Travelling by air - Your perfected packing guide

Written by Admin | Sep 18, 2026, 7:34:40 PM

Find the perfect balance between packing light, staying comfortable, and being prepared for the unpredictable.

Determine your airline’s luggage policy.

When preparing your luggage, you're going to want to pay close attention to the following:

❒ Luggage size and weight policies
❒ Liq uid restrictions
❒ Customs regulations for both your destination and your point of origin

Checked Luggage Tips

❒ Label your luggage with your name, address, and home phone number.
❒ Keep checked luggage below 20 kg. Your back and shoulders will thank you!
❒ When in doubt, transfer all liquids and lotions to airline-friendly plastic containers.
❒ If you need to bring aerosols, make sure to pack them in your carry-on luggage.

Carry-on Luggage

Prepare your carry-on bag for the unlikely event that your checked bag gets lost. Here’s what we recommend:

❒ One fleece, hoodie, or sweatshirt

❒ All travel documentation and money in local or foreign currency (depending on destination)
❒ All carry-on approved toiletries should be packed in a waterproof bag (check with TSA or the airline for restrictions)
❒ An EMPTY reusable water bottle (you can fill it after going through security)

❒ One waterproof wind proof jacket (hood preferable)
❒ Camera with charger
❒ Outlet adapter (do NOT plug any electronics into a foreign outlet without this!)
❒ A change of clothes
❒ Pajamas (optional)

❒ Teacher-approved personal effects (tablet device, phone, reading material, etc.)

Checked Luggage

Make the most of your luggage space

❒ Plastic bags are great for keeping your luggage organized, especially dirty/wet items
❒ Wear your bulkiest items (sweaters, shoes, jacket, etc.) inflight to free up space
❒ Use the inside of your spare shoes to pack small items like socks, belts, and breakables
❒ Pack ‘nicer’ items like shirts, pants, dresses, etc. at the very end so they’re not crumpled
❒ Pack fragile items midway to pad them between the bottom and top layer of your bag
❒ Try to leave some room for souvenirs!

* Don’t forget *

❒ Warm top layers (fleece, sweatshirt, etc.)
❒ One water-resistant backpack for storing daily essentials
❒ One ‘nice’ ou tfit for that special occasion activity in your itinerary

❒ Enough socks and underwear to last you the duration of your trip
❒ Enough everyday clothing (t-shirts, button-ups, pants, shorts, etc.) to last the duration of your trip
❒ Pajamas

❒ Bathing suits (check your itinerary in case a towel is also required)
❒ Sunscreen (SPF 60 or more) & a hat that effectively protects you from the sun
❒ Sunglasses (and its case)

❒ A spare pair of shoes

A Note on Footwear

A comfortable pair of shoes is a must. New shoes are risky – you don’t want to spend the entirety of your trip breaking them in. Flip-flops are great for getting around the hotel or beach, but terrible for getting around town.

Attention Students and Parents

This guide does not include detailed packing instructions for travel documentation. We recommend consulting your local Bureau of Consular Affairs for this. Don’t forget to consult your teacher/organizer in case they have specific passport/currency instructions for you or additional packing instructions regarding prescription items, and/or over-the-counter drugs.

Safe trip!

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