Travelling light: 7 golden rules.

Packing light needn't be a chore - frequent traveller Andrea gives her top tips below

The Joan Collins way of travelling – fifteen suitcases and then the hatboxes – seems to be going out of fashion.  Low cost airlines are now charging quite extortionate fees for checked luggage and luggage allowances are getting slimmer all the time, so most of us are trying to pack smarter.

It’s easy to say ‘just pack less’, but hard to do.  So here are 7 golden rules:

1. Pack clothes that are versatile and will go together – think ‘layers’.  Don’t pack three separate outfits, when you can pack one suit, three shirts and two sweaters.  For women, black is the new black as far as travelling goes – it will go with any other colour, and dresses up easily with jewellery or dresses down with a t-shirt.

2. Pack what you think you want – then leave half of it behind.  This sounds silly, but actually it’s good advice – if you think about it, you can probably ‘lose’ not far short of half what you originally packed.  There’s a natural human tendency to pack a bit too much of everything.

3. Start packing well ahead of your trip.  Panic packing the night before often results in everything being thrown in without thought or care.

4. If you’re a frequent business traveller, keep a small bag permanently packed with basics e.g. toothbrush and underwear. You might even keep a suitcase ready with a good wrinkle-free travel suit and a pair of shirts. That will save you time when preparing for a trip and also stops you packing extra stuff you don’t need.

5. Choose multi-task footwear.  Take a pair of shoes to suit both formal and casual wear.  And girls, if you must have a nice pair of shoes for a one-off, take flat sandals or fancy sequined slippers that will pack flat.

6. Why pack toiletries?  Your hotel will provide!

7. You don’t need fresh underwear for every day you’re away, except for short stays - wash it or use a laundry!  I really do know someone who planned to pack 32 pairs of knickers for a one-month stay abroad (two spare in case of accidents!).

Many London hotels (such as the Rafayel Hotel pictured) have their own library so there's no need to carry heavy books!

My personal weakness?  Packing too many books.  Even though I’m a voracious reader, I always overestimate how much I can read on a trip.

Maybe I should just not pack any books at all, and stay at Hazlitt’s Hotel - where the shelves have books written by authors who’ve stayed there.  Or at another of the best London hotels for bookworms.

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Hazlitt's offers a relaxing stay in the heart of Soho

Or indeed at The Arch, where their library of Oscar-winning films on DVD gives me the chance to refresh my film knowledge and give the books a rest for a bit!  Or even at a luxury London hotel with its own cinema.

Finally, if you want further inspiration on packing effectively then make sure you check out these expert packing tips from The Lanesborough.

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Photo credits: London Hotels Insight photo at Rafayel Hotel, Hazlitt’s Hotel.

Tagged as: Hazlitt's Hotel, Rafayel Hotel, The Arch Hotel, The Lanesborough