The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lasell chapter.
I used to get very anxious at the thought of packing for a trip and I was always stressed about forgetting something important. Since I began traveling more, I’ve developed a few tips for keeping myself organized. I’ve found that when I’m on top of everything I need to do, I feel much less anxious and more prepared overall for my trip. Here are a few of my tips for staying organized when I travel!
- Trying on all the clothes I want to bring
- This tip helps me with overpacking. I used to pack way too many clothes for a short vacation and felt stressed when I was there because my suitcase was bursting open for a three-day trip. There is such a thing as too many clothing options! This is still something I’m working on, but I find that if I plan my outfits and try everything on before I pack, it helps me to figure out what I need and think I’m going to wear.
- Rolling my clothes instead of folding them
- I’ve learned that rolling my clothes vs folding them helps minimize wrinkles. I know when I’m traveling, I don’t want to waste time ironing my clothes if there even is an iron. Rolling clothes also saves space in my suitcase, which allows me to bring more items or buy a souvenir on my trip. This is important, especially if I’m only bringing a carry-on.
- Printing out all important documents
- Whenever I travel, I make sure to have a folder with all my documents printed out just in case I need them. This would include my flight confirmations, hotel information, insurance, travel visas, a copy of my passport, and any tickets or confirmations for planned excursions. I like to keep these ready to go in my carry-on in case of any issues at the airport or at my hotel.
- Making sure important emails are starred
- All flight and hotel confirmations I like to keep starred in my inbox, so they are easy to find when I need them. Often things will go according to plan, and everything will be fine, but if anything goes wrong, I like to make sure I have my important emails ready to go.
- Making an itinerary
- I’m not too strict about this, but I like to have some sort of rough outline of what I want to see/do while I’m at a destination. Especially if I’m only traveling somewhere for a few days, it’s nice to have an idea so I can optimize my time. I usually just do research on the major attractions and will buy tickets for a few things in advance and plan out some restaurants I want to try. I find this helps because I can still take it day by day and see how I feel, but I also have a plan to fall back on.
- Always knowing where my passport is
- This one should seem obvious, but part of staying organized is always knowing where my important documents are located- especially my passport. If there’s a safe in my hotel room that’s the best place to keep it. Even at the airport, I always know exactly where my passport is so I can quickly take it out when I need to.
- Bring a separate bag for dirty laundry
- I always like to pack my dirty laundry separately from the rest of my clothes. I make sure to bring one or two extra plastic bags to do this. Especially if I have a damp bathing suit and I need to pack to travel back home, it’s nice to have a separate space in my luggage.
Feeling organized is a great first step in making sure I have an amazing vacation! It helps to maximize my time in a destination, be less stressed, and spend more time enjoying the journey. I hope these tips are as helpful to you as I have found them to be!