@adrienne - I live in Ontario and midly warm for me is around 16C. Okay weather is around 10C. Hot weather is 37C. Cold weather is below 0.

According to most weather sites.. weather in Rome will not be warm in Feb.. unless you consider 8-9 C degrees warm. That's not cold.. but its certainly not warm.

Have you googled weather averages for your dates of travel , very easy to do .

Remember.. its not warm tropical year round in south of Europe.. many people seem to think that its always beach weather in the south.. but its most definitely not, some of the greek islands basically close down from November to April-May.

Back to your original question, you need to figure out what kind of bags you will use. You need to check with the specific airlines you will be flying and find out their dimension and weight regulation... then make sure your bag fits those.

As mentioned by a few, if you can go with a soft bag like a duffle bag, it will weigh less empty than a roller suitcase (because the handle, frames, wheels, all add weight and size) then you'll have room for more clothes.

No don't try to layer all your clothing on your body. Sorry but that's just silly. DO be ready to wear the same (outer) clothes *without washing* over and over again.

Everybody had great suggestions. We did a 16 transatlantic with 2 more weeks on land with one carryon each. We are leaving next month for a 18 day Med/Adriatic cruise with 5 extra land days.

Simply--wear my heaviest footwear on plane (sneakers)for very rough streets, bring a pair of good sturdy sandals with straps and $1 flip flops for ship. Since chances of rain are good for this trip bringing rain shoe covers (the sandals fit and as they have no toe separator, could wear socks if cold and wet). Wearing jeans and LS tee with patterned jacket on plane and bringing 3 SL tees and cullotes that go with jacket and tees.

Bringing a shawl for dinner wrap. We do fancy dining or any night activities for dressy clothes. One pair of shorts for boat that'll go with the tees. Temps will be about 55-70 and I like it cold, so this will be T shirt weather for me.

Hubby bought some sort of nylon Ts and nylon athletic briefs at Walmart. I cut the legs the length of his BVDs. He hand washes. Buy 3 $1 ponchos at dollar store the size of a 3x3 post it pack for rain coverage.

On transatlantic trip as we flew both rynair and aer lingus, they had very restrictive carryon bag requirements and HEFTY fees, so did wear a few extra Ts to make sure bag did not puff out. Took off on board and stuffed in bag.

After transatlantic trip, on return to US, we were the first at Customs and upon exiting, agents thought we had forgotten our checked bags as we just had the carryon.

That is really why we love the cruising for lengthy European trips, we just have to make it on board, and all our personal grooming stuff disappears over the course of the cruise.

You Can do it with a bag on wheels! Good luck.

sparkchaser - internetbrofist

Back at 'cha!

We traveled six weeks with a carryon each. I brought a tiny water spray bottle. I would spritz the wrinkles out of the clothes I would wear each day. Just spray and shake. Kept laundry at bay a bit longer. If you are moving often you will definitely appreciate the smaller luggage. Once you travel with a carry on only you will never go back.

Continental Drifter

It's funny, isn't it, the range of comments that can crop up about laundry. Such a simple task.

You have a great comment on perspective, but using a laundry service isn't always an option for various reasons. The hotel or village doesn't offer the service, or one plans to leave within 24 hours (often 24 hours is the time specified by the service to discharge the contract) or whatever.

Plus: we really don't mind, truly, about doing laundry. As I pointed out, it needn't take one's full attention, one can do other things at the same time. Others' mileage may vary, but we really don't feel doing this task detracts from our vacation in any way.

But I appreciate that people have their own strategies about managing travel wardrobes. There's no one right way to approach this.

<As I pointed out, it needn't take one's full attention, one can do other things at the same time.>

Very very true. My husband found the best little wine shop in Venice, where you bring and fill your empty 2 liter bottle, while we were doing laundry. You would have thought he found a gold mind.

He did! (find a gold mine at the little wine shop)

Each time I see the title of this post... I keep picturing MsWorthy getting off the plane with only her purse in hand! Truly "no luggage".

I've read about people who do that, travel with almost nothing. Could be an interesting experiment. Closest I've come was 3 wks in Europe one summer with only a gym-bag sized duffle bag & boy was i sick of those clothes before the end of the trip!!

Thanks Suze, and to all for the tips and suggestions!

Based from the responses, it seems to me some people like to travel with only carryon, some wants to have their bags checked in :) All good.

