How to pack hand luggage for the long flight to Australia

Packing hand luggage for the long flight to Australia is crucial for a good start of any Australia Trip. There are however many things you can do to make your flight comfortable.

By choosing the right flight to Australia  you make a first step to reduce a stress on the first day of travel. While for some a night stopover may help reducing stress, for others splitting the flight in 3 chunks can be a better option to put up with the long time sitting on the plane.

In over 10 years of flights to Australia I have tried all possible flight combinations and the 3-hour-layover with 2 flight segments is what works better for me. It may not work good for you, you need to try it out.

For sure spending 12 to 17 hours on the plane is  really a long time. And if you add the time of getting to the airport, navigating through check in, security, boarding the plane, stopping over, going through immigration in Australia, it easily comes up to 24 hours.

That’s why I have written this post with practical tips that will help you reduce stress at airport on the first day of travel.

This post is a collection of tips upon my long travel experience on how to enhance travel comfort on the plane and help pack hand luggage for the flight to Australia.

How to pack hand luggage for the long flight to Australia

• [do action=”bold-blue”]Travel bag or Packpack[/do] I personally use as it’s compact and practical to carry around. If you use a travel bag get a soft one with sidepockets. Pack things into small bags so that you can easily see where is what. I use 3-4 small bags with different colours so I can grab them without having to rummage through the backpack every time.

• [do action=”bold-blue”]Pack the hand luggage with personal things for the first 1-2 days[/do] You never know what expects you. Your checked in luggage may not arrive the same day you arrive at your destination and must be prepared. Being self-sufficient for a couple of days will reduce stress.

• [do action=”bold-blue”]Wear comfortable clothes[/do] I pack warm clothes to change when I am on the plane. It can get pretty cold inside the plane especially at night the air conditioning is turned on high. This is what I wear and pack for my plane outfit.
  • Strecht trousers
  • fleece jumper
  • compression stockings to prevent deep vein thrombosis. Check first with your doctor what type of compression stockings is good for you!
  • Soft socks with rubber soil to walk on the plane
  • a neck silk scarf
  • eye mask,
  • a long scarf,
  • body map that that you can wear underneath your clothes to keep you warm or as sleepwear.
  • underwear
  •  Check out Amazon for a wide choice of travel wear items.

• [do action=”bold-blue”]Toiletries[/do] Pack small bottles or squeeze tubes filled with toiletres you will need during the flight (if you are taking medicines, pack them to cover 2-3 days). Use the same zipped bag for security and place into a bigger bag. This is what I pack for my flight to Australia.
  • hand wipes, toilette wipes
  • hand cream
  • face wash gel and face moisturizer
  • tooth-brush and tooth-paste
  • a small comb and a tiny cosmetic mirror
  • lavender oil and natural citrus deo
  • lips balm or moisturizer
  • leg balm

• [do action=”bold-blue”]Sleeping remedies[/do] Eye mask, ear plugs, mouth mask, lavender or peppermint oil, herbal tea bags, essential nutrients, Vitamin C.

•  [do action=”bold-blue”]Entertainment on the plane[/do] Books, magazine, diary, i-pod, laptop, music. Everything you like to keep you occupied on the plane. Your hand luggage should not exceed 8-10 kg, check with your airline company’s baggage weight regulation and the size if you travel with a wheel hand luggage usually the standard ones are 55x35x20.

• [do action=”bold-blue”]Pack your own food[/do] If you are on a special diet, pack what you need, however most airlines offer a variety of meals to match a wide spectrum of diets. Check the list of the special dietary needs and book accordingly when checking in online. Moreover it’s alwasy good to buy/pack fruits, mixed nuts in small bags as snacks, herbal teas in bags that you will not get on the plane.

The more travel comfort you have on the plane, the better for a quick recovery from jet lag in Australia.

How do you pack hand luggage for the long flight to Australia? Do you have any more tips to add to this list? Share your tips by leaving a comment here below. Thanks!

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