For a normal travelller who stays at an hotel with a lift and porter - the majority certainly have a lift, otherwise they really would not be worth considering; organises a transfer or can easily take a cab what is the point of having to weat the same item of clothing again? When at home one always wears cleanly cleaned and pressed garments so why change when on holiday. I couldn't fit my handluggage into a 22" case let alone the clothes, it is really most impractical. Furthermore why waste the 30kg+ allowance that you are buying in the price of your ticket?

Isabel!!! BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO
You made it all VERY clear to me. I thank you wholeheartedly.

M-kingdom.. is your driver busy in october?

"I don't get it. Why pack light? It isn't a virtue as far as I know. The airlines are very liberal in their allowance per person and I see no reason not to take advantage of that."

Just an FYI. The airlines are NO longer quite so generous with their luggage allowances. Today while I stood in line in Norfolk VA to change my ticket TWO people were charged overweight fees for international luggage. There was a lot of screaming (Including from those of us stuck behind these people) It was expensive. CHECK THOSE WEBSITES!!!

This topic has got me thinking.

Does anyone know what happens if you've packed a 22" carryon, but didn't weigh it....

(For illustrative purposes imagine that it is over the weight limit - and imagine you're on a European carrier - such as Swiss or Iberia.)

You get to the gate and for some reason, the airline thinks your bag might be too heavy, do they (a) gate check as I think they would in the US on domestic flights or (b) make you go all the way back to ticketing at the front of the airport and check the bag yourself?

Does anyone know the answer to this?

Thanks,
SRS

Gate check. They're (typically though irregularly) interested in enforcing the rules not in sending you to Baggage Check Hell.

To SRS, regarding Swiss Airlines and being overweight:

Last year on a flight from Paris to Zurich, my husband's 21" bag was 5 pounds overweight. We were at the ticket gate when they stopped us. We had just finished a 2 week trip thru France and had acquired lots of guide books. So, he had to stop right there and unpack the heavy stuff into a small duffle to carry on, then check his 21" bag.

I am proud of all of you pack lighters! More power to you. It goes against my genetic makeup to pack light! I probably will be declared the "former Fodorite, known as Judyrem". Oh well, let the good times roll! I am off to London tomorrow SCHLEPPING my 25" bag filled to the brim! :-D Judyrem also known as heavybags ;-)

By the way, the reason for the screaming in Norfolk was that neither of these people had anything to repack into. Their carry on's were small and FULL! so.... they paid... I could not hear the amount.

My suggestion is to go to www.ricksteves.com and read his suggestions. They do work and I can do it. (I don't always since I travel a lot with my mother who could NOT do it no matter what!)

m_kingdom:

I always travel in clean and pressed (well, wait a minute - not necessarily ironed, but at least wrinkle-free) clothing, and I do change my clothes every day (not two or three times a day as you have mentioned - what's up with that? A body odor issue?), and I still find I can easily manage with one 22" suitcase for a trip of one week or four.

I don't have personal drivers. I do stay in hotels with lifts. I don't use porters (show me where they are when you disembark the train at Périgueux, please?), and I have NEVER had anyone unpack for me at a hotel. I think I would freak if I did. But then, I'm not spending the 400 € or whatever it was you said one needed to spend to have a good night's sleep in Paris.

Your travel style is obviously derived from the Grand Tours of the late 19th Century. Modern travelers, unless they have fetishes or are too wealthy for their own good, don't take two large suitcases and two carryons and six pairs of shoes. Heavens! People travel around the world for a year with less than that.

Your packing advice is unfortunately virtually useless for anyone visiting this board. We all know better, even those who tend to overpack.

In my few months of posting to this board, I have yet to understand why anyone takes the bait of m kingdom.

In reading M-Kingdom's last post, one is inclined to believe that the extra luggage room is merely to bring back some extra bottles of wine! (wink, said with a smile and only kidding around).

Fortunately, not everyone packs light and tries to bring all of their belongings on board for a three week trip. There are very few planes that could actually accommodate every passenger on board bringing a 22" carryon. The last passengers in coach wouldn't have a chance to stow their bags. The size of the crap that people bring on board and somehow get away with is amazing. I've seen two people throw enough baggage in an overhead that was meant for two rows of three. Keep that in mind.

Bill

St. Cirq, don't ya get the feeling that m kingdom is pulling our collective leg?

Packing ideas depend on : time of year, having a car or not, will you be with a group of people, seeing friends or relatives etc., do you go to dress up places etc.
My husband and I usually travel in late Fall or early Spring when it is cool, just the two of us,we rent a car,stay in 3 star hotels usually or nice B&B's, move every day or two, and while we don't eat at extrememly fancy restaurants..we do eat well in mid to upper restaurants sometimes.. Black slacks have always done me well,(even at the opera in Vienna in Nov.) along with a dark jacket(or lightweight black raincoat).
I take 3 black stylish polyster pants, black (or beige cartigan) with bright knit shirts under , OR long sleeved comfortable , nice looking knit tops. 2 pairs black walking shoes....etc
One of the fun parts of traveling is finding a laundrymat in the middle of a two week trip....experience visiting with local people or other travelers. Takes a couple of hours at the most and sometimes there is a big supermarket closeby to experience that!
A little nylon bag , 4x6 inches folded, and put in the suitcase will expand to a fairly large bag on the return and can hold all the dirty clothes, leaving room in the suitcase for minimal purchases.
One can only wear "one outfit at a time", and though I occasionally get tired of myself in the same things...I am always clean and, hey, when traveling why not make it easy and concentrate on the travel part?
Having said this, we usually each take a 24 or (26") suitcase...leaving them in the car at night and only carrying a small little duffle bag into the hotel with toilteries and change of clothes.
The two times we WERE with a group in one location for two weeks, I of course took more variety of colors and various changes of clothes.Well, everyone is different, but I always enjoy hints and reading how others do.

May I presume that we all like to explore, by foot the places where we are travelling to? Let's suppose I can, after a few hours sightseeing, walking around the shops, etc. one's clothes become creased and tired looking, and are as such completely unsuitable for wear again unless they are pressed. However, it is terribly dull to be seen in the same thing day in, day out so change a couple of times a day to avoid this.

I think nudist resorts would suit lots of our travellers here, they'd never have to worry about what to wear.

I think match.com will suit m_kingdom !If he disrespects "travelers here" so much why bother to be here ?
(just fell like my collective leg was pulled again)

Well.... maybe one of us could get a job as M_kingdom's porter. We could pack light. We could just wear her excess.... It's not like anyone who has that much stuff will notice.

However, I think this woman is a figment of her own imagination! She is not even a realistic traveler when you look at how the truly rich travel.

What makes you think M-Kingdom is a woman?????

Well done Ziana, a very interesting post with passion of both sides. My packing is very similar to Scribbler's except I bring old underwear that I throw out each day (Vacation time is always time to buy new underwear, I just leave the new ones home.)and I don't bring the longjohns. I also include a small bottle of Woolite to do a small hand wash. I love the freedom of not having to lug heavy bags. 1 22" and a carry one (for all my meds etc) is plenty for a week or a couple of weeks. Actually I find I pack the same for a long weekend as I do for two weeks. Different tops and a few scarfs can make an outfit look differently. For my husband, two pairs of pants are sufficient. The one he wears on the plane and an extra one. Tops, a sweater and a brazer that he wears on the plane. I also save any of his boxer shorts that are looking a bit frayed to use a throw aways. M kingdom can't be real. I have not seen anyone travelling with that much stuff since the Titantic days.

I always think I travel relatively light seeing people with hundreds of cases and trunks in the lobbys of the various hotels i stay at.