As for us - my husband and I are leaning towards no checked in luggage - maybe only a small duffel bag as carryon for each- and if we need to do laundry eventually, then we will.

I will probably do a couple of layers - maybe I'll wear 3 yoga pants and a fleece sweatshirt under a winter jacket. We'll see how it goes. I'm short and I tend to look very 'thick' with multiple layers of clothing - but this will not stop me unless my husband starts laughing at me for my appearance. ;P

@ Continental_Drifter - thank you for putting things into perspective. You are right, laundry costs would be miniscule compared to the total costs we are already putting in to flights and hotel.

I guess we're trying to see where can we cut costs -- and it seems like laundry is the easiest thing to take out, if ever.

Husband and I are doing the math and it seems like ON TOP of flights (already paid for) and hotels (budgeted separately), we are probably still going to spend $3000 for food and tours?

You are going to be very warm and uncomfortable on the plane wearing layers of clothing. Will you be wearing them as you transfer from hotel to hotel, city to city too? Bring a bag big enough to hold your clothes.

PLEASE don't wear 3 pair of yoga pants on the plane :-)
That is just ridiculous. First off you don't need 3 of the same item (one trick to packing light, why do you need more than one pair of "yoga pants") and 2nd... well it's just crazy -haha.

If you want to go carry-on only, find a nice 19-21" roller suitcase and pack only as much of your normal clothing as fits into that. It's really not hard.

And yes $3000 sounds about right. A generic generally accepted rule-of-thumb is $100 per person per day for food, drink, admissions, local transporation, a few souveniers.

I would say you could do this on less than $100/per person/per day (not including hotels and flights), but it is a good figure to keep in mind. Often I spend much less, than "ruin" it by buying a 30-Euro concert ticket (but it would be silly to come all that way and spend all that money and not take advantage of local culture). And of course more is very, very easily possible.

I ALWAYS travel w/ just a carryon sized bag. Sometimes I check it but usually not . . . But never ever do I need more than a 21 inch roll aboard. And I never EVER have to wear multiple layers of pants/sweaters on a flight. You'll just end up looking like a hill billy and be very uncomfortable. Plus you don't need to do anything goofy like that. For one thing, why multi versions of the same garment? One pair of yoga pants (good to wear on the plane), one pair of black slacks (to dress up or down), one pair of jeans . . . And you are good to go. Take all sorts of tops/t's/sweaters but you'd only need the 3 'bottoms' and mix/match/ layer everything else.

I agree you can possibly do with less than $100/day per person but I think it's a reasonable figure for planning purposes. It's not even all that generous really.

janisj is a packing whiz. Follow her advice. And please don't wear those 3 pair of yoga pants on the plane, i'm sorry but you've had me laughing since yesterday about that one!!

Me too, janisj. I completely agree. I'm a big travel light person also. Pick two colors and a few layering pieces. Select a couple of accessories or scarves to dress up/down your outfits. Pick up a beautiful scarf or pashmina in a market and wear it while you are there. You'll love the momento when you return.

I feel the same way about buying a new fragrance one of the first days I'm traveling and they wearing it the rest of the time on my trip. Then, when I wear the fragrance at home, it completely connects me back to the trip experiences. You know what they say about smells connecting you? It totally works for me.

And no, there is no reason to layer three pairs of yoga pants on the plane.

>>I'm short and I tend to look very 'thick' with multiple layers of clothing -<<

Since you are traveling on a budget I don't want to encourage you to start buying unusual or expensive clothes, but since you live in Canada, do you think you could get your hands on a long fleece skirt? They can be marvelously warm if you wear them over warm tights or ski pants (or yoga pants if they are warm). And it creates a longer "line" when it comes to looks, even if you are short (especially if you can find a pencil skirt in fleece).

http://www.gaiaconceptions.com/penci...-fleece-skirt/

http://www.themouseworks.com/fleece-skirts.htm

But any long knit skirt over good leggings or warm pants works really well as "layering." The point of "layering" is not put on a lot of heavy clothes but to create a layer of warm air around your body. (That's how thermal clothes work).

Rather than a fleece sweatshirt, I would try to get a vest of some sort, and make it one that opens in the front (not one that goes over your head and is solid). You are going to be traveling through a few different climate zones. A vest protects your chest but leaves your arms free to be cool and not overheat if you are in a milder climate.

