Practical advice from people who spend a lot of time in airports.
Good packing is one of those skills that sounds trivial and turns out to have a significant impact on the quality of a trip. Overpacking creates logistical friction at every stage. Underpacking creates anxiety. The goal is a bag that has everything you actually need and nothing you don't — and a carry-on prepared for the flight itself.
The single most important packing decision is whether to check a bag. For trips under 10 days to warm destinations, a carry-on is almost always sufficient and eliminates luggage wait, loss risk and airport friction. For longer trips, multiple destinations or cold weather, a single checked bag plus a carry-on is the optimal configuration. We strongly advise against multiple large checked bags — the logistical burden is rarely worth it.
Your carry-on should be prepared to sustain you independently of your checked luggage for 24–48 hours. This means: one complete change of clothes, all medications, all electronics and chargers, your passport and travel documents, noise-cancelling headphones, a neck pillow, an eye mask, an empty water bottle, and anything of irreplaceable value. If your checked bag is lost, your carry-on should mean you're inconvenienced rather than stranded.
Tropical beach destinations: lightweight clothing, a reef-safe sunscreen, a rashguard for snorkelling, a light cover-up for air-conditioned restaurants. Cultural destinations (Japan, India, Southeast Asia): modest clothing for temples, comfortable walking shoes, a small day bag. Cold weather destinations: layering is key — several lightweight layers outperform one heavy coat. Ski holidays: rent bulky kit on-site rather than travelling with it.
Towels (every hotel provides them). Excessive shoes (two to three pairs covers almost any trip). Full-size toiletries (buy locally or use hotel supplies). Books (e-readers hold a library in the size of a paperback). Excessive 'just in case' items. A useful test: lay everything out the night before and remove one-third of it. You will almost certainly be right.
Carry-on dimensions and weight limits vary by airline. Most international carriers allow a carry-on of approximately 55x40x20cm and 7–10kg. We always confirm the specific allowances for your airline at the time of booking.
Packing cubes are genuinely useful for keeping a suitcase organised, making it easier to find things without unpacking everything, and for compressing soft items. They're particularly valuable for multi-destination trips where you need to find the right thing quickly.
Always carry a printed copy of your travel insurance certificate, including the 24-hour emergency assistance number. Your travel insurer's app is useful but paper is infallible.