Travel Smart: Mastering the Art of Packing Light with guest Alison Liscum

In episode 101 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast, Tracy Collins is joined by special guest Alison Liscum to discuss essential packing tips for a trip to the UK. 

They discuss the benefits of using carry-on luggage where possible to avoid lost items and weight issues and share practical advice, such as organising with packing cubes and choosing versatile clothing. 

Alison recounts her own travel experiences, including navigating strict liquid checks and making room for souvenirs. 

Whether you're a seasoned traveller or planning your first trip, this episode offers valuable insights to make packing for your UK adventure stress-free and efficient.

⭐️ Guests - Alison Liscum
📝  Show Notes - Episode 101

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Episode #70 - How (and what) to pack for the UK

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK Travel Planning website, tracey Collins. In this podcast, tracey shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, and from the picturesque countryside to seaside towns.

Speaker 2: 0:42

Hello and welcome to episode 101 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. This week I have special guest Alison on the podcast to talk all things packing. Now Alison put a picture of herself in the Facebook group with her packing that she took over to the UK and it kind of went viral in my group. So I had to ask Alison on to the podcast this week to talk all about her packing tips, what she used, how she packed, how she decided what she was going to take over with her to the UK, and so basically, this podcast is our discussion and some of the questions that I posed to Alison, just kind of to answer all those questions.

Speaker 2: 1:22

So, without further ado, I'm just going to go straight into the podcast. It's slightly different in that you're going to get the conversation that Alison and I had to start with and then she'll introduce herself after a couple of minutes. But enjoy, it's a great episode. Yeah, so it was really cool in the Facebook group, alison, because you shared a picture of yourself standing with your luggage and it immediately triggered off a huge, huge discussion in the facebook group, which was amazing I was like, yeah, I couldn't believe it.

Speaker 3: 1:54

I was like, oh, wow, all these, and we were fixed. We were getting in the cab to go to the airport. So I was like, oh, you know, I was trying to answer some and then I would put it down. And then, when I had a minute to look at my phone, I was like, wow, there's a lot of interest in that picture, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 2:13

Absolutely. I thought, well, you know something. Next time I go I need to put a picture on and board Because obviously I share the package tips and I've done. I have done a previous podcast, but I just thought you know what? Let's, let's chat to you, let's get you on the podcast and share basically how you went about it, how you decided what you're going to take, all that sort of stuff, cause I know there's such a lot of interest in it and it is.

Speaker 2: 2:36

It's a huge dilemma. I know I've just come back from five months of traveling. I was in, I was in warm countries. I was in warm countries, I was in the UK when it was cold and then I was back to warm countries and I don't like taking a lot of luggage. That's my. The more luggage you get, the more stress you get. The harder it gets. The more pieces of luggage you've got again, the more stress you get. I learned that in early age of traveling. Anyway, so before we shoot into this podcast and really get into the nitty gritty, I'd love you to introduce yourself, alison, tell us whereabouts you're from and then just give us a brief overview of where you went and what your itinerary was.

Speaker 3: 3:10

Okay, my name is Alison Liskam and I'm originally from North Carolina. Right now, my husband and I live on the eastern shore of Virginia and it has been a lifelong dream for me to go to London, just London. That's all I wanted to do, and we finally have had an opportunity. But in order to get my husband on board, we had to include Ireland and Scotland. You know his favorite places that he has been before. He wanted to return, so we booked a trip with a tour group and we went to Scotland, northern Ireland, ireland and then Wales and then back to London, but my main focus was London.

Speaker 3: 3:52

So we put four days on the beginning of that tour and four days on the end of that tour, which was great, until we started thinking, oh wow, how are we going to dress for this? You know that's a big concern. As you know, we've discussed already, and so that's when I started looking into. I was listening to your podcast on what to pack and everything like that, and, luckily for us, the weather over there now is exactly what we are having here on the Eastern shore of Virginia and the wind you know, yes, it is very helpful because I knew that if I could walk outside here I would be comfortable, you know, over there.

Speaker 3: 4:32

But that's just that's what we did. We did four days in London and then we did several days um in those other places and then back to London for another four days.

