One thing I am often asked as an avid traveller is how to prepare for a trip, what to take, how to pack.
The first thing I do to prepare for a trip is to make a list of all the documentation that will be needed, all the tickets, excursion vouchers, hotel details etc, and then print it. This might be the age of the iPhone and paperless technology, but what if your battery dies or you lose your phone? I take one copy of documentation in my laptop bag, a spare in hand luggage and a further set in the hold luggage.
This may seem OTT to some but to me it seems practical and acts a a safety net.
This is how I do it – the front is an A3 sheet of paper, folded over, with the checklist printed on the inside. I’ve saved it as a template and will amend the required parts when needed. Note the return flight line isn’t needed as I’m cruising home!
Next comes the packing! Where do we start! Well, I always find that a good idea is to begin by looking at where you are going, what the weather is likely to be, what type of place you will be going to, what the social occasions will be etc. For my short cruise with hotel stay I know I will be going to pubs in Germany, walking a lot, then on the ship I’ll be going to the gym, there will be at least one formal night, I like to change a few times per day etc.
The next step is to pick the clothes from my wardrobe, iron them and place on a clothes rail. I personally cannot face doing everything in one go and take an agile approach of dividing the tasks by the different days leading up to a holiday, and pack not too far before going…
The Packing
Some people swear by packing cubes, others prefer the roll ’em up method. I’m an advocate of vacuum bags. I find this approach, together with the clothes rail and leaving clothes hanging for a few days the best solution.
To me, packing is where the holiday begins, so of course it starts with a glass of fizz and a bit of me time before facing the task ahead. My partner isn’t the best at packing so I usually end up sorting it for the both of us. I let him bring me more wine when needed!
I clear a large space on the dining table (about 5 feet long) and carefully fold the clothes before placing in a vacuum bag, ensuring that the original folds are not lost
This method means that, even with a hotel stay for a couple of days prior (for which I keep the clothes separate) the formal wear does not crease.
I’m writing this from the airport and the lounge I reviewed earlier in the year- how lovely that the bar tender remembered me! Such wonderful friendly service from No1 Lounge, Birmingham Airport and Shendy once again.
Hope these tips help, and look forward to telling you all about the city of Hannover and the cruise!
Tim xoxo
Tim Thorpe Travels 