It seems that every day, the airlines add a crazy new fee to the already high cost of flying. Whether it’s a fee to print your boarding pass (true story) or a charge for snacks on a flight, there’s hidden – and not so hidden – costs to deal with when booking your flight.
One of the easiest fees to avoid is for checked bags. Simply don’t check a bag!
Checking a bag means more time. You’ll need to arrive at the airport earlier than the rest of us so that you can check your bag. Here’s what the line for dropping off luggage at the counter looked like the other day at the airport in Seville…not fun. 
And then when you land you’ll need to hang around the baggage carousel waiting…and waiting…and waiting for your bag to appear. “If” it does – because…
Checking a bag means not knowing if you’ll get it when you land. Although only a small percentage of bags go missing each year, you sure don’t want it to be your bag. It happened to me in Paris. My checked bag was lost (this was early on in my travel days; I didn’t know any better!) and it took 4 days to be returned to me. Wearing the same outfit for 4 days in Paris that I had worn on the plane was not fun. I did buy some items and got reimbursed from the airline, but I really didn’t want to be doing that on my limited time in the City of Light.
So – about that carry-on bag. I can hear you groaning already.
- “But I’m traveling for 2 weeks! How could I possibly do a carry-on?”
- “I can’t. I just can’t! I have to bring shoes/makeup/a coat/a giraffe/snacks. It’s impossible to do a carry-on.”
- “What if it rains? What if I get a chance to go to the opera? What if I go to a party? What if I go snorkeling?”
“What if…” and “just in case” are the bane of packing light. Don’t try to pack for every possible situation – just pack for normal and if you end up getting invited to Buckingham Palace for a soiree, you can go shopping for something appropriate to wear there!
I know you want to look awesome for your Insta pix. And you will! But you don’t need as much as you think you need.
Here’s the secret – if you can pack for a week, you are packed for two weeks. Or three…or six!
How? Bring things that coordinate…and bring laundry soap.
I wear mostly black (doesn’t everyone these days?) and I change it up with a scarf, fun earrings, a lightweight denim jacket or a colorful tee. And I wash my stuff along the way – I bring detergent sheets and a sink stopper and wash my stuff as I go, or if I’m staying somewhere for a few days, I’ll pay to get my laundry done (it’s the absolute best, getting all your stuff returned clean, folded and smelling wonderful!)
Something to consider – I own a lot of Merino wool – tee shirts, socks, underwear and bras too. Yes. Wool. No, it’s not itchy. No, it’s not just for hiking. Yes, it dries fast. And it doesn’t get stinky – if you can air out your shirt or bra overnight, it will be fresh and ready to wear again in the morning. (If you’d like to check out the bras and underwear, here’s an affiliate link to Branwyn – it’s where I buy my undergarments for travel.)
I just completed a 2-week trip to Porto and Seville seeing friends, a few nights in Andalusia hiking and living in a campervan, and attending an Andrea Bocelli concert in Barcelona. I traveled with only a 20L daypack as my “personal item” fitting under the seat on the budget airlines (Ryanair and Vueling), thereby avoiding a checked bag fee or a carry-on bag fee (because that’s a thing now! Many airlines are charging for carry-ons! What’s next??? A fee to use the bathroom??)
What did I bring on that 2-week trip? Check out the photo – I had the following:
- a pair of gray shorts
- A black and white print skirt
- A pair of jeans*
- Black leggings
- A linen dress
- Denim jacket*
- Zippered workout jacket*
- 5 shirts (mostly black, but one hot pink – because I’m wild like that)
- A silk scarf
- A lightweight Merino wool scarf*
- 2 bras, 5 undies, 2 pair socks
- Chacos sandals*
- White sneakers
- Baseball cap
- Pajamas
*worn on the plane
All of these items fit into 2 packing cubes – rolled and/or folded (frankly, I can’t decide which way is best so I tend to do a combination of some things folded, some rolled!)
I had solid shampoo and conditioner, and a small soap in that copper tin; a makeup bag with the basics, a ziplock with the liquids (toothpaste, saline solution, sunscreen). Ibuprofen, bandaids, and some Tums for heartburn (welcome to Old Age!), a tiny umbrella, my Kindle and headphones.
If I had to check a bag for that 2-week trip, (or even pay for a carry-on, because the budget airlines in Europe often charge for those as well) the fees could’ve added over 140 euros to the cost of my four flights. That’s a lotta glasses of wine, folks. And the time spent checking the bag, waiting for said bag and praying the bag arrives!
When I travel for 3-4 months at a time, I take a larger bag (36L or 40) and ditch the jeans (too heavy and they would never dry quicky of I needed to wash them) add a travel towel, swimsuit, my puffy down jacket, flip-flops for the shower and hiking shoes. The rest of the stuff stays mostly the same.
(Full disclosure — when I moved to Portugal, I “DID” check a bag. I actually checked TWO!! But honestly, that was because I was moving there for a year…here’s a rare photo of me with baggage – a capture of A Flashpacker with bags in the wild! 🙂
So give it a try. If you find that you forgot something or need something, there are stores everywhere – and buying a new shirt/tie/scarf can be a cool souvenir from your trip!
Find more travel hacks here on my website by searching for #travel hacks – find out how to save money on flights, use SIM cards, ride a train
Want to follow and travel along with me? Join my adventures on Facebook or on Instagram
See you there! 😉
He who would travel happily must travel light.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
