And other places.
Currently Amber lives in NC and I live in GA. This matters because every time Amber visits she brings a trunk. Seriously. Enough clothes for two to three weeks for multiple people. I'm slightly concerned about her packing for Greece. Slightly.
Below are tips that I've shared based strictly on previous trips. They work for me and hopefully they will work for you. Let me know what you think in the comments.
1. Packing Cubes - They are great for keeping you organized and segmented. I don't believe that they actually save on space but it works for me. I break mine down into 4 categories.
a. Top's
b. Bottom's
c. PJ's and socks
d. Bathroom gear and medicine's
2. Pack for daily comfort and multi-use. By this I mean, plan to wear a pair of jeans more than once or even a T-shirt. Bring at least one pair of good walking shoes. You will be visiting sites and attempting to see as much as possible in a very short amount of time relatively speaking. This means hours upon hours on your feet. If you can attempt to stay where you can wash your clothes either onsite or within walking distance of where you are living, this cuts down on the amount of clothes needed to be packed.
3. Be cognizant of the bag/weight allowance for the airline you will be flying. Most airlines are charging some type of fee for bags, even on international flights. If you can, only pack a carry on bag. Don't feel bad if you can't. Honestly that takes skill....that I don't have yet! I'm getting there.
4. Never check anything essential or extremely valuable. This includes medicines, over the counter and prescription. Your passport, identification, money, credit cards, jewelry, electronics, and other valuables should always be on your person while in the airport AND on the plane. I would also recommend a small toiletry bag as a carry on as well. It truly helps to be able to brush your teeth 8 hrs into a 12hr flight. Plus it gives you a reason to get up. The little things.
5. Leave room for souvenirs. You've visited site after site and have all these purchased memories and no way to get them home without buying another bag. Plan ahead.
Actually plan ahead applies for all of the steps above. Think about what you are going to wear, the weather, and time it will take to get to the airport. Then put that plan into action. I "try" to pack at least 48hrs before my trip (check the weather), print out all necessary documents (copies of passports and tickets), hotel/hostel/airbnb bookings and any notes I've made. Mind you I also have all of this saved in one of my email accounts or on an app such as TripIt. I'm of the mindset that being over prepared has never hurt anyone AND Wifi isn't always promised.
Let me know what you would do differently or heck better!
Kat