Article Highlights:

• Packing light saves money, reduces stress and increases mobility on international trips.
• Creative, fun laundromats worldwide make washing clothes easy and often entertaining.
• Overpacking leads to unnecessary fees, slower travel and logistical headaches.
• Countries like Belgium, Iceland, Japan, South Africa, Spain and the US offer world-class “destination laundromats.”
• Expert Rick Steves recommends simple laundry hacks and embracing launderettes as part of the travel experience.

Despite years of experience, rising travel confidence and a world that’s more connected than ever, international travelers still can’t shake one of their most stubborn habits: overpacking.

New findings from the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey reveal that heavy, overstuffed bags aren’t a rare misstep; they’re a consistent, long-running pattern. Nearly identical results year after year show that roughly one-third of the world’s most seasoned travelers continue to bring more than they need, proving that even as travel evolves, the struggle to pack light remains unchanged.

But in a world filled with creative, convenient and even downright fun laundromats, travelers have more reasons than ever to leave the excess at home. Washing on the road is easier, cheaper and far more enjoyable than lugging a suitcase packed for every possible scenario.

Pack Light, Do Laundry, Explore More

International travel has changed dramatically in recent years—but one truth remains the same: packing light is one of the most powerful ways to make your trip smoother, cheaper and more enjoyable. While overpacking might feel comforting (“What if I need options?”), it quickly becomes a burden. Heavy bags slow you down, trap you in long check-in lines, eat up luggage fees and force you to drag unnecessary weight through train stations, cobblestone streets, metros and airports.

Fortunately, there’s a liberating alternative: travel light, take fewer clothes and rely on the growing global trend of amazing, quirky and fun laundromats that turn laundry day into part of the travel experience. In many cities, popping into a laundromat isn’t a chore; it’s an attraction.

From neon-lit wash bars in Barcelona to Scandinavian café-laundromats in Reykjavik, doing a load of laundry can become a cultural moment, a chance to relax and even an unexpectedly memorable stop on your journey.

Traveling Light Advantages

Packing light offers benefits that go far beyond convenience. Every seasoned globetrotter eventually realizes one thing: the less you bring, the freer you feel.

Save Money and Avoid Hassles: Overpacking often means paying extra airline fees, especially on international trips. Light travelers sidestep those charges entirely. A carry-on and a personal item allow you to skip baggage claim, avoid lost luggage nightmares and adapt quickly when delays or gate changes strike.

Move Faster, Explore More: When you’re not hauling heavy suitcases, you can hop effortlessly onto trains, buses, ferries and Ubers. Navigating narrow streets in Europe or hopping between islands in Southeast Asia becomes stress-free. You’re nimble, not weighed down.

Less Stuff Means Less Stress: Simple packing leads to a simpler trip. You never waste time digging through layers of “just-in-case” outfits or managing a suitcase explosion in a small hotel room. Everything has its place, everything is easy to find and laundry becomes the only maintenance you need.

Laundry Isn’t a Burden—It’s a Benefit: One of the biggest fears of packing light is running out of clean clothes. But with today’s international network of creative laundromats, you can wash everything cheaply and easily. Many laundromats double as cafés, wine bars, arcades, design studios or community hubs. Laundry day becomes fun, a way to slow down and soak in local culture.

Travel expert Rick Steves puts it best: traveling light “turns your trip into a vacation from your possessions.” He reminds travelers that doing a load of laundry abroad is simple, inexpensive and often surprisingly enjoyable.

Funky and Unforgettable Laundromats Around the World

Travelers are no longer limited to drab, fluorescent, coin-operated rooms tucked in urban corners. Today’s modern laundromat culture blends comfort, creativity, delicious food and social energy.

Belgium – Laundromat Meets Restaurant: Belgium’s WASBAR in Ghent and Antwerp is a stylish hybrid space where you can wash clothes, order lunch, sip beer or espresso and even get a haircut. Travelers rave about its comfortable seating, vibrant energy and ability to transform laundry into a relaxing break between sightseeing sessions.

Iceland, Denmark & Norway – Scandinavian Laundry Lounges: Café Laundromat in Copenhagen and Reykjavik is less “laundromat” and more “community living room.” Think warm lighting, bookshelves, children’s playrooms, board games and a full restaurant menu. It’s the ideal spot to warm up, unwind and mingle with locals while your clothes spin.

Japan – Themed Laundromats With Surprises: Japan is a world of delightful, unexpected experiences, and laundromats are no exception. Some offer pet-care services, adjoining barbershops or even car washes. Others are ultra-modern with futuristic design, touch-screen interfaces and spotless seating areas. Doing laundry here feels less like a chore and more like stepping into a creative micro-experience.

South Africa – Upscale Laundry-Cafés: Cape Town’s famous I Love My Laundry is a chic, art-inspired space offering Brazilian coffee, cupcakes, dim sum and rotating artwork. Laundry Bar adds dim sum, local wines and views of Table Mountain. These aren’t laundromats. They’re laundry lounges.

Spain – The Nightlife-Inspired Wash Experience: Barcelona’s Splash Laundry blends club aesthetics with eco-friendly machines, neon art and a youthful social atmosphere. Travelers often describe it as the most photogenic laundry experience they’ve ever had.

United States – Frome Arcades to Mega-Laundromats: The US boasts some of the world’s most extravagant laundromats. The World’s Largest Laundromat (Illinois) includes 300+ machines, an arcade and kids’ play area. Harvey Washbangers (Texas) pairs laundry with craft beer, burgers and a full restaurant. Sunshine Laundromat & Pinball in New York blends washing cycles with a pinball arcade.

Unexpected and Unusual Laundromat Locations

Some of the strangest (and most charming) laundromats pop up in completely unexpected places including: gas station parking lots in Ireland, supermarket car parks, shopping-center garages, converted castles or historic buildings, museums, art sites and community hubs.

These setups allow you to wash your clothes while grabbing groceries, filling up the gas tank, sipping coffee or learning about local culture.

Rick Steves’ Advice for Travelers Doing Laundry Abroad

Rick Steves has long championed packing light and normalizing laundry on the road. He offers practical, real-world tips including: traveling with a small bottle of liquid detergent, a stretchable travel clothesline and quick-dry fabrics; use efficient, ubiquitous launderettes in Europe when possible; pack a universal drain stopper and wash socks or underwear in your room when needed; and embrace laundry as part of the travel rhythm—read, write, snack or chat while your clothes cycle.

His philosophy reinforces a powerful truth: the ability to wash is what allows you to travel light.

The Global Rescue Connection

Packing light helps make travel easier. But when something goes wrong abroad—an injury, illness, evacuation or emergency—you need more than a small suitcase. You need professional backup.

A Global Rescue membership provides:

• Field rescue and extraction
• Worldwide medical and security evacuation
• 24/7 medical advisory and telehealth
• Travel intelligence and real-time crisis support
• Expert assistance for emergencies anywhere on Earth

Laundry keeps your luggage light. Global Rescue keeps you safe, wherever the road leads. If you travel internationally, having the right support isn’t optional; it’s essential.