What to pack for your holiday, from passport to power bank, and a calmer airport too.
Packing should be the start of the excitement, not a source of stress. Forget your passport, your medication or the right charger, and a dream trip can get off to a rocky start.
This guide walks you through everything to pack, category by category, plus what to keep in your carry-on, what to pack for different kinds of trips and how to make the airport part of the holiday.
HOLIDAY
Ready for take-off?
Your Quick Packing Checklist
Six packing cubes to fill before you zip up
Use this as your at-a-glance list, then read the sections below for the details and tips that make each one count.
Documents & money
Details- Passport or ID
- Boarding passes and bookings
- Travel insurance details
- Cards and some local cash
Save digital copies on your phone and in your email.
Airport comfort
Details- Lounge pass
- Fast Track pass
- Travel pillow and eye mask
- Noise-cancelling headphones
Book before you travel to skip queues and relax before take-off.
Health & personal care
Details- Prescription medicines
- A small first-aid kit
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Travel-size toiletries
Liquids in your cabin bag usually need to be 100 ml or less.
Clothing & footwear
Details- Weather-appropriate outfits
- Swimwear and a light layer
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sandals or flip-flops
Roll clothes tightly or use packing cubes to save space.
Electronics
Details- Phone and chargers
- Power bank
- Universal adapter
- Camera or e-reader
Power banks and spare lithium batteries go in your carry-on.
In your carry-on
Details- Medication for a few days
- Valuables and documents
- A change of clothes
- Snacks and an empty water bottle
Your lifeline if checked baggage is delayed.
01Travel Documents and Money
The things you cannot travel without
If you only get one thing right, make it your paperwork. Clothes can be bought anywhere; a missing passport or visa can end a trip before it starts.
Passport and ID
Check your passport's expiry date well before you book. Many countries ask for three to six months' validity beyond your stay, plus blank pages for stamps. Check visa or travel authorisation rules for your nationality too.
Tickets and reservations
Keep your boarding passes, hotel and car hire bookings, airport service vouchers and travel insurance policy in one place, both on your phone and as a printed or offline copy in case your battery or signal runs out.
Cash and cards
Bring a mix of cards and some local cash for taxis, tips and small shops. Check whether your bank needs to know about your trip, look at foreign transaction fees and keep a backup card separate from your wallet.
02Pack Your Airport Experience: Lounge & Fast Track
The two items that don't go in your suitcase
Packing is not only about what goes in your bag. Your holiday really begins the moment you arrive at the airport, and long security queues and crowded gate areas are the last way you want to start it.
Two small additions to your trip planning can turn the most stressful part of the journey into the most relaxing one.
In peak season, security queues can easily eat up the time you planned for a coffee or some shopping. A Fast Track pass gives you a priority security lane at participating airports, and priority passport control at some.
It is especially useful for families with young children, early-morning flights and anyone who simply hates queuing.
Swap a noisy, crowded gate for a quiet seat, food and drinks, Wi-Fi and charging points. Many lounges sell single-visit passes to any traveller, whatever their airline or ticket class.
Some also offer showers, which are worth their weight in gold before a long-haul flight.
03Personal Care, Hygiene and Health
Feel good wherever you land
A small, well-packed health kit can save you hours hunting for a pharmacy in an unfamiliar place, where brands and names may be different.
Sun and skin care
Broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF lip balm, after-sun gel and a light moisturiser. Planes and sunshine both dry out your skin.
Your health kit
Prescription medicines in their original packaging, pain relief, travel-sickness tablets, antacids, plasters and insect repellent.
Travel-size hygiene
Shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, hand sanitiser and wipes, in containers that meet cabin liquid rules.
04Clothing and Footwear
Pack less, wear more
The secret to light, stress-free packing is versatility. Choose pieces that mix and match, and plan outfits around a few colours rather than packing for every possible scenario.
Core wardrobe
Breathable fabrics for the climate, swimwear, sunglasses, a hat and a light jacket or cardigan for cool evenings and chilly planes.
Footwear
One pair of comfortable, worn-in walking shoes, plus light sandals or flip-flops. Wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane.
Packing cubes
Roll clothes tightly and group them in cubes. You will find things faster and keep your case tidy all trip.
05Electronics, Chargers and Gadgets
Stay charged and connected
Your phone is your boarding pass, map, camera and wallet on most trips, so keeping it powered matters more than ever.
Chargers and power banks
Pack chargers for every device and a good power bank for long days out. Power banks and spare lithium batteries must travel in your hand luggage, never in checked bags, and some airlines now restrict using or charging them during the flight.
Universal adapter
Plugs differ around the world. A universal adapter with USB ports covers most destinations and lets you charge several devices at once.
Noise-cancelling headphones
They block out engine noise and chatter on long flights and make airport waits far more pleasant.
Carry-On vs Checked Bag: What Goes Where
Pack smart for security and delays
Where you pack something matters as much as whether you pack it. Your cabin bag should hold everything you could not cope without if your suitcase took a detour.
Keep in your carry-on
- Passport, tickets and money
- Prescription medicines
- Power banks and spare batteries
- Laptop, phone and valuables
- A change of clothes and essentials
Put in your checked bag
- Knives and most sharp tools
- Large toiletries over the liquid limit
- Tools and sports equipment
- Bulky shoes and spare clothes
Rules on small items such as nail scissors vary by country, so check before you fly.
Packing by Trip Type
Add these to the basics
Every holiday is different. Start with the core checklist, then add the extras for your kind of trip.
Your Pre-Trip Countdown
When to do what
2 weeks before
Check passport validity and visas, buy travel insurance and book your Lounge and Fast Track passes.
1 week before
Write your packing list, refill prescriptions and buy travel-size toiletries.
1 day before
Pack, weigh your bag, charge everything and check in online.
Travel day
Double-check documents, leave in good time and head straight for Fast Track and the lounge.
Packed and Ready for Take-Off
With your documents sorted, a smart carry-on and the right extras in your case, the only thing left is to make the airport part of the holiday.
