How to Travel Around the World with Just a Carry-On: A Girl’s Guide to Traveling Light

Inside: Everything you need to know to travel around the world like a pro with just the carry-on essentials.

It’s a question I get all the time – especially from you ladies out there:

“How do you travel for so long and to so many different places with just a carry-on?”

And I admit, it’s challenging.

But, there’s a lot to be said for not having to heave a mammoth bag up a flight of stairs in a Paris train station or hold your breath while hoping your bag will appear on the carousel at midnight in Pago Pago.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to book through these links, I receive a small commission, which I will undoubtedly blow on more flights (it’s a vicious cycle).  All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you. 

Traveling light is worth the extra time and effort you put into the packing process.

So today, in an effort to help the globetrotting women of the world learn how to travel carry on (and thus travel lighter and happier), I offer up an excerpt from one of my favorite chapters in The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting:

Chapter 15: Lean, Mean & Chic: The Art of Carry-On Packing

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light.” – Cesare Pavese

I won’t lie to you, folks—this topic deserves a book of its own.

Especially for all you ladies out there who think the carry-on liquids restriction was intended as a form of Chinese water torture.

When I first began researching my trip around the world, I did what I always do, I bought books. The internet is a great tool and a valuable resource and all that but sometimes you just want a good book in your hands.

The diligent research phase

One of the few books I found on the subject of RTW travel was Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, by the ultimate nomad, Rolf Potts.

I knew my 30-day RTW trip wouldn’t exactly align with Rolf’s travel style but I figured he’d probably have some good universal globetrotting advice.

And he did, no doubt.

I was happily flipping pages in his book and imaging myself exploring foreign lands until I came across this suggested packing list, which, after reading, resulted in a full on panic attack:

• A pair of sandals
• Standard hygiene items
• A few relevant medicines
• Earplugs
• Small gift items for your future hosts and friends
• A few changes of simple, functional clothes (gasp!)
• One somewhat nice outfit for customs checks and social occasions
• A good pocketknife, a small flashlight, and a pair of sunglasses
• A sturdy pair of boots or walking shoes

On behalf of the women of America, I was appropriately horrified.

A few changes of simple, functional clothes? One somewhat nice outfit?

And why do I need a pocket knife? Is there going to be trouble?

Certainly, this is a packing list intended for the no-nonsense male traveler… or G.I. Joe.

While some of the suggestions on Rolf’s list are good (like the idea of bringing small gift items, a huge hit in many countries), clearly it needs a woman’s touch.

Don’t hate me, Rolf, I think you’re great, but I need more than standard hygiene items.

Since I think men have it easier in the carry-on department, I’ll focus primarily on the challenges this presents for you ladies out there and on how to overcome this packing dilemma of Everest proportions.

The beauty of travel with just carry-on essentials

It goes without saying that on a whirlwind trip around the world like this one, carry-on is essential.

With so many flights in such a short time frame, one lost bag can mean total trip devastation. The odds that the bag lost by the airlines in Costa Rica will catch up to you three cities and two airlines later in Paris are slim to none.

Take my word for it, I’ve been there.

So, how to avoid this issue? Learn to travel with just the carry-on essentials, of course!

I realize that many of you travel divas with your full-size shampoo bottles and lotions are probably cringing at this thought but trust me—it’s not as hard as it sounds.

The lighter you travel, the happier you will be.

In ten trips around the world living out of only an international-size carry-on and small backpack, I’ve never wished I brought more, but I’ve often wished I brought less.

Yes, multiple destinations and climates can be a challenge

Remember that this packing list will vary based on your choice of destinations.

If you plan to visit a lot of cold places, it gets more challenging. Even I had to resort to checking a bag for my trip to Antarctica at the start of Round the World #8 (though I later shipped it home before continuing my trip!).

Read More: Expedition Antarctica – Why it’s Worth Every Penny

That’s why I’ve mostly evolved to only warm destinations on my more recent trips; it simplifies the packing process greatly.

Here, I’ll focus on packing for a warm-weather trip but obviously, you’ll have to add a few layers to the list if your itinerary includes cold-weather destinations.

Your ulitmate RTW carry-on packing list

So, without further adieu, here it is ladies.

The top-secret RTWin30days packing list honed to perfection over more than 175 countries and all 7 continents. I’ve tried to include links to some of my favorite products but anything similar to what I’ve outlined below will do.

