{Travel} Tips and Guides

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. 

I travel for travel's sake. 

The great affair is to move."

- Robert Louis Stevenson

from startbackpacking.com

Growing up, I've always loved the works of Robert Louis Stevenson from Kidnapped to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Reading books to me, has always been a way to get lost in something and imagining being somewhere else. And, then you grow up... But, the best thing about growing up, is that you don't have to imagine being somewhere, you can be somewhere and travel. (Use those vacation days! Work, Life balance!)

I believe that I might have mentioned it before, the husband and I are going back to Europe later this year, with a couple of great friends. We are a month out. (Insert- happy dance). 

With travel and being a woman, I always either end up packing too much or packing WAY too much, which means that I'm more of a girl scout. I'm prepared for anything and everything. But, this time around, I told myself that I will try to pack clothes enough for 8 days. We will be in Europe for a little over two weeks. And, since we are going in fall, layering will be essential. I've been looking into the weather for Munich and Paris, since that is where we will be the majority of our vacation and it'll be around 60 degrees. 

Here are some tips that I've read or have thought of that will help with packing lightly for travel. Having a huge luggage in Europe always targets you as a TOURIST, in big capital letters. 

1. Pack for only a week. - I know that this will be hard, but with many airlines charging fees for checking in luggage, I think it will be in your best interest to pack just for 7-8 days and still have enough room in your luggage for souvenirs, gifts and etc.
2. The laundry will be your BEST FRIEND. - It will help greatly with minimizing the amount of clothes to bring, if the hotel or apartment you are staying at, will have a laundry. You can wash and wear your clothes. Carry detergent.
3. Pack neutrals or clothes that will go well together.- Neutrals are easy to mix and match. 
4. Accessories, accessories, accessories.- See #3, adding accessories to your outfit can take it to a whole different level. Haven't you heard that accessories can make or break an outfit?
5. Roll your clothes, instead of folding them. - You  just get more space, this way. This minimizes wrinkling. 
6. Be a travel ninja.- see these travel tips here.
7. Darker jeans are better. - They can be dressed up or down. And, if its dirty, no one can tell. Unless, of course, you point it out yourself.
8. Wear bulkier items on the plane. - This means heavy jacket, boots, etc. By wearing these on the plane, you have more space in your suitcase.
9. Make a list. - Lists are a great step on helping prioritize what to bring.
10. Consider where you are going. - Weather. Culture. Think about it. Do you want to blend it or stand out?

There are more tips and guides out there. But, these top 10 ideas resonate in almost every tip guide out there on the web. 

Wendy from Wendy's Lookbook, did a packing segment on one of her posts. See here. I've taken the liberty of having some pictures from her post, see pictures below. All pictures are courtesy of Wendy from Wendy's Lookbook.

Accessories also need their own holder for protection.

Rolling. Here Wendy rolls a delicate dress in tissue paper. 

How to fold blazers. I've done this before I saw this on her post and it works wonders. Just turn one of the arms inside out and fold it into the other arm to keep its shape. 

Until, next time...