5 Top Summer Vacation Travel Tips

Please enjoy this NAPO Austin interview of guest blogger Erin Morper,
owner of Start Somewhere Professional Organizing Solutions

1. What lists do you make before going on vacation?

I make my packing list by grabbing a sheet of paper and making three columns; in the first column I list the days of the vacation, activities, and the weather forecast for each day, in the second column, I list each item of clothing and whatever accessories I’ll need for each activity, and the third column is a running list of everything to pack. To streamline my lists, I keep the lists necessary for all trips electronically in Evernote so they’re easy to update and share. I have a before we leave, house sitter instructions, and general packing checklist, which saves me so much time getting ready for a trip.

 

2. What is your favorite travel item?

My favorite travel item is my VW bus toiletry bag. It’s colorful and fun and just packing it helps me get into vacation mode!

 

3. Do you have any special way of packing a suitcase - fold or roll, certain items on top/bottom, jewelry packing secrets?

It’s amazing how much space you can save in your suitcase by rolling your clothes instead of folding them. I also like to bring my own pillowcase, which doubles as a travel case for necklaces or bracelets to keep them from getting tangled. Simply lay the pillowcase out, place a necklace close to one end, fold the pillowcase over the necklace and repeat!

 

4. What is your favorite app to use when traveling?

Tripadvisor is my favorite travel app. It’s like Yelp for travel; you can find things to do, restaurants, and real-time reviews wherever you are. If you’re traveling with pets, Bring Fido is an app that locates pet-friendly accommodations and dog parks along your route.

 

5. What things do you suggest bringing along on a road trip to keep the car clean, organized, and not too boring?

One of my road trip must-haves is a car power inverter with USB ports. It keeps everyone’s devices charged and if you want to plug your laptop in to watch a movie, you can do that too! One thing that’s always on my Before We Leave list is to download podcasts, music and videos for the trip so we can access them in the middle of nowhere without using all of our data. To keep the car clean and organized, I recommend packing wet wipes and a roll of paper towels for messes and spills and a handful of plastic bags for the inevitable accumulation of road trip trash, muddy shoes, wet bathing suits and laundry.

 

A big thank you to Erin for all of her fabulous travel organizing tips!

If you are planning a vacation and need a little assistance, check out our Find An Organizer page for more help.