3.5 Weeks in Europe with no luggage
 

Hello -

Early next year, Husband and I are heading to 6 European countries in 18 days and are thinking of not carrying luggage to avoid wasting time in the airports.

Are there tips you can share on how to go about only having a carry-on? Husband thinks we should buy those honking backpacks but I personally think those bags are better suited for camping not in a Eurotrip - I dunno. Perhaps because the bags are almost 4 feet tall????

Determine what the currently-mandated size of carry-on bag is and stick to it. Something 4 feet tall will NOT be allowed as a carry-on. I use a duffle bag with zippered expandable ends so if I do need extra room I have it, but at the same time I can keep it small for conveniently carrying on a plane. It's a challenge to narrow down what you bring with you but if you pack it in the smaller configuration you'll always be "legal".

How will you be traveling? Unless you are flying on low cost carriers, there is no need to worry about the size of the bag other than if you wish to carry it.
I use a backpack because I go to small towns without a car, and I rarely have the time to wait if my bag is delayed (experienced it once--DH's bag was flown over to our island on a helicopter!). I do not use a large frame backpack--mine is soft sided but with support and is about the same measurements as a legal carry-on would be (45 linear inches). Mine, made by Osprey, has a flap where you can store the straps and use it as a duffel bag, a nice feature I think.
There are hundreds of discussion of this here, but it all comes down to the specifics of your travel plans and your personal preference.

What are the other two countries you haven't mentioned? There is IMO only one "tip" and that is plan on doing some laundry.

Personally I think having to DO laundry often is a much bigger "waste of time" than waiting for my luggage to come off the carousel. Yes, I realize that luggage can get lost but it usually doesn't.

Forgot to mention that I travel for 4 weeks at a time with this small bag and accept the fact that I have to do laundry more often than someone using a larger configuration.

You cannot take a 4' back pack on the plane with you. I fyouplan ondoing this you need to check on the regs of all airlines you will be flying on and be sure they fit.

I flown to and fro Switz quite a bit in the last few years to see a client and on the trip back to the US on local airlines the US size carry-on isn't even allowed - you must have one that is no more than 19" - including handle and wheels. Have seen many US travelers have to gate check their US legal carry-on - that was 21" or 22".

You can't just haul anything on the plane because it's a "back pack" versus a "suitcase" - it's the SIZE that matters.

As for tips -

Take dark colors so don't show the dirt
Limit yourself to 2 pairs of shoes - the larger/heavier worn on the plane
Assume you will do a lot of laundry
Make sure whatever you get is either easy to pull (sturdy wheels) or comfy to carry (no way would I make myself into a Sherpa)

I'm with Dukey1--I'd rather carry a lot more underwear and socks than to have to spend time finding a Laundromat and doing laundry every other day or so. That dwarfs the few extra minutes in the airport waiting for the bags to come off the carousel. I think it's sort of fun to watch the people retrieving their bags and to have my anxiety relieved when ours finally show up.

18 days is not 3.5 weeks. And if you're really planning to go to 6 countries in 18 days, you have bigger problems than luggage and laundry.

I guess I don't see why a person on an 18 day trip would be doing "a lot" of laundry unless it's high summer and you're getting seriously sweaty. I don't wash my sweaters or jeans often at all, even at home. If you're staying in proper hotels, you use the laundry service and waste no time at all. If all you're laundering is underwear socks and a couple of t-shirts, it won't even cost that much.

But nyt is right, determine the size of carryon that is allowed by the carriers you plan to use, which will be the 19"; and buy one, from Zappos perhaps, so you can return it for free, and see what you can put in it. If it works, great, opa, you're off to the races! (You will be able to bring two bags each on board, one that will fit under the seat in front of you, and one in the overhead.)

Personally, I find carry-on only very freeing, but to each his own.

Airports are not the only place you have to deal with the consequence of large/heavy luggage. Every time you move luggage, any transportation, checking into hotels without elevators, getting to a hotel requiring hauling luggage because the uneven cobble stones making your fist size luggage wheels useless, etc.
Laundry can be a burden if you choose to make it that way. If you have chosen relevant fabric, they can be washed and rinsed in minute in the hotel room sink or shower and be dry by the time you wake up in the morning allowing to pack them or hang them in the room closet in time for the breakfast. You have to make trade-offs, if you don't want to deal with laundry because "it is a vacation" , then deal with the consequence of hauling items no longer usable until you get home.
Packing is a long-tail event. There are items people take at the tail end of usage pattern - used for just one time for few hours, if at all. They can be a space/weight hog. You would become more aware of how you use your items, which items can be used for multiple purposes, and which items have "acceptable" substitutes to eliminate "best" but rarely used bulky/heavy items.

