The Lighter You Pack the Happier You Are

Let’s Talk about Luggage

Packing for a long weekend is hard enough, let alone a week. Whether it’s a cruise, a city escape or a European holiday I get it – you want stuff such as the perfect shoes, a hairdryer and the right outerwear the weather. The problem is, when you are lugging around too much luggage you don’t care that you have carefully planned outfits and a jacket for every temperature. What matters then is that you are struggling to get on escalators, elevators and train platforms. Trust me when I say:

THE LIGHTER YOU PACK THE HAPPIER YOU ARE.

Here are my top 5 reasons why you should pack light:

1. TRAINS – You check your bags at the airport and voila – easy peasy, right? Yes, until you land and you need to take whatever you checked to a train or a car transfer. Train compartments are very limited for luggage. Even if you chose a first-class compartment, there is a narrow overhead bin and what amounts to a small closet allotted for everyone in a train car. You want to keep your luggage where you can see it (I know people who have had luggage stolen from a train because they put it in a separate luggage car.) You also have to keep it out of the aisle. If you have too much luggage, not only will it be a pain for you, but you will get some pretty ugly looks from those who packed light but are still inconvenienced because you couldn’t decide between black or brown boots.

 2. CARS – If you have a transfer, shuttle, ride share or taxi there are limits on how much luggage you can bring. You risk being turned away, even if you pre-paid if you have too much stuff. That’s not a fun scenario.


3. ELEVATORS and ESCALATORS – Elevators are not always double-wide, apartment sized rooms that go up and down. Often, especially in airports or boutique hotels, they are quite compact. If you are trying to get on an elevator that already has someone in it and you have massive luggage to pull on with you, you should be prepared to wait until it is empty which could be a LOOOONG time. If you have too much luggage, getting on an escalator is actually dangerous. Just about every major city has escalators at both airports and train stations. Sometimes, they aren’t running and then you have to lug suitcases up or down stairs. Doesn’t that sound fun?



4. TIPPING – The more bags you have, the more you tip everyone who handles them. If you have too much luggage, you are glad to have help. At an average of $3 per bag, that add up. Better to be
able to handle it yourself and save that money for a glass of wine, a coffee or a souvenir.

5. SAFETY – This is the most important reason to pack light and should be taken very seriously. If you are pulling luggage with both hands, looking like you are struggling in any way, you make yourself a target for pick pockets or worse. Traveling can be easy and fun, but you should always be aware of your surroundings and look confident and alert. If you are loaded down with stuff, you will instead look frustrated, distracted and stand out as a possible victim. It’s not worth having everything you THOUGHT you needed if you get your passport, credit cards or both stolen as a result. Narrow down, keep one hand totally free. Pack light and you’ll look pulled together and focused - someone a thief won’t want to mess with.