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How to Pack for International Travel

Manuel Marquez MD

As a certified tour director, Manuel Marquez, MD, has trained to lead groups of travelers all over the world. Manuel Marquez, MD, recently completed a two-week tour of Croatia and Sarajevo, a city located in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

When traveling internationally, light packing is key. Experienced travelers know that a single bag is easier and more convenient to carry than multiple items, and many even take pains to use only a carry-on in order to further simplify travel. You can begin working toward this goal by selecting your clothes for the trip and then putting half of them back in your closet.
Before you start to put your selected items in a suitcase, check them against a packing list. This should include personal essentials, such as toiletries and medications, as well as items of clothing that are specific to the weather at your intended destination. Be sure that your bag contains appropriate wardrobe pieces for the activities that you have planned, whether those be a romantic dinner or a mountain hike.
Space-saver bags can help you to fit all of your necessary items into your bag. You can fit the rest in more easily by rolling each piece of clothing, rather than folding it. If you have an item that is likely to wrinkle when packed this way, you may wish to consider replacing it with something that you can not only pack tightly, but also hand-wash and lay out to dry.