What do you know? I’m actually a day ahead of schedule on my organization Wednesday post! I must be improving!

Last week we talked about making the airport experience a little less heinous (full post is here). In light of new revelations, add to that, SKIP THE FOOD! Anyway, I’ve polled my traveling expert friends far and wide (that’s Heather and Liz pictured above) for some packing tips and here’s what they came up with:

1) Call the Hotel Ahead of Time: Often times wherever you’re going, they’ll have a hair dryer, iron, toiletries, and more and more often, iPod docks and other amenities. Don’t be shy about calling the hotel to find out what they have – every little thing you don’t have to bring lightens your load (or makes extra room for that ridiculous pair of shoes you’re dying to bring but don’t have room for).

SIDE NOTE: Speaking of places to juice your iPhone, if you forget your phone charger, check with the front desk to see if any of the zillion chargers they have in lost and found will work for you.

2) Shop wrinkle-free. A lot of retail shops are now selling clothing that survives all kinds of rumpling without showing a single crease. Brooks Brothers, Land’s End, and Banana Republic carry wrinkle-free, to name a few.

3) Look up the weather before you leave so that you can plan your wardrobe accordingly.

4) What to Put in Your Rollaboard: Here is some three day layover packing advice from my friend Heather, who has been a flight attendant for 13 years.  I was rather shocked when I read this, as this girl is usually wearing hot pink or turquoise. It sounds like she is living a double life as a Goth on her layovers, where she logs a lot of time eating fish and chips at Irish pubs:

• Start with black for your base color and build from there. I always start with black.
• I carry the same “over the shoulder” bag on all of my layovers. Over the shoulder is key! You can always throw a small clutch in your bag for nighttime.
• I always like a little color so I always have a some kind of scarf in my bag. I have a great pair of wrinkle free black pants from Target (Merona) that go everywhere with me in the spring. I never take cotton because a lot of European hotels do not have irons.
• Black leggings + two or three shirts + flat black boots + sweater are my uniform when I’m exploring cities, and this combo can take me into evening hours.
• A rain resistant black trench. Buy one with a zip-out wool lining so you can use it year-round.
• For really fun nights out, I throw in a black, wrinkle-free dress.

5) What to Put in Your Carry-On, Whether You are Checking Bags or Not: Plan for this bag as if you know that your luggage is going to be lost – keep things you can’t afford to lose and things that will keep you dressed for 24 hours in here.

• Prescription meds
• Jewelry and Other Valuables
• Glasses and Sunglasses
• Cellphone and Charger
• Sweater, Hoodie or Scarf
• Pill bottle with aspirin, allergy meds, sleep-aids, etc.
• Entertainment – magazine, Soduku, book, iPod
• A Snack (see first paragraph)
• Extra undies and an extra shirt just in case your suitcase gets lost

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