Traveling is one of my absolute favorite things to do in life. I love the anticipation of going on a fun trip and seeing all different aspects of the world around us. I have a travel bucket list that hopefully one day I will be able to accomplish, but for now, I am happy enough going on a trip here and there with my family. We are currently on a trip to Napa Valley, California to taste lots of amazing wine! As I prepared for this trip, I wanted to take a minute to sit down and tell you all about my best travel tips that I use when preparing for my travels! 

1. Make a master list that includes everything you’ll need on this vacation. 

I’ve found some really amazing, helpful lists online that I like to use when packing! Here is the link to these super cute lists I found on travelingchic.com:

2. Check the weather for your vacation destination

The weather changes so often and you never truly know what it’s going to do, which is why I like to check a few days before I leave for my trip when I start my packing process. Based on the weather report I am able to get a good idea of the kinds of outfits I’ll be needing. If it plans to rain the entire time, obviously I’ll need to take a rain jacket and umbrella. If it’s going to be sunny and 95, I probably won’t need any jackets or jeans. Things like that are what I look out for. 

3. Plan your outfits. Lay out everything!

I like to plan out my outfits so it’s easier once I am on my trip. Oftentimes, even on vacation, I have to be up really early for scheduled tours or reservations, so I don’t want to waste any time trying to figure out what to wear. From the list I made that had activities we were going to be doing, I decide what outfits I’d want to wear for each day. I place outfits and accessories together, usually on my bed so I can see what all I have so far. 

4. Pack things that can be worn with multiple different outfits. 

To save time and space in my suitcase, I like to try and pack things that can go with multiple outfits. For my upcoming trip to Napa Valley, I’ve packed a pair of brown and a pair of white wedges to go with 3 outfits each, a white tank top and skirt each to go with 2 different outfits, and a brown hat I can wear with almost everything I’m packing. This helps you consolidate what you’re bringing and also makes it easier to remember what to wear together while you’re on your trip!

5. Take photos of your outfits so you remember what you paired together!

Speaking of remembering what pieces you paired together, one thing that makes that really easy is taking photos of everything. It may seem time consuming (and it is), but it makes your vacation so easy. If you have the time to do it, then I would definitely do it. I just try each outfit on, make sure I like it, tweak what I don’t like, and then snap a photo. If you want, you can put all of these photos in their own album on your phone so once you get to your destination you can just open that album every morning to decide what to wear. 

(Excuse my disaster of a room in this photo; as you can see packing can be a pretty messy process) 

6. Use packing cubes–they’re the best!

I’ll be honest, at first I didn’t understand the hype around packing cubes. But then I tried them. I got some plain black Calpak packing cubes on sale at Nordstrom Rack and I am telling you, they have made my life so much easier. It makes it easier for me to pack a week in advance without bringing a whole giant suitcase into my room for that long. And on top of that, of course they make the organization aspect of packing a dream. I usually put different types of outfits in each packing cube (nicer dinner outfits in one, daytime outfits in one, pajamas in one, etc.). 

7. Utilize your space!

As I’ve touched on before, when traveling, it is so important to consolidate and make sure everything has a place. For instance, if I’m packing hats or bags I like to put socks and underwear down inside so they don’t loose their shape AND you save some space. I also like to roll all of my clothes because I find that it takes up less space than folding and it keeps everything more organized. 

8. Put essentials + an extra outfit in your carry-on!

In my carry-on I always like to pack all of my essential items like medications, contact solution, phone charger, laptop, etc. I also always put an extra outfit in my carry-on just in case my luggage were to get lost during travel. It’s super unfortunate, but yes, it does sometimes happen. Don’t worry, they usually get your luggage back to you pretty fast if this does happen, but you’ll want that extra outfit for the night or the next day. 

 9. If possible, pack some type of foldable bag in your suitcase!

If you can, I would recommend weighing your suitcase right before going to the airport because there’s nothing worse than getting there and having to rummage through your whole suitcase to take some things out because it’s overweight (yes, I’ve had to do this multiple times). This is exactly why I always like to pack my Longchamp bag that is foldable in my suitcase. That way, if my suitcase is overweight OR if I go shopping during my trip, I can just get that little bag out and use it as an extra carry-on (as long as you still only have 2 carry-ons)!

10. Wear something at least semi-comfortable to the airport–you never know what could happen.

As much as you want to look super cute for this trip you’re so excited for, keep in mind that traveling is exhausting and you don’t want to be hating yourself midway through the day for wearing tight jeans and wedges. I usually wear a cute outfit that is still really cute, like a maxi dress, or flowy shorts with a tie front top. You never know what can happen with traveling, if your flight ends up getting cancelled you could be there for hours, so definitely make sure you’re prepared to be in whatever outfit you choose for a long time just in case! 

Happy traveling, everyone!