Packing and What to Wear
Someone in my European Vacations class asked me about the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my travels. This was a very easy one for me: packing too much! On our first few trips, we had too many pieces of luggage and way too much in them. This was especially stressful when traveling by train, since we needed to be able to manage your luggage by yourself, sometimes during a very short station stop. Storage space on many trains is limited. And your seat may be at the far end of the car from where you entered, meaning you must lug your bags all the way down the narrow aisle. On some trains, you may even find that your seat is on the top level of a double-decker train car, accessed by steep and narrow curved stairs.
Excessive luggage creates other problems too. It will be difficult to take public transportation to the city center and you’ll have to pay for a taxi or limousine. You may not be able to fit everything in the trunk of your rental car or in the tiny elevator at your 17th century hotel. Worse, you may find yourself lugging your bags up three flights of steps in a building that doesn’t have an elevator.
My advice: Limit your luggage to one manageable-sized rolling bag (26″ maximum) for each traveler AND a small carryon bag that you can sling over your shoulder or a carry-on sized backpack. You must be able to lift your rolling bag on your own. Pack a small fold-up extra bag that you can use for purchases during the trip, one that you can manage along with your other two bags, either by carrying it on your other shoulder or setting on the top of the rolling bag.
These links provide resources on what to pack for a trip to Europe and how to pack light. Pay close attention to the advice you’ll find here– it really will make your trip much more enjoyable. And honestly– no one will notice that you’ve worn the same pair of slacks three times that week.
What to Wear in Europe
Six Rules on What Not to Wear in Europe
What to Wear in Europe – Travel Clothes for All Occasions
Packing Tips for a European Vacation
Packing for a European Vacation (My article on the Slow Travel Tours blog, including tips from five experienced European travelers/tour leaders… an excellent resource!)
Traveling with just One Bag (this is a really wonderful website!)
Packing for 59 days (how I packed for a 59 day trip with a 22 inch rolling bag and a small carry-on)
Packing Light for a Trip to Europe
Luggage Weight: Tips to Lighten Up Your Suitcase. See links to the author’s other “packing” articles at the end of this piece.
Packing Not-Light (another perspective for longer trips)
Brenda’s packing story (one traveler’s list of what she took on a four-week trip and what she ended up using!)
