of my packing tips is you should think about starting a packing list about a month before you are going to leave and keep it on your computer. As you think of things to pack you can add to the list then print your list before you start to pack. I always start my list with my pass port, you don't want to pack it but it is something people forget about. It is so much less stressful looking at a list you spent a month making then to try and think of what to take while you pack. Hope these packing tips will make the packing part of your trip easier.

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