With almost six in ten (58%) British travellers admitting to having a full-blown meltdown over packing for a holiday abroad, ‘Packing Induced Travel Stress’ is undoubtably going to affect holiday-goers this Easter break, according to a new survey by Asda Money.  

The biggest contributors to PITS, based on the research, are forgetting to pack an essential item (25%), not being able to fit everything in the case (21%), having to pay for extra luggage (13%) and having to repack bags at the airline check-in desk to lighten the weight (12%).

To help Brits avoid a pre-travel tantrum at a time that’s meant to be exciting, ahead of Easter half term, Asda Money has partnered with expert and passionate globe trotter Stephanie Parker to teach anxious Brits how to pack for a week away quickly, efficiently and without the stress.

Tips

1. Only take the key items. Stephanie says on average the optimum amount of clothing items per person is 35, alongside three pairs of shoes plus necessary accessories for a week of fun in the sun. Stephanie advises Brits focus on light layers as an easy way to ensure travellers are prepared no matter the weather.

To free up space in the case, couples travelling with young children can pick up baby grows, arm bands and sunscreen from the foreign supermarket once they land, allowing them to only pack the essential items for the flight like nappies and bottles.

2. Think flight smart. Wear your heaviest and bulkiest clothes on the flight, so trousers, trainers, jumpers and jackets should all be worn on the plane to keep luggage weight down. If you don’t want to wear your hat to travel in, then a hat clip, which attaches to a shoulder bag or backpack, is a great way to make sure your hat doesn’t get squashed in your suitcase.

3. Compression is key. Use packing cubes to compress items down and to organise them within the suitcase i.e. underwear in one, evening wear in another.

4. Roll clothing items up (don’t fold) to keep space minimal and stuff multiple pairs of socks into shoes to make best use of all available room.

5. If you have any valuable items, such as perfume etc, roll these in bulkier items like jumpers and place them in middle of your case, for extra protection.

6. If you’re pushed for space, a good trick is to zip up the suitcase, let gravity do the work and then usually, you can stuff a few more items in through the zip in the top afterwards.

7. If there’s still a struggle for space, mum and dad can always ditch the PJs and sleep naked, or even abandon their swimming trunks and embrace skinny dipping!

The research from Asda Money also revealed 66% of travellers tend to only start packing for a holiday away three hours before their trip, with one in ten (10%) of them leaving it to the final half hour, which Steph believes to be a trigger point for Packing Induced Travel Stress.

Stephanie Parker comments: “Travellers should begin the packing process by creating a list of everything they need two weeks before travelling. As travellers go through the first week, they should make sure all the items they want to pack are clean and put in a separate pile. During the second week, travellers should do a test run to make sure everything has been thought of and packed. The final pack should be done two days before departure and suitcases and hand luggage should be weighed and ready to go to avoid the risk of Packing Induced Travel Stress at the airport!”

Neil Foster, Head of Asda Money added: “We’re always eager to give shoppers the best possible value for their money, and with many customers heading to Europe this Easter school holiday break, we hope these tips help them pack light and avoid a fight. We hope our Travel Money and Travel Insurance products will also help travellers avoid unnecessary stress that may trigger Packing Induced Travel Stress.”

Asda Money offers travel insurance and travel money, including affordable pound to euro for those short haul flights this Easter break. For further information about Asda Money please head to www.money.asda.com.