Speaker 2: 4:42

And I think another, just another point you're thinking about when you're on a coach tour like that is that you're often stopping off, because I've actually just done two tours in India, so I did a southern India tour and a north India tour and it's the first tours I've ever taken. I've always, always traveled independently, always organized everything myself. What I learned with that is you have to know if you're stopping off one night. You. What I learned with that is you have to know if you're stopping off one night. You have to be quick at getting what you want. If you do not want to take everything out of your suitcase to find what you want, you've got to be really, really organized.

Speaker 3: 5:15

And I guess that was one of those things that crossed your mind when it came to it. It did, because you know, I also got onto the Facebook group of that tour and they were saying don't bring the heavy luggage. You know you're taking it on and off Now tour. And they were saying don't bring the heavy luggage, you know you're taking it on and off Now. Granted, they did take our luggage off for us and put it in the hotels, but I wanted to be able to put my suitcase down, put my smaller bag down and just unzip it, get out what I needed, because I knew it was going to have to go right back in it. So I didn't want to make a big production of the whole setup.

Speaker 2: 5:43

You know, totally, totally get that. So how did you decide? Well, I guess I don't know whether what was the first thing you decided what you were going to take, or what suitcases you were going to take, what luggage you were going to look at getting.

Speaker 3: 5:55

Well, the more we talked about it, my husband and I, we were like we should really just do a carry-on, because we're catching a flight in Charlotte and from Virginia to Charlotte and then Charlotte to Heathrow.

Speaker 2: 6:06

So we wanted to make sure we weren't going to lose our luggage and we said just let's do carry-ons, you know let's ask you a question about this, because this comes up quite often and um, so, obviously so when I fly over, I fly from Australia because that's where I live most of the time um, so we have very, very tight restrictions on hand luggage.

Speaker 2: 6:24

For example, I think it's about seven, seven or eight kgs, so we're talking I don't even know what that is maybe 15 pounds. Now I took I flew a couple of years ago and I arrived at the airport knowing that my hand luggage was going to be my carry-on luggage was going to be slightly heavier. It was like three, three kgs heavier and I thought, well, okay, and actually they made me take it out and actually, luckily, doug was there because he had to bring it home. But there's a poor girl standing in front, front of me in the queue. She had nobody with her and she had to throw things away because she couldn't take it. So they're very strict. So what's the carry-on kind of weight in america?

Speaker 3: 7:01

they. You know now that you say that I don't really think there was a weight Right, but what they did coming back I had books from like souvenir books, from everything, so it did make my carry on a little thicker. So when I went to board the plane they looked at it and said, stick it over here in this little space and let's see if it fits.

Speaker 3: 7:24

It was a little bulky, so they checked it there at the gate for me, which was fine, but there was never a weight. It was more of a size issue.

Speaker 2: 7:33

Okay, yeah, because we get it kind of like the weight and size Sometimes when I've flown out of the UK, not so much of an issue, but I'm always wary and I think flying from australia it would just have to be that bit more wary about the weight limit because it so it makes it harder to do uh, yes, to do check and carry on. I should say it makes it hard to carry on for us because we have that limit. So but that's one thing I have noticed, um, obviously in the Facebook group and talking to people from North America, that you just seem to have less restriction on carry-on than we have, which is lovely.

Speaker 2: 8:12

You're so lucky. I'm sorry.

Speaker 3: 8:15

And you know I noticed too, leaving the States they did not check our liquids Right and I was so adamant to have that. But coming back heathrow, they wanted to see it. They wanted it out in a bag, you know, and see it. So there are different things but I tried to make sure that I I knew what both places would require.

Speaker 2: 8:38

I think that's important because uh again I've just done.

Speaker 2: 8:41

I've been to six countries and each airport. You never know. People have different airports, have different restrictions on carry-on, what liquids you can take. I don't know where or why, but oh, I think it might have been New Zealand. Oh, no, no, I think it might have been South Korea, with Doug and this couple were arguing because they only had 100 milliliters in a bottle, but it was a 300-milliliter bottle, so they would not let them take it. So in the end, actually, they took off them. So again, I think that's a really important point.

Speaker 3: 9:10

I said that you do check, just because just because that your departing airport allows you to do that does not necessarily mean that the next airport you're going to be departing from for example, heathrow is going to let you do it well, and I, you know, I told my husband I'm a scaredy cat in some things and I don't want to be in another country and get in trouble for something. You know, so. I was looking for the strictest policy and going with that one yeah, no, I totally agree.

