Our family just got back from a whirlwind trip to London! It was a very last minute decision…and I’m not exaggerating! We talked about the idea of visiting London on Sunday, we made arrangements on Monday, and we left on Wednesday! For birthdays this year, our family has decided to do experiences instead of gifts. My 2 teenage sons’ birthdays were approaching and we started brainstorming what to do for their special day. They both love soccer and are huge fans of the Premier League soccer team Manchester City. We took a look at their soccer schedule and their 2 favorite teams were playing each other in a few days. So we took a look at flight options, soccer ticket options, accommodation options and we made the decision to go for it! We had a ton of credit card points saved up so our airfare was covered, we found soccer tickets available, and got an affordable Airbnb. It was a fast, but very memorable trip! Here’s what I wore in London for a quick winter trip…
How to Pack for a Trip in a Carryon
We like to try to pack what we need for trips in just a carryon each. It makes traveling so much quicker and easier! You don’t have to worry about checking your bags, waiting for them at the baggage claim, or risking losing any luggage along the way. But how can you pack for a trip in just a carryon?? Here are a few tips that help me pack smartly:
- Check the weather- Before you leave for your trip, take a look at the weather. Yes, it may change, but you can get a good idea of what type of clothing and gear you’ll need. Before we committed to our London trip, I made sure the weather wouldn’t be crummy! We had no rain in our forecast but it would be chilly so we packed lots of layers.
- Decide on your activities- Plan out what activities you’ll be doing on your trip. There’s no sense in packing an evening gown if you have no plans to go to a fancy event. Only pack the types of clothes that you’ll actually need.
- Pick a color scheme- Choose a few colors that can mix and match well together. This will allow you to wear things in multiple ways, cutting back on how many things you need to pack.
- Limit your shoes- Shoes take up a lot of space so limit how many you’ll bring. I usually bring a casual pair and a fancy pair.
What to Pack in Your Personal Bag
My carryon contains my clothing and my personal bag contains more important and fragile things. Here’s what I like to pack in my personal bag:
- computer
- Kindle
- phone
- chargers for all my devices
- earbuds
- Mixhers
- makeup
- toiletries
- feminine products
- medicine
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My Travel Outfit
When I travel, I like to be comfy and cute! For this trip, I wore my favorite wool leggings, a wool shirt, a cute Ciao sweatshirt, sneakers, and I brought a cashmere wrap on the plane to use as a blanket.
What I Wore in London
Using the tips above, I packed everything I needed for a 4 day trip to London in a carryon. Here’s what I packed:
- wool sweater
- cashmere sweater
- cashmere/cotton sweater
- button down shirt
- 2 wool turtlenecks
- wool base layer shirt
- wool socks
- wool base layer leggings
- straight leg jeans
- flare jeans
- wool leggings
- skirt
- sneakers
- rain jacket
- puffer jacket
- wool coat (this was by far the star of the show! I LOVE this wool coat! It’s classy, it’s chic, it’s warm, it’s comfortable. Save 20% with this code: JOELLEN20)
- 3 scarves
- 2 beanies
- 1 purse
DAY 1
This day was dedicated to all things soccer! I chose a more casual outfit because we were doing sporty things. We spent the day looking for souvenirs for my sons. One chose a custom jersey and the other chose a hoodie from their favorite soccer team. We walked past a few fun iconic places (Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace) on our way from shopping to the tube. We bundled up for a full evening of soccer at one of the best soccer stadiums in the world!
DAY 2
We spent the day checking out Borough Market, looking at the view of the city from on top of the Tate Modern, and watching Matilda at the theater.
DAY 3
We made the commitment to always go to church when we travel. So we looked up the nearest congregation for our church and took the tube and a short walk there. After church, we went back to our Airbnb for lunch and to change. Then we visited a few museums and walked along Tower Bridge.
DAY 4
On our last full day in London, we did some shopping, and went to China Town, the National Gallery, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Imperial War Museum.
The Best Makeup for Traveling
This is, hands down, the BEST makeup to travel with! This makeup is TSA approved, won’t spill in your bag, and everything (minus mascara) fits into one makeup palette! I’ve taken this palette around the world with me! I love that I don’t have to sacrifice beauty for space. Learn more about Seint makeup!
We had a blast on our whirlwind trip to London! We usually like to plan and prep for a big trip like this but it was fun to do something on a whim. We didn’t over analyze things and we just went with the flow! We created some amazing memories together. It was priceless!
Here are other blog posts you might enjoy:
What to Wear on a Fall Cruise to Canada
About the Author
JoEllen is a licensed aesthetician, certified makeup artist, and certified John Maxwell coach, speaker, and trainer. She works with women helping them look and feel confident. She loves teaching women simple beauty techniques so they can feel empowered to try it at home. Her motto is that when you look and feel good, you do good!
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