When traveling with only a carry-on suitcase the main goal is to try and pack as much as possible while still having enough room to shop while you are on the trip...or just buy a new suitcase for all your shopping and check one bag on your way back! As kids, we remember packing for two week trips using the biggest suitcase we could find, and even then they were never quite large enough for all the clothes we wanted to wear. Now that we're older, and travel on our own, we like to keep our luggage to a minimum (carrying/rolling around big suitcases inside trains/airports and buses just gets exhausting and annoying).
Traveling with a carry-on suitcase can be a daunting task. How do you to decide what to bring and what to leave at home?! We get it, and still struggle with this issue. The biggest thing to think about is trying to pick items that you can wear with multiple outfits, ie. jeans which you can wear with a basic white t-shirt and sandals or dress up with heels and a cute silk tank top. Scarves and statement jewelry don't take up much room and can transform an outfit. Being strategic about what you can wear multiple ways is key. Our saving grace for this packing "mission" is the Ziploc Space Bags! All you have to do is slip your clothes into the bag, seal the bag, and roll/press the air out! It shrinks the clothes to half the size they originally took up. Brilliant! Also keep in mind that all your liquids have to fit in a small Ziploc baggie and you can't bring liquids larger than 3oz. Here is a list of things we typically bring on our holidays....
Ivy's Beauty Essentials:
- Aquafor
- CeraVe face wash and PM cream
- Foundation
- Makeup removing wipes
- Eyeliner
- Eyeshadow pallet
- Mascara
- Favorite red lipstick (Keep It Red)
- Travel toothbrush
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush
Lexie's Beauty Essentials:
- Foundation
- Face powder
- Eyeliner
- Eyeshadow pallet
- Contouring/blush pallet (ISH Contour kit)
- Mascara
- Makeup brushes (eye shadow, blush, contour)
- Deodorant
- Travel toothbrush
- Rollerball Parfum
- 1-2 lip glosses/ lip sticks
- Hairbrush
Things We Share:
- Toothpaste/Floss
- Sunscreen
- Medication (Advil, Advil cold and sinus, Emergen-C) Being sick on a trip is the worst! We pack only essential incase of emergencies. These are essential since in america we are given the luxury to have off the shelf drugs that actually work! We swear the drugs on European super markets shelves are just sugar.
Here is what we recommend for packing a carry-on suitcase:
- (2-3) Pairs of pants
- (5) Shirts
- (2-4) Dresses, rompers, skirts
- (1) Shorts (if needed)
- (3) Shoes (one pair of sandals, one good walking shoe, and one pair of heels)
- (2) Bras
- (10) Undies
- (5) Socks
- (1) Swimsuit (always bring one just in case!)
- (1) PJ's
- (2) Jackets (One jacket for warmth and one rain coat incase it rains)
- Jewelry- bring a few items that can be layered together or go alone
- (1) Sunglasses
- (1) Umbrella
- Chargers & International Converter if necessary
- Makeup/Beauty Bag
- (1-2) purses (one everyday and one fancier)
