We did 3 countries, 6 cities in 19 days! It was amazing as well as exhausting!
I wanted to share some of the things I learned on this trip to help you with your further travels, to make your experience a less complicated one!!
1. Cut the amount of clothes you want to take in HALF. Packing can quite overwhelming. You would bring your entire wardrobe if you could, trust me, I tried. You will end up shopping, you're a woman, it's inevitable. So the less you bring, the more room you will have, and the less your bag will weigh.
2. Roll your clothes. Once you eliminated HALF, yes, I'm serious, HALF your wardrobe, roll your clothes. In doing this, you will have tons more room. (When I traveled from place to place, packing was a freakin nightmare. I had way tooooo much clothing and it definitely put a damper on my trip.)
3. Rain Coat. Do a little research on the places you're going, to know exactly what to pack. In Europe it was humid and rainy for most of our trip, total bummer, but luckily we were prepared with light rain coats to keep us dry! The hotel offered umbrellas, which was awesome as well, but it's kind of a pain lugging them around, especially when you have to check it at every museum. (The North Face Resolve Jacket, $90.)
4. Comfy Shoes. This saved my life! We literally walked a minimum of 5-10 miles a day, exploring the cities, and I literally would have died with walking shoes. (Actually they were running shoes, which helped even more cause I felt like I was walking on air!) I also bought a pair of Birkenstocks and these were amazing as well. (Nike Free 5.0, $80. Birkenstock Sandals, $90.)
5. Portable Steamer. This is the best invention EVER! Even with your clothes rolled, they will wrinkle, unfortunately! I purchased a tiny portable steamer at CVS for $20! You add water, plug it in, and VOILA...STEAM! Your clothes will look freshly pressed with out using an annoying iron and will take less than 10 minutes*! (*Depending on the garment of course!) (Compact Fabric Steamer, $27.)
6. Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover. This little bad boy helps to remove those annoying, unwanted stains from all the delicious food you will be eating while on vacation. It's especially great when you don't have access to a washing machine! BUT, be careful with your whites. Too much liquid can add a yellow stain. :/ (Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover Liquid, $3.)
7. Under Eye Revitalizing Moisture Strips. Nothing is worse than traveling across the world and look like you just traveled across the country! These strips give a cooling sensation, depuff, and get rid of your under eye bags!!! (You will need to use your under eye concealer, but just not as much!) (DHC Revitalizing Moisture Strips, $16 for a 2 pack.)
8. Mark your bags "Fragile". By marking your bag with “fragile”, airport staff will often load your luggage on top of the others—meaning yours will come out first at the baggage claim. Read this little tip on a travel site and it actually worked in 2 out of 3 airports!!
9. All in One International Adapter + USB. My husband bought this great life saver. It has 3 international plug adapters and covers more than 150 countries. It also has 2 USB ports to charge cell phones and/or iPad! One adapter = less to pack! Score! (International Adapter, $14.)
10. Use GPS on your phone. This was something my husband taught me, that was a life saver. After checking into your hotel, connect to wifi and open your Maps app. Open it to your exact location and then move it so it shows the country. This will help you when away from your hotel. It will give a broader spectrum of the city. It will also help when looking for a specific location because you can pin where you want to go, and you can navigate yourself there, without wifi!
I hope you all find these tips helpful!!
Bon Voyage!!
No comments:
Post a Comment