JenK.

My husband and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary by going to France(Paris/Loire), England (London,Cotswolds,Lake Dist) and Scotland (Edin & Highlands). This is our 1irst time for international travel(really not counting Canada & Bahamas). We're leaving in 3 weeks and will be gone for 20 days......What on earth should we pack? Everyone says pack lightly. Does that mean 2 pair of undies and a sundress (for me...Jon doesn't travel with his) or just forget taking all those wonderful guidebooks I've grown attached to? (No, he doesn't cross dress!) Any input would be greatly appreciated. <BR>A tennis shoes and shorts advisable...

Wendy

We just returned from 21 days in London and Scotland. I listened carefully to the advice I got on packing from this site and it really worked for us. We each brought a 22" suitcase (carry on type though we checked ours) and a carry on that could be attatched to our other suitcase handle for carrying. <BR>Contents were : 3 pants, 2 shorts, 4 shortsleeved shirts,2 long sleeved shirts, 6 underwear, 6 pairs socks, pj's, a polartec pull over (or sweatshirt), rain coat and umbrella and two pairs of shoes. I also brought a skirt. I bought a bungie cord type clothes line at Wal-mart before we left. We washed clothes out in the sink every few days and hug them to dry. The pants and shorts were all polyester poplin and dried very quickly. We had plenty of room for guide books (though they are heavy) and even our souveniers. I also bought a foldable nylon bag that we used to carry our rain gear around once we got there. We didn't need to, but it could have been used as an additional carry on on the way home if extra puchases wouldn't fit in the suitcases.I hope <BR>this helps. I know that packing was my major worry before we left.

CJ

Jen-- I would have to agree with Wendy. What ever you do do not over pack. If you wear something twice who cares. After being married for 10 years I'm sure your husband won't care. We spent 18 days in Europe for our 30th and I DID OVER PACK (just ask my husband) Lugging suitcases from airports through customs to taxi's etc was not much fun. Try to bring one or two colors. I did bring black and white (but too much of it). Try to interchange. Wear a nice long black sundress during the day then dress it up with a scarf or pearls for evening. Tell your husband to bring a sports jacket. Europeans do dress nicely and he'll never be too dressed in the evening. What ever you do keep it light. My husband now has a new theory, I can pack what ever I want and as much as I want but, I have to do all the lugging and carrying (which can get to be a hassle) Been ther done that- won't ddo it again. My new saying is KISS (KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID) Stupid being me. Good luck <BR> <BR>

Monica

I took (for a two week vacation in Italy) 3 pairs of pants, 5 tops (will take 4 next time), 4 pairs of undies, 4 pairs of socks, 2 bras, night shirt, jacket, and a sweater. I took my travel books, maps, and journal. Had an empty duffle bag which I filled with my shopping items. We also took a laundry line and washed ever few days. Pack as light as possible and don't worry about wearing the same things over again. Color coordinate so you can mix/match with everything. I rolled my clothes and things seemed to fit better in my suitcase. Also, I placed my undies/socks/bras in a mesh bag so it was easy to find and keep in one place. Enjoy your trip!

Caryn

There are two types of travelers: Those who pack light and those who wish they did. I'd listen to the above advice and pack very lightly. When in doubt, leave it home. If it turns out that you really need something, you can always buy it. After all, you're going to Europe, not the middle of a desert or rainforest.

wes fowler

The best rule of thumb I've heard regarding what to pack: Envision yourself at Paris' Gare de Nord. You don't speak or understand French. Your hotel is six blocks away but you're not sure in which direction. Cab drivers and metro workers are on strike. It's teeming rain and windy. How heavy do you want your baggage to be? Don't be afraid to be seen in the same outfit twice. Color coordinate. Four pairs of pants sounds reasonable; two pairs of shoes do, too, but only if one pair of each is on you when you board the plane. Five and three is more than you need. Don't take guide books for London with you. Pick up a copy of the A to Z Guide to London upon arrival. It's about the size of a postcard, a 1/4 inch thick and has all the information and maps you'll ever need.

