Tips & Tricks for Packing a Suitcase Efficiently

Based on our travel hacks as frequent travelers, we show you how to quickly and easily pack your luggage - whether it's a suitcase, bag, or backpack - in a space-saving way. This way, you can find your clothes, shoes, and other items very quickly. Here are our best tips and tricks for packing.

Lay out all the items that absolutely need to go on the floor, couch, or bed.

Before stashing everything into small packing bags, my tip is to count whether you really need 10 T-shirts or 4 blouses for a 14-day vacation. Can you get by with less, and can you wash 1-2 T-shirts by hand if necessary while on the road? Check carefully what really should go into the suitcase or bag. How often do you find at least 3 T-shirts unused after a trip and have packed 2 pairs of pants too many?

To keep track of everything in my luggage, I use packing cubes. I label them with tape (underwear, tops, T-shirts, sweaters, socks, ...). Everything has its place. Ideally, these packing cubes come in different colors, so you can quickly identify which one to pull from your luggage. This way, when staying in different accommodations, you never have to empty your entire suitcase but can quickly access the necessary clothing. This saves a tremendous amount of time when packing and unpacking.

You can save space by folding clothes the Marie Kondo 'Magic Cleaning' way (you can find many videos on this on YouTube) or by rolling them. This way, everything takes up less space in your suitcase, and your clothes get less wrinkled than if stacked like at home in your closet.

Unnecessary and not practical: Vacuum packing bags

Instead of using packing bags and the Marie Kondo method, many still recommend using vacuum bags to save space. Unfortunately, this method is completely impractical. You save a tiny bit of space but finding what you need takes longer. I once packed all my clothes in vacuum bags for a trip. Never again. I couldn't find anything, and it was just tedious to keep opening and closing the bags. The shirts and pants were very wrinkled.

If you're vacationing in hotels or are just in nature, you can leave the hairdryer at home. It takes up a lot of space, and in most accommodations, a hairdryer is standard. If there isn't one in your room, just ask at the front desk; they will surely lend you one.

For most trips, you can also confidently leave your towel at home. These are unnecessary space hogs. Only on trips where you're unsure if there will be towels available should you pack a microfiber towel. I only take a small, compact one in emergencies.

How often do I catch friends with glass perfume bottles, huge shampoo bottles, or big shower gel containers? Cosmetics and hygiene products add up to quite a bit of weight and take up space.

My tip: Transfer perfume into small vaporizers, saving you a lot of weight and space. For shampoo and conditioner (liquid), I use silicone tubes that I fill for each trip. As for shower gel, I pack solid soap. It's not only more sustainable and eco-friendly but also lasts longer.

What goes in which luggage? Pay attention at home to what should go in your carry-on and what should be checked luggage. All electronics should go in your carry-on. You should also pack clothing for 1-2 days in your carry-on. I've had my checked luggage not arrive twice. It's frustrating when you land on an island and are missing your bikini or fresh underwear.

Do you enjoy reading on vacation? Then consider getting a Kindle or another e-reader. Books can be quite heavy. In many travel destinations, you can also find a good travel library from other vacationers to read books on site.

I admit, I also enjoy reading printed travel guides. Planning a trip to Australia, South Africa, or India? Travel guides are often 1000 pages thick. Tear them apart, even if it hurts, and only take along the relevant sections. Often, the digital version for your phone or e-reader is also available for background reading.

When I pack a suitcase, a wheeled bag, or a backpack, I first place the larger packing bags into the luggage. These usually hold shoes, pants, and sweaters or jackets. I then fill the gaps with the smaller packing bags, which are typically housing underwear, socks, and shirts. These can be stuffed better as the clothing is smaller and more compact.

Tip for "rolling bags": I pack all the larger items in and then close the bag. Stand it upright and "stomp" it on the floor a few times. Everything compacts nicely together and unexpectedly creates a lot of space. You can continue your packing.

When you pack shoes individually, they are much easier to store. Packing a pair of shoes in a bag is too bulky. Suppliers like Tchibo often have shoe bags that fit like socks over individual shoes. They are perfect.

If you are traveling by plane as a couple or with friends, you should pack a few articles of clothing for the first days in the luggage of the other person. If one piece of luggage doesn't arrive, there's a good chance that at least your travel partner's suitcase will arrive at the destination. This way, you won't have trouble if, like me, you need to quickly buy a bikini or shorts in Aruba (shopping options for clothes are limited).

Before traveling, you should think about what credit cards or membership cards you need. From experience, I can say that it's tedious to have to reapply for all your cards in case they're lost. Therefore, I always take only 1 or 2 credit cards with me (most are stored in my phone's wallet), my driver's license as another form of ID in the safe, and my insurance card. You can leave your Payback or other loyalty cards, membership cards from the sports club, library, or university at home. Remove everything from your wallet that you don't need.

Choose your luggage based on the type of vacation. Check the airline's rules. Do you have a domestic flight at your destination? Check the guidelines here too. In many countries, the maximum allowed weight of checked luggage is lower than for long-haul flights (e.g., in India, a domestic flight only allows 15 kg, or in Africa, often less).

I find wheeled bags very practical. They are much more flexible than suitcases and fit better in a car if you're planning a road trip. If you're taking a round trip in Thailand and also using boats to hop from island to island, a backpack is ideal. It's quick to put on, and off you go. I also found a backpack perfect for Japan. The rooms at accommodations are so small that you can only open a suitcase on the bed - very impractical.

Now, there are also bags that you can attach backpack straps to. These are my favorites when a wheeled bag isn't practical (Japan, Spitsbergen with boats and small cabins, Tanzania, Kenya).

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