whoknew

I'd take fewer pants and shirts. I went to Rome for New Year's and spent 10 days (not including travel days). Besides the clothes I wore on the plane(jeans, long sleeved sweater, wore my coat onto the plane) I brought:

1 pair black pants
1 pair dark brown corduroy pants
1 pair dark grey jeans type pants (hard to explain the material but incredibly lightweight)
Black turtleneck
Grey turtleneck
2 long sleeved lightweight sweaters
Dressy blouse for New Year's Eve, which I wore with the black pants.
1 pair low-heeled walking boots
slippers (hate walking around hotel rooms barefooted or even in socks)
lightweight pajamas
5 pair undies (had one washing day halfway through)
Socks
A couple of lightweight scarves, gloves and a couple pieces of jewelry.

Everything coordinates so I can take fewer things.

I have packed a smaller backpack for a 28 day trip and I know it can be done with some serious editing.

StCirq

No apologies needed, NLSpirit. I get it now. Sounds very practical.

cheryllj

REI has a large selection of women's pants that convert to capris. Some are zip-off and some are roll-up.

http://www.rei.com/product/798925

http://www.rei.com/product/794900

I brought a roll-up style to Greece and liked it a lot for the versatility. Rolled up the cuff when trekking around the volcano and getting dirty, and rolled down at dinner time. They are casual pants, not dressy, but I had another nicer pair too.

With practice, it is not hard to pare down to a carry-on. I traveled to Greece with a friend who is even more a girly girl than I am, and we both managed with a 22" only (maybe even 21" for her), and looked pretty good. A pair of nice black pants and a bright festive top will take you almost anywhere, and we each brought a simple black skirt that worked with all our tops. As everyone has said, the key is that every top works with every bottom (black and khaki pants, black skirt always works for me).

Shoes are always the trickiest for me, and it's taken a lot of trial and error, but I can get by with 3 pairs that work for most occasions: one pair of hiking shoes that I wear in transit, one pair of sturdy walking sandals (or flats, whatever you can walk all day in, depending on season), and a pair of dressier sandals for night usually does it.

scatcat

I don't have so much trouble packing clothes. It's all the other stuff...hair products and comb, brush, curling iron, make-up, moisturizers, vitamins, chargers for the phone, camera, netbook. Does anyone else pack all this junk? I have fine straight hair, so I really need the hair stuff, and I am blond, so I REALLY need the make-up. But all the weight adds up.

kathcoll

my favorite packing tip was to pack weeks in advance, and then try living out of your suitcase for a week.It helps you get used to just how much shampoo and make up you really need. Take the smallest containers possible.

I've now learned that any length trip needs the same stuff I need for 3 days. I wear everything twice (except underwear - wear one set pack 6 -they don't take any room)and do laundry once a week.

All slacks are black. Blouses are dressed up by pretty and easy to pack silk scarves

If cold and rainy weather anticipated - I wear my coat/raincoat at the airport - even if I don't need it that day. It makes a nice blanket in flight. Same with sweaters - I wear them boarding.

Ann1

Scatcat: No, I leave the curling irons home, I put face creams in little jars, I take eye make-up only, netbook doesn't take much space, camera is small, chargers are small, vitamins I put in the thin 7 day weekly containers (it fits 3 weeks worth). I've been traveling for years and years not having vitamins in the original containers and no one has given me any problems even when they open my suitcase. I have thin straight hair also and I tie it up. I don't fuss when I'm away. I also leave all the jewelry home.

Our policy is "you pack it, you carry it" and I just don't have the strength to drag around my whole world.

nytraveler

IMHO a 25" bag is fine and who cares what it weighs as long as you won;t be carrying it?

That said I think 4 shoes is overkill for a week - you should be able to wear 1 and pack 2.

And don;t think you need 5 pants plus 2 capris plus pants you are wearing on the plane (you should be able to get 2 wearings unless they are white and get dirty very easily) unless a couple are for evening in a nice restaurant.

