After some recent trips hopping on a plane everywhere from Paris and Rome to London and New York, I’ve put my packing skills to the test. Some of my suitcases have been major fails—like when I headed across over to Europe with far too few outfits I could wear for a winter holiday. But equally bad was a vacation later in the year when I overpacked and ended up with luggage full of wrinkled clothes.
So, if you’re heading on a holiday and want to employ only the most astute packing habits, which rules should you follow? Well, through some personal trial and error, I’ve discovered some holiday packing mistakes I’ll never make again, as well as some guidelines I’ll always follow. Ahead, I’m breaking down my travel packing rules and mistakes I avoid, as well as my packing list for holiday travel with the pieces that always land in my suitcase.