How to save space in your carry-on

Did you know you don’t need to pack a straightener AND a curling iron? Or you don’t need to pack pajama pants AND leggings? There are multiple ways to use one item, which saves you space in your carry-on.  Sometimes it pays to think outside of the box!

Click here to read my article, and find out five ways tosave space in your carry-on at Travel Fashion Girl

A guide to using this website

I post travel-related things every week, but not every entry is necessarily helpful to figuring out how to plan a trip or pack for a trip.  I have decided to create a guide that can be used as a reference to navigate through my travel tips so that you can use them on your upcoming trip. I've had a few people tell me it would be helpful to have these articles organized in a way that was easier to find specific tips that are sorted by subject-matter, rather than just sorted by the date they were posted.

First off, the reason I started writing about these things was to provide tips and insight for the part-time travelers.  Read my philosophy about part-time traveling and why I choose to focus on certain aspects of travel. 

Before you even plan a trip, you have to save for it.  Here are my tips on how to budget and how to cut down expenses so that you can afford to go on vacation.

1. How to plan a budget for a trip
2. How to save money for a trip
3. How to cut down on travel expenses
4. Ways I've cut down on regular expenses to save more for travel

Now that you're saving, or have money to spend, the next step is actually planning the trip.

1. Tips for finding cheap airfare
2. Tips for using TripAdvisor to help plan the trip
3. Tips for purchasing inexpensive travel guides
4. Tips for booking accommodations
5. Tips about food and restaurants 
6. Tips for budget (and free) accommodations 

If you're a newbie to planning a trip, you may want to check out a few fake trips I planned using some of my favorite travel websites like TripAdvisor, Kayak and Airbnb.

1. Solo trip 
2. Couples trip
3. International trip

One of my most favorite things to write about is packing.  I have learned a lot about what not to pack and what to pack from my travels, and these are some of the things I've learned through trial and error.  (There are many more packing-related articles available on the website, if you are interested in reading more packing hacks that I have learned and am continuing to learn.)

1. Why you need packing cubes
2. Why you should pack light
3. Pros and cons of suitcases and backpacks as your main travel bag
4. 25 random items you may not think to pack
5. What not to pack

1. Beauty product recommendations
2. Packing your quart-size bag with essential items  (If you're interested in my five favorite liquid items for the quart-sized bag, check out this article.)

1. Tips for putting together outfit combinations
2. Travel fashion tips for men
3. Two of my favorite travel clothing items
4. Choosing the right shoes
5. Using black as your base color when creating outfit combinations
6. Tips on packing for destinations with very different climates

1. What to wear: California National Parks
2. What to wear: California
3. What to wear: Chile (Patagonia)

Before you leave on your trip, be sure to look at my checklist I've created before I leave the house to make sure I don't come home to rotten fruit and dead house plants.

Whether you're planning to travel by airplane or car, here are some tips for each of those modes of transportation.

1. Tips for going through airport security
2. What not to do on an airplane
3. What to wear on the airplane
4. Five things to always pack in your personal item and why
5. Flying with Allegiant Air from Columbus

1. Using RoadTrippers app to make the car ride more fun
2. How to get along in the car

If you have an overseas trip planned, below are my tips for international travel.  I try to share things I've learned the hard way, such as over-packing, not bringing the right shoes, not speaking the language and even getting into a car accident with a rental car.  I hope these tips will help you feel more prepared when you go to a foreign country.

1. Visiting a country where you don't know the language
2. Five mistakes I learned on my first trip overseas
3. Things I've learned about Americans when traveling abroad
4. Why learning some historical information prior to the trip can enhance your travel experience
5. Getting in a car accident overseas
6. What to learn when you don't know the country's language

Since my husband is an expert camper, I've learned ways, as a woman, to get prepared for camping. 

1. Tips (and product suggestions) for making the most out of back-country camping
2. Tips for hairstyles you can use while camping (with no electricity)
3. More tips for camping (including review on Dolly Sods, West Virginia)
4. Checklist for an overnight fall camping trip

Some of my tips don't necessarily fit in any of the above categories, but I still think are worth mentioning in this list.

1. Pros and cons of cruises 
2. Tips for traveling with other couples
3. Tips for hosting a good travel party
4. Tips for planning a trip over a holiday weekend
5. How to pick a travel destination as a group
6. 10 reasons you hated your last vacation (and tips to avoid those pitfalls)

1. Places within four hours of Columbus, Ohio

I hope this guide will help you get started on budgeting, planning and going on a trip.  Sign up to receive email updates for more practical travel tips from a central Ohio girl!  (New posts every Monday.)

Hosting a travel party

A great way to get the buzz going about your next trip is to host a travel party.  One of my guest writers, Heidi Papworth, hosted one and invited my husband and I to present "tips for traveling" for a few guests.  Each guest was planning a trip to a different European country.  We shared travel stories and other things we've learned to make the most of the trip.  It can be a great way to get the buzz going about your next trip or even bounce ideas off some of your fellow traveling friends.


If you're interested in throwing a travel party, consider these few tips to make it a fun time for all:

1. Invite people who want to talk travel.  Usually travelers love talking about their upcoming trips or their past experiences.  Make sure to invite people who want to share ideas and want to learn from one another.

