If, like me, you utilise your holiday entitlement for a week long holiday in the summer and the remainder is spent touring Europe for long weekends in holiday villas, undoubtedly your suitcase is designed to be stowed on board and not to be checked in.
The downside of course, is managing the airport regulations when it comes to quantities and what you can and canBt take. With a partner in the forces, I would be making regular trips backwards and forwards to Germany, at least every other weekend and I decided to buy a cheap but functional suitcase, small enough to fit in the overhead locker and with contortionist abilities to squeeze into those metal contraptions they use at check in just to ensure you arenBt kidding yourself at the size of it.
It was a tenner and itBs been on probably more than 50 flights inside a year. I have packing for two or three days down to a fine art. The chemists now sell travel sized toiletries all under 100ml including shampoo, conditioner, even small squeezy packets of suntan lotion, perfect for a weekends worth of protection. The world now caters for those who are zipping off quickly. Online check in, electronic passport control and small suitcases on wheels with telescopic handles.
It does make me laugh though, when I am being herded along like cattle in the queue for security. Because there is nothing else to do, you tend to take in your surroundings and the copious posters, tannoy announcements and helpful staff all explaining in no uncertain terms that you cannot take anything over 100ml, you cannot take anything that doesnBt fit into one clear plastic sealable bag and you absolutely unequivocally cannot take of all things5 cutlery!
I made up my mind right there and then that there is not as queer as folk. Who on gods earth takes a fork or even worse, a knife to the airport? Have they completely lost their marbles? DonBt even get me started on the women who all stand there breaking out into a sweat as they try drastically to shove everything they own into their little plastic bag, thinking that they will get away with an absolutely enormous tub of moisturiser poking out the top.
Buy a fantastically cheap suitcase, a capsule wardrobe and some travel sized toiletries and whatever you do, donBt try and sneak in a 2 litre bottle of coke that you have only just bought at the departure gate.
Holidays is about spending leisurely times at some good vacation rental homes, and not on bulky suitcases!!