And I wouldn;t call you an "overpacker". My SIL is an overpacker - a bulging 30" suitcase plus 2 large carry-ons for a 2 week trip. (She takes a terry bathrobe with matching mules, and never mind what else.)

more_please

I'm new here and see I'm in the minority.

Eliza, we may be related. I'm a chronic overpacker as well but I've rationalized it and it helps to have an overpacker for a husband (he insists on bringing his Uggs for lounging in hotels). It seems to me that if you're staying put in one hotel in one city, you can take a larger suitcase. You're going to Paris! It will be fun to look great and have choices. If you really want to cut down though, I think you could eliminate 2 or 3 pairs of pants and if you eliminate those, you may be able to eliminate the shoes you planned to wear only with those pants.

djkbooks

<<I don't have so much trouble packing clothes. It's all the other stuff...hair products and comb, brush, curling iron, make-up, moisturizers, vitamins, chargers for the phone, camera, netbook. Does anyone else pack all this junk?>>

Yup. Sounds exactly like my "bathroom bag". Plus plug adapters, pharmaceuticals, etc. Now that Air France charges for a second bag, I'm faced with the challenge of getting all that into my main suitcase, without going back to the larger one. I've refined the "collection" over the years, but still! I can use only totally unscented products, so absolutely have to bring those.

cigalechanta

Rollin clothes saves room, tuck smsll items in shoes.

Joestrip

cstearns - I giggled at your "leave undies behind" comment. Undies don't take up much room. When I pack for the kids their travel wardrobe was always items that they were about to outgrow or were "tired" looking. These clothes were left behind (I always hoped they found new owners) to make room in the carry on for their souvenirs. Fast forward 10 years, my children, now adults, still only pack a carry on to avoid the baggage claim and lost luggage and they pack clothes that don't necessarily need to make a round trip. I vote 2 shoes, 2 slacks (light & black) shawl, dress, 1 top for ea 2 days AND HAT during the summer--this includes what I am wearing.

Ohiobarbara

Your overpacking sounds like me! My husband and I each take a 29-inch but with the weight change from 70 to 50 pounds, it becomes too heavy. I'd like to downsize to 26-inch. We have nylon duffles that we use as carry-ons and then pack the contents in the suitcase since we're allowed one bag on the tour bus. They don't complain about weight. We are going on two back-to-back Trafalgar tours and will be gone 17 days. We rarely get 2 days in a city and days are full. How do I manage laundry for that? People will see us wear the same stuff over and over. Do you have an intervention to offer us to fix our addiction? Thanks.

jubilada

Although I understand the desire to pack light and do so myself I just want to point out that the checked bag fees , while annoying, are not that much when figured as part of a vacation costing thousands.

spcfa

It's true that, relatively speaking, the dollar cost of baggage fees are minimal. But the true cost of carrying heavy is in the toll it takes on your body (lugging, shifting, maneuvering) and your time (deciding, maneuvering, repacking). Packing light is more than sensible or economical, it's liberating.

eliza61

Thanks everyone,
Ok I'm eliminating one pair of shoes (sorry, I need 2 comfy pair and a dressy pair) and 2 pants.

I can check the big bag for free and my carryon goes with me. I gave myself a giggle because I realized that I am now taking more colors of lipstick than pairs of pants.

I appreciate everyones help and suggestions.
I'll have my laptop with me so look out for a trip report next week.

Happy trails.
E

Barbara_in_CT

Trust me, no one on your Trafalgar tour will notice how many times you wear something. They are too concerned with their own wardrobe to notice yours.

Iowa_Redhead

<<We are going on two back-to-back Trafalgar tours and will be gone 17 days. We rarely get 2 days in a city and days are full. How do I manage laundry for that? People will see us wear the same stuff over and over. Do you have an intervention to offer us to fix our addiction?>>

Do you think they aren't going to be wearing the same stuff over and over too?? Anyway, who cares? It's not a bad thing if people see you wearing the same clothes a few times over a few weeks.

