travel

5 Tips To Stay Organized When Traveling

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5 tips to stay organized when traveling

This year I have traveled more than I have the past 10 years combined (and I’m loving it).

Staying organized while traveling has been a huge part of keeping me on track and enjoying all of my travel adventures! I’ve taken a bunch of weekend trips and those that are much longer. I’ve learned quite a few tips for extended travel that I didn’t know before and I’m so excited to share them with you today! 

5 Tips To Stay Organized When Traveling

1. Choose a hotel that makes staying organized easy. This seems so basic but it’s not. Have you ever stayed at a hotel with very little closet and drawer space and just decided to live out of your suitcase? When you stay at TownePlace Suites by Marriott® there is always plenty of room to organize everything you need for your stay because of their partnership with The Container Store® and their awesome elfa® closet! There are currently 11 TownePlace Suites® hotels featuring the elfa® closet, with more locations growing every month. Check out our latest list here

 

2. Unpack right away. As soon as you get into your hotel room unpack your bags and put everything where it should go. This will keep you organized and ready for all the adventures your trip will bring you. I like to hang up my dresses first thing to avoid wrinkles and the same goes for Pete’s dress shirts. The custom closets designed for TownePlace Suites® (in partnership with The Container Store®) are the best for extended stays because they are loaded with lots of storage options to help guests feel more organized while on the road. From multiple closet rods and ventilated shelves to hanging drawers, guests will find everything they need to feel more put together. There is just something about having your stuff put away that makes you feel more at home too.

3. For extended stays book a hotel with the amenities you would find at home. At TownePlace Suites®, their mission is to give their guests the tools to keep them feeling happy, put together and productive on longer stays. They believe that having the space to organize, and the tools to get things done makes for a happier traveler. Which is totally true! Even on leisure trips I still have to get work done so a standard room with just a bed won’t do for me.

Here are some of the great features at TownePlace Suites® that I have found really make extended stays better…  

  • Spacious studios and one or two-bedroom suites. When it’s just Pete and I a studio is perfect… but when we have all the kids we really need the extra two bedrooms. 
  • Fully-equipped full-size kitchen. This wasn’t a big deal to me until I actually had one and now it’s something that we look for when booking a hotel for any amount of time. Being able to cook meals instead of running out and eating at restaurants our whole trip is huge. We tend to go out for dinner and eat in the rest of the time. 
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. This is a must. For both work and pleasure, we have to have Wi-Fi.
  • On-site laundry facilities. It’s the only way for extended travel. I like to pack as light as possible so I have to be able to wash my clothes and there is never time to go looking for a laundry mat. 
  • Home OfficeTM Suites (ergonomic in-room workspace), To stay organized we set up our desks as we would at our office so having a dedicated place to work is awesome. This also helps with productivity while traveling because it’s all set to get your work done.
  • Free breakfast. I like getting free breakfast, but I also love that it’s right there waiting for me so I can get on with my day.
  • Daily housekeeping refresh. I don’t want to spend any time on trips doing housekeeping so this is a great added benefit.
  • Lower rates for longer stays. This makes vacationing more affordable an gives us more money for the fun stuff!

container store organizing tips

4. Have the right organized travel tools. I cannot believe how having the right luggage makes traveling so much easier. Especially for longer trips. The Container Store® has some awesome organizing tools like this reisenthel® toilet bag. I used a gift card to purchase this on my last trip to The Container Store® and I was so excited to try it out! Having a place for everything and everything in its place makes for much happier travel. This toiletry bag is perfect for keeping travel-sized toiletries all in one place and its compact size is perfect when you travel light as I do. I tend to let all my work tools like laptops and cameras get most of the space so I need a toiletry bag that isn’t bulky.

5. Keep a travel “go” bag. When you are a frequent traveler it really helps to keep a bag ready to go with the basics that you always need so you can just add clothes and you are good to go! I make a habit of restocking my “go” bag as soon as I get back and that makes packing so much quicker, easier and stress-free. In my bag are my toiletries, plastic bags, and other things that I always pack.

What do you do to stay organized on extended-stay travel?

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

86 Comments

  • I try to stay organized when I travel! I don’t unpack right away usually because I like to keep all my clothes together. I do get my bathroom set up right away though. It’s easier to have everything pulled out already!

  • I use ebags so that my clothes are separated by days and I have everything I need right at my finger tips – I also use ziploc bags to make sure nothing leaks! I love the elfa closet – looks great! truckredford(at)gmail(Dot)com

  • Great tips! We don’t usually do a lot of traveling, but this year for Christmas we are! I’ll keep all of this in mind! Thanks! <333

  • LOVE your tips especially the unpack right away. I’m amazing to hear that someone else unpacks right away. It does make a big difference.

  • To stay organized in travel I write a list. If I don’t, I forget something, inevitably and end up tearing up the suitcase to try and find whatever.

  • I’m so loving that travel bag! I really need to get to the Container Store because I’d love to be more organized and uniform with my traveling supplies. Thanks for the great review and tips!

  • I love all these tips. Few of them are the ones which I am doing already. The Wifi tips sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing your idea.

  • The shoe rack would be useful, but I think I would most utilize the gliding drawer for folded items. I like to unpack my clothes and keep certain items together if I am going to be somewhere for more than one night. I also make heavy use of a hanging organizer bag so I can find things quickly.

  • I make lists so I am less likely to make a special trip to a store to find what I missed.

  • To stay organized, everyone has their own suitcase & I always pack hangers to hang our clothes, & also pack bags for dirty clothes so I can keep them separated.

  • These are great tips! I always have a bit of trouble getting and staying organized.

  • I stay organized by packing my bags light and really neat, I also like to roll my clothes to save room and time, and I also unpack as soon as I arrive to the hotel to keep it all together and organized.

  • I stay organized by making lists of everything I need to pack and am packing and then using that same list to pack back up when it’s time to leave. I don’t have to worry about missing anything since I have a detailed list of exactly what I initially packed.

  • Traveling and organized? I’m not sure those words go together in my book. We are always such a mess and I never know where anything is so this will come in handy.

  • this is a great post for traveling! I always feel so disorganized when I travel, so I really needed these tips!

  • I have a tote just like this for all my cosmetics. Its a life saver and it hangs so I can attach it to a door knob or towel rack. I love it.

  • A laundry bag is essential if you don’t want dirty clothes mixed up with clean ones! I use a hanging organizer also keep things together and accessible. I also keep essential items packed together, clothes I will need the first night get packed on top, etc. Shoes get wrapped in plastic grocery bags, but the shoe rack in the closet would sure come in handy!

  • I don’t travel often but i always keep personal hygiene items in a separate bag and clothes organized by events/days. I bring extra things depending on weather.

  • I stay organized by not over-packing. I like to take clothes that I can mix and match to make several outfits with few pieces. I also unpack as soon as I arrive to avoid wrinkled clothing. Dirty clothes go in separate plastic bag for the trip home.

  • I take 30 minutes to get settled and unpack…hang up my nice clothes; put toiletries up, put clothes into drawers. It makes the rest of the trip so easy!

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