A Guide To Minimalist Vacation Packing

With so many airlines charging for checked luggage these days, perfecting your carry-on strategy is vital. Rolling underwear and stuffing it in shoes is for amateurs—these tips will help you save precious inches and pounds without leaving any of the essentials behind.

Invest in smart luggage

The slew of new companies specializing in smart carry-on designs might make you reconsider the battered luggage you’ve been carting around for years. Lo & Sons creates light-weight weekenders and overnight bags with zip-sectioned compartments, while Away’s wheel-y even has an in-built phone charger so you never run out of juice on the go.

Compression is key

Instead of following the “roll, don’t fold” rule, stock up on compression bags. Fill one, seal it, then press to force air out the valves, smooshing your vacation wardrobe to around half its usual size.

Be ruthless when you curate outfits for the trip. Fill your case with easy-to-wear, layerable separates like T-shirts, shorts, jeans, shirts, and skirts, that you can mix and match to create a new ensemble every day, rather than dresses you’ll probably only wear once (ladies).

Use compression bags to save luggage space

Organize your toiletries

When it comes to toiletries and make-up, minitures are your friend. Decant your essentials into smaller bottles, and consider omitting shampoo, conditioner and soap if you’re staying in a hotel that’ll provide them free of charge. Better still, get on the waitlist for a GoBout—the leak-proof liquids organizer that stores four or five toiletries in one handy pod.

Go digital

As lovely as it is to have pages to physically thumb through, books are heavy, bulky additions to your luggage. Download literature on the Kindle app, magazines on the Texture app, and swap your travel guide for the Culture Trip app to free up space.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.