<BR>We are leaving for a trip to Ireland/Scotland/England in two weeks and have no idea how to "pack light" as many tell us . No clue as to what to expect weather wise - I assumed to pack for Fall-like weather, but was told recently that it is beginning to warm up there. Don't mean to sound like a whiner, but really need good advice. Would love to just hang out in nice jeans and tennis shoes, maybe a wind suit, but want to be a presentable tourist. Raincoats? Just umbrellas? How do you pack light if you have to take sweaters, blazers and sweatshirts? Please help us? Thanks so much in advance!

First of all forget the windsuit unless you are a dye hard jogger. One blazer in a nutural color is fine. No need for sweatshirts when you can wear a s/s shirt with a sweater over it and if it gets hot tie the sweater around your waist or shoulders. Bazler can be worn in church or evenings a couple pairs of dress slacks are fine 5 prs of undies and socks. I've learned to pack as much as I want then after packing go through and start weeding out. Don't need this don't need that. Stick with one or two colors. I use black and grey. Then work from there. An umbrella is fine in the fall. Bring a pair of walking shoes and dress shoes or shoes that can be used for both. Too much luggage can ruin your trip. <BR>

Hi CC - I agree with CJ - with a few exceptions. I always say less in more and have no problem doing a small load of hand wash on any journey. It frees up the suitcase and still leaves you space for those souvenirs you've collected for the trip back. <BR>Black and grey are fine like she said. I find white to be the universal color too. Howeevr, since all three countries will be damp, rainy and dreary at times, an umbrella is a must. I prefer packing a light weight collapsable while rain slicker - the gauzy kind so that if it's crinkeled and wrinkeled you don't care. And I always say comfortable rubber soled shoes are universal day or night. Besides tennis shoes and sneakers are a typical TOURIST giveaway. have a great trip - Dimi

I did navy blue and khaki. A couple pairs of twill pants, a pair of jeans, 4 or 5 t-shirts, a sweater, and a light jacket. 8 sets of underwear, 2 pairs of shoes. I also brought one skirt but never wore it. Spent 3 weeks in Denmark and London, did laundry twice. Got it all into a rolling carryon and big canvas bag that hung on my shoulder or on the rolling carry-on. If it won't fit into that much luggage, don't bring it. The strangers in Europe will never know if you wear the same outfit more than once.

CC it's CJ again one thing I forgot and that is roll, roll, roll. What I did on my last trip was roll every piece in a 1 our two gallon zip lock baggie. Then I labeled the baggie as to what was in it.At times I could get two blouses in one bag and labled as such. Then when I needed something I wouldn't have to wrinkle anything up or un roll. Just read the top of the bag. <BR>

<BR>the weather in ireland at the moment is very unpredictable but one thing you can br sure of is that you will see at least two seasons each day and that there will be a 50% chance of rain.why if you dont have the space for an umbrella dont worry they are very cheap over here.you will definately need a top coat especialy in scotland. england is warm at the moment 25 degrees but you must always remember that because its warm one day it does not mean it will be the same the next.the weater is changeable which is why there is so much greenery.enjoy your trip

Re Dave's response about needing a topcoat for Scotland. This summer in Scotland it has rained almost daily but it has been EXTREMELY mild so perhaps a topcoat will not be required. I should also say that early September has a reputation for being one of the best months of the year to vsiit Scotland. In the countryside the colours are changing, the weather is 'usually' sunny and warm and the roads are not just so busy as the mid-summer months. <BR> <BR>Bill Barr, <BR>Glasgow

Check out Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com), he has a packing list. Pack very little, bring things that are interchangeable - shirts or blouses that match both your pants or skirts. Have fun! <BR>

CC; We were in London and Scotland in June/July. I was very happy with the specific advice I received from this site on packing. The following easily fit into a 21" carry-on type suitcase plus we each had a tote that clipped onto the handle of the suitcase for ease of carrying. Each of us brought (in colors that allowed for varied combinations as mentioned in above posts) 3 pairs of pants (polyester poplin was low on wrinkles and dried quickly when hand washed), 2 pairs shorts, 4 short sleeved shirts, 2 long sleeved shirts, one heavy sweatshirt (or polartech pullover), a raincoat (in its own pouch)that doubled as a windbreaker, pj's, 6 pairs of socks,and six pairs of underwear. I brought a skirt I never used but we didn't go out anywhere fancy because we were traveling with kids. I brought one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of Dexter comfortable walking shoes. We did hand laundry nightly and hung it to dry on a bungie type clothes line I brought with us. I also brought a flat rubber sink plug. Skip the jeans if only because they take too long to dry. We did take tiny light weight foldable umbrellas by Totes. They were easy to carry around and did come in handy in the cities. In the countryside we just pulled up the hoods on our raincoats.As for mild weather in September, we wore our sweatshirt at some point daily in July but your best bet is layering. I hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip!

I had to have something for dressy occasions when we visited England in July and was surprised at how wrinkle free my dark blue silk dress was. It traveled better than anything. We were glad we brought hooded rain jackets, waist length so we could tie them around our waist when the sun came out. Also wore my low ankle hiking "boots" almost everywhere because they kept my feet dry and were not so touristy as white running shoes. So glad I followed the everything should match rule of thumb. Black/ khaki/ grey and a couple of scarves to dress things up. Note that some cathedrals do not allow shorts or short sleeves/ sleeveless, but since I usually wear skirts, I didn't notice. We bought a hanging bag on wheels type suitcase and that was great. Lots of zippers. Also carryon that sat on top. The wheeled suitcases were a lifesaver when catching a plane, etc. <BR>