8 incredible tips for traveling with carry-on luggage

Packing a suitcase with only the essentials is not an easy task for many people. Traveling with carry-on luggage, meaning just 10 kilos and nothing more, is even more challenging! That’s why, in today’s post, I’m going to share 8 incredible tips to help you travel light and avoid any hassle!

The first thing you need to research is the climate of the place you’ll be visiting. Look up the average temperatures for the period you’ll be there, as this will make it easier to travel with carry-on luggage and avoid packing unnecessary items.

Tips for traveling with carry-on luggage

If you're flying for the first time or if you’re not a frequent traveler, remember that your money and personal documents should always stay within your line of sight, meaning, don’t store them in your carry-on suitcase. Money can be kept in a money belt (the kind you wear under your clothes). As for documents and electronics, you can store them in your personal bag (like a small shoulder bag or a compact backpack).

Pack for one week

It doesn’t matter if your trip will last two weeks or more, pack your suitcase as if you were going away for just one week. Sounds strange? Don’t worry, I’ll explain!

If you're traveling for 14 days, for example, plan to wash your clothes around the seventh day. In Europe, this is super easy, there are laundromats in the cities and often in the accommodations themselves. You’ll use coin-operated machines, just like in the movies! First, you'll wash, then dry.

It’s simple and affordable. By doing this, you’ll save a lot of space and manage to travel with just carry-on luggage.

Don’t pack your winter coat

Hold on, this doesn’t mean you should travel in the middle of winter without a coat. It just means you should carry it outside your suitcase. Even if you’re not planning to wear the coat at the airport or during the flight, bring it in your hands. Depending on its size, a coat can take up nearly half of your bag space.

Another good tip: if you don’t own many warm clothes, you can consider buying some at your destination. They’re often cheaper and have different styles. You might even want to get some thermal base layers, they keep you super warm and take up very little space.

Only pack comfortable shoes

This tip for traveling with carry-on luggage is especially for women. Usually, we have more shoe options than men—boots with or without heels, sneakers, flats, sandals with or without heels, flip-flops, and so on!

Choose shoes you've worn before and know are comfortable. Sneakers are essential to pack, even if you're not a big fan, you'll definitely need them for all the sightseeing! If you're staying in a hostel, don't forget to bring flip-flops to avoid showering barefoot and risking a fungal infection.

Small containers

What's the point of bringing that huge bottle of shampoo if you're only traveling for 10 days? Even if you plan to wash your hair every day, it’s highly unlikely you’ll use up 400ml of shampoo or conditioner.

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, there’s a 100ml limit per container for carry-on liquids. Let me explain it better: for example, if your perfume bottle has a capacity of 300ml but contains less than 100ml of liquid, you still can’t bring it in your carry-on. The container itself must hold a maximum of 100ml, regardless of how much product is inside.

So, to save space in your bag and carry less weight, the best thing to do is to transfer your shampoo, conditioner, creams, perfumes, and other products into smaller containers.

Go for versatile clothing

In case you're not familiar with the term, let me explain what versatile (or “capsule”) clothing means. You know that black top that goes just as well with jeans as it does with shorts, and can be worn during the day or at night? Or those comfy pants that are perfect for sightseeing but also work for a night out at a bar? Those are staple pieces!

Clothes that work in multiple situations and match easily with one another are your best friends if you're trying to travel light with just carry-on luggage, without running out of outfit options!

Bring a quick-drying towel

This tip is especially useful if you're staying in hostels or accommodations that don’t provide bath towels. Quick-drying towels take up very little space in your bag and, as the name suggests, dry quickly too!

Heavy items go in your personal bag

If you buy something heavy during your trip and it fits in your personal item (like a handbag or small backpack), pack it there so you don't exceed the weight limit for your carry-on. When in doubt, ask the airline whether the item is allowed in your personal bag.

No souvenirs

Are you the kind of relative/friend who always buys a souvenir? Well then, if you want to travel with carry-on luggage only, you’ll have to give up that habit! It’s tough, I know. An alternative is to buy small items, like keychains or magnets. That way, you still get the souvenir, but it doesn’t take up much space in your suitcase.

These were my main tips for traveling with carry-on luggage and not getting into trouble! If you have a cool suggestion, drop it in the comments! If you have any questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram. Oh, and while you're at it, make sure to follow me there too!

Kisses and see you soon!