jane

A few staples I always take: a number of ziplock baggies, and take about 10 sheets of 12" x 12" aluminum foil, press them together and fold up; both are great for leftovers. I have a TINY cutting board, and as one other poster mentioned, I bring two of my good knives, wrapped in a dish cloth in the middle of my checked baggage. The only thing I consistently find in Europe that I crave is diet 7-up. But the fois gras, the cheese, and the local wine certainly makes up for that trivial item! If we stay where we can cook, I often bring a small jar of olive oil so we can cook some fish and veggies, but the local herbs are terrific, as is the produce! I certainly don't miss my Von's grocery store in Europe! Two other things I always take: Fabreeze in the little squirt bottles if you go to pubs etc where people are smoking and you want to freshen up your clothes- and if you don't like the smell of smoke- those little circular "Stick ups"- really help if you get a room in a hotel where people have smoked. And of course travel sized "baby wipes" for cleaning your hands!

007

For those hauling parring knives, here's a little tip. I put mine in one of those plastic tubular toothbrush holders, then in a Zip Loc. This should help keep the blade from damaging things in your luggage.

Getting out of my car one day, my apple knife slipped from it's shield, through my lunch bag, through my slacks and scraped my leg. As a result, I use the above method for traveling, and keep a knife in my desk drawer for when I brown-bag.

kate

I am killing myself laughing at some of the posts here. Jane, you don't seriously take Olive Oil TO Italy. I had to read that about 5 times to believe my eyes. Italy is one of the premier manufacturers of olive oil in the world. And as for those of you taking Coffee, do you take home brew wine when you go to France? Oh no, you probably do....

Marpha

Yes, and they seriously wonder why us Europeans sometimes laugh at Americans!!!

Pris

I think some of you are being horrendously unfair to Joan et al just because she mentioned instant coffee. I daresay some of you -- who, as Joan and I do, love Italy and Italian food enough to stay in Tuscany for 3 wks -- probably have your own idiosyncrasies in the morning or late night that you could happily forego for a short period of time but would get quite tetchy after a longer time going without. Confess.

As to instant coffee itself, my mother says it's a beverage she drinks in the early mornings in motels that bears no resemblance to the "real" coffee she'll drink later on. Has a different function -- doesn't require a pot and jump-starts the day.

My own problem is caffeine sensitivity so I travel with a stash of herb tea bags. I learned quickly in Europe that I would be greeted with confusion and/or outright derision if I asked for it in any restaurant or store. Just much more pleasant to have my own. I'll go without for a few days, but not for three weeks.

GIJoe

I take lots of Juicy Fruit to give to all the little street urchins so they don't steal the wheels off my jeep.

Paul

Peanut Butter! my weakness....

By the way, you can get Sweet-n-Low/Equal in Tuscany at the grocery stores. It's called "Dietor", and works the same as the blue or pink packs. Most bars have it along with sugar (but not all). I usually buy a box when I get there, then carry a few in a zip-loc bag during the day.

carolyn

I must say that I too think taking olive oil to Italy is a bit "nuts"...but to each his own. But this thread has opened up other suggestions that aren't food stuffs - I wouldn't have thought of taking my own knife, cutting board or even to lift sugar from restaurants to take. I think one need not take any foodstuffs but suggestions for other stuff is great - ziplocs and tinfoil sheets - what great ideas!!

Christina

I usually take a little instant coffee because I need a cup of coffee before going out in the morning, and I don't like real strong Eur. coffee for breakfast, nor milk in my coffee. You aren't going to want or be able to brew a pot of coffee all the time, either. However, what I do wonder about is the idea that you can't buy instant coffee in Italy. I don't know, I haven't tried, but I have bought groceries in France a lot and there is plenty of instant coffee in the stores there. In fact, I like one of their brands better than US brands, as it's an instant espresso (of course, doesn't taste like real espresso, just more like a full-flavored coffee). I think that's a Nescafe coffee as that company is big in Europe all over (isn't it Swiss?), and has several types of coffee in stores; there are other brands, also. Is Italy really so different that you can't buy instant coffee there?

steve

a couple of years ago, one of the american cyclists in the tour de france mentioned in his internet diary that he could use some peanut butter. He was subsequently flooded with jars of it.

I take a pack of Balance bars for nutricious snacks

?

What exactly are vegemite and marmite?

wendy

Well, it's only three weeks, but I'd pack a tin of Ortega chiles.

xxx

Why would any healthy person want to bring food TO Italy? FROM Italy to the US, Canada, Australia, British Isles, etc, maybe, but TO Italy????

Joanna

Funny how some people on these forums say you should experience as much of foreign places as you can, then others say "yuck" about foreign things. An intrepid traveller you're not if something like vegemite puts you off travel. As for "bugs", I don't see that tourists have much contact with them, unless they are camping in the rainforests.

xxx

Must we go all the way to Australia to learn what marmite and vegemite are? Is it a secret?

Florence

For those who can't live without Marmite/Vegemite: it goes by the name of Cenovis in Switzerland, and you can find it in any grocery store.

Ursula

Florence: You are right about "Cenovis" in Switzerland. I thought it had disappeard from the market as almot no publicity is made for it.
BTW: Are you Swiss or American or..? Just wondered as - according to your e-mail address - you must be here in Switzerland.

Florence

Franzosisch in Genf. Can't live without cenovis on my tartines for breakfast, Marmite/Vegemite have saved my life (or at least my breakfast) abroad.

Al

British friends visiting us in Arizona packed along their little jar of Marmite. When asked what the gooey, tar-like gunk is made of, they said it is a yeast by-product. Does that sound right?

Florence

Yes Al, that's what it is. Typical of beer producing countries. BTW, I'm planning a trip to AZ (Chino Valley), possibly soon. Would you like some ?