Packing our hand luggage is usually the most important part of my pre-trip packing – especially when we’re heading off on a long flight. With the restrictions on liquids it can be a bit confusing about what you can and can’t do, so I thought I’d help ease you into your honeymoon packing with tips for sorting out your honeymoon carry-on luggage.
Bag: Accessorize (£40); stole: Monsoon (£18); jewellery roll: Monsoon (£18); camera: Amazon (£238); washbag: Cowshed (£3.50); book: Amazon (£3.98); guidebook: Amazon (£9.99); sweets: Marks and Spencer
Choose a comfortable bag that will easily hold all of your bits and pieces without being too unwieldy. I’ve got this Accessorize bag in a different print and it’s just perfect for travelling, and is big enough to hold things for both myself and my husband. I usually take this bag in addition to my handbag, so that my purse and other necessities are still easy to access.
Pack your valuable items in your hand luggage. The one time I didn’t pack my valuables in my hand luggage – namely my jewellery, but also all the film from our holiday (this was pre-digital) – was the one time my suitcase was lost and never returned. The moral of the story? Don’t ever put anything valuable in your checked bags – so, money, jewellery, cameras, ipods, laptops, memory cards, marriage certificates etc should all go in your hand luggage.
Passports, tickets and print-outs of your itinerary and other bookings. Make sure all of these vital bits are as easy to access as possible, to save having to spend ages rummaging through your bag at the check-in desk.
A cardigan, jumper or scarf. It can be easy to forget, when you’re on your way somewhere tropical where the temperature’s unlikely to drop below 30ºC, that aeroplanes can get pretty chilly. Take something lightweight that’s easy to throw over whatever you’re wearing.
Washing things. I always put my shampoo, conditioner and shower gel (along with razors and nail clippers, of course) into my main suitcase, but I’ll carry on board with me some face-wipes (good for when you’re on the plane, and for when you’ve just gotten off and want to freshen up), a roll-on deodorant, moisturiser and hand cream (because my skin always dries out), and toothbrushes and toothpaste. The main thing to bear in mind is that liquids can be no more than 100ml, and need to be in a clear plastic bag - so do check the size of your washing things before packing. You can usually pick up a plastic bag from the airport, but it is a bit of a fuss to move things over just as you’re going through, so it’s worthwhile picking up a bag like this one from Cowshed to save you a bit of hassle.
Make up. Long flights can make you feel rather grubby and horrid, so take a bit of make-up in case you want to freshen yourself up when you arrive – remember though that the 100ml rule also applies here.
A hair band. Aeroplanes always make my hair go ridiculously static, so pack a hair band so that you can tie it back if it starts annoying you.
Books and magazines. A book is one of my number one items – but then I’m the kind of person that’s not often without one. Choose something that you’ve been longing to read for a while, and enjoy having the time to really get stuck in. I also like to pack my guidebook for the destination, so I can read up on the destination a little more while I’m on my way, or to look up any last minute details (where to get a taxi from, for example) once I get there.
Sweets. Okay, so your dentist won’t thank me for this one, but a holiday wouldn’t be a holiday without a little bit of sugar to sweeten the ride…