1. How 20 Euros Can Save You A Whole Lotta Packing
Maybe not so amazing but …pack light…Take only half the clothes you need and use a drop off laundry service in your destination city. We did this on a weeklong visit to Heidelberg and had plenty of space to pack souvenirs.
Cost was 20 Euro for two loads and we went walking the altstadt. Don’t forget a small tip for the person doing your laundry!
2. Practice The Art Of Disposable Packing
Practice what I call disposable packing. Take old socks, T-shirts, knickers or whatever that you can wear just one more time and then toss them on your last day.
Same thing for small toiletries. Shave creme, razor, toothbrush and so on. Again, more space to take home the swag. And if you find you really need something there’s nothing like coming home and wearing the sweater, scarf, shirt or jacket brought home from your trip.
Bruce
3. How To Make The Most Of The Available Plugs In Your Hotel Room
I always pack an inexpensive power strip. You only need one adaptor, and many of your rechargables plug into the one strip!
L. Desjarlais,
4. A Compact And Convenient Way To Hold Your Important Info
I found a small clear plastic photo carrier at an office supply store that has three plastic envelopes in it.
In the first, I put several family photos that I want to take with me. The second envelope contains contact information: phone numbers, addresses, mailing labels, websites, bank and charge card phone numbers, etc. I can just pull out that envelope when I’m at an internet cafe or need to make a phone call. In the third, I have photocopies of our passports, drivers’ licenses, living wills, powers of attorney, medical insurance cards, and medical and eyeglass prescriptions–those things you hope you never need but should have along just in case.
The entire case is slightly larger than 4×6″ and about 1/2″ thick, so it takes virtually no room but is packed with a huge amount of information.
Marilyn Mertens
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
5. How To Give Your Luggage The Best Chance Of Finding You If Lost
When traveling, put a nametag holder inside your bag(s), put your name, hotel/address, city, and Mobal Phone number on a separate card for each destination and number them from 1 (first destination) through your last destination on the trip, then add a card with your home address and label it “Home” and place the “deck” in order in the holder.
When you get to each destination, remove that card so that it has the next
destination listed.
With this, if your luggage gets lost or misplaced along the way, the airline/railway/bus line can contact your next location to get you your luggage.
Jim
What great ideas about the power strip and listing your itinerary for traveling! I also travel with an extension cord because the hotel outlets are usually in the wrong spots in the room or only have one outlet to work with.
The idea of the inexpensive power strip is very good. I have not thought of it, but with phone chargers, camera battery chargers, etc. Great!
I Scotchguard clothing. I’ve had coffee spilled on the Joseph A Bank travel shirt (holds its crease) on an airplane and a paper napking just cleans it right up–avoiding the need for the laundry.
On a recent 14-day trip, I found that I could make it just fine with 1 pair of jeans as my only pair of pants. Yeah, they were pretty grungy at the end, but I travelled light. I should have rolled up the lightweight microfiber cargo pants I have as spares, but, everybody wears blue jeans these days.
After having Name and contact information tags torn off a bag during a particularly intense travel session (11 flights in 10 days) I now use clear packing tape to create my own tags. Looks awful, but they stay on.
I had a power strip burn out. After that, I just use a cheap 6′ extension cord with 3 outlets. If I’m traveling with someone, I plug in another cheap 6′ extension cord (giving us 5 outlets). I’ve found that sometimes the wall outlets in hotel rooms are in inconvenient places and the extra length helps.
Great idea to place your itineray & travel contact info inside your checked baggage. However, to make it easy as possible to locate this information, print it on very brightly colored paper so it is easily noticed by baggage locator personnel.
If you do take a power strip, extension cord or 3-way outlet make usre that it’s adequate for 240 volts AC. It normally should not a problem but I might worry about some cheap cords.
Radio Shack sells cheap, lightweight power cords, the sort with a US non-grounded plug at one end and three outlets at the other. We take along at least two of the six foot variety and a whole cluster of the one foot version. Combine this with a properly selected adapter plug and a square foot or two of non-slip shelf liner for an unlimited capacity charging and power station that doesn’t damage hotel furniture and doesn’t slip off a moving surface, like in a ship’s cabin.
When you travel with others, it’s a great idea to pack a spare cord. That saves having to ask back for the one they invariably need to borrow!!!
I don’t carry a power strip.
