Overshopped On Vacation? Return Flight Packing Tips

We’ve all been there. We buy too many pieces of art, clothing, gifts, and food items—but it won’t all fit in our luggage. This can be particularly challenging if you only carried on and you now have liquids over 3 ounces. The return flight packing tips below will help.

#1 Don’t Pack to Capacity

Begin by leaving some room in your luggage from the get-go. Even if you don’t have any specific purchases in mind, inspiration may strike while on vacation. You don’t want to pass on something beautiful because you don’t have room in your luggage. So, pack clothing that can be mixed and matched so there’s plenty of room for vacation finds.

#2 Stash an Extra Bag

The space you leave in your luggage can be used for a just-in-case-you-need-it bag. That’s one of the reasons we designed our weekender bag to be flexible. It folds up easily so that you can use it as your carry-on and check your suitcase on the way home. Don’t forget—we’re discontinuing our large weekender once it runs out of stock! 

#3 Ship It

This one is a pro-traveler’s tip! Sometimes it’s easier to ship either the item or your luggage back home. This is particularly ideal for large, fragile, or bulky items. Just be mindful that if you’re in an international location, shipping restrictions apply. This includes what you can and can’t ship internationally and whether a permit is required to import the item back home. Internationally, it may be easier to ship your luggage and carry your purchases on the flight with you. 

We hope these return flight packing tips help you make room for everything your heart desires on vacation! Combine them with packing best practices including using packing cubes, rolling your clothing, and laundering your clothing before you fly home—which compresses clothing items so they’re easier to pack.