Are you spending this year’s holidays in Europe? Or are you saving for that trip to England that you’ve always wanted? I am travelling to London in December for the pleasure of its winter decorations and have thought of preparing a post with the essentials you need to bring if you’re backpacking your way through to England.
Backpacking means travelling really light so make sure to be economical in terms of your packing.
Your Backpack
Image Credit: ebags
Be sure to adhere to the measurement of backpack limitations that are specified by airlines. The carry-on allowance for Europe is smaller than the ones in the U.S. so you might want to take that into consideration. Most European airlines’ carry-on baggage allowance is 55 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm.
Some airlines have smaller allowances than the usual 55 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm. Liverpool Echo reports that budget airline Easyjet, for one, reduced its cabin baggage allowance by 37 per cent. The new permitted sizes for cabin baggage is 50 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm, which is a reduction of 5 cm in each dimension.
Really late or early flights? No problem
If you have a really late or early flight it can be a bit of a hassle. Wherever you end up in the UK, there are many on-airport hotels where you can stay to save yourself the need to travel to hostels or hotels late at night, which can be unsafe for women travelling alone and also simply inconvenient. Parking4Less documents that Gatwick Airport has many on-airport hotels with reasonable packages for travellers that suit every budget. Additionally, travellers can either stay at Copthorne, Sofitel, Courtyard, or Hilton for those whose budget is not an issue.
Gatwick Airport is one of the best airports in the UK, second only to Heathrow. If you find yourself having a long layover here, its not the end of the world. For one, Gatwick Airport is close to the historic town of Horley, which has breathtaking, timber-fronted houses that were built centuries ago. It also has several curry houses if you’re hungry, and lots of variety shops to buy souvenirs.
Packing cubes
Image credit: ebags
Packing cubes are the every backpacker’s lifeline. It is a neat way to maximise the space in your bag, as well as every neat freak’s dream of packing everything in place. My things always get out of control when I travel and I’ve learned that packing cubes can really save some time and nerves when travelling.
Packing cubes are zippered fabric containers, usually in a rectangular shape, for organising your items and making them easier to find when in your backpack. They come in different sizes and are usually sold in sets. Packing cubes have instructions on how you can maximise their use so make sure to follow them.
Power plug adapter and power bank
Remember also take the right power plug adapter! In UK, it’s type G with the standard voltage 230 V and the standard frequency 50 Hz. Since the major part of my travels is photography, I would literally die if I couldn’t charge my camera batteries. Also, it’s not cool to see your phone battery die when, for example, it’s where you have your boarding pass. I would also recommend taking a power bank, especially if you’re into using Snapchat. ;-)
UK is still one of my favourite travel destinations and I totally recommend you give it a go. Try to allocate a bit more time and also see places other than London. Lake District absolutely rocks it especially if you’re a hiker like me.
This is a contributed post, but all opinions, tips, etc. are, as always, my own.
