Pack for a Trip to London

London is a great destination for many reasons. From the nightlife to the quality museums, you will see a great deal when visiting the city. To be prepared, you’ll need to pack your bags correctly. Start by understanding any luggage restrictions that you should follow. Then, lay out everything that you plan to bring and start narrowing it down. Pack your bags very methodically and in layers. Choose clothes that will allow you to layer to be comfortable in London’s constantly changing temps.

Steps

Selecting Your Luggage

1. Read over your airline’s luggage restrictions. If you travelling by airline, go to the company’s website and look for their baggage guidelines. You will see how many bags they will allow you to bring and the exact required dimensions of each bag. Pay particular attention to the size of overhead bags and the weight limitations on checked bags.
   • Of course, if you exceed the guidelines most airlines will let you take your bag along for an additional fee. If you choose to go this route, just know that you will incur that extra cost.
2. Decide how many bags, and what size, to bring. Look over your luggage and consider the length and type of your trip. If you plan to stay in London for over a week, you may need to bring one larger checked bag and one small carry bag. If you prefer to travel light or are a backpacker, then a backpack or small bag might do the trick.
   • Most people go with a roller bag with stiff sides, if they pack a large bag at all. But, there are many options to consider. You could use a duffel, a messenger bag, a hanger-style bag, or a soft-side rectangle.
3. Make a packing list. There sample packing lists available online. Find them by entering “London packing list” into a search engine. Print out one of these lists and then modify it to suit your needs. Just make sure that you put everything that is going will you onto this list, including whatever you will carry in your pockets. This will minimize the chance that you’ll leave something important behind.
   • As part of your list, make sure to write down the details of the outfit that you will be travelling in. This should be taken to account as part of your overall clothing numbers.
   • You may want to start this list at least a few weeks out from your trip. Keep it somewhere handy and edit it as time goes on.
4. Limit your packing to luggage you can comfortably carry. London is a very busy city and you don’t want to be slowed down by lugging around multiple huge bags. Instead, be realistic about what you can reasonably handle and carry. Most people do best with one large bag (on rollers) and one small carry-on bag with a strap or handle.

Choosing Clothes and Accessories

1. Check the weather. Go to a weather website, such as Accuweater, and look for the average temperatures for London during the period of your visit. You will notice that London temperatures are generally mild, swinging from 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter to around 20 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in the mid-summer.
   • Be prepared to pack items like sunscreen just in case temperatures reach their maximum.
2. Lay everything out on your bed. Once you’ve located all of the items on your list, pull them all out and place them somewhere easy to access, such as a bed or a clean bedroom floor. Sort the items according to type. Make a pile of shirts, a pile of socks, and so on. Now that you can see everything, look over it all and ask yourself, “What can I eliminate and what do I need to add?”
   • You should only pack items that you know that you will use. If you can’t envision a use for it, leave it behind. For example, that very pretty dress that’s been hanging in your closet for the past two years should probably stay in the closet unless you have a specific occasion to wear it to while in London.
3. Bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella. While London rarely sees snow or ice, it does get a lot of rainy precipitation. So, you’ll want to pack a sturdy umbrella that can withstand both wind and rain. Some of the compact ones are actually quite strong, so you don’t have to take up a lot of room in your suitcase. A sturdy raincoat is also a good idea. Remember that your coat will appear in many pictures, so make sure that its’ one that you like.
4. Limit clothing colors for a mix-and-match wardrobe. Londoners love wearing blacks, greys, and browns with splashes of bright color. Go for simplicity and a timeless look when choosing your wardrobe color palette. For example, you might pack items that are dark grey, white, and pink tones. That way you can intermix pieces to make a number of outfits.
5. Choose clothing that works in layers. It is quite possible that London will be cold in the mornings and then warmer in the afternoons during your visit. Pack clothes that work well in thin layers. Light sweaters, natural-fiber shirts, cardigans, and light shrugs all work well. You can always take off an outer layer and put it in your carry bag too.
6. Add in simple, understated accessories. Go for jewelry that is versatile and fits within your color palette. For example, if you are going with pinks and greys, then choose either silver or gold toned jewelry to pack. Bring a few pieces that can fit with a number of outfits. You also want to choose pieces that are fairly durable and will hold up well when travelling.
7. Remember to add your event-specific attire. If you know that you are going to a nice restaurant, pick out one particular outfit for that evening. Or, Londoners love soccer (or football, as they call it) and if you are going to a match, it’s probably a good idea to research the home team’s colors beforehand. If you can get a jersey, even better.
8. Bring only a few pairs of shoes. It is really easy to overdo it when packing footwear. You should really be able to make do with 2-3 pairs on a trip. One non-white walking shoe, like a Converse. One leather or rubber bootie for those nasty weather days. And, one nicer pair of shoes for formal outings.
   • Remember that you can always buy another pair of shoes in London if you need to.