Speaker 2: 9:35

So I know you took two bags with you, so were they two exactly the same size. One was smaller than the other. How did that work?

Speaker 3: 9:43

So the carry-on that I put my clothes in it was the 20-inch carry-on. It was a London Fall 20-inch carry-on. That's what I put my clothes in, and then they have a matching piece, which is a 15-inch, under the seat, so it fit under the sink and that's what I put all of my toiletries in.

Speaker 2: 10:04

Okay, and then did that because I quite like it when you pull one bag, so did the handle. Is it the sort of that comes up, where the handle comes up and you can fit the other bag on top? Yes, on top.

Speaker 3: 10:14

There's like a sleeve that it can fit over on top.

Speaker 2: 10:16

Doesn't that make things easier when you're getting around here?

Speaker 3: 10:19

Oh my goodness, it makes things so much easier.

Speaker 2: 10:22

Yes, so did you? As well as having, obviously, the one suitcase, one carry-on bag for your clothes and one for your toiletries, did you have another small purse handbag? We'd call it?

Speaker 3: 10:34

I had a very small crossbody bag that I had with me, just with passport in it that I carried with me all the time, yeah, and a credit card, my oyster card. I kept it in there, yeah, but that was just a very small thing and they didn't say anything about that?

Speaker 2: 10:52

yeah, they're not to that. You tend to be okay with that.

Speaker 3: 10:54

I obviously carry a lot of electronics, which is the point of me, yeah and you know you, it's funny you say that because we were coming back and we had to come back through charlotte and we had to come back through tSA because we came in customs, had to get our stuff and come back through TSA, and the TSA lady looked at us and said I need all your electronics. And I handed her my phone and she was like that's all you have. And I said yes, she was just amazed. But I mean, I didn't, that's just all we took, it was just our phones.

Speaker 3: 11:27

I we took all I had. I know, I know I've heard you say but you do, you work from your trips.

Speaker 2: 11:34

Absolutely so. Can I just ask what is TSE?

Speaker 3: 11:38

Oh, that is the security, the transportation security administration. I think that's the. That's what they're called. When you go through and they check your bags go through security. I think that's what they're called. When you go through and they check your bags Go through security.

Speaker 2: 11:51

I'm sorry, I'd ask no, no, no, it's okay. It's okay. I'm sure plenty of people will know I was just like, well, I just need to ask what it is. So let's go through what you packed. So obviously you knew the weather was going to be similar to where you live at the moment. So I guess, describe the weather. That would be good, because that would help.

Speaker 3: 12:08

Okay. So we got there on April the 2nd. It was upper 50s, low 60s, I don't think there was maybe one day it got to 70 and windy, it was windy, so it was chilly, it was chilly, yeah yeah, at that time. Um, so what I did is I got on Pinterest and I looked up winter wardrobe capsules, which you know. They just show you pieces that you need and they all intermingle. So that's what I did.

Speaker 3: 12:42

I said I'll take five pair of pants and five shirts that go with everything, yep, yep, and then two vests that go with that too. And I even got my husband on board and we were talking about this today and he was like, and tell her, I did it too, and tell her, I will tell her that you did it too. But even our, our friend that we traveled with, I said you know, this would be helpful. We even looked into the pants that I wore. I did take a pair of jeans, but all the other pants were the quick drying material pants, in case I needed to wash them then it wouldn't take three or four days for them to air dry.

Speaker 2: 13:23

Yeah, that's a good idea. I know I know when I take I try to take things that are plain colored. That will go with it. So on my trip over to the UK and actually I'm going to do a video and kind of show what I took, so that's on my list of things to do. I will do it. I've just had my hair done, so I think I can probably do a bit more.

Speaker 2: 13:44

I was waiting, so I'll do a video and show it, because I feel very comfortable in leggings. So I find leggings really really comfortable, really easy to wear when you travel and they're comfortable on the plane, they're comfortable when you're walking around. So I just take I think I had four pairs of leggings. So I was there in the winter, so December, january, so it was colder, it was pretty chilly, but I didn't go north. I wasn't. I went, did go north, I went as far as edinburgh, I should say, but I didn't get the far north of scotland where it would be substantially colder, right cold enough at edinburgh, saying that was icy, um, and then four kind of four or five long sleeved, plain colored tops that would match, yes, kind of go with that. And then I always say to everybody it depends on what time of year you go, you can buy lovely scarves and a hat and gloves. Actually my mom has just counted I have 16 scarves at her house apparently. Oh, wow, maybe I'm a scarf collector.

