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What to Take on Your Mini-Break | Your Guide to Packing the Essentials
By Stacy Curry - 7th May 2025
If you’re heading off on a mini-break, a long weekend, or a bank holiday getaway, then you'll already know the dreaded feeling of getting your bags packed. What do you take with you? How do you narrow down your wardrobe? How do you get your weekend bag to actually zip up? Figuring out how to pack light but ensuring you have the essentials for your trip is hard work. Luckily, we’ve figured out the perfect formula, with ideas and innovations aplenty to ensure you and your mini-break companions are organised and ready to roam!
What are the main categories to remember to pack?
There are many different bits a person may need, and of course each traveller is different. But when it comes to essentials, these items are things that most people will reach for first once they've arrived at their destination and unpacked their bags.
Jewellery
Packing accessories
Clothing & shoes
Weather essentials
Books & entertainment
Tech accessories
What jewellery can I take with me on a mini-break?
As devout jewellery lovers, we could create a list as long as our arms of the jewellery we would love to take away on a mini-break, but this just wouldn't be possible due to packing restrictions. It's important to consider a capsule jewellery collection when it comes to accessorising in style but still feeling organised. Pick out some of your most versatile jewellery pieces, from classic chains to everyday rings. If you're planning on partaking in an excursion or two, or the weather on your trip is likely to be hot, you'll want to limit how many accessories you're wearing and ensure that comfort is key. Sticking to the classics and taking one piece from each jewellery category, e.g. one ring, one necklace, one bracelet, and one pair of earrings, will ensure you look chic without loading yourself up with weighty accessories. We also suggest selecting simple accessories in your favoured metal finish, so that everything will match perfectly with your outfits, too. Explore our expansive range of jewellery to find pieces that will stand out in your holiday pictures, and if it's a summer trip you're heading off on, our new SS25 jewellery range is packed with pretty pieces to elevate your warm weather wardrobe.
What packing accessories are ideal for a mini-break?
It may seem obvious, but useful packing accessories with plenty of storage is vital for ensuring you have everything you need for your trip without over-packing. Consider large wash bags to fill with your bath and beauty products, compact jewellery cases for your prized pieces and travel wallets to keep your money, tickets, and passport handy. We've included some of our favourite travel accessories below to help you choose the right pieces for you:
- Our Personalised Rectangular Makeup Bag is both pretty and practical, with a wide zip to reveal every inch of the inside of the bag, meaning you'll never have to scrabble about trying to find your favourite products
- This Personalised Small Green Wavy Lines Wash Bag has a wipeable interior, making it ideal for filling with your must-have products and not having to worry about spillages
- If you're a self-confessed manicure addict and just can't cope without your tools, this Stackers Manicure Set has everything you need in a handy case, easy to slip straight into your luggage
- For those who need to keep their glasses or sunglasses close at all times, this Turquoise Velvet Spring Flower Glasses Case is ideal for travelling with
- This House of Disaster Animal Print Cheetah Travel Wallet is great for filling with your boarding pass, passport, and any other tickets you may need handy
- Pack this Embroidered Flower Square Travel Jewellery Case with your must-have jewellery pieces to ensure you stay stylish and organised throughout your entire trip
What clothes and shoes should I pack for a mini-break?
You likely don't need reminding that clothes are important to pack, but when it comes to being savvy with the outfits you choose, this can be something over-packers find tricky. Always start your packing process by considering what the weather will be like where you're going. Are you going to a hot country that is likely to be dry and warm the entire time you're there? Or are you heading to a European city in the midst of winter? Either way, selecting one or two key clothing components is great for creating a capsule wardrobe you'll be excited to wear. We suggest complementary colours, tops, bottoms, and accessories that match, meaning you can alternate a piece or two each day to create an entirely new outfit with few new pieces.
Alongside clothes, choosing the correct shoes for your trip can be a game-changer. Shoes can be bulky and take up a lot of room in your luggage, so selecting just one or two pairs of shoes, or packing lightweight, slim shoes that can be easily stacked is vital. For a summer trip, a pair of sandals for evenings out and a pair of comfy trainers for walking and excursions should be all you need. For autumn or winter breaks, boots will likely be your best friends.
