Packing List for a Month in a Serviced Apartment

For a month in a serviced apartment, pack about a week of quick-dry clothes if laundry is available, hard-to-replace toiletries and medicines, several adapters, work gear and a few kitchen favourites, then buy bulky consumables locally. Confirm what the apartment supplies first, and keep an arrival kit in your carry-on.

Start from the apartment, not the suitcase

Aparthotel.com’s packing list opens with the right principle: confirm what the operator supplies, get the inventory in writing, then pack only what the stay does not cover. Kitchen equipment, linen, towels, laundry, cleaning products, wifi and housekeeping can all vary. The page also notes that self-catering units are defined by cooking facilities and minimal services, so do not assume daily cleaning or a stocked pantry.

What to pack by category

Category	Bring	Buy on arrival	Leave at home
Clothing	A week of easy-wash, mixable items	Extra basics if needed	A different outfit for every day
Kitchen	Spices, favourite tea or coffee, a reusable bag	Oil, washing-up liquid, bin bags, sponges, staples	Pans and plates the operator confirms
Toiletries	Prescriptions, skincare, sunscreen	Bulk toiletries	Large bottles
Electronics	Adapters, multi-port charger, laptop stand	Extension leads if allowed	Hair dryers and heating appliances
Work	Headphones, notebook, ethernet adapter	Stationery	Bulky printers
Arrival kit	Change of clothes, medicines, chargers, a snack	Groceries for two days	Anything you cannot carry

Clothing and laundry

Your packing depends on laundry. If the apartment has a machine, one week of clothes plus weekly washing is enough, as the guide suggests, preferably in quick-dry fabrics in colours that mix well. Add a bag for dirty laundry, detergent sachets and a drying rack or pegs if you air-dry. One walking pair of shoes plus one other is usually enough. If there is no machine, adjust, and see serviced apartments with a washing machine for what to check first.

Key takeaway: pack for the laundry you will have, not the laundry you hope for. Confirm the machine first and then decide how many clothes to bring.

Kitchen essentials worth carrying

If you cook, a few small items change a rented kitchen: your preferred tea or coffee, spices, a sharp-enough knife if allowed and a reusable bag. Mind airport rules. Liquids, including oils, sauces, honey and syrups, are typically limited to 100 ml per container in carry-on bags, knives are generally not allowed there and food import rules apply to meat, dairy and fresh produce, with rules varying by country. Buying locally avoids these issues. For how the kitchen itself affects the plan, see full kitchen vs kitchenette.

Electronics and power

• Plugs and sockets vary by country. Bring more than one adapter for a longer stay, or a multi-port USB charger.
• Adapters change only the plug shape, not voltage. Check each device’s label for supported voltage and frequency.
• Leave heating appliances such as hair dryers at home unless you know they suit the local supply.
• Power banks and spare lithium batteries go in carry-on bags, not checked luggage, under a US TSA rule; check your airline and route.
• Ask before using extension leads, since some operators restrict them.

Toiletries and medicines

Bring what is hard to replace: prescriptions, ideally in original bottles, preferred skincare and sunscreen. Buy bulky toiletries on arrival. Keep medicines and medical devices in your carry-on, and check destination rules on medications. Advice on what suits your health should come from a healthcare professional.

Work gear

If you will work from the apartment, add a laptop stand, headphones, a notebook and an ethernet adapter if your laptop lacks a port. Working remotely from a serviced apartment explains what to check in the flat itself.

The arrival kit

Pack a small kit in your carry-on: a change of clothes, toiletries, medicines, chargers and a snack, in case shops are closed or luggage is delayed. Make a buy-on-arrival list for the first two days, and leave space in your bag for the return trip. For late flights, read late-arrival check-in so you know how to get in.

Compare with a hotel habit

Hotel habit is one outfit per day and eating out. Apartment habit is a week of clothes, seasonings from home and staples bought locally. The Aparthotel.com guide contrasts the two in a short table, and it is a useful check when you catch yourself over-packing.

Final checks

1. Get the inventory in writing.
2. Check carry-on liquid and battery rules for your airline.
3. Photograph the apartment on arrival.
4. Use the full relocation checklist from Aparthotel.com alongside this list.

Sample packing plan for one person

This is a starting point, not a rule.

• Clothes: seven tops, three bottoms, underwear and socks for a week, one warm layer, one weatherproof layer, two pairs of shoes.
• Toiletries: travel-size essentials, prescriptions, a month’s supply of anything you cannot replace.
• Electronics: phone, laptop, two adapters, multi-port charger, headphones.
• Kitchen: tea or coffee, a small tub of spices, a reusable bag.
• Documents: passport, booking confirmations, an offline copy of the property address and phone number.

Shopping on arrival then covers shampoo, washing-up liquid, bin bags, sponges and food. If your employer needs receipts for the stay, keep them with your documents; see receipts for employers.

Where your suitcase size comes from

Baggage allowances differ by airline and route, and nothing here states them. A common approach is to take one checked bag and one carry-on, then ship or buy anything bulky. If your belongings are being shipped separately, allow for the possibility that they arrive late, and keep clothes for at least two weeks within what you carry. Check the long-stay checklist from Aparthotel.com, which suggests packing for one to two weeks of clothes if laundry is available on site, plus medicines, adaptors and work equipment.

What to do on the first day

Open the cupboards before you unpack and compare the inventory with what you asked for. Note missing items and message the property while the issue is fresh. Test the kettle, washing machine and heating, then unpack the arrival kit and make a first shopping list. A calm first evening is worth more than a perfect packing list.

For the booking side of the same move, Aparthotel.com’s relocation checklist covers laundry, workspace and paperwork, so the two lists work together.