Hands up! Packing has always been a nightmare for me! 

Anytime we travel on a city break - and we do it often so I have absolutely no excuse here- I'm torn between packing like the lovechild of Liberace and Joan Collins or going all free spirit and closing the front door behind me with nothing more than a toothbrush, guidebook and credit card.

There has to be an easier way and so here (after much research) and ruthless culling of unnecessary baggage is a brief outline of city break essentials.

Working on the basis of a weekend or long weekend trip to one of the popular European city destinations - UK included- it’s possible to get packing down to a simple and fine art with the following.

Outfits for three days exploring the city. 1 pair of jeans/shorts with a new T shirt for every day. A shirt and a neat pair of jeans/trousers if planning an evening out somewhere smart. 1 pair of sandals or trainers for daytime and- if you like- a smarter pair of shoes for evening. Then, underwear, wash-bag, guidebook and credit cards all topped off with a great pair of sunglasses and you should be good to go!

"He who would travel happily must travel light” Antoine De Saint- Exupéry  

Bon (and light) voyage!