Don't leave anything behind when you return from vacation!

The dilemma is well known. After a well-spent vacation (so we hope!), a weekend getaway, an Erasmus internship, or a period away on business, we return home with a few souvenirs for the family, clothes we bought along the way, trinkets we saw in a shop, books we discovered in the local bookstore, farewell gifts we were given – and, inevitably, there is no longer enough space in the suitcase for everything. Packing for departure, when you don't want to carry too much, can already be a challenge, and the return has become a puzzle.

What to do? Subject some of our belongings to a cruel farewell? Carry additional suitcases? Pay an extra fee?

Sometimes, there are simple solutions that can be overlooked, and it is about that solution that this article is about: the InPost shipping service.

First of all, we remind you of some useful tips for when you are preparing your luggage.

Many experienced travelers prefer to roll clothes instead of folding them in their suitcases. This compresses the fibers more, allows better use of the free space in the suitcase, and avoids wrinkles. For a sweater, for example, lay it out on a surface, fold the sleeves inward, and roll it up from the bottom.

Don't forget to check the suitcase for free spaces, such as inside the shoes.

Putting the heaviest items at the bottom of the suitcase helps with balance: suitcases with heavy objects on top tend to fall and be harder to move.

Anyone who travels frequently will already be very familiar with this idea: wear the bulkiest items on the plane, such as the coat; or if you have one shoe larger than the other, wear that pair.

If you are taking a larger suitcase in the hold, take some essentials with you in a bag, such as a change of clothes, toiletries, and any medication you usually take. Confusion or problems with hold luggage are never pleasant, but they can be even less so without that precaution.

It is desirable for the items inside the suitcase to be well protected. Empty spaces can result in damage to the contents.

Some people like to use travel as an opportunity to throw away some items: they take their most worn clothes and get rid of them at the destination to have more space for the souvenirs they want to bring back. We would also like to remind you, however, that clothing is one of today's major sources of pollution: if you plan to do this, look for recycling or another environmentally responsible way to act, and the planet will thank you. Find out more about InPost's commitment to sustainability by clicking here.

Here we are back at the starting point: how to leave nothing behind and send back home everything you need.

The simple and economical way to do this is through the InPost pickup points. There are more than 12 000 in the Iberian Peninsula to choose from, so you always have one nearby.

If you prefer to collect your luggage autonomously, at any time of day or night, you can choose one of our Lockers, which are automatic lockers, available in public spaces and protected by a security system, that are opened using a password. Or you can do it through Pack Points, which are located in conventional retail stores.

Visit our website to discover more about all the advantages of shipping with us. To proceed with the shipment, simply visit our shipping page and follow the instructions.

Our network operates in 9 European countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland.

Our size and weight limits per package are:

For the Locker, 25kg and 64x38x39cm.

For the Pack Point, 30kg and the sum of the length, height, and width must not exceed 150cm, with the longest side not exceeding 120cm.

For shipments to Italy and Poland, slightly different limits apply: the maximum weight must be 25kg, whether for the Locker or the Pack Point, the minimum height must be 19.1cm, and the maximum dimensions must not exceed 39x39x64cm.