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Packing tips/seek your tips and advice

12 days, mostly in Italy, with 3 train trips. Taking only the 22" carry on and another soft sided carry on bag. Help...did 18 days in a 26" and thought that was a challenge. Will be in Venice for Carnivale and then to Bologna for a few days. Fly into Zurich and then take the trains around. Would welcome tips and advice, esp since Venice may be wet with the tides. Thanks

Hi, One thing which may help: take as few shoes as you can get away with. and make sure the ones you do take are very comfy. You can always buy the hip waders in Venice if you need 'em. (I saw boots on sale at various places). You may luck out, I did - and I just got back last week. There was some rain and they did put the big planks up, but otherwise - not more than puddles here & there. actually your luggage size sounds OK. try to avoid big bulky sweaters, instead, a lot of cotton turtlenecks & also take Ts to layer for warmth if necessary (who is gonna see 'em). if you take any heavy sweater, at least wear it when you are moving place to place (on the plane, on the train). wearing something big is much easier than carrying it - it distributes the weight. It may not be all that cold, it was low 50s in Venice & got a little colder at night. but a scarf and gloves makes a difference too & that is light. one other thing I did, which you may or may not be interested in doing - I took old clothes with me. all quite presentable, just stuff I hadn't worn in a while - the old cotton turtlenecks & Ts, old jeans - mixed in with newer stuff. The old stuff got canned when I was done wearing it, jeans included. The only pants I had when I got back were on my body. same with socks, etc. it beats washing 'em. My luggage was the same size as yours, and I had enough room to take a fresh change of all clothes for each day (jeans excluded, had to wear them a few days in a row prior to chucking) which meant no time wasted washing anything, and my luggage got progressively lighter, until I bought souvenirs but that's another story. this may or may not work for you. but in my experience it was just fine. Beth

It all depends upon the nature of your planned activities. Different activities require different kinds of clothes and paraphernalia. When possible bring some clothes than can be washed in the hotel sink and that dry fast, and some things that can be worn more than once. Always bring enough shoes that are comfortable for the planned activities like walking many miles. Do not cut down on your packing by skipping the shoes for walking or hiking or climbing or rain, but you could skip the shoes that you would take only to look nice for a short time.

Shelly, This may help for tips. BOB’S BLURBS: GOOD TIPS FOR EUROPEAN TRAVEL MONEY MATTERS: Use your CREDIT CARD for everything. It gives you a record later, and offers the best exchange, based on the current bank rates.Get your daily cash at the local ATM machine--they are everywhere.Make sure your card has the CIRRUS or PLUS network, and use a 4 digit numeric PIN code. The menus will give you an English option. Take a small amount in TRAVELERS CHECKS as back-up only. DRIVING TIPS: Try to avoid driving in the major cities at all. On the AUTOSTRADA, stay out of the left lane unless passing. The big boys may be driving 120 MPH behind you and will run you down. USE your turn blinkers.Most of Europe has good signage on the highways., so learn to trust the signs that say " TO SIENA ", the road numbers will confuse you. Most toll stations will have a lane that will let you pay by credit card. PACKING:The rule is; "you can only pack what YOU can tote for 2 blocks".Plan to take only 2 bags, a major one with wheels that you will check, and an over-niter that can hold all the IMPORTANT items that you MUST have with you. Assume you have to live from it for TWO DAYS---medicines, toiletries, travel documents, camera, etc. Save space by buying travel size toiletry products before you travel. Pack a canvas tote bag to hold the extra GOODIES you buy in Europe. Bring your own wash cloths, liquid soap, and some plastic baggies. Other important items will be a very good pair of WALKING SHOES,a raincoat, a hat for rainy and bad hair days, and a secure fanny pack. HOW TO DRESS: Europeans dress less casually than most Americans. Do not dress to stand out as a tourist. Plan your outfits around color families ,and do not be afraid to wear the same basic outfit for 3 days in a row. Avoid large coats and jackets---try to use layers. Temps will often vary widely during the day and you will be flexible by dropping layers. Plan to wear your most bulky items on the plane--sport coat, shoes etc. TRAVEL TOOLS: Your most valuable asset is a good map. I like the MICHELIN 400 series for the primary area of your trip. A good guide book is a must. The Michelin Green book is great to carry as you travel, but you may also want a more comprehensive one for research before the trip. The EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES are the best I have found. Be sure to take these basic TRAVEL TOOLS---you will probably need them:* Swiss army knife/corkscrew * currency calculator * adapter plugs extra camera battery * copies of travel documents * extra reading glasses

