Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
No exceptions! Leave the kitchen sink at home. I promise you won’t need it where you are going, unless it’s into the middle of the Australian Outback. Without doubt, it does take practice to know what you will need on a vacation. My philosophy is unless it’s going to change your life…leave it at home. Where do I start? Most of us at some time have had to make a decision of what to take on a trip, be it a two day weekend or an extended stay with relatives in another continent. Our enemy is WEIGHT – it not only costs you a lot of money in excessive baggage but it can physically exhaust you lugging it up escalators and into airplane compartments.
It’s probably not a good idea to take:
- Your favourite pet
- Your favourite fancy expensive shoes
- Your favourite fancy expensive hats
- Your favourite colorful clothing – pick one or two neutral/matching colours and coordinating ensuring all light weight cottons and silks
- ‘Kinder’ brand chocolate eggs if going to the US at Easter as these are not allowed due to the concealed item inside
- ‘Vegemite’ and ‘Marmite’ yeast extract products if going to Denmark as these are now banned…due to ‘enhanced vitamins’.
- If visiting Malaysia you are allowed to enter the country with a limit of three articles of new clothing. Solution = take it out of the package and wear it once before you arrive. Problem solved.. could be a problem for customs enforcing this one!
I know that I have made light of this, but heck, travel is fun. Enjoy every moment!.. click here for safety tips
Plan ahead.. a good traveller learns through experience to plan ahead. You will never cover all bases, but you can certainly reduce the pain. Customs warehouses are full of prohibited items that officers have confiscated from travellers entering their country. It is always a good idea to read everything about a country that you are about to visit even if you have been to that destination before, as regulations are constantly being revised.
What’s one item that you could leave behind from past experiences? We’d love to hear your stories so leave them in the comments below.
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