When I spot a flight for £10 but the checked bag costs £30, the answer is simple: I leave the suitcase at home. Not because I'm cheap — but because I refuse to pay more for luggage than for the actual journey.
Over time, this became less about saving money and more about a liberating challenge: can I spend an entire week feeling stylish and confident with nothing but a backpack on my shoulders? Spoiler: yes, absolutely.
Freedom starts where the dragging ends
A lot of travellers make the mistake of showing up at the gate with a hard-shell mini suitcase, only to find it's a centimetre too wide for the overhead gauge. Soft backpacks are forgiving — they compress, they flex, they squeeze into spaces rigid cases never could. In all my years of carry-on-only travel, no airline staff has ever challenged my backpack at the gate.
There's another underrated advantage: on your last day, when you can't find a left-luggage locker and your accommodation is nowhere near the airport, wandering a city's cobblestone streets with a backpack on your back is infinitely more pleasant than wrestling a wheeled case over every bump. The right bag is just the frame, though. The real magic is what goes inside — and that's where a capsule wardrobe mindset changes everything.
The secret isn't packing less — it's packing smarter
For me, packing has never been about sacrifice. It's about intentional planning where every single item earns its place. When it comes to clothes, I only bring pieces that mix and match with each other — the same core items can create a surprising number of different outfits across a week or more.
Summer makes this even easier: a light top takes up no more space than a pair of socks, and a well-chosen wrap dress or jumpsuit is already a complete outfit on its own.
For shoes, I keep it logical. I travel in comfortable trainers — great for long walks and day trips, and bulky enough that they'd eat half my backpack if packed. Inside the bag, I fit one pair of sleek, waterproof rubber sandals that work for the beach, dinner out, and even hostel showers.
Clothes go in rolled tightly — never folded — and anything thicker gets compressed with a vacuum packing bag. This frees up enough room for a small toiletry pouch with 100ml bottles of shampoo, shower gel, and sunscreen. When travelling with family, we split the toiletries between us so nobody doubles up on anything.
The towel question
Most accommodation includes towels, but don't assume — especially abroad. I once had a host in Spain ask in advance whether we were flying in, so she could have towels ready. Not everyone is that thoughtful, so it's worth checking before you arrive.
If you do need to bring a towel — for the beach, for example — never pack a full cotton one. A microfibre travel towel takes up a fraction of the space, dries in minutes, and does the job perfectly.
The "just in case" trap
The biggest packing mistake people make is the "but what if I need it?" spiral. Here's the reality: if you're travelling within Europe and you've forgotten something, you can replace it almost anywhere for a few euros. That alone makes paying several times more for extra luggage feel completely pointless.
My other secret weapon: I deliberately book accommodation with laundry facilities. A few compact washing capsules or a small bar of travel soap weigh almost nothing, but they can cut your clothing needs in half. And yes, there have been trips where I rinsed a favourite top under the bathroom tap after an unexpected spill — that absolutely counts as part of the adventure.
Checked luggage, to me, is just organised stress: queuing at the drop-off desk, waiting at baggage reclaim, and that quiet dread wondering whether your bag actually made the connection. Travelling carry-on only has taught me something bigger than packing tips — it's shown me what actually matters on a trip, and what's just dead weight.
The airport shopping bag trick
On the rare occasion the return journey gets tight and my backpack feels overstuffed, I have one last move: I buy a bottle of water or a small souvenir at the duty-free shop, and redistribute a few items into the paper carrier bag. Officially, it doesn't count toward your carry-on allowance. I wouldn't push it too far — but a little creative rearranging? Completely fair game.
If you want to take your packing strategy even further, it's also worth knowing what seasoned travellers never put in checked luggage — even when they do check a bag.