Speaker 1: 14:34

Yes.

Speaker 2: 14:34

You can always mix and match with scarves as well. So did you choose any particular kind of colors? Because obviously, when you do that mix and match thing, you kind of go for a plainer color, as I'm guessing. I don't know.

Speaker 3: 14:48

I just went plain colors khaki, black, gray, white shirt, black shirt. I did have a green shirt, but that went with. You know several things. Um, I had a black vest and a khaki vest, like the puffy material vest that would dry easy if I needed to wash it so. So I did do layers.

Speaker 2: 15:08

Yes, and layers is very important. I think that's important. So did you take any accessories with you? For example, I'm a big earring fan and they take spaces up my earrings. Believe me, they take up space.

Speaker 3: 15:20

Yes, I took one pair of earrings, and I know this is crazy, but I just took a pair of earrings that went with everything, just a silver earrings and that is all in my watch. That's it. That's all I have, Because I, you know, I told my husband, I said I would love to go over and dress up every night for dinner and go out and everything. But as much as we did, we toured all. I mean, we saw as much as we could and that was more important to me on this trip than, you know, getting dressed up. So I tried to keep everything just simple and you know.

Speaker 2: 15:56

I totally agree and, to be honest, you don't have to get dressed up. You'll see in what it's like in the UK.

Speaker 1: 16:00

People don't get dressed up Same in Australia you don't get dressed up really.

Speaker 3: 16:03

Even go to the theatre.

Speaker 2: 16:04

I know somebody asked about the theatre. You know I've been in the theatre. I took my daughter numerous times in London. A pair of jeans, it's fine. Yes, no expectations to be. We went and saw a play and we were fine, absolutely, unless you're going to go to the Ritz, for example, for afternoon tea, then you've got to look for the dress code. That's different.

Speaker 3: 16:21

I will say, luckily we got tickets to go inside Buckingham Palace, even though it's closed, that you can get guided tour tickets. So I did wear a button up and a nicer pair of pants, but just in case you know.

Speaker 2: 16:39

Was that the small guided tour like about 12 of you? Yes, I did that last April. Oh, my goodness, isn't that fantastic.

Speaker 3: 16:48

It was amazing, it was amazing, it was amazing. I could not believe that we were actually like able to go into the rooms, like you know, and then I laid in bed at night and looked at all footage from everything that I could find on YouTube in the in Buckingham and I was like I saw that.

Speaker 2: 17:02

I saw that, yeah, yeah, because you're not allowed to take any photos when you're there of they're very no, but I have to say, when I did my tour I've got a very nice little um phone bag that I bought, which I, which I love. I love it because I don't like carrying lots of stuff around and if I know I was going to do something that day, I knew I was going to booking palace and I just thought, well, I'll take my phone bag. And the guide was admiring it during the day. She was like I really like your little phone bag. It's like a little, it's orange, it's really cute. I'll put a picture in the show notes. And so I.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Then I went about three, four, five days later I did a tour of the Royal Muse and she happened to be there it was just before the coronation and I walked past her and she actually stopped me and went oh, it's you with the bag, that's funny. And she went and I was like oh, I love the tour, you were amazing, it was so fantastic, it was so interesting that was a fantastic tour.

Speaker 3: 17:55

We were just. We were amazed that we were able to do that.

Speaker 2: 17:59

So you had limited stuff. You knew what you were going to take. You had it packed. Did you use packing cubes or anything to? Because I love kind of packing in a packing cube and thinking, right, this day I've got this to it like everything, I'll put the whole lot in a packing cube whole day's worth. So how did it work for you?

Speaker 3: 18:15

So it worked really well for my husband and that's another thing he wanted me to let you know that he did use those and he loved them. I mean, you know, because his pants were here, his shirt, his socks, his underwear, his T-shirts. For me it worked. I kept my undergarments in those. Also, what I did was used one of them for dirty clothes. Yes, absolutely yeah. So, um, I I didn't so much for my clothes and I don't really know the reason why. I just it fit all well the way I had it, but I used them for dirty clothes and that worked really well to keep it from my clean clothes.

