Travelling With Only a Backpack

Choose a bag around forty litres, which fits most cabin limits and still carries a week of clothes. Pack for four days and plan to wash, rather than packing for the length of the trip. Most trip costs are fixed before you leave, so the planning decides the budget more than the spending.

Decide the constraints first

Use packing cubes to compress clothes and to keep clean and dirty items separate. Wear the bulkiest shoes and jacket on travel days instead of packing them. Compare the total price, including bags, transfers, and the cost of getting to the station.

Book the cheap parts early

Limit toiletries to what fits in one clear bag, and buy refills at the destination. Take two pairs of shoes at most: one for walking and one for everything else. A short trip with two strong days beats a packed itinerary that starts with a missed connection.

Before booking anything, write down the dates, the budget, and the one thing the trip is for. Most travel stress comes from plans that tried to include everything rather than from a lack of options. Book the fixed parts early and leave the rest flexible, since the best day is often the one that changed. Keep copies of every booking offline, and check the cancellation terms before paying. A small notebook for bookings, times, and addresses is still faster than unlocking a phone in a queue. It also works when the battery is gone, which is exactly when you need it most. Keep the important details in one place and update them as the plan changes.

Choose clothes in one colour family so everything matches and fewer items are needed. Write the plan in pencil; the best part of a trip is usually the thing you did not schedule.

Before you book

• Choose a 40-litre bag
• Pack for four days
• Wear the bulkiest items
• Plan one laundry stop

Leave room for the day itself

Pack quick-drying fabrics, which can be washed in a sink and worn the next day. Keep documents, charger, and medication in the top pocket for easy access. Keep the documents and bookings offline, because airport Wi-Fi fails at the worst possible moment.

Weigh the bag before leaving, since cabin limits are enforced more strictly than they used to be. Leave a little empty space for purchases, or plan to post things home.

Spend on what you remember

Take a small day bag that folds flat for excursions. Check the airline baggage rules, because a forty-litre bag can exceed a strict weight limit. Pack less than you think and carry the difference in attitude rather than in a second bag.

If something goes wrong, solve the next step rather than the whole trip. Travel plans rarely fail completely; they usually need one booking changed or one afternoon rearranged. Keep the important numbers, the documents, and a little cash separate from the main bag. The trip you remember is rarely the one that went exactly to plan, so leave room for the day to decide.

Practise packing a week before, then remove one item. A single bag makes transfers, stairs, and last-minute changes much easier. The freedom of one bag comes from deciding what not to bring. If you want the wider picture, read Booking Cheap Flights Without the Tricks before you decide.

For the underlying guidance, see the TSA travel guidance.