A trip to an entirely different continent is about as exciting as travelling can get, never mind the long flight and what will probably be a long process of clearing customs at your destination’s airport. You perhaps have a different way of life to look forward to experiencing for a while, you might be looking forward to relaxing a bit in a different way to what you’re used to back home and you might even be in line to experience different cultures and a refreshing perspective on, well, everything. Either way, there are just some things about long-haul trips which can really get in the way, accounting for those elements of any trip which never fail to lead to a mandatory change of plans, whether it’s a small or big change.
If every single aspect of your long-haul trip goes according to plan, you’re probably dreaming and you’re going to wake up any moment. Somehow, something always switches things up a bit, but if you’re prepared then none of these inevitable changes of plan need to mar your trip. If anything, last-minute changes of plan are what make trips exciting, especially if you’re a travel blogger and you regularly feel the need to share your travel adventures with your readers. In the moment itself it’s no fun at all having to endure a change of plans, but looking back in hindsight always manages to bring a smile of satisfaction to one’s face.
One of the things you definitely can plan for is the amount of luggage you carry with you to your destination and back and this applies to any destination really, even if you’re headed to Canada or other parts of North America. What you want to do is avoid having to pay the penalty charges associated with carrying extra or oversized luggage and this can be done in two ways.
Pack less than the maximum luggage weight
Try to pack in at least three kilograms less than the maximum weight allowed for your luggage. Trust me, you will bring back more luggage when you come back from your trip, whether you’ll be buying some souvenirs or if you’ll be bringing back some holiday essentials — a traveller always but always brings back more luggage than they departed with. So leave some room for a bit of holiday shopping as this is inevitable. You’ll find that you simply have to buy essentials such as sunscreen lotion maybe, some extra electronics/adapters, etc.
Use a parcel delivery service
Parcel delivery services like those offered by the likes of TNT Direct make for what is perhaps the best way to avoid having to pay extra luggage penalty fees. You can send parcels to a recipient at your destination for collection when you arrive and you can also send parcels back home, which literally takes a lot of extra weight off your shoulders. Remember that it’s not always about the weight, but about the volume (size) of your luggage that makes a difference as well, so this is a great way to make sure you have one less thing to worry about on your next trip.