Speaker 2: 18:54

Yeah, absolutely I always have one for that, for the dirty clothes, a bigger one. So you sell dirty clothes, um, and then I always have, like you, I'll have one for underwear, one for pants, one for tops, and then, if I know that I'm gonna have a stop, say just one or two nights, like one night in a hotel, so I'm gonna do one night, one night, one night in three different places. I will then pack uh in one cube for each cube, like three days worth. So. So I know I just have to lift that, that that cube, out, cause like, if I don't, I'm probably one of the most disorganized people on the planet. I have to be really strict with myself, otherwise it would be literally like the suitcase would explode all over the room. There'd be stuff everywhere.

Speaker 3: 19:36

Yes, I am the exact same way and I knew if I packed them all individual, I would change my mind about what I wanted to wear.

Speaker 3: 19:43

So I think that's along the line of why I didn't use them. But you know, for each individual, but I did use them for dirty clothes to keep it away from clean clothes, and I did put socks in it, you know. But they were very helpful and it does. It's amazing how much you can get in a suitcase when you use those cubes, yeah, and then you zip them up and close them. You know, and we did that too we laid all our stuff on the bed and then packed it on.

Speaker 2: 20:08

We were like, wow, we can't believe that we could get all that a little carry on, and the compression cubes are even better those new ones, it's just great. You just end up being a bit creased. That's the only thing. That's my only complaint about they being a bit creased. That's the only thing. That's my only complaint about them. They get a bit creased Again. It's probably the way I put them in. All right, okay, oh gotcha, yeah, so how did you plan to do your washing while you were traveling?

Speaker 3: 20:30

So I found little packs of laundry detergent, just tiny little individual packs, and I filled the sink up in the bathroom and mainly just washed our undergarments like that. Yeah, because that was just the easiest way for us to do it. Now I will tell you, I thought about doing laundry in the hotel, but then I look at the price it's like $4 for this and $4 for this. But I would suggest people check with their hotel to see what their laundry policy is, because we were in a hotel in glasgow. Am I saying that right? Yes, you are okay.

Speaker 3: 21:09

We were in a hotel in glasgow and, um, our tour guide said in this hotel, if you fill up this bag, it's 20 pounds for the whole bag. Well, the the bag was a good size bag. I mean, it wasn't like a trash bag size, but it was a good size bag. So we put as much in and we had most of our stuff washed for 20 pounds, which is not bad compared to $4 for one garment, you know, yeah, and then. So I would suggest, suggest too, if you really need something washed, obviously, do it like that if you need to, but check and see what the policy is for the hotel, because we who would have known? You know?

Speaker 2: 21:50

yeah, no, that's a good point. And I have to say when we've traveled before, we stay a lot in in the smaller hotels, b&b's, guest houses, and I know when we were doing the north coast 500 or start I think we're actually in fort william, about to go up, drive up that direction and we've been a few places and we by that point had amalgamated a bit of washing and doug just happened to say the guy that run the b&b, oh we've got a bit of washing. He went I'll do it, bring it down I'll do it get a sword, yeah, um.

Speaker 2: 22:18

And so often, if you ask as well, people just go yeah. And that's the beauty of the B&Bs and the guest houses rather than the hotels, I guess. And sometimes they'll be like, oh yeah, we'll just do it, Don't worry about it, we'll bung it in and get it sorted for you.

Speaker 2: 22:31

And I've got actually something that Doug bought and it's just a washing line that you can put your. It's got two little kind of suckers on it either end and I use that in India every day just to do the you know underwear. It was great, it really worked well and we and it's very, very small, it's just in a little, I think we got it from Kmart, to be honest, oh, okay, and it's great. And actually the friend that was traveling in India was like, where did you get this from? And I think it was just, it wasn't very expensive, like a few dollars from Kmart. And she was like, well, it's amazing, um, so something like that, if you can, and it kind of seemed to work everywhere. So so we used that, so that sort of thing.

