Dear Tammy and Cheri,
As the holidays are upon us, so is the holiday travel. I am going to fly home to visit family, but dread the thought of extra airport fees for luggage. Do you have any tips to pack lighter for my holiday travel?
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Kramer, Sun Lakes, AZ
Dear Elizabeth,
There are a few helpful tips that we like to follow, and maybe they’ll help you get through your holiday travel.
Cardinal Rules of Carry-Ons:
There are no hard and fast standards that can apply to every imaginable trip, but here are a few rules of thumb that have served me well:
1. Limit yourself to two pairs of shoes and two pairs of pants, and wear the heavier items on the plane (bonus points if you can pull your trip off with just one).
2. Don’t pack more than a week’s worth of clothes; for longer trips, plan to do laundry along the way.
3. Pack only garments that can be color-coordinated with everything else in your travel wardrobe. If it doesn’t work in multiple outfits, leave it at home.
4. Every little bit of space helps. Clean all those old grocery store receipts out of your wallet, swap your pile of paperbacks for an e-reader and forget about those “just in case” items you could easily buy in your destination.
5. Many travelers swear by compression bags (also known as Space Bags) to help save precious space – but keep in mind that they won’t help you stay within airline weight limits (some carriers do weigh carry-ons.)
6. Maximize your personal item. In addition to a carry-on bag, airlines allow you to bring a personal item such as a purse or laptop bag. I generally bring a small backpack, which can hold a lot more than a purse but will still fit easily under the seat in front of me (if I need a purse during my trip, I fold it up inside a larger bag).
7. Roll your clothes instead of folding them – it minimizes wrinkles and maximizes space.
Good luck! Happy holidays! Enjoy your travels!
If you have a travel question or problem you would like to submit, please contact Tammy Sikorski or Cheri Sigurdson at El Sol Travel-located at 10325 E. Riggs Road, Suite 105, Sun Lakes, AZ 85242; call directly at 480-895-9362, or e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]. View our web site at www.elsolvacations.net.