Planning a practical wardrobe for a multi-city trip
It may sound obvious, but packing for several cities requires more planning than packing for a single destination. Unfortunately, a lot of people underestimate just how much extra planning may be needed, and find themselves caught out. Remember, you may encounter different temperatures during the same trip, and your plans can range from long days sightseeing on your feet to ritzy evenings out. At the same time, every extra item has to travel with you through airports, railway stations and hotel changes - which isn’t always easy! So, it’s important to plan your wardrobe around your itinerary, and choose clothes that work in a variety of situations. Here’s how:
Pick versatile pieces
Choose clothes that you can use on different days. For example, you might wear a blazer with jeans during the day and reuse it over a dress for dinner, or layer a shirt under a jumper in colder weather and wear it on its own when the temperature rises. Pack comfortable women's sweatpants for flights, train journeys and evenings at your accommodation.
Build the rest of your packing list around the plans you have made rather than hypothetical occasions. Write down each city and check the forecast shortly before you pack. Add the activities you have already booked, including restaurants with dress codes or events that require specific clothing - then use that list to work out what you will wear.
Choose a limited colour palette
Pick a few colours that work well together before you start packing in order to make your travel wardrobe more versatile. For example, black trousers will give you more outfit options if several of your tops already work with black.
Check your shoes and outerwear against the clothes you plan to take. You will waste valuable suitcase space if you pack a coat that only works with one outfit or shoes that require a particular pair of trousers. If you want to take a printed piece, check that you can wear it with several of your other clothes.
Build outfits in layers
Use layers to deal with temperature changes between destinations. Pack lightweight tops that you can wear alone in warmer weather and add a jumper or cardigan when you need more warmth. Take a jacket appropriate for the wettest or coldest conditions in your itinerary.
Try everything on before you put it in the suitcase. Wear the shoes and outerwear you plan to use with each outfit. Make a note of combinations that you like. This can also help to catch practical problems before you leave, such as trousers that only work with shoes you have decided not to pack.
Limit your shoes
Shoes take up a disproportionate amount of suitcase space. So, start with the pair you will use for most of your walking, then add footwear required by your itinerary. For example, you may need smarter shoes for particular restaurants or sandals for hot weather. Be brutal with yourself here - only pack a pair if you feel that they’re absolutely necessary!
Wear your largest pair while travelling. Test walking shoes properly before the trip and leave new shoes at home unless you have already worn them for a full day. Pack the remaining pairs in shoe bags to keep dirt away from your clothes.
Plan when you will do laundry
If you can, try to do laundry during the trip instead of packing a clean outfit for every day. Check whether your hotels or apartments have laundry facilities and find a laundrette near one of your stops if necessary. Scheduling a wash around the middle of a longer trip will help fewer clothes go a lot further.
Choose clothes that can handle repeated wear. Check care labels before packing anything that requires specialist cleaning or takes a long time to dry. Bring a small amount of travel detergent if you expect to wash clothes by hand.
Edit before you pack
Before you start stuffing your suitcase, lay out everything you plan to take and assemble complete outfits from it. Then think hard about what you actually need. Remove any clothes that you cannot use more than once unless you need them for a specific event.
Include your travel-day clothes in your edit. Remember, a jumper worn on the flight can go back into your rotation later in the trip, as can the jacket and shoes you wear while travelling.
Check the baggage allowance for every flight on your itinerary before you close the suitcase. Airlines can apply different cabin-bag dimensions and weight limits, so use the strictest allowance if you plan to use the same luggage throughout the trip.
Leave some space in your suitcase
Do not fill every available centimetre before you leave home. You may buy clothes or souvenirs during the trip, and you will need somewhere to put them when you move to the next city.
A foldable bag can give you extra capacity for the journey home if your airline allowance permits another bag. Otherwise, leave enough room in your main suitcase from the beginning. Pack for the cities and activities already on your itinerary, then stop adding clothes.