Speaker 2: 23:11

Because, yeah, I think, um, it's keeping on top of things like the underwear as well, as you're going to make sure you can get it dry. And I know when we had two night stops would make sure as soon as we got there in the first night, we'd do all that and get it up so that it would get dry, um, I guess in the uk. So if you're traveling in the winter you do have the probably have radiators in the room and heating, so you'll be able to dry them on there if you need to.

Speaker 2: 23:33

So did you wear everything that you took allison I did not.

Speaker 3: 24:12

I know I was shocked. There was one pair of pants that I did not wear and there was a shirt and my husband said there was a pair of pants that he did not wear. So it just shows you. I know I think we overthought. I wore a pair of jeans one day and I got back and I was like I haven't messed them up, there's nothing wrong with them. I'll just wear them again tomorrow. I mean, you know and you just it's a side of myself I never knew existed. You're not gonna see those people again.

Speaker 2: 24:44

So so whatever I mean, I think I went like three days of in Scotland it wasn't hot, I wasn't sweating, I was fine.

Speaker 2: 24:51

You know you've got this. I actually think I bought a bottle of that spray that you can put in your clothes. That refreshes them overnight. Just hung them up, put that on. They're a great invention. Buy a bottle of that and you know that'll keep things future as well. So, in terms of footwear and jackets, what did you take? So I know we've talked about tops and pants and things, but what did you take in terms of footwear and for outerwear?

Speaker 3: 25:14

So the tennis shoes that I wore over went with all my outfits. I did take a pair of rain boots, just ankle high, not up to the knees, yeah, and I put those in my bag that had all my toiletries in it and I just stuffed toiletries in those boots and that worked well and then I had one more pair of shoes that again went with everything and those fit in my suitcase and you wear all three pairs.

Speaker 3: 25:43

You wore three, I did. There was one day we went to, um, it was raining, so obviously I wore those, or it had been raining or something. So I wore my rain boots twice, but I did wear the shoes.

Speaker 2: 25:58

That's good. I did get caught short this year, to be fair, because I've got a pair of boots black ankle boots that I bought in Australia. I actually went into the store the other day and took a photo of them and took a photo of the spray that I put on them to keep them brief as well, and stuff like that. So I put those on because because then there was a lot of questions from Australian listeners about that and Australians in the Facebook group oh, I didn't get them. So I just took those, like because I was in so many other countries as well and I had my sandals, but they weren't going to be appropriate for winter in the UK, um, and I arrived in Scotland and I found it too slippery underfoot, even though they've got grip, um, so I ended up going and buying a pair of really nice actually they're rather lovely trainers to get me around, yeah, runners, trainers.

Speaker 3: 26:40

I don't know what do you call trainers in?

Speaker 2: 26:41

America. Tennis shoes oh yeah. So tennis shoes, yeah. So I bought a pair of those and that was perfect. And so I still just had the two pairs when I was actually in the UK and that worked really well. And I don't find like it does rain. Obviously it does rain in the UK. I'm not going to say it doesn't, it does. But I find, as long as you've got something that's kind of water resistant and that you put something on it to protect it, it's generally okay.

Speaker 3: 27:06

We went to a vineyard in Wales and the guy at the vineyard said the sun is shining for the first time in four months, which meant there was a ton of mud and I had on my white tennis shoes but, I, had it in my and everybody was like, oh no, you've messed up your shoes. But I just got my Clorox wipes out of my pocketbook and I wiped them off and they were fine, you know. So it worked well. I should have worn my rain boots to that, but I didn't think ahead.

Speaker 2: 27:35

It's always kind of checking the forecast, but it's fibrin a bit, because I was in Wales for the first week of January and it didn't. It was absolutely beautiful weather. Oh good, I can't speak for the rest of Wales. We had beautiful, cold, crisp, glorious weather, blue skies. It was perfect when we were there. So what was the highlight of your trip? I'm going to have to ask that.

Speaker 3: 28:04

You know, we sat at dinner on our last night and we were like, going through the list and my husband said, how about Highclere Castle? And I said, oh, that was great. And then our friend said I said, what about Buckingham Palace? And we were like, oh, that was great. I said, what about Buckingham Palace? And we were like, oh, that was great, everything was just phenomenal. I think Westminster Abbey was just outstanding.

Speaker 2: 28:22

Oh, it's amazing, isn't it? Yeah?

