Everyone over-packs the wrong things and forgets the right ones. Here's what we learned about filling those precious two suitcases each.
Worth bringing
- Spices, masalas and a pressure cooker. Available here, but pricier and never quite the same.
- Prescription medicines with their prescriptions, plus a basic Indian medicine kit.
- Important documents, all apostilled and translated (see our first 30 days guide).
- Warm layers for your first weeks. You can buy winter gear here, but you'll want something for day one.
- Festive or ethnic clothing that's hard to find or expensive in the Netherlands.
Leave it behind
- Bulky Indian electrical appliances. The voltage and plugs differ, and it's rarely worth it.
- Heavy furniture or bedding. Buy cheap here (IKEA, or second-hand on Marktplaats).
- Anything you're bringing 'just in case' that you could order online within a day of arriving.
Check your airline's exact allowance
Baggage rules vary a lot by airline and ticket. Weigh everything at home, and remember you'll accumulate more on arrival than you expect.
Questions & answers
- What do you wish you'd packed more of?
- Honestly: spices and masalas you love (available here, but pricier and not quite the same), any specific medicines and toiletries you trust, and spare apostilled documents and passport photos. Also warm layers, your first Dutch winter is colder and much darker than you expect. What not to bother with: cheap homeware and furniture, you'll replace it at IKEA or Action for less than the baggage cost.