5 Suitcase Essentials for Your Next City Getaway
City getaways tend to be extra exciting. Whether you’re on business trip or simply a holiday for pleasure, city escapes allow you to take in different cultures, sample exotic cuisines, explore fascinating museums, and shop until you drop.
There is, however, one aspect of travel that can put a damper on all that excitement and that is packing. Even the most experienced traveler often gets overwhelmed with anxiety when it comes to deciding what to take with them during their travels. Have you packed enough clothing and the right type of boat shoes? Did you remember your phone charger?
Short city breaks often require packing far less than you think you may need and can often be condensed into just hand luggage, saving you both space and money on checked baggage fees. Whether you’re planning a short city break or a longer holiday, here are five suitcase essentials for your next city getaway that will help relieve your packing anxiety.
1. Toiletries
Everyone has their own routine when it comes to what toiletries they use. Most of us have preferences when it comes to shampoos, moisturizers, soaps, etc. While most hotels provide guests with toiletries, they aren’t always likely to be ones you prefer most. People with specific allergies may also not be able to use certain toiletries that are provided.
The best way to ensure you’ll have the toiletries you need is to pack them yourself. Many brands offer travel-sized versions of their products or you can simply create your own travel-sized toiletries by purchasing smaller refillable bottles and filling them up with your larger toiletry bottles at home.
Remember to pack toiletries in sealed Ziploc bags to protect your clothes and other belongings in case bottles open during transit. Pack a spare toothbrush if you are planning on moving between hotels as this is one of the top toiletry items people inadvertently leave behind in hotel rooms. Don’t forget to bring makeup remover cleansing wipes to avoid getting stains on hotel towels and when it comes to perfume, opt for smaller less breakable travel-sized vials instead of standard large glass bottles.
2. Comfortable Clothing
If you’re exploring a major city like London or New York, you’re likely going to be moving around a lot since there is so much to explore. City getaways require clothing that is as stylish as it is functional. It’s also about being comfortable and embracing your own personal style. If you’re looking to become more stylish while on a city holiday escape, check out this luxury travel pack guide by Cashlady which offers many practical stylish clothing tips you can embrace.
When selecting your travel wardrobe, select items that are low maintenance, highly versatile, and are neutral tones. You want to be able to easily mix and match your clothing to create a number of different looks without the need to over-pack. Add in a few lightweight accessories that can give any look a pop of style such as your favorite belts, scarves, hats, and Ray Ban sunglasses.
When it comes to footwear, you won’t need to pack a wide variety of shoes for city breaks. There’s of course no need to pack heavy hiking boots but you may want to pack some runners if you live an active lifestyle and want to continue your early morning jogs or gym visits. Pack dress shoes or high heels for your nights out on the town.
Make use of packing cubes to save on space and pack a spare bag or cube that will be dedicated to keeping your dirty laundry in. Pack any clothing you’ll use for business meetings at the top of your suitcase to minimize wrinkles and wear your heaviest clothes on the plane to avoid making your bags exceed airline luggage allowances. And if you’re planning on doing a lot of shopping on your trip, remember to save space in your suitcase or pack a collapsible duffle bag inside your suitcase which you can then fill up with your new clothing purchases.
3. Power Banks and Chargers
Our smartphones always seem to get serious usage any time, but even more so during travel. Not only will you be checking on your social media feeds and sending messages as usual, but you’ll also be checking Google Maps for directions, taking travel snaps, and playing games while waiting for flights or hotel check-in.
This combination of activities is a quick way to drain your phone battery. When you’re walking around and unable to charge your phone via an outlet, the solution is a power bank. This way, you can keep your phone fully charged whenever and wherever. When it comes to Wi-Fi, you may want to look into getting a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to always stay connected internationally instead of paying high data roaming charges.
Don’t forget to pack the chargers for all your devices such as laptops, phones, camera batteries, etc. And if traveling internationally, remember that you may require power socket adapters in order to use your chargers.
While we’re on the topic of tech, ditch the heavy physical books and stick with an e-reader. Not only can e-readers store thousands of books in a small space, they also offer no screen glare even in bright light, stay powered for a very long time on a single charge, and won’t interrupt your reading with email alerts or push notifications.
4. Headphones
Whether listening to music or podcasts, headphones are a great way to zone out from the noise around you at the airport, on the plane, or while riding on city public transport. While you don’t necessarily have to splash the cash for some high-quality headphones, sticking with a trusted brand like Bose or Sony will often offer superior sound quality and special features like noise cancellation.
With zoom meetings having become extremely popular, using headphones also means you can hear co-workers or business partners more clearly and others around you will thank you for not having to hear all the details of your meetings.
Headphones are also great for navigating your way around a city with Google Maps. Get voice directions on where to go without broadcasting them to everyone that passes by. Wireless headphones allow you to move more freely and avoids dreaded tangling, however, a tech travel organizer can help you pack your corded headphones and other electronic cables more effectively.
5. Travel Wallet for your Essential Documents
A travel wallet is a convenient way to store your money and essential documents all in one place. Travel wallets should contain all your hotel and tour reservations, transport tickets, passport and other ID, and credit cards. While many important documents can be kept on your phone these days, it’s always wise to keep a physical copy whenever possible. You never know when your phone may die.
It’s always a good idea to invest in a travel wallet that offers RFID-blocking technology which will prevent your sensitive personal data associated with credit cards and passports from being stolen by RFID skimmers. Travel wallets have also come a long way when it comes to style, with options to suit nearly any personality.