Speaker 3: 28:24

It is so amazing. We really had a great trip. Everything went. We learned so much about traveling. We learned a lot about the tube. We learned a lot about the tube, um, we learned a lot about the buses. Yeah, um, and I I think the whole trip was a highlight. I mean, I can't even think of anything. Maybe next time we did say maybe next time we would pick one central location and go day trips from that, because it was a lot, but we had never done a tour, an organized tour, but it was great, everything was yeah, well, next time you'll have to come on one of mine, because that's my next.

Speaker 2: 29:05

I'm looking at that at the moment about whether I go into organizing tours. Yeah, oh, okay. You'll have to come on one of mine, if I do get that off the ground. It'll be a lot of fun, but yeah. So last question, because I'll always end the podcast with the same question. But I'm going to ask what would be your tip for anyone packing for the UK if they're going for the first time?

Speaker 3: 29:29

Okay, don't overthink it. And I say that because in my bag that I put all my toiletries in, I made sure I had allergy medicine, I made sure I had all kinds of all of anything I would need. I don't know what I was thinking. The stuff's readily available. There's a Boots everywhere, there's a Tesco everywhere, tesco Express. So don't overthink it. And even my husband said today, he said if I would have known. He said all I would have taken was my deodorant and my comb. He said, cause I can get everything right there. Now that doesn't speak to the shampoo and the conditioner for the ladies and things like that. But again, I didn't pack any of that. Every hotel had that. I didn't take a hairdryer. Everything was so readily available. So don't overthink that. You have to have every single thing. You know they, they do have the comforts of home.

Speaker 2: 30:25

Yeah yeah, there's a boots and a Tesco on every corner, so you can get everywhere. Wherever you need, you can get.

Speaker 3: 30:31

Yes, everywhere. So I would say just don't overthink the, the packing, because there was a ton I could have left at home, you know, and still had more and had room for my souvenirs without my suitcase bulging oh, did you have room for your souvenirs?

Speaker 2: 30:47

I'm gonna have to ask you that now. Did you, what did you bring? I did I did.

Speaker 3: 30:50

I brought um I like to buy christmas ornaments, so I bought christmas ornaments and then all the souvenir guides. So I did. It was a little bulky and they made me check it, you know, at the gate, which was fine, but I did have plenty of room.

Speaker 2: 31:04

Okay, perfect, well, well done. Thanks so much for agreeing to come on the podcast, alison, it was a bit of short notice. I kind of was in the Facebook group and I'd have to talk to Alison on the podcast and you were like, yeah, yeah, I'm up for that. I was like, oh, fantastic.

Speaker 3: 31:16

Well, I and I told my husband, I said I you know, she's asked me to do a podcast. And he said well, you've listened to every single one of her podcasts. You could, you could do one else.

Speaker 2: 31:26

Perfect, yeah, just fantastic. So, oh, I'm going to ask you again another question. See, I can't end the podcast, alison, you're just amazing to speak to. So do you have a favorite podcast? Because we're about to, we're heading for, actually, this episode is going to come out as episode 101, which will be after our big hundred episode. Oh, yay, so is there a favorite episode in? I guess we're on 95 now Out of the 95 that we had is there one that you?

Speaker 2: 31:52

had that you go, or is a type of podcast that you particularly like?

Speaker 3: 32:03

I that we had is. I want to tell me ahead they go, or is a type of podcast that you particularly like. I think, um, oh my goodness, like any of the podcasts what to know when you're traveling, like any of the ones where you said don't forget to look to the left first, yeah, yeah, you know, when you're crossing the street, any of those practical. I love listening to all the like day trip podcasts and everything but the podcast where you would give like little bits and pieces because you would say, or your guest would say, one little phrase that would stand out and when I was over there I was like, wait a minute, they said something about that, you know. So I think it's the practical tip podcast that I enjoy the most brilliant, brilliant, well again.

Speaker 2: 32:37

Thanks so much, alison, for coming on. It's been great chatting to you today. Thank you for having me. Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the uk travel planning podcast. As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanningcom. If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? We love to hear from you and you never know. You may receive a shout out in a future episode. But, as always, that just leaves me to say until next week. Happy UK travel planning.

Speaker 1: 33:08

Bye.