How to Pack Efficiently for Your Holiday

Packing for a vacation is part of the excitement of going on holiday – that is, if you like packing, of course! For many, it can be a struggle to fit in everything they want in the luggage they are allowed to take, which can be even more challenging if you’re travelling with the whole family, including the little ones.

Having everything properly packed only makes the journey more enjoyable, as your clothes, your toiletries and your technology will be neatly organised and easy to find. Take a look at our tips to pack efficiently for your holiday:

Plan Every Day Ahead

Think about how many days you’re going to spend abroad and how many items of clothing you’ll need to take with you. This way, you can prevent overpacking as well as underpacking. It might be cumbersome to carry around a much-too-heavy bag because you’ve added too many things, but worse is to find yourself lacking clean clothes in the middle of the trip; you can avoid the extra costs of purchasing items later as well.

And, if you plan ahead, you can also save space for all the souvenirs you want to bring to your family and friends. Don’t forget to check the weather conditions of your destination as well, as that will help you to pack the right clothes.

Rolling or Folding?

The ultimate debate. Some people defend rolling, others prefer folding; however, what matters is that everything can fit in nicely inside your suitcase, and a mixture of these two methods might be the best solution. Rolled clothes might wrinkle, although that will depend on their material – make sure that any clothes that wrinkle easily are folded instead. Knits, wools and cottons can generally be rolled without becoming too creased.

A good balance between rolling and folding is the way to go, so you can just combine different materials and bring everything you want with you. The easy-to-wrinkle items can go on top, while clothes made for colder weather, such as knitted shirts, can be rolled and placed at the bottom of the bag.

Fill the Empty Spaces

When packing, make sure that you use every little centimetre of available space in your bag. This means adding socks and other small items to the empty spaces created by the rest of your clothes. These spaces also have the advantages of being ‘padded’ by the clothes that surround them, which means that you can add your gadgets (like your camera) without fear of it breaking during the journey.

When returning home, you’ll have to re-pack everything so that your new purchases, as well as used clothes, can fit inside the bag once again – by using these empty space, you can safely carry glass bottles (filled with jam or other goodies) or other breakables without fear of them becoming damaged or damaging your clothes.

Wear Bulkier Items

Some items will take up a lot of space in your bag, such as hiking boots or a winter coat, for example. In order to maximise the available space and make sure you can take everything you want with you without exceeding the luggage limits, try to wear your bulkier and heavier items instead. While this is not always possible, whenever you have the chance, take it!

You’ll free up space that can be used for something else or leave it like that so you can fill it up with items you purchased during your holiday.

Packing efficiently for a holiday is just as important as planning your journey to the last detail. We might not be able to help you pack, but we can certainly provide you with the perfect accommodation for your holiday in Portugal! Contact us or choose one of our Pousadas and we’ll be on hand to answer any questions you may have.