No fewer than 27 percent of Dutch people find packing their travel suitcase one of the most stressful parts of the holiday. Research by a travel platform among 1.072 adult Dutch people, conducted by Panelwizard, also shows that one in six sometimes has an argument with travel companions about the number of suitcases to take with them.
Women in particular suffer from packing stress: a third call it one of the biggest holiday problems, compared to only nineteen percent of men. Interestingly, men are more likely to disagree about the amount of luggage: twenty percent of men compared to fifteen percent of women.
Typical Dutch products such as chocolate sprinkles and filter coffee are often packed for the holidays, because they are not always available abroad. Almost half of those surveyed take these breakfast items with them. Young people (56 percent) and people in their forties (59 percent) do this most often. In addition, forty percent of Dutch people sometimes take household goods with them on holiday, such as a coffee maker.
Dutch people often take unnecessary luggage with them. As many as 86 percent indicate that they sometimes pack items or clothing that they take back home unused. This percentage is slightly higher among women (88 percent) than among men (84 percent).
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
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How lucky I am that I don't belong to these percentages.
In the morning on the day of departure, I get my suitcase from my attic, pack it in 5 minutes, check whether I have everything (usually something is missing) and wait patiently for the train to Schiphol to take.
Suitcase stress? Whoa!
I recognize this from my wife. Totally stressed about which shoes to bring (usually 5 pairs) and which clothes. There is the problem that it no longer looks so good or that it is too small, too big or no longer beautiful. When we are on holiday she never actually has the right shoes with her!!! After 47 years I know I don't have to say anything anymore, because in the end I did it! Other than that, I don't want to miss her for anything.
Never had any holiday stress. Packing a suitcase takes about 10 minutes. My motto was and still is: what you leave at home is a bonus. If you forget something, it's like that. There are shops everywhere.
Suitcase stress, a nice word but fortunately not familiar with it here. We fly to TH with EVA, which allows 2 suitcases of 23kg per person. Well, we certainly won't reach that on the outward journey. Clothing is always measured, to have everything washed once halfway through the journey. The only thing that goes with us the "Dutch way" is 1x a kg of mature cheese (very expensive in TH, and not tasty yet) and 3 packs of ground coffee (and a large extra sports bag for the return journey). So it all fits easily in one suitcase.
The way back, on the other hand, is often a puzzle, Tesco/Lotus, Mr DIY, etc. have too many interesting things to take back with you, and always a (heavy) statue as a souvenir. So then it often becomes a battle with the scale.
Last year a Phin guitar didn't even fit in the suitcase in terms of size, luckily EVA didn't have a problem at all because it stuck out 20cm above it in the hand luggage backpack.
Packing suitcases is something for my wife and I limit myself to checking whether we do not exceed the permitted weight, which always turns out to be necessary.
Since we have a home in both countries with already overcrowded closets, we could actually travel without a suitcase, but somehow she still manages to fill those 2 suitcases.
If it says 30 Kg per person, then you can be sure that she will reach that weight…. I sometimes feel like I'm traveling with a little Big C or Colruyt (depending on which direction we're going) when I see what she puts into it.
But I gave up worrying about it many years ago... a battle that I always lost when I did. 😉
That's Thai logic, Ronny. When they say 30 kg, that is 30 kg.
Same thing: If you have an appointment at 15pm with a Thai and they show up at 15:59pm then they are still on time 🙂
We, the white noses, are way too picky. We even want the money in our account within 10 seconds when we transfer money.
Yes, if she doesn't reach those 2 x 30 kg right away you can see her thinking how she can solve that for both suitcases in no time. Sometimes I suspect she thinks we'll get a fine if we don't reach those 2 x 30 kg. Also cram the hand luggage full and check that this is the case with me too and that there happens to be no unused space there... and then I have to drag everything along...
An appointment at 15 p.m. actually means, start getting ready at home around 15 p.m.…
Unlike many, I don't worry when my money isn't in my account within 10 seconds. No problem at all to wait 2 or 3 days and not worry for a second... I just make sure I top up everything well in advance.
Farang who are in charge in the house do not worry about anything. Their wives know all too well what to do. I also know a number of households like this 😉
I wouldn't want to claim that I have the say at home... let alone say it out loud 😉