Thank you so much for all of the wonderful ideas!

bookmarking

Wow. Put a packed suitcase inside a slightly larger suitcase. Viola! An empty suitcase to fill with souvenirs. That would be more than all the souvenirs I've brought home in my life. (Would you see the sights or just shop?)

Seriously, I think there would be a price to pay to the airlines on the return trip. They have all gotten very stingy with luggage weight allowances. Check with your airline to understand what it could cost to show up with another piece of luggage filled with pottery and/or other heavy items.

I've done the smaller suitcase within a larger and it works fine. I don't spend all my time shopping either -- One stop at a pottery shop to buy two or three pieces. Wrapped in bubble wrap in a 19- or 20-inch suitcase they weigh far less than the 13 pounds allowed in a carryon.
One year it was less than 9 pounds including the weight of the suitcase, my camera and a few other items, and the pottery arrived home unbroken. The one time I had two pottery pieces shipped by a store both were broken.

There are other recent posts on this.

I mentioned this on another thread recently, I look for small and/or lightweight souveniers. That easily slip into my normal suitcase. Things like local calendars, hankies, scarves, lace, frig magnets, ashtrays, pens, coin purse, etc.

I pack little woolite packets and in a pinch hand wash lingerie or lightweight items. Wring, roll in a towel to take anymore excess moisture, hang on the shower rack and voila! Next morning clean undies.

Some people are too persnickety (sp?) but, I also carry a small travel size bottle of Febreze. Again in a pinch, a few sprays the night before and outerwear is freshened for one more day.

I also carry the little zip-into-a-bundle duffle bag that someone else mentioned. I've bought far too many extra backpacks and duffle bags on trips before, so now I carry my own extra.

I am in the throes of packing light as we speak! I'm leaving for my 2 1/2 week vacation tomorrow morning! My packing-light aspirations are being sorely tested! At least I have Kristina's tip of putting every thing in ziplock gallon bags. Getting all the extra air out really helps to condense (and organize). I'm just afraid all the rezipping of bags will slow me down during all the repacking episodes. We shall see. This will be a learning experience. 19 days of travel out of a 22 inch carryon (and a large laptop backpack) will be a feat to crow about.

7 underwear
1 pair of sneakers or hiking shoes
1 pair of sandals
1 pair of jeans or steardy khaki pants
4 pair of socks
1 raincoat or windbreaker
4 shirts or polo t-shirts
Small bottle of clothing detergent
Small travel size bag of toilettries

take care with your use of ziplocks. first time i did this i ended up with a small but *really* heavy suitcase!

When you get home from a trip, take everything out of your suitcase that you didn't wear and say to yourself, why did I carry all of this stuff around on my trip when I didn't need to. Packing takes practice. Never pack something that you have never warn.

Good points Suze and Wally. Just because I CAN fit it into my little carryon, doesn't mean I should. I'll keep that in mind.

When I travel, I usually just go with a carry-on suitcase and an empty duffle bag for my shopping . My suitcase has a zipper to allow for 3" more, which I use on my return flight. I'd rather have my suitcase when I fly over and not have to worry about it being lost. When I fly home, I use the duffle bag for my shopping items (usually ceramics) and let the airline put the suitcase in the belly of the plane.

As for clothing, I bring:
3 pairs of pants (usually lightweight, never jeans); 4-5 tops to mix/match with the pants. I usually go with neutral colors (beige/tan/olive greens/black), rather than bright clothing; 2 pairs of walking shoes that are nice enough for when I'm dining out in the evenings. I don't go to restaurants where a formal outfit is required; 3 pairs of socks (washing each pair at the end of the day in the bathroom); 3 bras (ditto); 3 panties (ditto); Shampoo in the travel size bottles; minimal makeup and other toiletries, no hairdryer on my upcoming trip, as all hotels have hair dryers; a light jacket for the cool mornings or evenings, sometimes a cardigan if that's all I'll need.

Of course, I have my digital camera, accessories; travel information; large zip lock bags, bubble wrap for my ceramics or other breakables; journal (although on this next trip I'm taking my PDA); travel alarm clock; mini umbrella (but I might take my jacket that has the removable hood).

Monica

PS: Of course when it comes to a cruise, it's a different story!

I'm not saying this will happen to you in Portugal, but I will post this for folks traveling to other parts of the world who may pull up this thread:

If you are traveling to a very humid part of the world (e.g., a rain forest) do NOT think that you can pack light and then just wash out a few things...they will not dry. In Costa Rica, our swim suits were still wet 2 days after wearing them, even though they had been towel blotted and hung.

youngandrestless-

if you are planning to carry your carry-on on the plane, there may well be a weight limit as well as size limit.

weigh your packed bag by standing on the bathroom scale, then lifting it up held close to your body.

my 22" was denied by British Air and had to be checked the first (and only) time I used the ziplock bag method for clothing.

Go over with hand luggage, containing the necessities and a few of your A+ clothes.
That way you get a quick and easy start to your vacation.
Within the first couple of days go to a flea market or whatever and buy the rest of the stuff that you will need like shirts, shorts, socks etc.
Also buy a cheap suitcase.
On the way back, wrap the souvenirs in the flea market stuff.
Stuff it into the cheap suitcase and get on the plane.
No problemo.
It drives my wife nuts, but that's what we always do, and it works very well.

g

I'll have to look up the weight limits, because i'm traveling on AA from the US and then on Vueling and Myair within Europe. This is all so complicated! I may have to fall back on guaranteed's advice. But, I am packing a duffel bag (very small now, but big when taken out of it's carrying case) for the way home.

During our trip to France and Italy in Sept., 2005 I found that a Grande Zip Lock bag (1-2 gallon) makes an excellent "washing machine". Just put your clothes in, add water, use some Woolite (small individual packs) - zip up and squish away. Used same bag for dirty clothes on the way home.

There has been no mention of OTC medications to be packed. Buy smallest size available at least for stomach and headaches and maybe something to ward off a cold. My travel partner scoffed at me for packing such and then changed her mind when a drugstore in Paris wanted 12Euro for a small box of cough drops - she ended up using mine, which I gladly shared.

where can i buy those woolite packs? I think that would help a lot. Otherwise i'm going to have to bring my tiny victoria's secret delicates liquid detergent. but i would rather have the individual packets.

I've seen them in luggage shops, or drug stores that have travel accessories section. Also have seen tiny Woolite bottles.

Myself, I just use the little hotel shampoos.