kimberley

Everyone always says to pack light, but you never know how much they mean it until you live it for yourself! Here's the other best piece of packing advice I ever got: pack everything in your bag in large ziploc bags (1 or 2 gallon size). If you squish all the air out before you close them, they make your clothes much more compact. But the best part: if you're pretty much living out of your bag, the last thing you want is to be unpacking your bag to find something in the bottom, only to have to repack it the next morning, and repeat the whole thing the next day. When everything's in ziplocs you can remove the entire contents of your bag and replace it in about twenty seconds, without having to refold or repack anything! kimberley

kam

Great advice from everyone. Only one more thing to add--I always print up a personal itinerary which includes sites we've decided to see and a couple restaurants that sound especially good as well as the hotel with tel # and directions if we don't know it. Then I photocopy those pages of the travel books that are the most meaningful--------you often don't need the whole book. My exception is the green Michelin guide--I do pack them, but they're paperbacks. We follow the each person has his own suitcase rule--a wheelie and a tote to fit on the wheelie. I love my black jumper---sundress during the day, or with a white T shirt underneath if weather is cool. At night with scarf and black linen blazer. Bring lots of scarfs and check out the new "porous" underwear made by Bali---dries in a couple hours. Don't forget mosturizer with sunscreen and good walking shoes. No bluejeans, if for no other reason than they don't ever dry. Slipped down a wet hill in Ireland on one trip---2nd day of trip--never wore those jeans again, but lugged them around for 2 weeks! Many English hotels have pantspress-----greatest invention for the traveler---you can dry damp underwear in them as well as uncrease your pants. <BR>

Meg

I live by this rule: the longer the length of my trip, the less I take. You can either do your own laundry or have it done at your hotel. The expense of having laundry done outweighs lugging around an extra suitcase. My husband and I each take one bag to check (and leave one 1/2 empty for purchases) and each have a carry on. I used to take all my guidebooks, but after our first trip to Paris, I realized that was a big mistake. Now I keep a small spiral bound notebook in my purse into which I copy everything from the guidebooks that I plan on doing or carry copied pages from the books reduced and pasted into my little notebook. Have a great trip.

dorothy

<BR>You are getting great advice and I agree with practically everything said. One carry to fit under the airplane seat in front of you is enough. Layer clothing, make things do double duty, do some washing everynight. Wear things over and over -who will know, then don't wear them for 6 months after getting home. The less you take the easier it is. We really don't need a fraction of what we think. <BR> <BR>Photocopy parts of books for travel material unless you really plan to use most of the book. I even tear out parts I plan to use.

Marty

I just returned from Italy. My husband and I are light packers (I more than he!). We take one big suitcase that we check and a small carry-on with essentials to daily life and 3 changes of clothes each. This time, the big suitcase was lost. The bad part was I had to keep returning to my hotel to call the airport at least twice a day for three days before I finally got it back. This is very hard when you don't speak the language. I resented the wasted time more than the possibility of never seeing my clothes again. Next year, we are taking a carry-on each-no more checked luggage on the way there! We always put two flat, nylon bags in the bottom of the suitcase for items we buy. We checked big and little suitcases coming back (we don't care as much if they are lost returning home!), and we carry on the nylon bags with out goodies. Do use those zip lock bags!

Polina

You have received some great advice here. I would like to add my two cents. My husband and I just returned from our first 3.5 week trip to Europe. We packed light and were so thankful. We each brought one of those carry-on sized roller-bags that convert to a back-packs. Rick Steves sells them, but we bought ours from Costco. These were lifesavers. They make a bit of noise when pulling them over cobblestone, but who cares! With me, I brought one pair of black shorts, one polyester long floral skirt, one shorter skirt, and one pair of khaki pants. I only wore the khaki pants for traveling on the trains. I vote for skirts, especially long ones. They're versatile and comfortable. I also brought 2 pairs of tights which I wore with the shorts and my skirts when it rained. I brought one very comfortable pair of Nine West Cloud Nine-soled sandals and one pair of closed shoes for the rain. I also brought 5 pairs of underwear and 5 bras. It worked great. We did laundry in every city, but it was not a problem. We were able to find laundramats within walking distance from all our hotels, and some even did the laundry for you! Heed everyone's advice. Pack light and don't be afraid to wear things more than once. Have a great trip.