My best advice is to get a backpack instead of conventional luggage. I can carry a lot more weight on my back than I can with my arms. They're ideal if you're sludging across wet, mucky, uneven terrain. You can get them in large carry on size, or slightly bigger that must be checked. As for clothes, in cold weather I always take my polartec fleece pullover. It's really warm and even warmer if you wear a t-shirt or something underneath. The best thing about it is that it dries REALLY fast if you need to wash it. If I expect the highs to be around 50, I take that and a goretex raincoat (or any 100% waterproof coat). You're going in April, right? Do they still have high tides in Venice in April? I thought that was mostly a winter problem.

shelly You may not have freezing cold weather (I hope) but one extremely lightweight item that can help you layer and stay warm is a silk long-sleeve tee shirt (some people call it ski underwear) that can be easily washed out and dried overnight. It also helps your turtlenecks, blouses, and pullover stay clean and wearable longer without needing laundering or drycleaning. I bought my first one this year to bring on my Paris trip. As it turned out, the weather was relatively warm in Paris and I didn't need it, but boy have I been wearing it often during our unusually cold winter here at home! When rolled into a ball it takes the same space as a pair of socks. I don't bother with nylon long johns under my pants; I find that a pair of panty hose works very well as a lightweight and warming layer.

I like Europe in the winter, and have done the trip many times. The advice given is excellent, and I'll add: Clothing that does double-duty, like a sleeveless sweater that works as a vest or a top. Always cram in another pair of socks - wet socks are the worst. Don't bother with detergent - shampoo works great. Many hotels have the little bottled amenities, so you don't need to take a gigundo bottle (worse comes to worst, you can always buy a bottle of shampoo). Like Beth, I take clothing that's disposable - the turtleneck that's a little stretched out, the pants that look great but go with nothing I own, the sweater that's not quite my color. Take two pairs of comfortable walking shoes; next to wet socks, wet shoes are the worst. And don't change your usual style - if you normally wear built-up shoes for walking, don't buy slip-ons. You get the idea. Take a scarf and warm gloves; if you get a shawl-type scarf, you can drape it around your shoulders in chilly restaurants as well as wear it around your neck for warmth. Even if the weather isn't cold cold, it can be damp, and your hands will appreciate the gloves (especially when you're hauling luggage and can't stuff them in your pockets).

I agree with elvira on 2 pairs of shoes. But would add take big ziplock bags to put one pair in. One is bound to get wet and they smell worse than wet socks... trust me!

If you take more than two pairs of shoes you are taking too many. And if either pair cvannot be walked in for 10 hours they are the wrong shoes. Period. Look into silk turtlenecks. Less space. Washable. I swear by mine from landsend.com.

Thanks to all; this has been very helpful!!

Pick the smallest size bag plus a carrying on that will also be a backpack and promise yourself, that is it. If you do not have enough room, that item does not go on the trip. I did this last time and was thankful I did not carry more. Pick it and stick with it.

This is just a general message for any time one travels on an airplane. It's generally a good idea to pack an extra pair of underwear and shirt in your carry-on if you're checking your luggage. In case your luggage gets lost, it's always better to have something extra than to have to buy a really ugly shirt at the airport. Packing extra clothing in carry-on goes double for flights that have a couple stops along the way.