Once you’ve hit a certain age, you suddenly notice how many toiletries you need to travel away from your home, regardless of how long you’ll be gone. I make a full list of all toiletries I need that I can fit in my hanging toiletry bag.

• Skincare routine in it’s entirety – don’t forget your SPF!
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Travel size shampoo, conditioner, soap
• Travel size hairspray, hair ties, hair accessories, brushes
• Separate makeup bag with all makeup and brushes/sponges
• Deodorant & perfume

For the toiletries you need immediate access to, I recommend getting a TSA approved clear toiletry bag to take in your carry-on. Historically, London-Heathrow TSA can be very nit-picky with liquids. To avoid any issues, the clear toiletry bag worked very well and is easy to take out of your bag if needed.

It is imperative to know what outlets are used at the location to which you are traveling. If you have a ton of electronics, it is best to get a plug converter that can hold multiple chargers at once. I travel with 3-4 chargers for my phone, AirPods, and Apple watch. And of course, none of them are the same size charger. If you’re very OCD like me, I recommend getting a charger organizer. List out each charger you will need for all your devices, plus the plug converters needed.

As a shoe lover, I did have to rationalize that I only needed 2 pairs of shoes for the entirety of our 10-day trip. And honestly, 2 was the perfect amount! For a place like London, there is no real need for anything other than comfortable sneakers. You don’t have to get Hokas or fancy walking shoes, you can get away with stylish tennis shoes that are comfortable to wear all day long.

I brought a pair of Adidas vL Court tennis shoes and a pair of Adidas Gazelle Bold platform shoes. They are both very stylish, comfortable, and matched every outfit I brought. I did pack a pair of sandals in the event we would have time to change for dinners, but I didn’t wear them at all. Luckily it did not take up a lot of room in the suitcase. We were out and about a long way from our Airbnb every day that it never made sense to go back to the room to change for dinner, just to go back out again. It is also not that hot to wear sandals, especially when the sun goes down (think 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night).

For my birthday, my mom got me an incredible travel bag that was the perfect carry-on for our journey. The Bagsmart backpack (extended size) fit everything I needed for my carryon, including a neck pillow, a sweater, and my second pair of tennis shoes. I was able to have my carryon clear toiletry bag, makeup bag, and daily supplements fit in there, as well.

Unlike previous places we’ve visited like Greece and Italy, I knew the style in London was incredibly different. This isn’t totally important, but as a girly who likes an excuse to dress nice and fit the vibe of the place I’m visiting, I was stressed about what clothes to pack for this trip. London is known to be gloomy, fair temperatures, and rainy. With all this taken into account, the color schemes people follow in London are more neutral versus bright and bold (like Greece and Italy). I ended up buying a lot of multi-use basics in very neutral colors – beige, black, white, and denim. Mainly tops, cardigans, linen pants, jumpsuits, and jeans. Oh, and do NOT forget a rain jacket!

Lastly, you cannot forget the comfy clothes. My daily outfits were comfortable, because there is nothing more annoying than clocking 20,000 steps a day in an uncomfortable outfit. I cannot recommend linen pants enough! They are so breathable, flexible, and comfortable for 12+ hour days. They are also easy to dress up or down if needed. Additionally, pack a crew neck sweater you can wear on the plane or trains to keep you warm, or act as a pillow. And this may sound silly, but due to personal experience in forgetting these items, do not forget pajamas!

Lastly, is putting the outfits altogether! I was so overwhelmed with packing outfits and how to make them fit into each of our suitcases, that I found it helpful to take pictures of our outfits. This is especially helpful for the clothes you will wear in multiple ways, like a cardigan that goes with 2 outfits, pants you will rotate with different tops, and so on.

I hope this was helpful, and you can use this for your upcoming travels 🙂