How to pack a suitcase

For Burning Questions, my tips and pointers for packing a suitcase.

With cheaper flights and budget airlines, people are flying everywhere. So packing a suitcase is a necessary chore but can be done effectively. These are tips that I've amassed through experience. Of course if you're not flying to where you're going, it's still useful to pack as if you are to minimise space and hassle (especially if you have to travel on subways or buses).

Step 1 Choosing the luggage

I'm writing this from a UK-centric standpoint as that's what I have most experience with. This Ible will deal with flying on a plane with one piece of hold luggage / checked luggage / stuff that goes under the plane. There'll also be an additional bit for the ever tricky hand luggage.

I'm using this small hard-shell suitcase in this instance because I'm only going away for a few days. Although if you're going away for longer, take a big case. If you're flying budget airlines (in Europe these are easyJet, BMI Baby, RyanAir etc.) then there is a limit of approximately 20kg per bag. Once you've chosen your preferred bag, move onto the next stage.

Comments

[lyona1988]

very useful information - i wanna travel to Egypt http://www.travellers.ru/articles-puteshestvie-v-drevnijj-egipet

[hammer9876]

My only suggestion is that you have your name and contact information inside your suitcase as well as outside.

[Fieldownage]

Hey do you know that is your jacket part of your hand luggage. If it is bit cold and you wear a snowboarding jacket with lots of places to put stuff into...

[chiok]

As far as I know on airlines I've seen, what you wear on you does not count towards hand luggage. As long as you fit through the metal detector and your coat fits through the scanner, then there shouldn't be a problem.

[Marieke]

I have the same knife, it's so handy, I take it absolutely everywhere!!! I am afraid though that I will eventually lose it because I forgot to take it out of my carry on luggage. I remember a flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu where I forgot to take my manicure-set out, to my surprise they wrapped it in plastic, gave me a ticket for collection and put in a big bag that the head flight attendant brought on the plane. I could collect it at my destination, after wondering around the small airport for a while I found the attendant standing at a table in the coffee corner handing out all sorts of sharp objects.... what a difference from the mean German in Munich that made me buy a new zip lock bag because the zip lock bag containing only moisturizer and lip gloss was too big....It apparently has to be a 1ltr bag, sigh Only funny thing about that situation was the German word for bag: tute (pronounce: tootuh), which sounds like they're imitating a car horn