One of Hg2's stylish travel guides.

Are you overweight? It’s a sensitive subject, but travel over the limits of your agreed luggage allowance and the money you thought you’d saved on that budget flight will make its way to the airline anyway. Fees for checked-in luggage have increased markedly over the years and it now costs a minimum of €15 to check in a bag with Ryanair, each way; go over your weight allowance with Easyjet and you’ll be charged €12 for every kilogram of extra weight. It’s not all bad news though – the excessive charges means you’ve an excuse to not buy presents while away and if you limit yourself to hand luggage you can escape the fees altogether. Our guide to lightweight travel essentials should help those who remain light on foot to sidestep the fees and criss-cross Europe for pennies.

Book Your Escape

The internet has become such an indispensible tool for solving problems (and squandering time) that you sometimes forget it’s not the most reliable resource when it comes to researching travel destinations. With the provenance of user-generated reviews hard to verify that hotel review you’re reading could have been written by its owner. Or their competitor. Better then to spend a little bit of money and save quite a lot of time by buying a proper guidebook. Worth considering are the Hg2 series of small-in-size guides, also known as the ‘A Hedonist’s Guide to…’ series.

As the name implies, the brand concentrates on decadence in travel so think recommendations for off-kilter clubs and hard-to-find boutique hotels rather than chain bars and Lonely Planet-approved youth hostels. Illustrated enticingly throughout, the covers of the guides themselves are demurely coloured and look more like diaries than conventional guides – an important distinction; it would be a shame if they were to lead you to an exclusive local hangout and then identify you as a tourist. To be even more discreet simply print the pages you need from the Hg2 website – once you buy a guide you’re provided with free access to the online version for a year.

Hg2 guides cost from £12.00/14.50€.

Set the Soundtrack

Whether it’s waiting for a delayed flight or getting ready for a night out, an appropriate holiday soundtrack is essential for enduring the hard times and enhancing the good times you’re likely to experience when away. So download a selection of songs before your departure and don’t forget to take appropriate accessories with you – splashing out on a decent mp3 player but skimping on earphones is like buying a Porsche and deciding you don’t need an accelerator.

DAD (Digital Audio Distribution) has introduced some of the world’s most innovative audio accessories to the European market and one of its current top sellers is the Tiger Eyes Wired Earphones. Not hugely exciting to look at, admittedly, the sound quality is impressively lush and multifaceted – it’s the aural equivalent of watching TV in high definition. Also of benefit to travellers is the kit’s ability to cut out interference from outside sound sources completely – ideal for the times you want to cut out clatter and something you’ll especially appreciate if you’re seated next to a screaming baby on an early-morning flight.

For songs that you want to share or some tunes to see you through a day on the beach, the miniscule X-Mini Max II Capsule Speaker is a portable speaker that packs quite a punch. Developed in Singapore, the diminutive unit has at its core an accordion-like centre that expands when twisted by the user. It’s a quirky touch but don’t be mislead by its cute appearance – it functions as a sub woofer and the sound the tiny speaker produces is big enough to wake your hotel neighbours.

Tiger Eyes Wired Earphones cost £89.99/110.00€; the X-Mini Max II Capsule Speaker costs £19.99/24.99€.

Raf Simons and Dries Van Noten designs

Get Some Shade

No matter where you’re going this summer you’re going to need a signature pair of sunglasses to complete the holiday look. Linda Farrow’s range of beautifully crafted sunglasses has been getting a lot of attention recently but it’s actually been around for quite some time. Developed in collaboration with the designer’s optician husband, the line first came to prominence in the 1970s and was revived a few years ago when Farrow’s son discovered a back catalogue of previously decommissioned designs.

As relaunches go, few have been as enthusiastically embraced by the fashion world. Designers including Dries Van Noten, Raf Simons and Yohji Yamamoto have all worked with the brand and they’re regularly seen in the fashion spreads of Vogue, Dazed & Confused, Nylon and more. Further prominence came when the brand was worn by Beyoncé in Lady Gaga’s Telephone video. With over 80million views for that video on YouTube it’s only a matter of time before the Linda Farrow name registers more firmly on the mainstream fashion psyche – buy a pair now to beat the crowds.

Bring Protection

Restrictions on the volume of liquids you can now carry in your hand luggage mean you may have to leave some of your favourite cosmetics at home. Establishing which select products deserve a place in your transparent sachet may take a while but as you consider the merits of exfoliators over face scrubs try not to forget the sage words of Baz Luhrmann. One of the most effective tools in fighting against premature ageing, sun cream is an essential wherever you’re going and with most major brands now producing travel-sized products the range available is impressive.

We’ve featured Green People’s range of organic toiletries before and their recently launched line of sun creams has proven a popular addition to the range. Made from 84% organic ingredients, products are fragrance free and keep skin moisturised. Although we found some of the creams less absorbent than their non-organic competitors, the natural ingredients are a good compromise for those who insist on a day sunbathing at the beach and a good complement for the healthier crowd WWOOFing in Tuscany.

Green People’s travel-sized sun cream range starts from £8.49/10€.

Aspinal of London's Buffalo Cabin Bag

Carry Off the Look

With weight restrictions necessitating an economic approach to what you pack, there’s some justification for splashing out when you choose what bag to carry it all in. A classic British brand, Aspinal of London specialises in high-quality leather bags and accessories that are crafted to last for decades. A new addition to their range is the unisex Buffalo Cabin Bag, made from supple calf leather and lined in plush red grosgrain.

Decorated with Aspinal’s signature brass- and gold-finish decorative rivets and studs it’s an indisputably decadent piece of luggage, but it’s as functional as it is fashionable. The bag’s dimensions conform fully to regulations regarding the maximum size of hand luggage and an integrated telescopic handle and wheels mean it can be wheeled through the airport at speed if you have to make a last-minute dash for your flight.

The Buffalo Cabin Bag costs £735.

Last-minute Extras

Already weighed down by your mobile phone, mp3 player, PDA and handheld games console? Powermonkey classic is a compact, lightweight portable charger that is compatible with a range of devices. Simply charge the lithium-ion battery in advance and it stores enough power to recharge a standard mobile phone three times or to provide an iPod with 40 hours’ playtime. The device comes with a universal travel charger so can be recharged in over 150 countries and is available here.

The Powermonkey charger costs £34.95/42€.

And if you already know you’re going to buy more while you’re away than you should then the Salter Luggage Scale should help you work out whether you’ve exceeded your luggage allowance or not. The lightweight appliance can be attached to your luggage easily, with the internal scales giving the exact weight of your luggage up to a peak reading of 40kg. The scale costs £19.99 in the UK and is available through Salter’s website.

The Salter Luggage Scale costs £19/23€.