This is the final chapter of my mini booklet. This deals with how you pack up all of your stuff to bring back from London. Enjoy... Packing to go Home! One of your biggest obstacles now lies before you. You have to pack up all your fun to take home. This is the biggest advantage of packing light as you leave home. This way you have a lot more spare space to bring stuff back. Now to begin, whether your clothes are dirty or not, arrange them just as you did when you originally did. As a matter of fact if you are quite skilled at folding, try and make them occupy even less space. Now, unlike when you left with your valuables in your day pack, here is what you should do. Take everything out of your day pack, and deep store it in your carry-on suitcase. Except your important travel documents. These you should place in the outer pouch if your suitcase has one. That way you are able to have quick access to them. Then, if possible also store your day pack in the suitcase as well. This may sound strange but it will make sense in a moment. Now, you shall make use of that extra tote I mentioned in the packing section. Inside this you are to place all of you souvenirs. If you need extra space, you can use any un-occupied space in your suitcase. To explain my strange method now. By putting your day pack into your suitcase, your souvenir tote bag now becomes your second carry-on bag. As you should well know by now, most all airlines allow you a carry-on suitcase and one personal bag. When you left home you had the carry-on and the day pack. Now, when you go back home you shall have the carry-on and the souvenir tote. This way you avoid having to spend the extra money to ship your souvenirs and risk them being lost. There is one thing you may have need to worry about. The weight of the souvenir bag. All airlines have different weight limits. I would suggest checking on the airline’s website for their maximum weight limits. If you go over the limit, you will just have to pay a little fee or a big fee depending on how much over the limit it weighs. A great bag that I would suggest buying is Rick Steves' Hideaway Tote bag. It is pictured above and below. It folds up into a very small little pack so you can store it in your suitcase. It costs a measly $19.99.It is big enough to carry a bunch of souvenirs and yet withing most size restrictions for carrying it on airlines. One note, i have been advised by Rick Steves' Travel office. If you over stuff it where it is near exploding you may be required to check it on the airline. The only thing to keep in mind is that you have to be able to fit it under the seat in front of you. So, for that reason, it is very important that you are able to make spare space in your Carry-On suitcase so you will not be forced to over-stuff your souvenir bag. I should also mention this is a great bag to carry in your day pack while roaming London. If you want to buy a big picnic lunch to take to a park or you want to have a big shopping bag to carry your goods while shopping, this is a great option to have. So you can see it has many uses. To check out Rick's Hideaway Tote bag, click on the picture below. I hope you have enjoyed all of my useful tips from my London Vacation Travel Tips book. But this is only the tip of the Tower...pun intended. From now on I will provide useful insight on sites,sounds, and tastes of London. Cheerio!
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When getting ready to leave for the airport you want to make sure you take a few things from your suitcase to carry-on in your day pack or personal bag. The same can be said for when you actually get to London and start your sightseeing. You want to take a few things with you. But you don't want to weigh down your bag. This part of my book should shed some light on the subject. Enjoy... Packing your Day Pack (Personal Bag) This is one of the most important things to do when you are getting ready to leave for the airport or the hotel room. If you don’t bring what you might need you will be in trouble. Also, if your weigh your bag down with un-necessary items you will also be in trouble. When you are going to the airport, I would advise that you put all your necessary travel documents in your day pack. This will save you from having to stop and open you luggage for you tickets. As I suggested earlier, place all your travel and Trip documents in one folder and keep it in your pack. Next, to keep yourself busy on the long flight to England, pack something to keep you busy, like a book (Rick Steves’ London Guidebook?), music, travel journal, etc. Next, I would highly suggest a spare set of clothes. Just in case that you are forced to check your bag. You are then covered on the slight chance your luggage is lost or stolen. Most important of all…DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT! Although I would suggest to keep it in your money belt, but if you don’t feel like wearing it on the plane, just make sure you keep your passport in your day pack. But when you are actually in London, don’t keep your passport in your day bag, keep it in your money belt at all times along with your credit cards, etc. When you get to London, for your days of sight seeing you won’t have to pack it so heavy with items as you would on the plane. Just take a few items: • Travel Document Folder (Tickets, Passes, etc.) • Map of London • Guidebook (Rick Steves’ London preferably!) • Umbrella (Check forecast beforehand, that way you may not need it.) • Water Bottle • Camera • Light Jacket These simple things can be your salvation if you do your packing the right way. Bottom line travel light. After all you will be carrying this pack all day for as long as you are in London. Be smart check the weather and you may just save yourself a pound or two by not having to carry a jacket or umbrella. But it is Britain, where the weather can change five times in a day. When it comes to your camera, it is up to you whether you keep it in your bag or pocket. Plus the added advantage of packing light is you save all that room in your pack for souvenirs or a picnic lunch. Two more tips for your day pack, I would suggest locking it. Just in case you get in a crowd and you are prey for a pickpocket. They could try and open your bag. A lock will keep it safer but may be more of a hassle for you. Whatever you fancy doing is up to you. Also, don’t leave it unattended. Keep it on your person at all times. If you sit it down in a café, I would suggest putting the chair leg through one of the straps to avoid quick bag snatchers. With these simple tips, you can pack your bag smart and refrain from having your shoulder hurt for the rest of your trip. The best bag I can suggest purchasing would be Rick Steves' Civita Day Pack. This is Rick's Personal bag that he uses in all of his shows. It is very lightweight. It is made of a soft material and basically rolls up into nothing. It is only $24.99 from Rick's Website and comes in a variety of colors. It is pictured below and at the top. Click on the picture below to check it out. Cheers!
