WHAT TYPE OF CLOTHES TO PACK

Top travel tips always emphasize packing light. This makes packing a bit of a balancing act — ideally, you want to pack only the clothes you’ll use for the trip, and not one pair of socks more. Learning what you need to pack takes time and is dependent on personal preferences. Some people are fine spending a week mixing and matching a pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, and three t-shirts, while others feel icky if they don’t wear fresh, unwrinkled clothing every day.

As a very general rule for a week-long stay, pack two to three seasonally appropriate tops. Pack two pairs of shorts or skirts for warm climes and one pair of pants or a dress. For cooler destinations, switch out the shorts and skirts for warmer legwear. Add a pair of shoes, a seasonal jacket, underwear, socks, and any optional clothing, such as swimsuits or a particularly nice top for evening wear. Any more than a week’s worth of clean clothing is rarely necessary, as you can usually find somewhere to do laundry.