Organizer Julie Morgenstern's Travel Advice

Be a Travel Genius

By Julie Morgenstern

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When it comes to traveling, most people tend to underpack (oops, forgot pajamas again) or overpack (hauling a steamer trunk for a long weekend). The stress of getting ready and of feeling disorganized on the road can make you feel like it's hardly worth the trouble to leave home.

This month's project is to organize your travel preparations so you can pick up and go with minimal anxiety!

Back to Basics

Find four easy pieces. Buy luggage for plane travel (by far the most challenging), and you'll find it serves you just as well for trains and cars. You'll need:
1. Your main suitcase (a well-packed 20- to 22-inch case on wheels can work for up to a week)
2. A tote or briefcase
3. A handbag you can slip inside the tote if you're facing a carry-on limit
4. A leather business envelope or backpack to put in your suitcase and use at your destination.
Make Good Lists. Store lists of essentials for each type of trip (e.g., business overnight, one-week island vacation) in your suitcase so they're easy to find. Edit each time you travel, deleting things you didn't need, and adding what you wished you had.
Choose sanity. Two days before your trip, decide what you'll wear each day and night. Is your spontaneous side hyperventilating? Weigh the possibility of wishing you had more choices against the annoyance of schlepping 50 pounds of luggage.