It may have been so long since we were last on holiday that we might have almost forgotten what to pack, or more importantly, what not to pack, in our suitcase or hand luggage.

So, this article will consider just what should go inside a suitcase so that a holiday can function correctly and we do not find ourselves in trouble at the airport before even having taken flight.

Essential Items to Pack

A passport, travel documents, and currency should be kept more to hand so not for a suitcase but essential to remember.

For the suitcase, do not forget your phone charger or portable other chargers, EU or Worldwide adapter for foreign sockets, water bottle for hydration purposes, flip-flops for moving between beaches, a few warm clothes just in case, socks, and underwear because this needs changing even when on holiday.

Lack of Space

A lack of space means that we need to think carefully about what to pack in our suitcases. Recommendations for checked baggage are to have a maximum weight of 23kg, although the limit is 32kg. The size of your suitcase should ideally not exceed 158cm in any direction, with a limit of 203cm in place for this. Although you can go to the limits to pack more for your holiday, the 23kg weight limit has been set with health and safety regulations in mind. Also, of course, you need to allow room for buying presents abroad that you will bring back for relatives. Maximum limits exceeded when you arrive back at an airport will invariably result in extra charges.

Having established the essentials we can now think in terms of what else might prove useful for our holiday and so is justified in taking up space inside our suitcase.

Clothes that a female might pack for a summer trip might include a white t-shirt, floaty blouse, day-to-night dress, midi skirt, wide-legged trousers, a swimsuit that does them justice, and some comfortable sandals. A lightweight cover-up may also provide useful for not much weight. You will also have to be mindful of countries that have certain dress codes. A man will find that a t-shirt, pair of thigh-length shorts, and flip-flops might cover most beach-type holidays where the climate is warm.

Items for Hand Luggage rather than a Suitcase

Toiletries will need to be packed in hand luggage, which will then allow you more room inside your suitcase. Any liquids will need to be in hand luggage. Even then, you should not have more than 100ml of anything and containers need to be a single transparent and resealable plastic bag measuring around 20cm by 20cm. Where a transparent bag is used, the contents will need to fit well inside the bag so that it seals properly.

Items prohibited from even hand luggage include toy and replica guns, water pistols, catapults, and slings. So, you need to be careful what you pack for the children. Razor blades are not permitted, perhaps explaining why some people return from a holiday having grown a full beard. Sports bats are not allowed, as they could be used as a weapon. Tools are not permitted, but then you are on holiday, so you should not be working anyway. So, you have to be careful when deciding what to pack. It is not just about deciding what should go in hand luggage, there are some items that you should just leave at home. That is just when considering the airport luggage checks, never mind what other countries disallow because of their rules. It is worth consulting your travel agent on this, not to get caught out. It could potentially delay your trip and worse still cancel it altogether. So, be careful and use lots of common sense when packing for a trip abroad.

In conclusion, these are just a few things to think about when deciding what to include in your suitcase, what you should make hand luggage, and what you should leave at home.