Packing For A Short Break ✈

March 28, 2023

Caitlin Hoskins

Ah what a different beast a short break holiday is… enough time to recharge but not so long that you need to make many arrangements to get away and of course much less of a financial hit. From Portugal to Wales and from Iceland to Morocco we offer a varied selection of short breaks, all with the same advantage in common; the ease of packing.

Here are our honed and refined guidelines for packing light for a 3 or 4 day break; everything on this list will fit into a cabin-sized bag allowing you to zip through the airport with minimal waiting around.

1. Riding gear
The most bulky items but it’s easy to wear short riding boots on the plane (I inherited these ones from a friend and can’t recommend highly enough!) and pack half-chaps which take up surprisingly little room when laid flat. Controversially I don’t take my own riding hat on a short break as almost every destination I have been to has them available to borrow (you can check this in advance).

2.Tennis shoes or flip flops. Do not forget casual clothes, no-one wants to be pulling on riding boots to go out for dinner so bring lightweight trainers/tennis shoes or if you are going somewhere hot, flip-flops or sandals are usually very space-saving.

3. We usually recommend bringing two pairs of riding tights/leggings to ride in alongside a few lightweight t-shirts, a couple of long-sleeved shirts (great as an additional layer for warmth or to protect from the sun) and a waterproof jacket (you can probably discount this item if going somewhere like Egypt). If going somewhere colder bring a fleece, they pack small, are warm and cosy and dry quickly.

4. You can buy many essential toiletries you need (shampoo, toothpaste, suncream) in the departure lounge of the airport. There is always time to kill and saves faffing around trying to decant full-sized toiletries into travel-sized bottles. It also saves having to get everything out at security on your outboard flight.

5. Bumbag – Not everyone’s stylistic choice but so useful to have your essentials (passport, phone, money, cards) in one place and easy to find rather than rummaging around in a large bag or rucksack. It’s a good idea to get around £50 or £100 in local currency in cash so that you have it for when you arrive. The holidays are inclusive so you don’t need much and many places will take card but it means you don’t have to spend the first part of your trip trying to find a cashpoint.

6. In terms of electronic devices, keep it simple: a phone with a decent camera, a travel adaptor plug and a kindle is usually everything you’ll need for a few days.

7. I always bring an emergency tote bag in my luggage and always end up using it! If you don’t have lots and lots already lying around try this one.

Happy packing!