You absolutely can make a 17 day bus tour with just one bag. Most of the Trafalgar tours aren't like cruises where you change clothes three times a day. Take a pair of black slacks or a simple dress and dress it up and change the way it looks with a scarf or jewelry. On the last tour with Trafalgar, about half of the group dressed up a bit for only the last dinner. When I say dressed up, nobody was dressed up more than business casual. We usually didn't waste much time with worrying about looking fancy, there were much more fun things to be doing! Beyond that, you said back to back tours so you'll be with two different groups of people anyway.

For curiousity's sake, what tours are you taking? I like Trafalgar and tend to travel alone so I join tour groups like Trafalgar or Cosmos.

Don't try to pack for 17 days, that's overwhelming and you end up with a 60+ pound bag. Pack for 6 or 7 days. I use a 25" bag and pack more than I really need to, but it works for me. The trick is to take clothes that mix and match and not specific outfits that can only be worn together.

Remember that for most tours you don't really get too dirty/sweaty anyway, so you usually don't need to wash clothes after each wearing. Socks, bras and undies can be washed in the sink and dry overnight. Otherwise those are all small and lightweight and you can pack extra. A tiny bottle of febreeze might help your clothes feel fresh if you want (I don't do that but some people like to). You can rinse out the waistband of pants in the sink and if they're not 100% dry the next morning you can use the hairdryer on them as it's a pretty small area.

Keeping in mind that I pack more than I really need to, I tend to pack something like 3 pairs of jeans and a pair of black slacks. 5-6 t-shirts, 7 or 8 each of bras, socks and undies. Walking shoes and black comfy dress shoes. A cardigan sweater. Various bathroom items, electronics and any special items for the specific trip such as a coat and gloves or a cotton over-shirt to hide from the sun. That all includes what I wear on the plane.

One trick is to use a packing list, lay everything out on a bed ahead of time and see if anything can do double duty so that you can leave an item home. Pack everything into your suitcases. Ignore your carryon duffle bags at this point. Remember that since you're traveling with you husband you likely only need one of many items such as shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste, etc. Leave one days worth of clothes and shoes out of the bags and weigh the bags. The goal is to leave with each bag weighing no more than about 35 pounds. When you get ready to go, simply pull out the items you want to take in your carryon and you're set. Pack ahead of time as a trial run so you're not messing around with suitcases at 3am the night before you leave.

You can absolutely get down to a 26" bag and have it weigh under 35-40 pounds when you leave.

Ann1

One thing to remember.....pack light so you have room to buy things you want. If you run out of blouses, you can buy one..a great memory of your vacation. Most of my clothes and shoes are from Italy. The reason is because the clothes and shoes in Italy fit me better (probably because I'm from an Italian family) So whenever someone says...Oh I love that where did you get it?....I say, Italy. My husband had to buy underwear in Rome thanks to the volcano and they're the most comfortable ones he has.

StCirq

<<I am now taking more colors of lipstick than pairs of pants.>>

Wow. I never take more than one lipstick on any trip.

And so true about buying something if it turns out you need it. Almost all my clothes at this point come from Europe. It's true that I always come home with more clothes than I left with.

Ohiobarbara

We are taking Wonderful France and then Treasures of France. We have been to Paris twice but this will be our first time to travel the country. We have used Trafalgar to tour the UK, Italy and Eastern Europe. We also took one that was only London and Paris which was mostly on our own. While the more adventurous don't like bus tours, it suits our travel style well. We have been lucky with great tour guides who make sure we have interesting places to visit in the evening. I know they get kickbacks, but we aren't forced to buy anything. We enjoyed the opportunity to try restaurants we wouldn't have seen on our own. It's also fun to meet people from a variety of English-speaking countries.