February 9, 2023

The Ultimate Guide: How to Pack for a RTW Trip

Being a specialist travel agency, we’ve heard all the packing horror stories you can think of: those who have packed way too much and those with only a t-shirt and jeans for a 2-month trip.

Packing is overwhelming, even more so when planning a RTW trip. You want to make sure you’ve got everything you need without taking the unnecessary. Airfare Geeks have pooled together our knowledge to give you all the tips and tricks you need to know before you go.

How Many Days Before Your RTW Trip Should You Pack?

While this will differ from person to person, we recommend packing 3-5 days before your trip. You may have a little juggling between pieces you want to take and the favourite items you’ll wear leading up to the trip. A great tip is setting aside your suitcase with everything you know you won’t use leading up to your departure. That way, packing won’t seem like such a daunting task when you’re ready to pack properly.

How To Avoid Overpacking

We’ve all done it once or twice. You stuff way too much in your suitcase because you might need it. And then it turns out you went the entire trip without using that inflatable pillow or wearing the five pairs of shoes. When packing, you should look at all items and think, I’m 100% going to use that, and if you don’t, leave it behind.

Tips For Navigating The Airport

Navigating your way through the airport with your luggage can definitely have its troubles. However, your best way to avoid any annoyances is to be prepared. This means getting yourself organised, even before you get to the airport.

The Important Stuff

While Airfare Geeks will conveniently email you all the travel documents you need, it’s best to have them ready on your phone or printed out. If you have them on your phone, favourite the email for an easy find. We also recommend having your passport, spare passport photos and all other documents together in a travel wallet so you can breathe easy knowing everything is in one place.

What Goes In Carry On

No matter what class you fly in, you’ll want to have your personal items nearby. You’ll take your carry-on through the airport with you and on your flight. It’s important to remember that planes will get cold, so even if you are off jet-setting to a sun-filled destination like Rio de Janeiro, you might be best wearing something warmer and more comfortable for a long-haul flight. Below are just some of the items that are worth taking.

Note: All liquids, gels and aerosols have limits on the quantity that you can take on board with you. Either ask our specialist travel agents or check with border security before packing.

Socks
A change of clothes relevant to your next destination
Lip balm
Toothbrush, toothpaste (all travel size)
Moisturiser and face wash (all travel size)
Headphones
Facemask
Pre-packaged snacks. We recommend purchasing snacks outside of the airport. (Your wallet will thank us later).
Pre-downloaded shows or movies on your phone. Tip: you can download all of your favourite Netflix shows and binge on board.

What Goes In Checked Luggage

Checked luggage is your suitcase filled with everything you need to complete the ultimate round the world trip. But, of course, your luggage will change drastically for the type of trip you are going on and the climate. So we’ve broken down our tips to suit either warm or cold climates.

Warm Climate

Warmer climates are usually more straightforward to pack for. They require lots of lightweight items that simply fit into a suitcase. Here are the must-haves:

Swimwear
Shorts
T-shirts
Long sleeve t-shirts
Underwear, bras and socks
Flip-flops and sneakers

For The Ladies

This one is for the ladies, specifically if you’re travelling to places like incredible Dubai or any country where you’ll be visiting religious sites. We highly recommend you pack long sleeve tops, long pants and a scarf. It’s important to understand that when visiting these sacred sites, modesty is required, and if you choose not to, you might not be allowed in.

Cold Climate

If you’re adding some snow caps to your Christmas adventure, you’ll need to make sure you’re packing all of the right things. Layers are key here! That way, on the warmer days, you can remove items as needed. Think about packing:

T-shirts
Long sleeve t-shirts
Underwear, bras and socks
Sneakers
Pants
Tights or leggings

How To Pack Your Suitcase

How you pack your suitcase can be the difference between wanting to tear your hair out in frustration when trying to find socks or keeping staying cool, calm and collected while abroad.

Roll, roll, roll!

If you don’t know this tip yet, be prepared to be blown away. When packing your suitcase, don’t fold your clothes. Roll them. Stack several items flat on the floor, fold them in half or even thirds and roll them completely. This method will save you tons of space and is much more efficient than folding.

Use Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are also brilliant space-savers. They are available at almost every travel store to suit a range of budgets in every colour you can think of. They’re fantastic for clothes and organising your suitcase, so you know exactly where everything is. Use these in both your carry-on and checked luggage, and we promise it’ll make your round the world trip so much easier.

Final Thoughts

Now you know how to pack for that round the world trip you’ve been dreaming of. Airfare Geeks are here as your specialists travel agents, each of us with over 10 years of travel experience and passionate about travel. If you’re looking to plan a round the world trip, get in touch with us today.