“Forget what the travel stylist gurus tell you. You do you Boo! You don’t have to pack all lean and mean to have a great trip.

I traveled for over 20 years as a Road Warrior for work.

And my packing style was one colour and 4-5 days of clothes had to fit into this bag (21" high by 8.5" wide)!

Whenever I went on vacation I would fly caution to the wind.

I would overpack. Traveling long haul you can take two bags so sure enough I packed and took two bags.

Do I end up packing things that I never wear?...

Sure do!

Do I pack too much?...

If you’re asking me maybe sometimes but most of the time not...

Here’s what I’ve learned over the decades of business and leisure travel when it comes to packing…

Keep reading for 5 Hot Tips to hassle free packing for your trip 🛅

1. There is no such thing as the perfect travel wardrobe

You can never pack for every situation you might encounter on your trip.

Stuff happens.

You can have an idea of the weather ahead of time but it will do what it is going to do on the day.

Maybe you end up visiting a place or meeting a new friend that wasn’t in the plan so packing that extra pair of shoes to wear was a great decision!

There are not many places in the world that you can't buy an outfit or something that you should have packed.

So this first tip is to give yourself some grace. You can do your best but don't overwork it.

Need help getting started? Grab your free Ultimate Packing Guide 👉HERE

2. Pack for how you like to look and feel

You can google a lot of guru advice on the perfect travel capsule for Paris or laying on the beach in Bora Bora.

But bottom line you have to look and feel comfortable in YOUR style.

If you are an athleisure style person than go with it.

If you love sparkles and bling then thats your thing.

I am a pretty classic, kind of preppy dresser at home and when I travel.

I’m a big fan of pure cotton and linen in hot climates so I’m willing to put up with a bit of ironing when I travel.

And what I think is the best travel invention ever DO use Packing Cubes!!!

Here are my favourite "go to's"

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PROMUN 8 Set Luggage Luggage Organizer, Travel Packing Cubes with Shoes Bag, Waterproof Mesh Luggage Compression Pouches: Tap the 👉LINK to view the them.

Please be aware, I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and I sometimes earn a commission through purchases made through links linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites at no additional cost to you.

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3. Don't look like an "obvious" tourist

While you have your own style do take a moment to think about the places you are going to visit and the culture and how “touristy” or not the location is.

This is where you may trade off a little of your personal style to be respectful of the culture that you have been dying to visit and experience.

The days of wearing sneakers and fanny packs have come and gone and come again thank goodness!

We couldn’t have been more obvious if we had stuck a sandwich board over our heads with the words “I’m a Tourist”!

However, that being said I do love that white sneakers they are such a fashion staple these days.

My personal favs are Allbirds…

They look good, they’re comfortable and the are great for flying in because they are made of wool and keep my feet from freezing! 

And they really are so versatile while looking stylish… 

Wear them with a dress, shorts, pants you name it and you are going to feel like you and fit in. It couldn’t be better!

I'm almost embarssed to say that I own 4 pairs of these but its like wearing a pair of slippers when traveling but looking good at the same time.

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Allbirds Women’s Tree Runners Everyday Sneakers: Tap the 👉LINK to view the them.

Please be aware, I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and I sometimes earn a commission through purchases made through links linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites at no additional cost to you.

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On the other hand wearing that cute spaghetti strap sundress might look great on a beach in Thailand but it is going to look out of place in Bangkok where the dress code is a little more formal and conservative.

4. Do take the weather into account

I learned a hard lesson visiting Vienna a few years back. My travel girlfriend loves to travel off season or shoulder season. 

So off to Budapest and Vienna we went in Fall. Well it snowed unexpectedly in Vienna and was decidedly chilly even for me (the adopted Canadian). I ended up buying both a coat and boots.

Which by the way I still wear and love to this day.

But my lesson learned was that I didn’t pack with the right layers in mind if things became unpredictable with the weather. Which I should have anticipated can happen.

5. Be mindful of your luggage

Let me say right up front I am a checked luggage type of gal.

But if you are a carry on only person then you are really going to have to travel with less and get really creative and tactical.

Be sure to think about all modes of travel that you will be using throughout your trip.

If you are flying how many flights, what size planes and are you traveling business or economy?

Are you also going to be getting on and off a train especially if you’re traveling in Europe? 

Hauling larger bags on and off trains can be awkward and there typically is not a lot of  space for luggage at the end of the carriage.

Are you flying to an exotic island which means your international flight might be all good for a larger checked bag a flight or boat ride to the island may prove more challenging.

Even Sara Blakely Founder of Spanx commented recently that they had to really think about traveling and luggage as a family. They were flying to Africa and taking a series of small planes to get from country to country.

Would you like to take the next step to get packing?

Check out the link below for my complimentary "Ultimate Packing Guide" :-) , here's the link👇:

The Ultimate Packing Guide