There is one rule of extreme importance that both Rick Steves and Airlines try their hardest to drill into the minds of travelers...the 3-1-1 Rule. I normally would have put this in my packing posts, but it is so important, that I think it needs a post for itself. It is essential that travelers learn this if they want to get through security quickly without need for extra screening, especially if they are Carrying-On their luggage. Basically it is the technique of packing your various liquids, aerosols, creams, gels,etc. All of these must be in 3.4 oz (100ml) or less sized containers. You must put them into a 1 quart size zip lock type baggie. Only One bag per person. That is the basic rule:
3 - 3.4oz or less containers 1 - 1 Quart Size Baggie 1 - 1 Bag per person What you need to do is to store this bag in the outer pocket of your carry-on bag. When you get to the security checkpoint, put take out the baggie, and put it into the screening tub along with your shoes, and all of your metal objects such as belts, money, jewelry,etc. This is the key to getting through security fast. If you don't follow regulations you may require additional security screening, which will take more time and may cause you to miss your flight. For more info on the 3-1-1 rule, check out the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) website by clicking on the picture below. As always, also check out Rick Steves' thoughts. Cheers! Here is the final entry to my Packing post. After reading this part, I would highly recommend that you watch Rick Steves' "Packing Light and Right" and his packing expert Joan Robinson's videos, that is attached below. Enjoy... When it comes to actually packing the clothes, you must be careful to leave as much space in the bag as you can. My suggestion would to easily fold them and use a compression bag to make more space. Or what you can do is to very carefully roll them up into army rolls and pack them into a luggage cube. You can find them online. That way you can really limit you space in the bag. It is amazing how so many clothes, if packed right, can take up so little space.
When bringing appliances like hair dryers, chargers, etc. you have to make sure they are dual voltage. In the US, the electric current is roughly 180. In Britain and Europe it is around 220 and up. If your appliance is not dual voltage it will not work, or work very well. Once you figure that out, you then have the matter of actually plugging it into the wall. In Britain they have big bulky three prong plugs. You can find adapters online for very cheap. As a matter of fact from Rick Steves’ website, they are $1. Also, you have to remember that British outlets have a light switch type of switch that you must flip on to receive electricity. For those quick little extras that you know you won’t use. In a little baggie, you can put band aids, cotton swabs, dental floss, etc. This you can keep in your toiletries kit or your outer pocket of your carry-on. If you take medications. One thing of importance to remember is that your prescription medicines must be in their original packaging. Place your prescriptions, aspirins, etc. in a plastic baggie. One item of extreme importance for you to bring is an extra tote bag of some kind to bring home your souvenirs. What you do with this, I shall explain in a later chapter. I hope that all this information about packing has laid any fears you have to rest. On another note, as I stated above, I highly recommend that you watch Rick Steves' "Packing Light and Right" and his packing expert Joan Robinson's videos below, they changed my view of packing entirely. They are well worth watching, and you will not regret it. Also,look at some of Rick's tips. Cheers! Here is part two of my three part post on Packing. Many people think packing is a non issue, but it is probably the most important part of making your trip a success. Enjoy... Next, is the topic of shoes. London is a walking mecca. Nearly everyone walks in London. With very little need for owning a car, people walk, train, bus, etc. So before you even go accept the fact that you will be walking a lot. You don’t want after the first day to be saying “my feet are killing me”! Get yourself a good pair of well broken in walking shoes. Buy them a month or two beforehand that way you can break them in. I would suggest taking just one pair. Ladies may want a second pair and that is fine. Just remember, the more space you take up with shoes is the less you will have for stuff to take home. So if you can, take just one pair. Clothing is what I am discussing next. You don’t need new expensive clothes for London. Start thinking about how many days you will be in London. I will be there for eight days. For eight days you don’t need 15 shirts. Take 