I’ve shared this list with no one until now. Here we go:

Three words: Little Black Dress (LBD).

Something in a wrinkle-free fabric works best. It should be casual enough to serve as a bathing suit cover-up in a pinch but nice enough to be dressed up with a light sweater or inexpensive jewelry and cute sandals for a night out.

It should be easy to wash in a hotel sink and dry overnight. Search as long as it takes to find the perfect dress, it will be worth the effort.

I’m currently obsessed with Columbia’s PFG Freezer dresses (I have no idea why they call them that). I bought one on a whim a few years ago while my husband was looking at shirts in the Columbia Store and it quickly became my favorite thing to wear. These days I own a dozen – including a solid black one that is my go-to LBD – and I practically live in them (it helps that I live between Florida and Hawaii).

The stretchy fabric is wrinkle free and they take up next to no space in a suitcase so they’re ideal for travel. They also come in 100+ styles from solid black to fun aloha patterns and they’re easy to dress up or dress down. I only wish I had known about these years ago!

Lightweight tennis shoes or hiking shoes

For years I swore by the Nike Free Run line of running shoes ($80–130 depending on style) but my new favorite is the Sketchers Hands Free Slip Ins line (no laces so they’re easy to slip on and off at airports).

Both weigh only a few ounces, smoosh down almost completely flat in a suitcase, and are incredibly comfortable. Like the LBD, they are a staple on my RTW packing list. While neither is specifically made for hiking; unless you’re planning to trek Kilimanjaro, they’ll probably do (mine did fine for the Tiger’s Nest hike in Bhutan and Table Mountain in Cape Town).

Flip-Flops or Sandals

A sturdy (I see you, Rolf!) pair of insanely comfortable flip-flops or sandals. Yellow Box makes my absolute favorite flip-flops. They’re inexpensive and come in a variety of styles. I practically live in these on my RTW trips (and at home in Hawaii). They’re so comfortable I can barely tell I’m wearing them.

True story – I once logged 14 miles in them in a single day exploring Moscow.

As long as you’re in warm destinations and the local culture dictates that open-toe shoes are acceptable, these can be your go-to footwear. I also like that Yellow Box makes casual styles with a little sparkle that allows you to dress them up or down. Go for a style with a thicker sole, they’re much better on cobblestone streets.

Additional Footwear

One or two pairs bringing you to a max of four pairs. Something respectable with closed toes for the times you can’t wear open toes and don’t want to wear tennis shoes. A simple, lightweight, or foldable ballet flat like these I’m wearing in the Antarctica pic above is a great choice for airports, etc.

The important thing is to select shoes that are lightweight and easily packable. Shoes are the hardest part of carry-on packing.

Tip: If you’re planning to visit many cold-weather countries or will require sturdier hiking boots for a certain destination, plan on those being your airplane footwear as they’ll be almost impossible to cram into your bag.

Bottoms (pants/shorts/capris/skirts)

I tend to go sparse in the pants/shorts/skirts department sticking with a few basics like khaki, black, or navy that will go with anything. I stay away from jeans since they take up more luggage space (unless you’re in colder places where you may need them).

Typically, I’ll pack two pairs of shorts, two pairs of capris, one pair of long pants for long flights, and any countries where you have to cover up (these Boston Proper pants look great and are as comfortable as yoga pants so they’re awesome for long flights), and maybe a casual skirt or two (RipSkirt Hawaii makes the best travel skirts in super fun patterns).

Other Dresses

Lightweight, wrinkle-free dresses (including the all-important LBD) are a great way to save space since you’ve got a whole outfit in one piece! In addition to the LBD, I’d pack one, maybe two more (the Columbia PFG dresses in cute patterns are a great choice).

Lightweight Sweater or Shrug

Again, lightweight and multi-functional are key. Something with color to spice up that LBD is a great way to increase your wardrobe options. Those little sleeve-only cover-ups (shrugs) are great because they take up next to no space yet they’re an easy way to change-up a sleeveless dress or keep you warm at dinner on a breezy Greek island.

Accessories/Costume Jewelry

I never travel with any jewelry of value. Yet, I think jewelry is a great way to dress up otherwise casual outfits without sacrificing crucial luggage real estate. Jewelry is also one of my favorite souvenirs to buy when I travel (it takes up no luggage space!).

Consider bringing along a few pieces and picking up new and interesting pieces as you travel. I love when someone comments on my earrings or necklace and I can say, “Thanks! I got it in Morocco!” It’s a great way to bring home a little piece of each destination while at the same time supporting local artists and craftspeople.

