15 Tips on Packing Your Suitcase for Your Erasmus+ / Turing Internship
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Your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship is just around the corner. Slowly, you start thinking about what you should pack in your suitcase. What begins as excitement soon changes to tension. While the suitcase grows fuller and heavier, it seems that your mood mimics it and you feel tense and restless. Those mixed feelings don’t stop here! Even when you’ve finished you might wonder whether your suitcase is too heavy or whether you’ve forgotten something! Before you start packing, read these useful tips for an easier, smoother journey.
1. Check Your Baggage Allowance
Before you even open your suitcase, you should know how many kilos you can carry on your journey. Checking your airline's baggage size and weight restrictions is the first thing you should do before packing. So, check your flight booking confirmation for all information required on baggage allowance.
2. Create a Packing List
Packing lists are extremely useful for two reasons; not only do you know what you need to hunt down at home but you're also less likely to forget something, especially if you tick off items once you’ve added them to your suitcase. Create your own checklist or search for a template online.
3. Pack Whole Outfits Instead of Individual Garments
When you create your packing list, consider what clothing you can put together. It is also important to check the season at your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme destination, and what climate you can expect – summer somewhere else doesn’t mean it’s the same as your home country.
4. Lay Out Everything Before You Pack it
Once you've created your packing list, put everything next to your suitcase on the floor so you can see exactly how much stuff you’re intending to take with. If you feel particularly well organised, take some time to sort things into different stacks: one for tops, one for cosmetics, one for electronics, etc.
5. Halve Your Packing, Then Halve It Again!
If you're really trying to reduce your suitcase contents, it's best to halve it once and then halve it again. It's easy to overestimate how much you need during your trip, and this technique really helps you separate what you do need against what you don’t need. So don't pack anything unless you're absolutely sure you're going to use it!
6. Check the Weight During Packing Rather Than When You’ve Finished
Avoid the shock of the weight of your luggage by weighing it during your packing experience. This way you have a general idea of the weight of your luggage, and you know exactly whether your favourite item will still fit or if you need to leave something at home.
7. Limit the Number of Shoes
As you prepare for your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme stay, it can be tempting to take your entire wardrobe with you. However, if there is one thing that really pushes up the weight of your suitcase, it's shoes. It is best to take a maximum of three pairs. That may not sound like much, but if you choose shoes that can be used in multiple situations and fit many different outfits, you shouldn't have too much trouble reducing the amount.
8. Limit the Number of Cosmetics
Cosmetics can also add a lot of weight to your luggage, especially if you don't have to comply with any liquid restrictions. Try to pack only important items such as toothpaste and shampoo and, wherever possible, use travel-sized bottles. If you are doing a longer Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship, you can buy your cosmetics at your destination.
9. Download Books or Listen to Audiobooks on Your Phone
In order to reduce the weight of your luggage, you can use an e-reader so that you can still have all your favourite books with you. Or you can also purchase them as audiobooks and listen to them on your phone. This is a good pastime during the journey to your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme destination.
10. Avoid Packing Food or Drinks
There are many reasons not to pack food or drinks: if they are in your suitcase; they could spill out on your belongings; they could give off unpleasant odours; they could violate the entry conditions of certain countries; and most relevantly, they can add a lot of weight to your luggage. There is basically nothing that can’t be purchased at your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme destination. Even your favourite sweets can usually be found at larger stores.
11. Wear Your Heaviest Clothes on Your Journey
If you want to bring heavy clothes for your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship – For example coats or hiking boots - wear them as you travel to and from your destination. This has huge impact on the total weight of your suitcase. If you get too hot, you can take things off at any time as soon as you get on the plane.
12. Pack Vertically
If the average person were asked to pack a suitcase, there is a chance that they would stack everything horizontally - one item on top of another. In fact, it is much more efficient to pack things vertically (think books on a shelf). This tip is really a game changer, and Marie Kondo gets full recognition for her idea!
13. Roll Your Clothes Instead of Folding Them
Another great trick is to roll clothes instead of folding them. Most items don't crease, and they certainly don't take up as much space as they would otherwise. If you don't want to risk wrinkles, at least try to lay clothes flat in your suitcase instead of folding them.
14. Use Vacuum Packaging
If you want to minimise the total volume, vacuum packaging is your best friend. The packs are easy to use, can be used again and again and really remove every last bit of air. Just make sure you have access to a vacuum cleaner before you go home!
15. Sit on Your Suitcase
Sometimes, when your suitcase is overcrowded, there's nothing better than sitting on it. Align everything as well as possible, sit on your suitcase and you’ll be ready to go!
We hope we have helped with what to pay attention to when packing for your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme mobility.
Safe travels! Your suitcase is ready, and so are you!
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