Hi M_K!
I have greatly benefitted from other people's posts, including yours, and just wanted to give specific feedback from my own experience in order to help someone else. Clearly, we all have different ways of doing things. So, we have to take what we can from it and move on. Thanks for your feedback.

golly gee, folks. s/he got you again. Can't you learn to IGNORE. Shame on me for responding, but IGNORE is the only way to deal with that sort of post.

Oh for goodness sakes! Just the fact that one reads and responds to this thread means that we all have too much time on our hands. You too M_kingdom.
Who cares? It's better then watching Basketball.
So...
What the heck is a pashmina?
I was intrigued with the post because I'm not leaving for 2 weeks and I'm almost packed. Obviously, I have WAY too much time on my hands. My bag weighs less than 20 pounds.

Janeg,

I agree with you about ignoring these types of posts, and I normally do, but every now and then, the Fodors' grouchs just seem to have forgotten to take their meds, and I feel it's my duty to remind them. :)

YESSS, I am back !
...with 2/3 of my clothes untouched and already transferred into closets. Even my daugter's weren't used all of it.
So, I think you can't teach old dog go to Europe light, ha ?

We used all the sweaters and 3-4 pair of pants each, my husband refused to take leather jacket and was wrong as always:)

I was glad to have my all weather long raincoat, saved me from windy chill in Paris.

So, all t-shirts and warm weather stuff was a waste of energy, who knew, I think this is the price you pay traveling in mid-season.

Thanks to all of you, guys, so long.

McGeezer,
Could you come pack for me? I looked at my schedule for my upcoming trip. I am literally out of town until the day I leave. So I will return home from a business trip either LATE Thursday PM or EARLY Friday AM and later on Friday for Paris.

I will have to pack at least one week in advance and I am a last minute packer. (I travel a lot and have the business packing down!)

giggle...

Ziana, DONT say "dog"...you know why!

My Best,
Oaktown Traveler

I use a tube of laundry detergent to hand wash smaller items. Tube is size of toothpaste tub. Magellan carries it. Silk sweaters dry quickly and look good. New knits that are out do not wrinkle and take up minimum space. Have a great time!

I am back already ! Where have you been ?

I for one am going to copy wifeybug's itemized list along with others from here to base mine on.

Now that we are renting a car I won't have to pack quite as light as I had planned and will be able to take something more than a light sweater for Zugspitze.
The weather we are having now is what is expected in Germany when we go - that helps a lot.

I am in the process of packing for my one month plus trip and for the life of me I cant get it into a carryone 22" and I am traveling solo and will have to transfer between train stations...and I do use ziplock as learned here and one color..but I do need my own meds and lotions and pillowcases. I check as I am going business class but I found out it is in the 50's in Prague and Krakow and Warsaw & really dont want to buy clothes there as I have so many. I have it down to 3 shoes but need a bathing suit & gear for the Spa...I have bought 3 types of suitcases to try to get it into a 22...I marvel at all of you who can..

johanna, if you're going to check anyway, try a 23" or 24". You'd be amazed how much more room it can give you, depending on the suitcase, yet still be manageable by yourself.

3 pieces: a small (less than 25") rolling suitcase, a carry-on tote slipped over the handle, and a small daypack or purse -- I can walk miles with that!

We went to France on April 1, 2002. I packed 2 pair of slacks/pants (navy & olive) and wore the black ones. I did bring a little steam iron. T-shirts, short & long sleeve, black naturally, red & beige. Scarves to dress things up for the evening, one pair of shoes, good for all the walking, a sweater or 2 and a coat. Think layers! A tank or two stretch your outfit "capabilities". PJ's are nice and if you think you will be able to hand wash undies, then you only need to pack a few of those. First place we stayed at had NO outlets at all. Their hairdryer was hardwired! Thank goodness I had a round brush and ponytail holders. Plan for comfort first, style second. Enjoy! We loved France.

Is a Pashima suitable to Rome,florence and Venice weather in october? I am a floridian and not really sure what to wear for ten days of cold weather which seems to range from 58-63 F. What should I bring for night time and how much would I expect it to rain? I would aspire to be of the light packing crowd. And that nudist colony way up in previous posts sounds great.

I have read all these posts. Lots of good ideas. Do you think we will need sweaters in September? My hubby thinks just his light nylon jacket is all that he will need. We will be in Southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. We will be on a bus tour for 10 days, what is appropriate for that type of travel? Would you pack the same, 2 pairs slacks, 4-5 tops, etc? The other 12 days we will be on our own going from place to place so I won't mind wearing the same things in different towns, but on the bus tour we will see these people day after day. Hubby says, so... Want to get by with one 22", one 18" which we will check, and two other carry ons. Still can't decide if my tops should be mostly short sleeved or long sleeved. Any ideas out there? Also, is activewear, like knit type sweats with a zippered jacket acceptable for riding on the bus, or are they only for the gym, etc.? Here you see people wearing them everywhere. Look forward to your advise.