2.  Provide "trip-centric"food.  Heidi asked each of us which country we wanted to attend and she looked up a specialty snack from each country.  She printed out tags with the country's flag and wrote down what the dish was.  This was a fun way to enjoy one another's trips and opened up discussions about food and travel.

3.  Make sure there is some sort of presentation, movie or travelogue to watch.  It's important not just to have guests share about their trips, but that your guests walk away more informed about traveling than they were when they first showed up.  Either invite each person so share some tips or funny travel stories where they learned something or play a traveling show/movie.  You could ask a friend whose great at packing to get a demonstration on how they pack light and things they do/don't pack.  There are always new things to learn, either from one another or an expert.

4.  Show and tell.  It's fun to show off some of the new travel gadgets that are available.  Maybe that's a new camera, packing cubes, camping gear, moisture-wicking clothing, etc.  Have each guest bring their favorite new travel-related gear purchase, or even consider putting together a slide show of new items to show guests.  

5.  Bring the pictures.  Another way to engage is to have your guests bring some photographs from their last trip to share with others.  This can be a great ice-breaker for guests who may not know each other, or even just something to put on the coffee table and browse at their leisure.

6.  Of course, have travel-themed decor.  Nothing sets the mood for travel more than maps, globes and suitcases.  Have fun with decorating the house with travel-themed items, and play music that inspires you to get out your passport and catch a flight.

Have you ever hosted a travel party?  Would you be excited if you were invited to one?

When in doubt, go with black

Black is a traveler’s dream color. Not only does it hide stains well, but it can also be mixed and matched with pretty much any other color. It’s easy to find and you probably already own several black items, which could make it the more affordable option as your base. If you’re planning on enjoying some good food and wine, you may need something that is more forgiving and black is known to be slimming. As a bonus, when visiting European countries people tend to prefer classic, chic styling so all black outfits help build a stress-free travel wardrobe.

While you can choose to pack more than one base color, picking just one makes things simpler especially for those who may be having trouble deciding what to bring and what to leave home.

Capsule wardrobes are a key component for anyone who wants to pack light. Part of any capsule wardrobe is picking a base color, usually a neutral such as black, brown, tan, or navy blue. Black is my go-to base color because it’s safe and simple. This is my easy step-by-step process to use it as a base without wearing the same all black outfits repeatedly.

Click here to see how to create outfits using black as the base color on Travel Fashion Girl

Getting along in the car

Everyone knows that traveling in the car with others can be a stressful situation.  Everyone has different music preferences and bathroom schedules, but it doesn’t mean it has to be a headache.  There are things you can do to make the trip easier on yourself, and everyone else, so the journey part can just as fun as the destination.

Here are some suggestions for how you can make the car trip more enjoyable for everyone.

1.  Keeping lots of snacks in the car.  Don't let anyone get hangry.  Nothing ruins a car trip more than hearing grumbling stomachs as you drive past a "Next Exit: 60 Miles" sign.  A good way to avoid this is to research places to stop to eat ahead of time on the way.  That way you have a plan.  If you get stuck in traffic or things go slower than expected, you can plan on eating those snacks you have in the car. 

2.  Research places to stop ahead of time on route.  Roadtrippers app is a great way to find some interesting places to stop on the way to your main destination.  This keeps people from getting restless.  My advice is to break up the driving time and make sure you have at least one thing to do every 3 hours.

3.  Take regular bathroom stops.  Everyone goes even if they don’t “have to.” This will help avoid those emergency situations where there is no rest area for miles and suddenly someone's gotta go.  I'm sure this will happen anyways, but planning ahead never hurt anyone.

4.  Rotate each other’s music playlists.   Every 60 minutes or so, switch music playlists on each other's phones or iPods that way no one monopolizes the radio.  Even if you have a brother-in-law who likes screamo, which I do, you can put up with it for 60 minutes.  Remember "variety is the spice of life."

5.  Rotate who is sitting where.  Forget calling shot gun, and let everyone have a chance at the front.  This applies especially if you are driving through scenic areas.  Sometimes the best photographs are taken from the front seat, and you want to make sure everyone gets a chance to get them.

6.  Let everyone pick a stop.  Let each person in the car research and plan at least one stop along the way that isn't just a bathroom or restaurant stop. I mentioned Roadtrippers earlier, which might suffice, but each person could have a chance to pick something they would really enjoy, such as a small museum, shop, or a place with the “best donuts in the world."  

How about you?  Do you have any tricks for getting through long road trips with people?

5 things to always pack in your personal item

Some of us may have our carry-on packing down to a science, but what’s in that personal item of yours? When I am at home, my purse is full of everything but the kitchen sink. When I’m traveling, I have to be very selective of what goes in my purse and what stays home. I try to put things in my personal item that I need easiest access to, and things that you need in case of emergency.

You may intend to keep your carry-on with you at all times, but if you’re one of the unfortunate ones who is chosen to have their bag checked at the gate you may end up stuck without your carry-on. This happened to me. My flight was canceled and I didn’t receive my carry-on until the next day.

Click here to read the five things I always put in my personal item on Travel Fashion Girl