Packing Your Luggage

1. Fold everything properly. You need to turn your chaotic piles into organized stacks. This is the step immediately prior to packing your bags. Fold your pants along their natural crease. Try to fold shirts as simply as possible along the seams. Jackets and sports coats will need to be turned inside out first, then folded. Folding everything neatly will result in less tedious ironing or steaming when you arrive in London.
   • When in doubt, go with the simplest fold possible. The less lines that you create in a garment, the better.
2. Pack in layers. Place delicate items, such as dresses, at the bottom of your bag. They will be protected and pressed by the other clothes. The next layer should be general use items, such as casual shirts or pants. Top these with t-shirts, underwear, and other non-wrinkling items. At the very top, place your plastic bags with toiletries and other random items.
   • If you are worried about your dress clothes, you can place white, acid-free tissue paper in between the particular clothing items. This will lessen wrinkling. You can also stuff tissue paper into shoes to help them keep their shape while packed.
   • Some people prefer to place each layer into a packing cube, and then stack the cubes into the bag. Packing cubes come in a variety of sizes and this is a good idea particularly if you will not fully unpack your suitcase on your trip. The cubes can keep everything relatively organized.
   • If you’ve done the stack and you still have gaps, you can use small items, such as rolled up socks, to fill in the holes. Making sure that your bags are filled from top to bottom will prevent movement which will, in turn, keep your clothes from getting further wrinkled and disorganized.
3. Place bulky items as the edges. Heavy, structured items, such as shoes and belts, should be put around the bag’s outer edge. They will help to hold the other clothing in place. The outer placement will also minimize the damage that they can cause to delicate clothing by snagging.
4. Use plastic bags for toiletries. Buy the good freezer bags in the quart or gallon size and use them for your liquid items. This will help to prevent your clothing being ruined in the event of any liquid leaks. Don’t overpack the bags or they may burst and ruin the whole point. Also, consider buying travel size versions of all of your toiletries in order to save space.
   • Some people carry only a few small toiletries with them and instead buy all of their bath and shower items after they arrive in London. This will definitely cut down on your packing space needs.
5. Place all electronics and convertors together. Depending on where you are travelling from, you may need to bring along an electronic convertor in order to use certain devices, like your hairdryer. It is a good idea to place these items into a plastic bag along with any other recharging cords that you have. Some people prefer to place these items in a personal bag or carry-on to ensure that they will not be lost.
6. Leave space for souvenirs. Make sure to consider how you plan to pack anything that you purchase while in London. You might want to toss extra clothing items, such as t-shirts, to make room. Or, you can pack with these souvenir items in mind, leaving one layer of your suitcase open. Some people bring along an extra empty duffel bag that can hold either clothing or other items on the way home.
7. Pack your carry-on bag with one full outfit. Make sure that you have a plan in case your large bag gets lost in transit. Pack a small, personal bags with enough items to get you comfortably though a few days. Include any required toiletry items or medications. Pack one full extra outfit, the fresh socks and underwear being particularly important.
8. Split family clothing between various suitcases. If you are travelling with a family group, and you feel comfortable doing so, then it is a good idea to pack a few items of each person’s clothing in another person’s large suitcase. This will ensure that everyone has something to wear in the event that a piece of luggage is lost.

Tips

• If you forget a few of your toiletries, it is quite possible that your hotel can provide some samples for you.
• If you are feeling really adventurous, you can pack almost no clothing and then hit a discount store, such as H&M, while in London.

Warnings

• Make sure to tag your luggage. Don’t put your home address on it as that can be dangerous and lead to theft. Instead, put your hotel address and name or your cell phone number.
• Know what you are not allowed to pack. All countries have restrictions on what you are allowed to carry in and out. Look at your airline’s main website for additional details.

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Sources and Citations

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