Shirts/Tops

Go nuts! This is the one area where I like to squeeze in as much variety as I can. From basic tees to silky sleeveless tops, you’d be amazed how many tops you can work into the tiny crevices remaining in your bag.

When it comes to the photos from your trip, as long as you are wearing a different shirt at the Pyramids than you were at the Taj Mahal, no one will notice that you’re wearing the same pants. They will all think you’re such an efficient packer that you managed to squeeze in 30 separate outfits for your 30-day trip.

For that strategy, once I’ve worn something that I was photographed in somewhere fabulous, that shirt is then relegated to “travel-day” status for the remainder of the trip. You want to pack light, but no one wants to come home after an incredible trip and realize they were wearing one of three outfits in every picture.

This is likely something men don’t give a second thought to but, ladies, that’s why this chapter is not about them, it’s about you.

Another trick I like to do is pack tops at the end of their life cycle that were bound for the donation pile after another wearing or two. That way, I can wear them once early on in the trip and then just leave them behind in a hotel room. Later, when I want to buy a chic new top at a market in Thailand (again, a great souvenir), there’s room in my suitcase.

After living with the same clothing options for a month, the prospect of a new top or two will excite you almost as much as unexpectedly spotting a washer and dryer in your hotel room.

A rain jacket or windbreaker

Into every life, a little rain must fall and it’s safe to say you’ll probably see some during your RTW trip (hopefully not as much as I did on Round-the-World #6).

You could bring a travel umbrella but I prefer to go with a windbreaker with a hood (like the North Face jacket I’m wearing below) since it’s also a great layering piece for colder weather. Most decent hotels will loan you an umbrella for the day if you really need one. If the jacket doesn’t fit in your luggage, wrap it around your waist for flying days.

Swimsuits

This is an easy one, I just pack two. Bikinis are small.

I also pack a cover-up or two (in addition to the LBD). If you’re spending a lot of time in tropical destinations, you’ll practically live in these. Another good idea if you’re fair-skinned like I am is a sun-shirt for those full days on the water. It doesn’t take up much space and it saves on liquids because you’ll need less sunscreen.

And speaking of liquids…

The liquids dilemma

This is where the whole master carry-on plan can collapse like a house of cards if you don’t employ a good strategy.

TSA guidelines limit you to one quart-sized, Ziploc bag filled with liquids of 4 oz or less. And this is not just a U.S. rule; this rule applies in pretty much every country on earth (with occasional exceptions for domestic flights within less-developed countries).

Barbaric? Without question, but you can make this work.

Unless you use some kind of shampoo and conditioner you absolutely can’t live without for a month, don’t waste your precious liquids allotment on those. Every hotel will have shampoo and (usually) conditioner. I sometimes pack a tiny conditioner bottle just in case but never shampoo. Same goes for lotion. I pack a small tube of hand lotion for long flights but most hotels will have body lotion.

That said; I save most of my liquids allowance for my good cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreens in travel size bottles. A few tips to help to reduce your liquids to just the carry-on essentials:

• Consider mineral make-up so that none of your make-up counts against you. I switched to Bare Minerals the day after the liquids ban went into place in 2004.
• A tiny bottle of clear nail polish and a couple of individually packaged nail polish remover pads (which don’t count as liquids) keep my nails in good shape during the trip.
• Try cleansing wipes instead of liquid cleanser to remove makeup.
• Bring a small quantity of laundry powder (not liquid) in a snack-size Ziploc bag for impromptu laundry parties in your hotel room.
• Consider which of your daily beauty products are the most essential to you and pack them in travel size containers. You can actually get more than you think into a quart-size bag.

And, if all else fails, I’m going to share with you a secret that is not TSA-approved so employ it at your own peril. I wish I could take credit for this idea but the credit actually goes to my friend and travel buddy, Dena.

When she took a trip to Europe with me a few summers ago, it was her first experience with carry-on packing but she was willing to give it a try after some not-so-subtle encouragement from me. I had explained the liquids rule pretty thoroughly (I thought) until we arrived at airport security and I watched in horror as she removed two fully loaded Ziploc bags!

Now, technically the rule is one Ziploc per passenger but she had mistakenly interpreted it as one per bag (she had a backpack and a rollaboard). Well, I was convinced she was destined for some sort of secret TSA prison and that I, as a good friend, would offer to stay behind and get her proper legal representation but of course, she would tell me to go on ahead without her.