For warm weather breaks, consider: shorts, skirts, dresses, playsuits, vest tops, t-shirts, light layers, sandals, trainers
For cold weather breaks, go for: jumpers, cardigans, trousers, jeans, jackets, thick coats, layering pieces, boots, trainers
What weather-ready essentials do I need for a mini-break?
Weather-ready accessories may seem like something you don't need reminding of, but we're confident everyone has been on a trip where they haven't been prepared for a sudden rainfall or a super hot spell. If you're heading somewhere warm and sunny, sun cream should be your first port of call. Pair your sun cream selection with your sunglasses choice to ensure both your skin and your eyes are protected while you're sunning it up abroad. A sun hat isn't always essential, but it's great if you're not one for soaking up the sun and you prefer to keep yourself in the shade. Fedoras or floppy sun hats are great for packing on top of your clothes as they're small and lightweight, and also provide an easy way to instantly upgrade an outfit. Miniature fans and compact mirrors are great small and easy-to-pack accessories that can be great for keeping poolside, and gloves, scarves, and heat packs are lightweight but vital warming accessories to ensure the cold doesn't get to you in more wintry climates.
If you're expecting more of a rainy mini-break, then an umbrella or raincoat is imperative. Compact umbrellas are easy to find these days and can simply be slipped into your hand luggage or main suitcase just in case you might need them. Planning on doing lots of walking on muddy ground? Heading on trips to somewhere like Scotland or the Lake District could leave you needing to pack some wellies or waterproof shoes. Whatever you do, try and think ahead - look at forecasts for the time you're away and ensure you don't get caught out!
What products should I pack for a mini-break?
Toiletries are essential products for any trip, but because there can be a lot of different kinds to remember, it can be easy to forget one or two. While some people require more toiletries than others (for example if you're a makeup wearer, or your hair takes a lot of products to look its best), some prefer to just take the essentials to ensure they're still packing light. If the place you're planning to stay doesn't provide basic hair and body wash products, or you have hair or skin sensitivities and need to use specific items, then miniature versions of your favourite products are a good place to start. We recommend heading to a pharmacy or supermarket before your trip and stocking up on as many miniatures as you can, to ensure you're using the space in your wash bag to its full potential.
Other ways to carry certain products without overloading your luggage is to pop them in your hand luggage, handbag, or rucksack. If you're likely to want a spritz of perfume or a swipe of deodorant while you're travelling to your destination, popping them in your bag and keeping it close to you is a great way to cut down on space being used in your main luggage. Remember though, if you're flying abroad, many airlines have tight restrictions on what size and volume of products you're allowed to take on the plane with you, so all the more reason why miniatures are the perfect pick!
First aid products can often be overlooked, and should always be considered when travelling afar. You may not be anywhere near a pharmacy or even know how to find certain products, so ensuring you pack plasters, blister patches, bandages and anti-bac wipes could be a life saver.
Wash bags are also great places to include hair accessories such as scrunchies, hair bands and bobby pins. Not only can these pieces help to elevate your holiday looks, but they're also great for getting your hair out of the way when you're hot, stressed, or planning to jump into a pool.
What tech and entertainment items could I pack for a mini-break?
One of the most important items that can often be overlooked while packing the fun stuff is tech chargers. Whether for your phone, laptop, earphones, or any other tech accessories you can't leave the house without, you'll likely need a charger for them if you're going away for a few days. It may also be worth considering adapters or extra long cords depending on where you're staying.
You'll likely be entertained enough on your trip, with so many exciting things to do and discover. But if you find yourself wanting a bit of calm at the end of a busy day exploring, consider taking a book or two along with you. If you're only travelling for a few days, one book should be plenty, but if you're a fast-reader, or you're likely to read while you're travelling to your destination, taking a spare book might be wise. Remember, you can always buy more books or magazines while you're away, but you would need to consider getting them back in your luggage for the journey home.
If you're taking your books and electronic devices, we're confident you'll probably find all the entertainment you need, but if you want something fun to do with your mini-break companions, consider a pack of trivia cards, playing cards, or a mini puzzle.
No matter what you choose to pack, remember that the aim of a mini-break is to have fun. Make the most of your trip, get in as much relaxation and enjoyment as you can so you can travel home refreshed and rejuvenated. We do think that making sure you're well packed will help you to have a stress-free experience from start to finish, so take as many of our tips on board as you can, get packing, and enjoy your holiday!