Thanks everyone for all the tips. Also got a tip from a co-worker today. She said maybe try to wear layers and layers of clothes while you're in the airport and then just take them all off when you're on the plane. :) Smart! Has anybody been caught pulling a stunt like this one?

I opened this thread to see how you would travel for 3.5 weeks with only the outfit you were wearing. Now I see that you are taking luggage.

A carry on bag is luggage. And a 4 foot bag is not a carry on.

I travel with a 19" roller bag and a small soft-sided duffel (carry on). I can live for a month with this and wash clothes in the hotel sink. The clothes soak while I take a shower.

With only 3 days per country, I would not want to sit around in a laundromat for 2 to 3 hours waiting for the washing to be finished.

My rule is that I have to wear everything I bring a minimum of 3 times during the trip unless it's a specialty item such as a water proof jacket/poncho.

PS 18 days is 2.5 weeks, not 3.5 weeks.

hilarious.

Thank you Adrienne - yes it is 2.5 weeks. Sorry for the typo. :) 18 days is 2.5 weeks.

We always travel carry-on only. When we went to Iceland for 2 weeks, meeting the weight requirement was a challenge. I think it was 13 pounds (or something around that). I did put on my coat which is roomy and was carrying DHs camera lenses, one in each pocket. He wore one of those Scotte vests and had several things in the pockets. It went smoothly and was not much trouble. Good luck!

Depends on how ridiculous you get about it. Certainly wearing a few layers - eg a tee shirt, a thin sweater, a thicker sweater and a light jacket is OK. In fact you WANT to be using layers so you can adjust what you need rather than have for example three different thickness sweaters. But no, I wouldn't be putting on three pairs of jeans or something stupid like that.

You can also put small heavy items in your pockets - like phone, camera, tablet, etc. (helps to have a jacket, even if it's light weight windbreaker type, with big pockets). Because it's not just the SIZE of your bag, it's also the weight. But all airlines have this information on their websites. The strictest may be 19" but many are 20 or even 21 but that includes handles and wheels - not every bag you can buy that is labeled 'carry-on' meets the restrictions of every airline. You can get some that are ultra light weight.

But based on your other thread and the itinerary you are having I would definitely urge you to go carry on only. Most airlines allow one 'carry-on' bag PLUS one 'personal item' (again, go to the airline web site and see the size and weights - often the personal item is not weighed, that's where I put my electronics and heavy items). Easyjet is an exception - they allow ONE carry-on - if you have a purse or laptop bag, etc it much go INSIDE the 'carry-on'.

There are MANY threads here on packing light and carry on only. Type 'carry on only' into the search function at the top of the page. Hundreds of tips.

When you take all your layers off, where do you think you'll put them? Your friend is not so smart, and I don't think you've thought about this at all.

I know from your other posts you are taking some inter europeon flights.. they tend to be very strict on carry on size and weight.
Yes,, my husband did see a young man in Berlin airport.. his bag was overweight and he did in fact start pulling on clothes in layers over his clothes.. not recommended idea though.. lol

Also note.. some airlines say ONE carry on they mean ONE,, not one carry on suitcase AND a purse or camera bag.. so I advise you to read CAREFULLY all the luggage rules on each airline you are taking. Having to pay for a checked bag at the airport is more expensive then prepaying for one .
I have no trouble travelling for 2 -3 weeks with one small carry on.

I find it takes me all of 5 minutes to wash some socks and undies in a sink,, not sure how some people find that so time consuming..

These are the two suitcases we use for our two months in Europe. They are carry-ons on large airplanes, such as flying from coast-to-coast or across the Atlantic, but it is not clear that low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet would accept them as carry-ons.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...7623094971409/

Six countries in eighteen days? Are you even going to have time to do laundry?

The previous replies have already explained why you won't be carrying on a 40 liter backpack. If you're hell-bent on a carry on only and want a backpack, I highly recommend the eBags Mother Lode TLS Weekender: http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/m...ertible/143101

Depending on the time of year you travel, you can easily fit a week's worth of clothes in it plus electronics.

This person will have NO time to do laundry, and barely enough time to rinsed things out in the sink in order for it to dry before she has to be off to the airport for their next 1.5 day city visit.
Yes, OP, you can travel in a 22" carryon with wheels. Not a backpack, which has to GO on your back.

I travel often for two weeks or more, and I almost never take luggage that isn't carry-on size. That doesn't mean that I never check it, because if I have layovers, I don't like to lug even a small bag around the airports en route.