Since you are not traveling until February I would definitely wait until after Christmas to purchase anything. Also, test out the clothes you already have in advance of your trip. Not only try walking around in cold weather wearing your "layers" for longs walks outdoors but also pack a sample carryon suitcase and then try wearing only those clothes for a few weeks (except to work I guess). I think you will discover that you need a lot less clothes than you might think you do right now.

PS: Even if a skirt isn't fleece, if you wear a longish skirt over warm knit paths, plus good knee-high socks, it's like having a blanket over your lower body

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/str...colorFamily=02

Good lord in heaven, now I have seen it all. How cold need it be for a floor-length fleece skirt over tights to become necessary?? Good for hiking glaciers, perhaps, but not so good for being indoors at all.

A LONG FLEECE SKIRT?????????? Yikes! better to layer those 3 pair of yoga pants -haha.

This person is doing a city tour of Europe. She doesn't need to buy any new clothes. She can work with what she has in her own closet.

Oh good lord in heaven yourself. These people are going sightseeing in February

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...old/52992316/1

Good grief. I live in the Utah mountains at 6800 ft. in a ski town and I have NEVER seen a fleece skirt. Do they make such a thing?

I wear fleece around home (pants and tops) for half the year, but would never be caught dead in fleece pants in public. Park City is VERY casual and I have never seen anyone wearing fleece pants (or a skirt). Ski/board pants, yoga pants, yes.

Not something I would do in any city in Europe.

Don't take the fleece skirt suggestion too seriously, I'm sure she's joking. I'm from Minnesota and it gets pretty cold there too. Don't know a soul who would be caught wearing a fleece skirt. And fleece pants are only for when you're using the snow blower. Next, the OP will be told to get a Snuggie.

For February in European cities I would take something like this (my plane ride outfit is included in this list):

3 pair of pants (wool, lined, jeans, leggins, cords, whatever)
3-4 long sleeve tops (silk or cotton knit)
1 dressier black cardigan sweater
1 bulkier pullover sweater neutral color
1@ hat, scarf, gloves, travel umbrella
1 wool winter coat just below the knee length
1 pr comfortable black boots with rubber sole
1 pr walking shoes or dark sneakers
1 pr of slipper and something to sleep in
appropriate underwear, bra, socks

Have none of you world travelers ever been to Europe in cold weather and noticed that the cafes have fleece throws on the chairs outside so that people can be comfortable sitting outdoors?

The OP said she was thinking of wearing 3 pairs of yoga pants at the same time to keep warm -- except because she is short, she figured that it might make her look funny enough that her husband would laugh at her for 18 days.

I suggested a fleece pencil skirt -- but since they are often so expensive (they are actually fashion items, folks, with Fendi selling them for $800 plus, although you can find some for under $100 if you dig around) -- I also included a link to a very inexpensive stretch cotton skirt that could be worn over pants or tights would be a better layer than 3 pairs of yoga pants for warmth.

Up to the petite OP what she wants to wear, but if you have never seen fleece skirts in Europe on petite women (or enjoyed wearing them with boots when it is cold) you might not want to display your ignorance so broadly.

http://www.luisaviaroma.com/index.as...issionJunction

http://www.matchesfashion.com/product/215237

http://www.lyst.com/clothing/rick-ow...ce-long-skirt/

http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/fashi...pants-image-1/

http://cornerofjoy.blogspot.it/2012/...in-skirts.html

http://www.thefind.com/apparel/info-cotton-fleece-skirt

or you could wear 3 pair of yoga pants and not only look like a baby elephant, but be cold as well

Trying not to get into a fashion argument here. But just because something is expensive it doesn't make it a good idea. And a fleece throw is not the same as a fleece skirt. That said, suze, your recommendations made a lot of sense. The only thing I would add to that would possibly be silk underwear. Nothing much beats it. I've been to Europe in the winter, in snow, and honestly it's not the end of the world. And please don't call me ignorant just because I don't agree with you.

<<The OP said she was thinking of wearing 3 pairs of yoga pants at the same time to keep warm>>

NO she did NOT. She said she was considering wearing a bunch of layers *on the plane* in order to maximize the number of items she had with her, and still be able to pack in a small carry-on suitcase. It was never about warmth. At least pay attention if you're going to start insulting people.

ceezee, Sure you could add silk underwear if you're spending a lot of time outdoors or hiking or something. That is an actual packing list from a winter Switzerland trip of mine, but I was only in towns and cities not up in the mountains (which I don't think MsWorthy will be either from her list of destinations).

