Lighten Your Load - for a good life vacation. ~ Champagne Living

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Lighten Your Load - for a good life vacation.

With most of the airlines now tacking on an extra fee for checked baggage, isn’t it time to LEARN how to travel as light as possible? Packing just what you need, to cover every possible scenario when you travel in just ONE CARRY ON BAG is a true art.

Some of you may have backpacked through Europe or the United States when you were just out of school, with everything that you’d ever need not so neatly tucked into a rucksack. It seemed so easy to do back then, but as our lives became more complicated we started to bring more "stuff" with us on our trips.

Packing light is not as easy as you think. It’s so much of an art, that there’s even a website that teaches the best way to pack that bag of yours.

Why not just pay the extra $10-$20 fee (per bag)?

Security – If you’re not checking your bags, then you’ve got less of a chance of losing, breaking or having your items stolen.

Flexibility – With only one bag, it’s easy to pick up and go, go, go. For those of us who travel for leisure, it’s much easier to take a “bump” when we know that our luggage is with us, especially if it means staying an extra night in an airport hotel (on the airline’s dime of course). My favorite reason to pack lightly – I’ll be the first in line at the Taxi stand while the other passengers are still standing at the carousel watching the bags go ‘round and ‘round.

Eco-Friendly – Less bags in the hold, mean a lighter airplane, bus, train or car., which translates to using less fuel. If all passengers traveled this way we’d be helping the earth become a little greener.

Peace of Mind – Without having to worry about if your “stuff” will arrive when you do, you’ll have a more stress-free vacation or business trip.

Saving Money – As a budget traveler, you’ll want to save as much on the less important things, so that you can indulge is something a little more fun. Not paying for a porter or the extra baggage fee when two people are traveling can translate into a night out on the town wherever you’re going. It also means that if you want to hop on that bus, metro or even walk to your destination – it’s doable with only one bag in tow.