Brighton in July

The size and weight of your luggage, and how to pack liquids, is regulated by the airline you're travelling with. How you pack your bags and when, is a totally different matter:

There are different ways to pack. Some plan ahead, others  pack their bags last minute. Let me introduce three made up travellers. Which of them are you most like and what can you learn from the others? Whatever your style is I recommend all of you to read your packing list in the ABC book in advance. If you're unsure of what you need to prepare in advance check it out here.

Planning Paula

Why do you write this blog post now? In June? I finished my packing months ago, right after booking my trip. Nothing forgotten, underwear ironed, all liquids in bottles over 100 ml in my check-in suitcase, and all liquids in smaller bottles nicely put in a zipped 1 lit plastic bag (all bottles secured with tape, so they won't leak). Of course everything's got its own place and to remember where everything is I've listed it both alphabetically (ABC book (hand luggage), after sun lotion (check-in luggage), bikini (check-in luggage)...) and on a map of each bag (from top left to bottom right). The bags are measured and weighted, so now I just wait for my host family info so I can write their address in my ABC book, and on my membership card and luggage tags. Then I'm ready to go!

Last Minute Lisa

Why do you write this now? It's like forever til we go. I bought new shoes yesterday, I might bring them, we'll see. I'll probably put everything I want to pack on my bed the night before leaving (I hope mum remembers to wash it all). Then I'll just put everything I need for the first days in my hand luggage. You know, passport, ABC book, phone, wallet and my first change of clothes, maybe a magazine for the bus trip between Heathrow and Brighton. The rest goes in the check-in bag. How hard can it be? Planning ahead, hello? When you can just chill! If I forget something I buy it in Brighton. And anyway there's a packlist in the ABC book, so I don't have to plan it all myself.

Shopping Charlotte

I've bought this really cool suitcase with a matching cabin bag. There's not much in it, of course - yet! I've planned to shop most of what I need in England. My sister went to Bournemouth two years ago and she bought loads of nice, cheap stuff, which appearantly wasn't as cheap when she had to pay for overweight luggage on the airport on her way home. So, now I'll show my silly sister how it should be done. :-P Some things I bring to England of course: my passport, VISA card, European Health Insurance Card, £100 in cash, phone, camera, some clothes for the first days, toiletries, insurance papers and my ABC-book. I hope that'll be enough - then I'll fill my bags on North Laine, Churchill Square and Oxford Street (and on Tesco for shampoo, antiperspirant and stuff like that). Yay!