I do carry a 6-foot (2-meter) extension cord with a molded four plug outlet. It’s more compact and lighter than a power strip, and it can reach a more convenient position. It meets all of my needs.
The power strip idea is brilliant! Thanks, L. Desjarlais. Does anyone know if the surge supressor type works when plugged in to an adapter? I usually stay in small hotels/B&B’s. The power supply isn’t always as reliable as I’d like and I worry about power surges damaging my electronics. I know, I should leave all that stuff at home. Except my Mobal phone, of course!
I always take a small 3 plug strip along with the appropriate adapter. It takes almost no space and allows me to plug 2 or 3 things in at one time – computer, IPod adaptor or battery charger.
I love the idea of bringing a power strip! I usually bring along a set of adapters and then have to find several outlets for all my various chargers, etc.
I add the airport or train station of the destination, too. In addition to the cards, I print “destination labels” to put on the outside — there’s always someplace made of hard plastic on the luggage to stick the label onto. Lacking that, I punch a hole into a plastic card (credit card size and thickness, but NOT A CREDIT CARD, not even an expired one!!!), and attach it the luggage with a split ring keyring and then stick the label onto it.
Only jsut started to get the travel tips — love them!
For #5, I add the DATE of arrival for that destination also. In addition to the cards, I print “destination” labels to put on the outside — there’s always someplace made of hard plastic on the luggage to stick the label onto. Lacking that, I punch a hole into a plastic card (credit card size and thickness, but NOT a credit card), and attach it the luggage with a split ring keyring and then stick the label onto it.
Only jsut started to get the travel tips — love them!
I am a frequent and fairly sophisticated traveler but I NEVER even considered the idea of taking a power strip on our European trips. I usually take a slew of adapters and crawl around on the floor in search of enough outlets to plug into for charging numerous devices. What a simple and fantastic idea. Thank you L. Desjarlais!
With regard to no 4’s tip (carrying copies of ID etc) one thing that I do is scan copies of my passport, IDs etc and email them to myself. That way I don’t have to worry about someone getting hold of my personal information if my bag is taken, but I can access it from any internet cafe if I do need it.
Just make sure that the email you copy it to is one that can be accessed from anywhere (i.e. hotmail or yahoo etc).
When traveling with a group of 19 to Italy last year, I made sure everyone put our itinerary inside their luggage. When we arrived in Florence, 10 of us had no luggage. Because we had our itinerary in the suitcases, most of them were returned during the trip. It does make a difference.
Another easy way to ensure your luggage could catch up with you is to simply type your flight date and numbers (those baggage tags put on by the airline do fall off), your hotels with their telephone numbers by date and your cell phone number (if you have one you are using on your travels) on a label format and then print the information onto labels. I then stick the labels on the back of my business card and write “over” on the front. I put the cards inside baggage tags on the outside and on a zipper or other obvious place inside my cases as well on and in my carry on (in case it gets removed from my company). Additionally, this ensures my home address is not on/in my bags so no one looking for an empty house to burgle gets my address. (It’s an old trick of baggage handlers.)
Should my bags go astray, I simply tell the airline to look in the tags for my business card and turn it over for my current location and telephone number. This way they can find the bag and know exactly where to send it. I can put a new label over the old for a trip or two or just use new business cards. If you don’t have business cards, you can make them fairly easily with the same products as the labels – the packages are available at office supply stores and places such as Target. Avery does business cards and labels that you just download the wizard for the product you bought and they are very easy to use. Just don’t put your home address on the card unless your house is occupied while you’re gone. You can just put your name and telephone number on the face of the card along with emergency contact information for a family member or friend.
Enjoy your travels!
There is an item called a “Callpod” which has several “arms” like an octopus for cell phones,ebooks, ipods, etc. You can buy specific plugs for the items that you have. It saves having to take independent chargers for each item and is very light and small. It has been wonderful!
Love the idea of using a laundry in your destination, but wouldn’t recommend it in Santorini. We did that and many articles of clothing were ruined….shrunk, wrinkled, etc.
What a wonderful idea, I never thought of a power strip before..so simple.
Thanks!
The power strip idea is brilliant!
I fold a copy of my itinerary and put it in a name tag on the OUTSIDE of my luggage. On the side of the folded paper that shows on the tag I write “itinerary”. I additionally have papers with my name, address and itinerary both inside and outside the luggage. I use multiple tags because so many times a tag gets torn off.
This is a GREAT idea. I always put a card in my luggage with home but this goes beyond.