And just as I was trying to capture the appropriate forlorn expression to adopt as I waved goodbye… her bag passed through security without a second glance. And I was left wondering why the heck I hadn’t thought of that.

From then on, I have utilized the dual-Ziploc-bag-maneuver successfully on dozens of trips and never had a problem. In fact, I’ve had my bags searched completely by airport security personnel who clearly saw (and even handled) both bags of liquids and didn’t take either away.

This, of course, makes me wonder if it really is even against the rules.

To be safe, I always have one bag of “lesser” liquids that I’m willing to part with at airport security, just in case. But, especially for a month-long trip, it’s great to be able to start out the trip with two Ziplocs, by week two you’re down to one anyway.

And always throw a few extra Ziploc bags (in quart and gallon sizes) into your suitcase.

Those bags endure a lot of wear and tear during the course of the trip and can get holes that will leave the rest of your luggage at risk. The gallon-size bags are great for wet bathing suits and a million other uses.

Electronics

• Purchase a good universal adapter that will work in every country.
• Don’t pack a hairdryer. It’s a waste of luggage space and every hotel (even the budget ones) will have one. And if they don’t, it’s likely you’ll survive.
• I do pack a tiny travel-size flat iron for hair emergencies but I find that I rarely use it. You just don’t care as much about such things on a trip like this (unless you have really difficult hair).
• Invest in a good camera. These days you can get by with just a good phone with a great camera. But if you want higher quality photos consider a high-end DSLR. I did my first four trips with a point-and-shoot but finally upgraded to a Nikon DSLR 5300 before RTW #5. Though much bulkier to travel with, if superior photo quality is important you’ll need one. I’m no professional photographer but my Nikon sometimes makes me look like I am. Be sure you’re uploading and backing up all your photos as you go.

The Luggage

Now that you’ve got a large pile of clothes occupying space in your bedroom, what to pack it all in?

You could go all backpacker-National-Geographic on me and buy one of those giant packs like they drag around on the Amazing Race.

Or, you could join the rest of the sane traveling public and buy yourself a chic, international-size rollaboard carry-on (choose this option).

I have a bag that I absolutely love but it’s a little on the pricey side. There are numerous other options in similar styles at more reasonable prices. But because I travel for a living, good luggage is important to me.

I’m a huge fan of Tumi luggage because of the quality of their product and especially because of their service. I tend to be pretty hard on luggage and my Tumi bag is always up to the challenge. And when it’s not, they’ll repair or replace it.

The bag I travel with currently and the one that has been around the world with me three times is the TUMI 19 Degree International Carry-On.

Its lightweight 4-wheel design keeps me gliding through airports as if I’m not carrying anything at all. It also has a zip-up divider separating the two sides. This allows me to pack all of my clothing in the zipped-up half and separate my shoes, toiletries, electronics, outerwear, etc. in the other side.

A suitcase neatly divided in halves is a far superior organization strategy and allows me to quickly find things that I need without having to unpack the entire suitcase to look for that one shirt I want to wear that day. Bonus: It’s expandable, in case you over-shop on your last stop!

Be aware that there is a difference between the U.S. standard allowable carry-on size of 21 inches and the standard international carry-on size of just 19 inches. Invest in an international size bag; otherwise, you may be forced to check it while overseas.

So there you have it! All my accumulated knowledge about packing for a trip around the world with just the carry-on essentials.

Not as hard as you thought, right?

Trust me, ladies, you can do this! And when you’re bypassing the elevator line at an Italian train station because you can easily swoop your bag up the nearby flight of stairs, you’ll thank me.

A Note for the Guys: I promise, I didn’t completely forget about you! In The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting, several of the male globetrotters I interviewed also provided detailed packing lists of carry-on essentials for their trips around the world. But today, it’s all about the ladies!

Looking for more Round-the-World travel advice and inspiration? Start here:

The Ultimate Guide to Planning the Round the World Trip of a Lifetime

8 Reasons to Stop Dreaming & Start Planning a Trip Around the World

Why Every Woman Should Travel the World Solo (at least once!) & How to Stay Safe Doing It

How to Use Points & Miles to Redeem Your Round the World Dream

Need some destination inspiration to plan your RTW itinerary?

50 Amazing Places for Your Travel Bucket List (2024)

Around the World in 30 Extraordinary Travel Experiences