My favorite configuration is a small, squarish roller bag that will fit under the airline seats, with either a large purse, or a small day pack or duffel, that will perch on top of it. I have one small duffel that has a band for fitting over the roller handles, so it doesn't fall off as I'm rushing around.

With this combination, I can go for two weeks without doing laundry. In the winter, I wear slacks three or four times, and tops at least twice, often three times. In the summer, I need more clothing, but it's lighter and takes up less space. I make sure that everything matches everything else, and that especially the slacks are in neutral colors that will go with everything.

There are lots of tricks for the actual packing. Some people say to roll everything, but I find that a combination of rolling and folding works best.

I start with the slacks, in the following manner: I lay the slacks across the bottom of the empty suitcase, in a sort of U shape, with the waistband along the left end, as high as the side of the suitcase, then fit along the bottom, up the opposite side, and the legs hanging out. The next pair of slacks is laid out the same way, but on the opposite side, with the legs hanging out the other side.

I then roll all the knit tops and lightweight sweaters, and line them up on top of the slacks. (You have to be careful when rolling things not to roll creases into them.) I pack these in tight, putting some crosswise to fill space. Then, I stuff underwear and socks into any little spaces that remain. On top of this, I put any woven shirts that I'm taking, folded nicely, and an extra sweater in the winter. In the summer, I usually take just one, and wear it on the plane. The final step is to fold the legs of the slacks over the other clothing, tucking the ends down the opposite side if necessary. This makes a nice neat bundle and the slacks don't get creased.

In the other little bag, duffel or whatever, I put an extra pair of shoes, sometimes two pairs, as well as some of the socks and underwear. (Stuff socks into the shoes, which saves space and protects the shape of the shoes.) I also put at least one spare top, my toiletries (which are minimal), medicines, and pajamas (rolled up tight). This way, even if I check the suitcase, I have the essentials to last me a few days if the suitcase goes astray. If I'm planning to carry on both bags, my normal, smaller, shoulder bag has to go in here, too.

I usually take a 7-inch tablet (Nexus 7) with me, as well as a charger or two, small camera, and extra battery. These fit into an outside pocket, either of the suitcase or of the duffel bag. This way, they're handy for airport security. I don't take my DSLR camera unless we'll be mostly staying in one place, or traveling entirely by car, when it's not so important to travel light. I also take one good guide book, and maybe some pages ripped out of other guide books. Other reading material is on my tablet, where I have a Kindle app.

Since both my pieces of luggage are small, I can easily carry them up stairs, one in each hand, and lift them into the overhead compartment on the plane or train. I don't have to worry about all the overhead bins being occupied, because the larger of my bags will actually go under the seat in front of me, if necessary, and there's always room for a little duffel bag in the overhead bins.

On a recent trip to Scotland and northern England, I had to do laundry three days before the end of the trip. This is the first time I've done laundry en route in over fifteen years, and it was only necessary because it was unusually hot this past June, and I hadn't brought enough summer-weight clothing, and too much heavier clothing and rain gear. I brought my square roller bag and a large purse, and my husband brought a spinner of about the same volume, and a very small day pack. We had several things we never wore because they were too heavy for the temperatures we experienced. (It was hotter in Scotland than it was at home in Italy!) Our luggage was all within Ryanair's strict limits for carryon luggage, some of the most rigid in the industry.

<Yes, OP, you can travel in a 22" carryon with wheels. Not a backpack, which has to GO on your back.>
What? Is the OP now going into the bag with her clothes? Onto her husband's back in the bag?

Between this and the Michelin Man layers, this has become farce, despite there being some really good advice given as well.

I wouldn't sweat it about the laundry. If you go to a laundromat every five days, then that's only three times during your trip. It makes for some nice downtime, which everyone needs on even the fastest paced trip. Just pencil 'laundry' into your itinerary every five days.

Including the stuff you wear, you need five changes of sox and undies and short sleeved tops (over which you can wear a long sleeved overshirt and/or sweater, cardigan, etc.); you can handwash the stuff you wear to the laundromat. At the laundromat, after you've figured out the directions for machine use (part and parcel of learning how to travel) one of you babysits the clothes, the other shops for picnic stuff, or whatever; then you can switch if you want, or munch a sandwich in the laundromat, catch up on your journal, write postcards, organize your photos, collect your thoughts about what you'll do the remainder of the day, etc. etc. We've done this dozens of times, literally. When no laundromat is readily available we've even thrown everything in the hotel room bathtub and agitated it with our feet, grape-squishing style, and dried it partly by air, partly with a hairdryer. Laundry is simply not an issue.

