Heading out on a trip over the holidays? Don’t let your relaxing vacation become a stressful event. Traveling can be a wonderful experience, but the packing and dealing with luggage can cause a major headache. Most of these headaches can be relieved by just following a few simple tips.
Here are 4 tips to prevent headaches when traveling with luggage:
- Choose the right luggage
There is nothing worse than watching your luggage come around the conveyor belt and seeing that it is torn or even wide open because the zipper broke in transit. Most major airlines will allow checked luggage to be a total of sixty-two inches once the height, width and length is added together. Hard-sided luggage is easier to clean and is less likely to be damaged during the flight. Hard-sided luggage can also be purchased in an ultra-light style which helps with the weight requirements on all airlines. Black is the color that is chosen most often for luggage, so a person might want to select a bag with a bright color or unique design to make it stand out. If that isn’t possible, then a strip of fluorescent tape across the sides will work as well.
- Add contact information
Lost luggage is becoming more the norm these days and to prevent a lost bag from being delivered is as easy as placing contact information on the inside and the outside of the bag. Tags on the outside can be torn off or removed, but the information on the inside of the bag cannot be removed that easily. The information can be taped to the inside of the top cover of the suitcase or placed in between items of clothing or inside shoes. The goal is to make it as easy as possible to determine who the owner of the luggage is.
- Pack smart
It is never easy to know what will be worn or used on a vacation and this is why many people have the tendency to overpack. Instead, people should pack enough clothes to last the duration of the trip and make sure that the items can be mixed and matched and worn together. When it comes to deciding on shoes for vacation, choose one sensible pair for walking and one pair for the beach. One tip for getting quite a few clothes into a smaller suitcase is to fold each item carefully and then roll it up. This trick not only saves space, it prevents the clothes from becoming wrinkled.
- Know what to pack in carry-on and checked bags
Any knives, tools, and sporting items may only be placed in checked luggage and may not be carried on the plane. There are certain items that no one should ever place in their checked luggage. Items that should always go into carry-on luggage includes money, credit cards, jewelry, electronics, medications, keys, passports, and eyeglasses.
Everyone who follows these tips should be able to prevent getting a headache during their next trip, at least when it comes to their luggage.
Do you have any tips to add?
Whenever possible, I try to cram everything into my carry on, but sometimes you just gotta check those bags.
GREAT tips! We have had a few headaches traveling. This will help a lot in the future when we travel. I have learn to make the suitcase look different than what everyone else’s looks like.
Have a change of clothes in your carry on as well as travel size toiletries just in case your luggage does get lost. I never thought of putting my contact info inside my luggage before.
This is all great information. We always tend to travel light when we travel so that we don’t chance losing luggage but sometimes there is no way around it.
These are really awesome tips! Traveling with a huge luggage is always a headache for me. Will remember these tips next time I travel.
Excellent tips! I hate travelling with luggage’s especially when I have to lug around a couple of them for myself and the kids!
Over the years, I’ve learned what vital items I must include in my carry-on. It’s essential! I totally agree with your travel tips!
Boy oh boy! You are spot on. We have found that luggage can make or break a trip!
I am travelling for the first time next months and I am worried because of things like this!
I try to pack everything in a carry-on but sometimes it’s not possible. I completely agree with adding contact info on all your bags!
These are great tips. I don’t really travel much, so I don’t know much about it. I’ve never had to really lug around luggage like this.
Great tips! I learned the hard way when I lost a beautiful new necklace as we traveled through customs and they checked our checked luggage.
It is so important to make sure you spend the extra money and get good quality luggage, I always check the bag size limits before I go to the airport.
These are great tips. I am planning on travelling in the next few months. I will have to remember this post.
Traveling with luggage can be such a pain, so i usually try to get away with just a carry on. However that doesnt always work, but i usually weigh my luggage to make sure I’m not close to the limit if there is one, and i leave a little room for bringing stuff home with me.
I travel a lot and these are all great tips that everyone should keep in mind. One thing I would add is that if on the off chance you the airline loses or damages your luggage make sure to make a claim at the airport when you arrive so you will be able to get reimbursed if needed.
These are such great tips! I will definitely be putting them to use this month when we go on vacation!
These are great tips, I haven’t traveled far in a long time – will remember all this for next time. 🙂