Still another clothing and luggage question
 

Hi,

After following some other threads on the site, I thought I'd add my specific questions. We are going to Northern Italy (the lakes, Dolomites, Venice, and Milan) for close to 3 weeks starting in mid-May. Am I correct in thinking that it will be warmish everywhere, but colder in the Dolomites? Is there a potential for snow in the mountains.

In recent years, we have traveled in the fall and I usually bring a lot of black. Will this be too hot for the spring? I have been planning on bringing knits and a travel outfit from Chicos, but am now wondering if this is too heavy and I need to rethink everything and think summer. I'd hate to just bring white, since it dirties so quickly. Do I just pack more than usual and think layers to accomodate the various weather changes?

I would love to be just a carry-on kind of gal, but I always seem to pack more than can fit in such a small suitcase. Books, papers with word files of places to see and do, medicines, not to mention clothes, always seem to take up room. And shoes seem to always be the last straw. I have bad feet, so am careful to take walking shoes and sandles, etc. This time I might even need boots if there's snow. Don't know how you guys make do with a small carry-on. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Margret

Hi, Margret:

I always travel with carry-on luggage...a 22-inch rollaboard and a smaller shoulder bag that I use as my "purse" for the flight.

You just have to get very strict with yourself. My color scheme is black and white. Everything must go with everything. I bring a colorful scarf and one set of daytime jewelry and one set of nighttime jewelry...all fakes.

I wear a pair of sandals on the plane and pack one pair of lace-up shoes...both from SAS which are really good for long distance walking.

Choose clothing that is wash and wear. Dress in layers. I allow myself one black sweater. Everything must be worn several times a week or it doesn't get packed. If I expect some colder weather, i have a wind breaker that folds up into a small pouch. I figure if it gets colder than expected, I can always buy a sweat shirt somewhere along the way.

As far as wearing black...it depends on what the fabric is, the sleeve length, and your personal comfort zone. For daytimes that were very warm, I wore my white blouses instead of the black ones. (I packed 2 of each that I alternated for daytime and nighttime. The jewelry and scarf dress you up at night.)

Last year in mid-May this plan worked very well for me in Venice, Lake Como, and Milan. I can't say anything about the Dolomites because we weren't there.

Another good reason for taking as little as possible is that if you are moving around, changing hotels, you will be VERY happy with having less stuff to unpack and repack at each hotel.

After you get started on thinking about this, it almost becomes a game and a challenge...thinking about clever ways to lighten the load.

Let me point out one other important consideration...rules about carry-on luggage! These rules vary from airline to airline. You must know if there are size restrictions and the number of pieces you can carry on the plane. But with SOME airlines, there are also WEIGHT restrictions for carry-on luggage. You have to know about this as well.

Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks, suntraveler. I tend to pack as you do, but always seem to have too much in the end. Maybe I need to find a better 22 inch roll-on suitcase. Actually, for the first time, we are flying business class (with miles) on Swiss Air which always 2 carry-on bags, but somehow, a 24 inch seems easier to manage.

We are renting a car and find that, except for maybe Venice, wheeling a 24 inch isn't difficult. We pack efficiently and don't always totally unpack at each place. Since this is an extended trip ( for us), it might be somewhat different.

I like your idea of staying with black and white, but even here, I wonder just how many pants and tops to bring. I can hand wash and go to a laundramat. I like your idea of truly using wash and wear fabrics. I always try for non- wrinkling fabrics, but sometimes, like the travelers clothes from Chicos, they take a while to dry.

Any ideas about the Dolomites?

I've found that a down vest that is lightweight and an all-purpose item. Depending on what you wear underneath it, you can be quite warm, yet if you start out in the morning when it's cool and it gets hot later, unsnapping it does the trick. When I find myself in a hot place, I either leave it my hotel or just loop it through my luggage handles to transport it. It weighs nothing.

Fleece vests are also good.

For extra insurance in the Dolomites, you might consider packing silk long johns. Under any pair of pants, even the most lightweight ones, they will warm you right up. They rinse out and dry overnight -- and you can wear tham as pjs so they are not just a travel item.

http://www.wintersilks.com/

I was in Switzerland in March and had no need for boots. Good walking shoes will do the trick. I have two pairs of Ecco's that I travel with. Both are black and inconspicuous and work for both walking and dressier occasions.

Black shouldn't be too hot for Spring. I wear it year round in Connecticut. Your travel knits and Chicos outfit will be perfect. I added a fleece vest this year and the silk underwear

I've gotten very strict with packing for myself, even though I enjoy dressing up and changing outfits.

I limit myself to 2 tops for daytime and 2 tops for evening. I wear one top while the other one has been washed and is drying. Having evening tops makes me feel refreshed when we go out for dinner. Of course, I can always interchange things. I pack 2 pairs of slacks.

In addition, I have the outfit I wear on the plane. So I have a total of 5 tops, 3 slacks, a sweater, and a light jacket. Depending on our plans for sightseeing and dinners, I might also pack either a skirt or a non-wrinkle, washable dress.

Everything is a very lightweight, non-wrinkle fabric and can be packed in ziploc baggies.

And of course, in an emergency, if I start to go crazy because of the repeat of clothing, I can calm myself down by GOING SHOPPING.

We weren't in the Dolomites, but were in the Pyrenees of Spain & France last May, so I'm assuming climates should be somewhat similar. If you plan to do ANY hiking at all, I'd suggest you wear real hiking boots with rigid soles (and good socks to go with them). I wore mine on the plane because they are heavier than regular shoes and i did't want to pack them. I actually wore them nearly every day even when we weren't planning on hiking because when we were driving around and stopped at smaller places the terrain wasn't very even. I also took 1 pair of regular shoes and a pair of sandals which doubled as slippers.

I also had a fleece vest which I was glad to have for cooler evenings and mornings and a lightweight waterproof hooded jacket. I wore black quite a bit and it was fine for the time of year. You don't need to pack more than usual, just figure out what will layer properly and mix and match. If you are at all outdoorsy and plan to do anything like this, a pair of zip-off leg pants are also nice.

I just returned from Italy last week and faced the same issue because I felt that I had to pack for warm and cold weather and I really hate being cold. However, I broke the cardinal rule of travelling and packed way too much. It was my first trip to Venice and it was really an issue there. I figured that I could managed with heavy bags because I could just pull them, which was true until Venice. I don't know what I was thinking, but there was just no way I could pull my bags over the bridges. Something else to consider when you're packing.

I do pack light but now use a 24" which I check in (rather than a 21" which I carry on). It's quite a bit roomier but still easy to manage.

A fleece vest is an excellent suggestion (pack it into a gallon ziplock bag and sit on it to get the air out, packs very small) and incredibly versatile. I remember wearing mine over a tank top (fashion nightmare i realize) in Amsterdam on a sunny but cool day.

LouisaH. makes a very good point about schlepping luggage in Venice. Not only do you have bridges to cross, but the streets are not smoothly paved. And you need to get on and off the vaporettos too.

Another consideration is that if you are renting a car, you don't know how big the trunk is and how much luggage will fit inside the trunk, hidden from view. You do not want to leave any luggage in the passenger compartment to tempt thieves.