Wish your "advice" not your advise. That spelling error jumped right out at me as I was clicking post.

we're about to take our 2nd 30-day trip to Europe. My husband and i EACH take only ---one---22" roller bag. I always carry a small nylon bag (that i roll up in a ball and tuck into a corner of the suitcase) with a zipper in case i need it to come back with extra "goodies".
Each of us takes 3 pairs of trousers, several tops/shirts, short sleeve and long sleeve. We take a jacket, a thin raincoat/poncho, something to sleep in, and underwear for 4 or 5 days.
I also take a skirt, and 2 co-ordinating scarves.
We take toiletries all in double zip-locked bags, meds, and a few snacks (low blood sugar). I take 2 pairs of shoes, my husband takes one pair.
the key for us, is that everything is hand-washable/drip dry--i.e. polyester, etc., so, if you can't find a laundry after 4 or 5 days, you can hand wash a few things in the evening, and they are dry in the morn, to pack away.
love this site,
surfingmomma

I'm not neccessarily a light packer. I pack what I think I'll need, but keep it to a 26" pullman and a small carry-on bag. I also pack a small collapsible duffle-type bag I can use on the trip home if I've purchased too many treasures. I can always stuff the duffle with clothes and check it with my big suitcase.

I always bring my 26" Samsonite for 4 days weekend, 10-days, or 3 wks trip but I pack very light.

I'd bring one pair of dark pants, one skirt, a few camisoles that can be mixed and match with nice cardigan, my Birkenstocks, my walking shoes, and nice dinner shoes. I wash my undies and socks in the sink. I also never bring magazines.

However, I do this because I love shopping and I always come home with my suitcase packed full of souvenirs :)

You may not believe this but I'm getting ready for four days in Rome followed by an 11-nt Med. cruise (including three formal nights and three "dress-up" nights) and I'm taking only carry-on! I'll take a 22" on wheels and a large duffel bag over my shoulder. (I'll also pack a large empty duffel bag to fill with souvenirs. If I'm loaded down with large souvenirs I'll check one bag on the way back home.) I've done a "dry run" to be sure that it's possible -- and it's not only possible, it's easy.

I bought those plastic bags that allow you to press the air out of your clothing and fit more into your bag. They seem to really work. (I didn't get the kind that uses a vacuum -- you just roll these to squeeze the air out.) Here's how I'm doing it:

I'll wear a sport jacket on the plane and will pack one more. (One will be dark for formal nights and the other is a light colored linen.) In addition to what I wear on the plane I'll have a pair of dark dress slacks (these will be worn for formal nights) and a pair that's a lighter, neutral color.

Silk shirts take up almost no room at all. I'll take four of them, two white dress shirts, and two T-shirts. (I'm sure I'll buy one or two T-shirts during the trip.) Wearing different ties (which take virtually no room) will give the appearance that I'm not wearing the same thing every night -- not that anyone would really notice or care!

Taking five sets of underwear means I'll wash them in the sink twice. I can also easily wash the shirts and T-shirts. I'm sticking to one pair of short pants and one bathing suit -- I can wash it each time I wear it.

Shoes seem to take up the most room. I'll wear casual loafers on the plane (easy to slip off) and will pack one pair of sneakers and one pair of dress shoes.

Even with books, magazines, camera, and toiletries, I have plenty of room in my over-the-shoulder duffel bag.

I won't be the best dressed man in Roma or on the cruise -- but I won't have to worry about my checked luggage being lost or stolen and it won't be too difficult to take my luggage on a train from Rome to the port of Civitavecchia. I can also be out enjoying my vacation while everyone else is stuck waiting for thirty minutes at the luggage carousel.

By the way, I learned how little I really need on vacation when my luggage never showed on an international trip. I kept assuming it would arrive the next day, so I only bought a bathing suit and a nice shirt. I washed out underwear each night in the sink. Six days later, when my luggage still hadn't shown up, I'd learned how much I'd overpacked. (That was more than ten years ago and I'm still waiting for it to arrive!) Since then, I've done several trips to Europe and throughout the US -- always with only carry-on. It's possible!
PS. It is tougher in cold weather climates -- but I don't think I'll have to worry about that this time of year in Rome or the Greek Isles! :)