A suitcase is an essential item for a traveller. It is where you carry all your belongings, some of which will be necessities not only for surviving your trip, but for staying at your destination safely and legally. Packing a suitcase is no easy task. We are used to reading about which items we must always carry on board: ID card, a toiletries bag, a change of clothes, food and drink, a toothbrush, etc. But what about everything that we normally bring but shouldn’t? Here’s a list we made for you of what not to pack:
Alcohol
It is legal to carry alcohol from one country to another, but not to sell it or consume it during your trip. This means that if you are caught drinking or drunk while you travel you will be committing an infraction, especially on planes. Let’s be honest, the fines aren’t worth it!
The reality is that alcohol is a liquid and there are tight restrictions on liquids in hand luggage on flights. Furthermore, it is also treated as a flammable substance when the alcohol content is greater than 70%, which means that it isn’t allowed on the plane at all. Things are different for road trips.
Tobacco
Apart from the fact that there are restrictions at borders, carrying tobacco on your trip is a mistake for your health and most definitely not one of the essentials when packing. As you are walking more, you will need more oxygen, and tobacco only slows you and your travelling companions down. If you are going to travel, try to reduce your consumption.
Extra clothing
Don’t be one of those people that always brings kilos and kilos of extra clothing, “Just in case!”. Be aware of the temperature and the type of holiday that you are planning when you choose what clothes you are going to bring when you are packing. Although it can be hard, count the days of your trip and pack the amount of clothes necessary without overdoing it or pushing yourself to your limit.
Shampoos and Gels
If you are only going for a few days, use the little bottles that the hotel puts out and don’t waste time and space packing it yourself. They will save your life and save you lots of space in your suitcase. We know that if you are very vain, you will bring your own gels and shampoos because you don’t trust us, but this is our advice: bringing extra is a waste of space and your suitcase be considerably heavier. It’s your choice!
Hair dryer
It’s the same story. As we all know, there will be bad hair days, but if so try and find accommodation that has a hair dryer available. This isn’t difficult, and it will allow you to save a large space in your suitcase.
Valuable Objects
Unless you are going on a millionaire-themed trip, what is the point in bringing lots of shiny gold trinkets? The best thing to do is to forget all of that and focus on what really matters. There is always room for a spare pair of pants or extra underwear, so prioritise your personal hygiene over pointless bling.
Unnecessary reading material
Admit it, you’re not going to read on your trip. There are hundreds of things you will want and be able to do on your holiday before you decide to read The Pillars of the Earth. That is why the best reading material to take is condensed into small books or, already very famous, ebooks. We are not thinking about them as a substitute for paper books, but rather as a way of being practical on your travels.
Travel Guides
Nowadays they are an unnecessary weight in your suitcase. Mobile phones, hotel receptions, information points, or even people in the street are all better tour guides. Although travel guides are great reference books, for example “Travelling around Europe for very little money” or “The photographic guide of the countries of the world”, they should stay at home.
Towels and bathrobes
Although your mum has recommended to bring them, forget it! The majority of hotels provide towels, so leave your own hung up in the bathroom. If you travel with very little luggage, bring a microfiber travel towel; it absorbs water easily and dries rapidly. Some of them even have a clip to hook them to your backpack which allows them to dry while you move. Beach towels are another matter. Do you take the pristine white towel from the hotel room and return it full of sand? And worse, everyone will know you’ve done it. The best option is a sarong. They take up little space and weigh very little.
Umbrellas
All the travel websites will recommend them. But we don’t. An umbrella is generally very cheap and very low quality, so bringing one just to have it break when you arrive at your destination is silly. If you know that there will be shops there, wait until you arrive then buy one and forget about unnecessary weight.
Now you know, travelling in comfort means travelling light!
Translated by Sara Patterson