Yeah, suze, you're right about the silk underwear. Unless I was going to be in bitter cold, way under zero Fahrenheit, I'd skip it. I like hiking and am an outdoorsy person but I don't add them either. Their main draw is they take no space and for a top, they can add a nice layer under a sweater without any bulk.

& i know some people also like to use them for PJs because they pack so small and wash & dry overnight.

Cheese: sandralist/zeppole doesn't joke about ANYTHING. Trust us she was serious - daft but serious.

A full length fleece skirt. More than bizarre IMO.

And trust me, someone on a budget trip sure as hell ain't going to rush out to the nearest Fendi boutique to pick up a $800 skirt.

No long underwear, silk or otherwise: when dressing in layers, the bottom layer shouldn't be the one you'd want to pull off if you get too warm.

I doubt anyone is going to rush out and get an $800 fleece skirt. Well, at least no one I know. She couldn't have been serious. But apparently she has been more than one person here.

Ah, janisj.... Thank you for the information about the other name, I now understand.

bvlenci, I am usually too warm so I like to be able to get quickly down to the least amount of clothing. This is what happens when you ar a woman of a certain age. Or someone from Minnesota who likes to feel cold in general.

I've been a whole bunch of people! What on earth difference does it make to the OP?

I gave a link to a skirt that costs less than $20. TWENTY DOLLARS!!!

I mentioned the $800 Fendi skirt for people who think fleece skirts don't think they are worn in Europe.

And now I will give a link to a picture of a very pretty (and short) woman wearing a skirt over pants in London in February. I am not certain it is fleece but it is close.

http://www.thesartorialist.com/photo...strand-london/

A lot of us women wear long skirts in winter over tights and knit pants in winter in Europe. Yes, I am serious. It is a great way to pack light if you are traveling in winter because pants are very small and light to pack and you can keep wearing the same skirt without needing to wash it.

I don't think the OP will warm enough in many places wearing yoga pants. She doesn't need to wear a skirt but she needs something more than yoga pants.

For the OP (hi again!):

I should have typed that tights or knit pants are easy to pack. I would not try to take jeans and cord pants as is being suggested if you are trying to do carry on. And no, I don't think you should wear 3 pairs of yoga pants on the plane. A long skirt would definitely look better ! -- but if you don't like skirts then I do highly recommend some long johns as I said before rather than bulky pants and sweaters. There are not expensive if you buy them on clearance and they are super light and super small in your suitcase.

But now I am going to go change this screen name and create a new ID, so you won't hear from me again as sandralist. It's something I do to drive the biddies on Fodor's crazy. And they think I take things too seriously???

The issue wasn't wearing a skirt over a pair of tights or pants.

If you feel that you need to keep changing identities in order to be taken seriously, then you should probably rethink your objectives. Usually those of here are just trying to help others. Of course, you might have other objectives.

I am a person who is used to wear jeans trousers all the time and haven't wear a skirt for ages. I would never wear one on a trip, over trousers or not, simply because it is not me and I would feel uncomfortable. And I have been in Poland on winter on -20 degrees and manage fine with my jean trouser, standy walkign shoes and a sort sleeved T-shirt, a long sleeved T-shirt and a sporty thin jacket on top. This doesn't mean it could work for everyone but it worked for me.

I think that feeling comfortable (on all aspects) is important while traveling. It is hard to know what works for each person and I think generic ideas such as "get dressed in layers" or "you will need a piece of cloth which is not bulky but keeps you warm" and the most important "be prepared for lots of walking on uneven terrain and get appropriate shoes" are absolutely fine. Or advice like "More formal dressing is appropriate for X venue so you do not feel out of place" or "Casual clothing is fine roaming the streets of Y and visiting Z attraction".

But I am not sure getting into so much details as of how many pair of underware someone travels with or which brand of shoes he wears are of use. Everyone is different and get dressed differently. The more one travels the more s/he gains experience and sees what works for his/her self, customised on his/her needs and personal dressing style.
I might be wrong but I feel this topic has gone over the top somewhow.