Solo Travel Tips for Beginners: Checked Bag Vs Carry On (The Clear Winner)

[Music] one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started traveling solo was using a full-size suitcase solo travel is about flexibility and freedom and I learned the hard way that full-size check bags are not so in this video I'll share why you want to bring a carry-on instead of checking your bag the only size carryon that you should buy along with the perfect under the airline seat bag and my hack on how to pack your clothes for the least amount of wrinkles oh and I'd so appreciate it if you would like this video And subscribe to my channel if you subscribe comment I subscribed and I'll be sure to answer everyone I've been solo traveling for many years and when I first started traveling I initially thought there was no way I could fit everything I needed in a carry on bag for like a months long trip it's a thought that many people have but I'm here to tell you you can it only took one trip for me to realize that I simply did not wear or use a lot of what I had brought and I quickly learned what was important these days there were lots of cool capsule travel wardrobes for every season spring summer fall that will help you figure out the key items you need for your trip then just shop your closet you probably have them or something very similar and I'll bet you can fit everything in your carry-on along with your under the seat duffel bag if you're looking for like a capsule travel wardrobe just Google capsule travel wardrobe and you'll find quite a few of them to give you some ideas uh when I first started solo traveling those things didn't exist so I just made one up on my own now that we know you can fit everything in a carryon here's why I have found a carry-on to be the superior Choice versus a full-size check bag there are some really good reasons the first is ease of changing your plans so unfortunately Ely flight delays happen and when they do I immediately start searching all my flight options I don't just rely on the airline to pick one for me so you need to be really proactive here so if your flight gets delayed and you want to grab a different one the first question you'll get asked by the airline representative is if you checked your baggage and if you did they are hesitant to rebook you on your flight of choice it can really narrow your flight options for example say your flight is delayed or cancelled and they want to rebook you on a flight to Chicago and you found an easier route going out of New York to get to your final destination if the airline doesn't have to worry about tracking down your bag they are way more willing to put you on the flight that you want versus their solution flexibility is so important when traveling and a carryon gives you that the next benefit is it saves you time when you get off the plane no waiting for your bags no lost B bags he go straight to the Uber or the taxi stand another reason to carry on is outfit flexibility as you're traveling through airports you may become colder or warmer than you expected to be and with a carry-on you can just pop into a restroom open your bag and change your outfit to accommodate that now this hasn't happened to me a lot but when it does I'm really grateful that I have that option a carryon is a must when traveling overseas pulling a suitcase on cobblestone streets is no fun you will want the smallest possible bag you can have trust me it is nothing like a smooth concrete sidewalk also a lot of airbnbs or hotels are in older buildings and don't have elevator so you may be carting your luggage up several flights upstairs when you're in Europe it is relatively inexpensive to get a flight to another European country but you have to keep in mind that many of the lower cost Airlines have a limit on the size of your luggage so you want to have that smaller bag train travel is also common and super convenient you'll be bringing your luggage along with you on the train so you don't want the hassle of carting around a large bag if like me you've now decided carryon is the only way to travel I want to share with you the ideal bag size you need along with the under the airline seat bag that you'll need so carryon bag size is important as you want to make sure it works on other Count's Airlines and not just the US the standard carryon size for international carriers it's slightly smaller than that of the United States so it measures 21.7 in by 15.7 in by 9 in including handles and wheels so be sure to use this size if you're getting a new bag I also like softsided bags because I like to have that outer compartment to unzip and put an extra jacket or extra shoes in and I can easily get those items out if I need them without completely opening up my bag the bag I use is my by bagsmart it's the right size for international carriers and it works well for how I travel I've linked it below for you if you're interested the link that I included actually comes with a duffel bag as well but it's not the duffel bag that I use the one that I use is also made by bagsmart and it's called the large Weekender overnight bag I like it because it has a padded compartment for my laptop it fits easily over the suitcase handle it has these great front and back zipper compartments as well as spitting under the airplane seat I've actually even used this bag just for luggage on short trips without even needing the additional carryon what I do is I put my driver's license and One credit card along with my airpods in the small zipper compartment and then my keys and sunglasses and reading glasses in the front zipper compartment so I've also linked that bag for you below if you're interested now that you know what bags to take I wanted to give you just a quick tip on packing to cut down on those pesky wrinkles so use this for your jackets and your shirts and what you'll want to do is stack your clothes on top of each other on a flat surface so put jackets and long sleeve ones on the bottom and short sleeve lighter ones on the top just stack them neatly on top of one another and when you're done crisscross the long sleeves in front and Fold It All Over together in the middle then pick it up and pack it in your suitcase and when you arrive at your destination you just lift out the bundle and you can hang them up or drape them over a chair and this is really going to help to cut down on wrinkles so that's it I hope you found this information helpful let me know in the comments if you plan to use a carry-on versus a check bag on your next trip

Channel: Laurie Lore

Views: 3,573

Keywords: checked bag vs carry on, how to pack, what to pack, what to pack for long term travel, how to pack for long term travel, packing tips, travel packing, packing for long trip, packing tips for long term travel, packing cubes, full time travel packing list, packing with only carry on, minimalist packing, one bag travel, what not to pack, solo travel, solo travel tips, travel tips, solo travel tips for beginners

Id: 9RRiQ7itvOo

Length: 6min 45sec (405 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 16 2024