Apres, that sounds like a wonderful trip, even though you are shortchanging Paris. You may not have space for souvenirs at home but what about something--or some things--nice to wear?

And yes, I have dutifully saved my pennies and vacation days and will be off to Rwanda and Kenya, finally finally! I am sort of promising to take my sister's family to either France or Italy the following year, so I need to do what <i>I</i> want to do this year. But the carry-on luggage question remains to be seen.

Happy travels to you!

Leely, can you wear the hiking boots instead of packing them?

Apres, if you're not sure whether you'll need the duffel bag, don't pack it. If you do end up needing more space, just pick up one of those huge cheap reusable grocery bags from Tesco or Shopi.

@MademoiselleFifi - I see that you are located in NYC, just as I am. I am in love with the Lipault line. I am gearing for my Europe trip and always looking for lightweight luggage since I travel light. Do you/anyone else know where I can purchase this line at a discounted price? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Oh rats. I just typed a reply about not liking my 24" Lipault bag and clicked something, making it (the reply, not the bag) disappear into the ether. Here's a condensed version: It's very light, but configured in such a way to make packing it inconvenient. It has only one large zippered compartment on the outside that should definitely be divided into two, IMHO; it's difficult to pack efficiently because it's hard to get items into the corners; the top sags when the bag is open on a flat surface, so you have to use one hand to hold it up while you use the other hand to access items in the bag. I'm planning to sell mine on EBay.