Packing for Autumn – Holiday Discount Centre Blog

We love dressing for the autumn weather; cosy jumpers, thick coats and knee-length boots. Although we have to admit that these October essentials aren’t the easiest items to pack for that city break – especially if you’re hoping to just take the one carry-on bag with you. With that in mind, we’ve decided to share some of our top tips for autumn packing. Now you can look stylish and dress weather-appropriately on your trip!

Wear Bulkier Items

Coats, chunky knitwear and long boots are the items that will take up the most room in your suitcase, so it’s a good idea to wear them to and from the airport. That way once you get onto the plane you can successfully stash them into the overhead locker for the duration of your flight. You’ll then have plenty more room in your case for those other holiday essentials.

Consider Compression Cubes

When writing your travel checklist, you may want to add ‘buy compression cubes’ onto it. These can be a lifesaver if you’re planning on bringing big jumpers with you, as they magically shrink the size of the item that’s inside. With that in mind, they’re also ideal for snowsuits etc. if you have a ski holiday booked anytime soon. Vacuum storage bags will also achieve the same results, but it’s important to remember that although the item looks smaller, as it’s compressed, the weight of the items inside haven’t changed – so do keep an eye on weight limits. You’ll also need to be sure there’s an iron inside your hotel room, as this packing method can wrinkle clothes.

Accessorise

Jeans, jumpers and long sleeved t-shirts may be wardrobe essentials for that autumn city break but they can get to be a little boring day-in, day-out. To change it up, consider packing accessories rather than yet more clothes. A statement necklace can give even a plain t-shirt the ‘wow factor’ and scarfs can not only make an outfit look chic, but they’re also practical in that they’ll provide you with some warmth too. What’s more, if you plan on visiting religious buildings, a scarf can quickly double up as a head covering.

Limit Colours

If you don’t have much room in your suitcase, another tip is to limit the amount of different coloured clothes that you pack. By selecting a colour scheme for your holiday, or ruling out colours altogether, you can create a mix and match wardrobe of clothes that can easily be worn together. Black jeans are indispensable when visiting the continent as they can be dressed down with a casual t-shirt during the day for sightseeing, and then dressed up with a silk blouse for a smarter look when dining out at a restaurant.

Roll Don’t Fold

‘Lonely Planet’ has a packing mantra, if your clothes take up more than a third of your suitcase space you’ve packed too much. That might sound a little impossible to achieve, and chances are that you won’t need to for a relaxing city break but know that it can be done and most travel professionals achieve this by rolling rather than folding their clothes. Rolling clothes not only saves on packing space, but it also prevents wrinkles. Clothes can also be rolled up together for even more efficiency.