6-7 shirts, a mixture of long and short sleeve shirts. This is important, two pairs of pants. Women will disagree but you don’t have to wash pants every time you wear them. Take a pair of jeans and or a pair of loose khaki type pants. Nothing too heavy. As they say, weather changes five times a day in Britain so pack accordingly. Take a light jacket maybe if going in the summer. A heavier jacket in the fall and winter. How many socks and underwear is up to you. You can wash your clothes over there if you want. You can stroll down to a neighborhood Laundromat or have the hotel do it for you. Also, you can wash yourself in the hotel room. So, depending on if you plan to do some washing or not really determines how much clothes to pack. If you are planning to wash when you go to London, this can save you packing space as well. Take something in anticipation of wearing it three times. Take 3-4 shirts instead of 6-7. Take less socks and underwear. Others may disagree but some people look forward to having the experience of doing laundry in England. This is post is very useful when deciding what and how much clothes to pack. For Rick's Travel Tips click on the left button below. I would highly recommend that you look at Rick Steves' Packing Checklist, by clicking the right button below. This is a great way to see what should be packed. It also helps in case you think you might forget something. He gives you a detailed description of each item to be packed, and then there is a downloadable checklist for you to print out and take with you. Part 3 of this post will be along soon! Cheers!
Here is probably one of the most important chapters of my book. Un fortunately this is also one of the longest parts of the book. This is why they shall be divided into three parts. this is the first part. Enjoy... Packing Simple as can be…pack light. I can’t give any better advice than to look at Rick Steves’ website. He tells you how to pack, what to pack, and what not to pack. He also provides a checklist you can print out and take with you. I would be cautious about checking your luggage at the airport. I would limit yourself to a carry-on suitcase and a personal bag. With so many reports on lost and stolen luggage you are better off just carrying on your luggage. The limit for most airlines for a carry-on bag is 9x22x14 inch bags. Weight limits for bags vary for many airlines. A personal bag can be a regular small backpack type bag or a purse for women. If you must check your bag at the airport, in your personal bag to take on the plane load it with all of your tickets, passport, electronics, travel documents, monies and credit cards, and a spare set of clothes. That way you are covered on the chance the airline misplaces your luggage. Don’t take any un-necessary items with you. That will only weigh down your bag and give you less space for souvenirs on the way back. Ask yourself “will you use an item enough to pack it and tote it around with you”? First off, when you start packing, the first thing you should pack is what you want to reach for first when you get to your hotel. That is of course pajamas. If you bag has an outer pocket, that is where you should store your pajamas. My advice would to roll up your pajamas, underwear, bras, etc. Then, store them in a zip lock type bag with the plastic zipper closure. This way you have more room in the actual inside of your bag for day clothes and other items. Also, it is for this reason, should when you get to your hotel you don’t have to unpack your whole bag right away to get to your pajamas. I mean come on, you are tired when you get off a plane! Do you really feel like unpacking right when you get there? Just take out your pajamas, and go to bed, leaving the unpacking for the next day. Don’t pack everything in plastic baggies otherwise that will just fill up the space in your bag. I hope you find the first part of this post interesting. The two pictures above are of Rick Steves' Convertible Carry-On Backpack and Rick's Civita Day Pack. The Convertible Carry-on is all the luggage you should have to take. It is small enough to carry-on to most air planes, and enough room for all the clothes and items you need (depending on how well you pack)! It is only $99.95 on Rick's website. The Civita Day Pack is Rick's personal bag that you see in all of his tv shows. It is the perfect size bag to carry around London. It is small, light weight, and soft. The best part is that it is only $24.95 on Rick's website. I would highly reccomend that you go online right now and purchase these both. You will thank me later. Check back soon for part two of this series. For Rick's packing tips and his web store click on the links below. Cheers! |
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