How to Travel Light with just a Carry-On Bag

There are two advantages of travelling light with just a carry-on bag. Firstly, if you are travelling on a budget airline, they usually charge you extra for check-in luggage. You can definitely save some money by just using a cabin bag. Secondly, you won’t be wasting time at the conveyor belt waiting for your checked-in bags to arrive.

Since I will be going away on a holiday soon (yay!), I was just about to start packing. Here are some things I like to keep in mind before I pack a carry-on bag that is also my only piece of luggage.

Bag

Before travelling, I check the baggage restrictions with my airline. They may or may not allow a small handbag as a personal item, apart from the carry-on bag. It’s always good to know beforehand.
I like to maximise the real estate of my bag by rolling my clothes instead of folding them. This also minimises wrinkles.

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Clothes

For short breaks, it is better to pack a capsule wardrobe i.e. clothes and accessories that go with each other and can create multiple outfits.
Layering is always a better idea than packing multiple jackets/coats.
It’s really important to carry only those items which are really necessary and not just good-to-have.

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Footwear

Generally speaking, whatever be the type of holiday, I am able to manage with two pairs of footwear, be it flip-flops, sandals, hiking shoes or boots.
Since it’s just a short haul flight, I may even consider wearing my bulkiest shoes on the aeroplane.

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Toiletries and Makeup

If I were staying in a nice hotel, I probably wouldn’t have bothered packing many toiletries. However, since I will be staying in an Airbnb accommodation, I will be decanting my toiletries into travel-sized bottles (Find them here).

Note to myself – You do NOT need more than two lipsticks! 😛 😉

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Miscellaneous

Since I am travelling with my partner, we can split certain items instead of both carrying it.
I will also make sure that I keep those items on the top that are needed to be taken out during airport security e.g. liquids, etc.

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With a little bit of planning and may be some sacrifices, it is possible to travel fuss-free with just a carry-on bag. So, Keep Calm & Carry-On 😉 Need more tips for carry-on bags? Here are my Carry-On Essentials in the case you are travelling with checked in luggage.

Do you have any other tips related to travelling with just a carry-on? Do mention in comments below. I would love to know!

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Cheers,

Ameeta xx