Travel Guides : Travel Tips: Packing Tips for Travel

Travelling Light

Technical advancement in the telecommunications industry has created a very cheap         way to keep in touch while traveling. International phone cards are a cheap way to help         you keep in touch while travelling. Selection of the right prepaid calling card can save         up to 95% on the long distance phone costs.
Remember to carry a voltage converter so that all your electrical gadgets are        compatible with electrical outlets in foreign destinations.
Equip yourself with a Swiss knife or a penknife. A watertight wallet is a good idea if         you’re travelling to the sea - side.
Instead of carrying an iron that takes up a lot of place in your suitcase, carry a spray        for your business suits and evening dresses. You’ll find it in most travel shops. You can        also avoid wrinkling your clothes if you roll and pack them.
Most hotels frown on guests doing their own laundry in the bathrooms, but if you do                need to wash some smalls, carry a length of nylon twine to improvise a clothesline.
On long-haul trips, stick to lightweight, drip-dry garments that require little ironing        and maintenance.
When choosing your travel wardrobe, remember that dirt doesn't show up as easily on        busy prints, dark colours and polyester fabrics, so prefer these to light-coloured solids        unless you're planning to do a lot of laundry!

Medicine Box

Pack a small first – aid kit of over the counter medicines equipped to deal with small        health hazards. A tube of antiseptic, bandaids, pills for migraines, headaches and        stomach upsets are essential.
Carry a medical prescription if you suffer from any chronic illness. make sure that you         have the generic name of the drug, as brand names differ in countries.
If you're allergic to a particular drug, it's advisable to keep a note in your wallet.
Carry water purifying pills if you're planning to travel into rural areas where you might         not get bottled or purified water. Just drop one into the water and that will ensure that         you're stomach stays fine.
Contact lenses: carry an extra pair of prescription glasses plus a copy of your lens         prescription. Carrying a torch makes those floor crawling search exercises easier.
        If you are on the floor looking for your contact lenses with a torch, remember to keep
        the beam parallel to the ground.

Bags & Baggage

Tie a coloured ribbon or a luggage belt around your suitcase so you can easily identify         it on the conveyor belt.
Travelling light is a boon especially if you have a long wait at the airport between         flights. You are less likely to set down light baggage and leave it unattended while you         browse through an airport shop or use the toilet.
Planning to shop on your travels? Just flatten an empty airbag at the bottom of your        suitcase. Use this to stuff dirty linen at the end of your trip, and voila! You have an        extra bag! Make sure the bag has double zip pulls for a padlock.