Holiday packing list: what to pack, and what to leave at home

A good holiday packing list starts with what you cannot replace abroad: passport, cards, medicines and chargers. Then the hand-luggage rules: liquids in containers of 100ml or less at most UK airports. Then clothes, planned by day rather than by drawer. Everything else is optional, and most of it stays home.

Below is the checklist we would use for a week away, in the order to pack it, with the hand luggage rules checked on 4 November 2026. If the trip is short, our underseat cabin backpacks are sized for exactly this kind of list.

The holiday packing checklist

1. Passport and travel documents. Passport, boarding passes (printed or on your phone), booking confirmations, travel insurance details and any visa or entry documents your destination asks for. The UK government's foreign travel advice lists entry requirements country by country.
2. Money. Two payment cards kept in different places, and a little local currency for the first taxi or coffee.
3. Medicines. Enough for the trip, in your hand luggage, with a copy of the prescription for anything liquid over 100ml.
4. Phone, charger and adaptor. Plus earphones, and the laptop or tablet if you are taking one, charged before you leave home.
5. Toiletries in travel sizes. Containers of 100ml or less for hand luggage, unless your departure airport says otherwise.
6. Clothes, planned by day. One outfit per day, then remove anything that only works with one other piece.
7. Shoes. The pair you will walk in, worn on the plane, and at most one other pair.
8. Swimwear, sunglasses and sun cream for a warm destination; a light waterproof layer for anywhere else.

The first four lines go in the bag that stays with you. If a suitcase goes astray, those are the things that would ruin the week.

What should go in your hand luggage?

Your hand luggage should hold everything you cannot do without for 24 hours: documents, cards, medicines, phone, chargers, a change of underwear and the day's toiletries. A delayed hold bag is an inconvenience; a missing passport or prescription is a different holiday.

The UK government's hand luggage rules add a few details worth knowing before you pack:

• Essential medicines over 100ml are allowed in hand luggage. Proof, such as a letter from your doctor or a copy of your prescription, is needed if the medicine is liquid and in a container larger than 100ml.
• Electronic devices such as phones, laptops and tablets can go in hand luggage. Charge them before you travel: a device that does not switch on when requested will not be allowed onto the aircraft.
• Frozen liquids cannot be carried in hand luggage.
• Batteries have their own restrictions. The government page points to the Civil Aviation Authority, and to your airline if you are unsure.

How much liquid can you take in hand luggage?

At most UK airports, you cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100ml through security, even if the container is only part full. The rules now depend on the airport: some airports may allow containers of up to 2 litres. You may also be asked to put liquids in a single transparent, resealable bag that holds no more than a litre and measures about 20cm x 20cm.

Because the rules differ, check the airport you fly from, any airport you pass through, and the airport for the journey home. These rules come from the UK government's guidance on liquids in hand luggage, checked 4 November 2026.

Liquid	UK hand luggage rule (most airports)
Toiletries, drinks, creams	Containers of 100ml or less, unless your airport allows more
Essential medicines	Allowed above 100ml; proof needed for liquids over 100ml
Baby food and baby milk	Enough for the journey; check with your airport
Frozen liquids	Not allowed in hand luggage
Duty-free liquids	Allowed if sealed in the security bag with the receipt visible

Checked 4 November 2026 on gov.uk. Airlines can add their own restrictions, so read your airline's page as well.

How to pack less without missing anything

Packing less is mostly a matter of deciding before you open the bag. Lay everything out, then take out a third. The test for each piece of clothing is simple: does it go with at least two other things you are taking? If not, it stays home.

Roll soft clothes and fold structured ones. Put heavy things, such as shoes and a wash bag, at the bottom or against the back of a backpack. Keep the liquids bag and the documents at the top, because both come out at security.

If you travel with only a backpack, a compression backpack is worth considering. The two bags below, the Overnighter and the Sunday, both sit in our vacuum compression backpacks collection.

The bag for this list

For a long weekend or a short week with hand luggage only, the Overnighter is the bag we would pack this list into. Its product page says it carries 3 to 5 days of outfits (20+ items), and it is a 45-litre underseat cabin backpack.

For a full week, the Sunday is the larger option: a 60-litre vacuum compression backpack whose product page says it carries 5 to 7 days of outfits (25+ items). Check your airline's cabin bag size before you fly, because allowances differ between airlines and fares.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I pack for a 7-day trip?

For a 7-day trip, pack one outfit per day from pieces that mix, rather than seven separate looks, plus one smarter option for the evening. Two pairs of shoes, including the pair you travel in, are usually enough. If you only take hand luggage, choose a bag sized for a week, such as the Sunday 60L, after checking your airline's cabin bag size.

Can I take liquids over 100ml in my hand luggage?

At most UK airports, no: containers must hold 100ml or less, even if only part full. Some airports may allow containers of up to 2 litres, so check your departure airport. Essential medicines, special dietary items and baby food or milk are allowed in larger amounts.

Should medicines go in hand luggage or the hold?

Keep medicines in your hand luggage, so a delayed suitcase does not leave you without them. UK rules allow essential medicines over 100ml in hand luggage. Bring a letter from your doctor or a copy of your prescription if the medicine is liquid and over 100ml.

What should I pack first?

Pack documents, money, medicines and chargers first, in the bag that stays with you. Those are the items that are hardest to replace abroad. Clothes come last, because they are the easiest thing to cut down or buy at your destination.

In short

If you fly for a weekend, take one backpack, plan three outfits and keep liquids in containers of 100ml or less unless your airport says otherwise. If you go for a week, plan by day, cut a third, and keep the first four lines of the checklist in your hand luggage. For a bigger trip, our carry-on backpacks carry 5 to 7 days of outfits, according to their product pages.