By the way, we check our rollaboards and only take on a daypack apiece with essentials. Regardless, assume that if the plane is full, overhead bin space will be heavily subscribed.

Thank you for all the tips and suggestions especially to bvlenci, nytraveler, adrienne, isabel, greg, dwdvagamundo, AnaBelen, justineparis and many others!

Lots of great tips! I'm learning a lot from this community!

There are some whose comments sound like we just made a huge mistake planning this trip. Maybe.. you are right. But then again, it's not like we're going to war right? I'd rather be optimistic and atleast enjoy the madness!

Thanks for the tips Sue_xx_yy!

On your other thread you said that you want to stay in cheap hotels. These hotels often do not give you soap and certainly don't have shampoo available.

For hand laundry I use Purex sheets cut into quarters. Each quarter sheet is enough for a basin of hand washing.

I believe that part of the challenge with this plan is travel in February. I can do carry on only in warm weather but, bulkier clothes in cold weather do seem to take up more space.

Hi Adrienne - if it will do the trick, I am down with Purex!

Yes some hotels we're staying at are cheap. Most of them are under $200 a night...

Paris - Hotel St Pierre
Amsterdam- Waterfront Hotel
Brussels - Hotel Exe Grand Place
Rome - Navona Luxury Suites
London - Victoria Apartments ( although we would like to change this for sure)

I recently returned from a 17 day trip to Europe with the ebags Motherlode mentioned by sparkchaser as my only luggage. For help with planning I would recommend onebag.com and snarkynomad.com for excellent tips regarding packing lists and gear. You will do laundry, but it will all be in your bathroom sink or shower (10 minutes per night tops). This will require some attention to the fabrics you choose (quick dry shorts and pants, merino wool socks, poly shirts, Airism undies, etc) and is clearly not for everyone. But, with no waiting for checked bags, no pulling bags up metro stairs, etc I am glad I made the switch. I am not a backpacker, but the weight was totally manageable for me. We took 3 flights in Europe on Adria, InterSky and EasyJet and the bag fit in the overhead compartment with no issues.
Do your homework and determine if this is the way to go for you.

I think it is gross that people wear their clothes more than once without washing them. I don't do that at home and I certainly would not do that when travelling, Washing clothes in a hotel sink is also gross, laundromats are not clean. I have read threads where posters are discussing washing their clothes with shampoo. Now I read about washing clothes in a hotel bath and "agitated it with our feet, grape-squishing style, and dried it partly by air, partly with a hairdryer." Sounds like something a university student would do in a cheap hostel. I would rather pay for excess baggage so I could have clean clothes at minimum on a daily basis than perform these rituals and waste any vacation time in a laundromat.

<I think it is gross that people wear their clothes more than once without washing them. >
You are clearly a germaphobe, which is a handicap for which I pity you, because you spend time and money assuaging baseless anxieties. I, on the other hand, skip blithely across continents in the selfsame sweater, secure in the knowledge that a touch of BO never hurt anyone.

Another solution might be to go to those flea markets close to the city and buy those cheap souvenir t-shirts. That would be hilarious if all our photos would have names of the places we're visiting.

Say a t-shirt that says ROME in it and just behind us is the Vatican! lol!

But then, what do you do with the t-shirt? Toss it?

@Judy - if it's cheap enough- will toss it. Although this option might be the least likely as I have learned a great deal from the replies -- We might do the layer thing to a point, and then pack clothes but do a little bit of laundry in the hotel washroom @ night then if the AC is clean enough, hang it there to dry.

Odin.. wow.. you seriously have issues.. my condolences. I doubt you look better groomed them me ,, I doubt you have better health.. but boy.. you must have higher anxiety.

Just out of picking a scab curiosity.. do you really wash a pair of jeans each time you wash them?? I can't imagine my body being filthy enough that I would need to do that.. lol

And washing clothes in sinks is gross?? Why? I have used hotel shampoo myself.. but a few years ago discovered a product called Forever New.. get it in the lingerie departments at stores. Its a very concentrated powder so easy to pack in carry on.. washes clothes with minimal agitating,, and rinces out easily. .

Odin is a legend in his own mind!! LOL

Sadly, the great Purex sheets are no longer made/sold in stores. I found some on eBay; I got 9 two sheet packs for $6. Amazon has some but they are crazy expensive.

DebitNM:

http://www.travelsmith.com/laundry-s...028&redirect=y

Good to know, Jean for next trip!