Wish you had brought/wish you hadn't wasted space on
 

Hubby and I travel 3 weeks a year in the US by staying at timeshares. Next month we're doing a 12 day trip to Europe staying in hotels and I'm starting to think seriously about packing. Hubby won't give me the specifics about the trip other than saying we're splitting our time between Paris and Germany. He knows that I hate to rush to see things just to say I've seen them. I love to sit and watch people and what's going on. I've got the shoes down and am starting to think about clothes. I'm paring jewelery, make up etc down to the bare minimum.

I have 2 questions 1: What do you wish you HAD brought (other than more money)?
2 - What did you lug that you wish you hadn't wasted suitcase space and weight on???

Thanks
Donna

1) several scarfs - mix things up a bit and they don't take up any space.

2) travel alarm clock. I use my cellphone and timex ironwatch as alarm, so no need for an alarm clock.

Shoes. I take 2 pairs of comfortable walking shoes and one pair for evenings. Also books. I love to read so just bought a Kindle. I take black and khaki slacks and tops to go with them. I finally figured out years ago that no one knows us and it's not important to load my suitcase with matching outfits and shoes to go with them. I also take a very lightweight travel raincoat which folds and doesn't take up alot of space. I take minimal jewelry and none that I would care about being stolen. If it's summer or fall, I'll pack 2 sweaters--camel and black. Cooler months, I'll wear a boiled wool jacket on the plane to eliminate packing space.

I always take a small pair of binoculars to look at the details of church ceilings and exteriors.

Comfortable shoes/sandals are the most important thing you'll pack, as Katie2 mentions above. I take 3-4 pairs (including the one that's on my feet).

I can't think of anything I've taken that I shouldn't have bothered with, but I'm an extremely light packer.

I make up a little kit of handy things like: earplugs, tiny flashlight, safety pins, bandaids, individual packets of some OTC meds. I also put two plastic hangers in the bottom of my suitcase for hanging damp tops or undies after doing hand-wash in the hotel sink.

I don't take any jewelry, scarves, etc. just a couple pair of stud earrings and my watch. I don't pack guidebooks.

1)There are department stores in Germany and France. I have never left anything home that I really needed and could not replace.

2) No matter how I plan, I always come home with one piece of clothing that I did not wear. All that planning for layering and carrying on, I still pack something unnecessary. There must be a mischievous imp that sneaks this stuff in the bag when I am not looking.

Regards, Gary

To bring: a sweater or fleece, for sure, if you may be going up into the mountains. I didn't bring anything the first time I went to Germany (thinking hey, it's August), and wound up having rapidly to remedy that error in a department store in Munich.

1) I wish I hadn't forgotten to pack the "toe warmers" heated shoe inserts (from a sporting goods store) the time I had to wait in a long line outside a museum in freezing rain in winter.

2)The coiled gadget for boiling a cup of water was a waste of money and space. Couldn't use it with the hotel's disposable plastic cups.

<<. Hubby won't give me the specifics about the trip other than saying we're splitting our time between Paris and Germany>>

Is this some sort of surprise? Seems pretty strange not to know where you're going, if ONLY to be able to plan and pack.

Dressy clothes. I used to take a couple nice outfits, but to my travel of style usually turns out I don't need them.

yes-- dressy clothes are a waste for our style of travel. slobby, no of course not. but dressy, heels, etc, a waste!

I pack several inflatable hangers to use for hanging wet hand washed laundry. They take up no space and I think they help the clothes to dry quicker.

I always take cold meds, especially the chloraseptic type throat lozenges. I remember having a difficult time finding something to soothe my sore throat on one of our trips to Austria years ago. And I always, always take plenty of hand santizer. Since we became vigilent about cleaning our hands, we haven't had a problem with colds while traveling in many years.

Not much that I've ever regreted taking -- at least not since we've become "light" packers. I can't tell you how much crap we use to carry around years ago before we got smart (and older).

Another thing I like to take is an outfit (top and bottom) that I *only* wear in the evenings. It's often no dressier than what I wear during the day. Nice, though, to have something fresh(er) to put on for the evening. This works because I usually return to the hotel room in the late afternoon or early evening to put my feet up for an hour or so and freshen up before dinner and any night activities.

Sorry I thought you said BOUGHT!

I guess the more you travel the less you take! Now I just bring basic black pants, white shirt, couple of tops, skirt and sorry my vice-shoes. Try to limit myself to 3. Mainly accessories to change outfit look. Wish I had brought? Better language skills.

Unless you have very thick, long hair, don't worry about a hairdryer. OR a travel iron.

meds for food poisoning and meds for sore throat. see my entry Ah Provence-ended up in a hospital with a broken ankle that started with 24 hours of food poisoning....
most important-travel insurance.

I carried a tripod once. Toted it for a month and a half. Never used it.

I always bring some empty gallon-sized bags; easy enough to pack, and useful for leftover picnic items or foods bought at markets. Also a couple of plastic spoons and forks; it's amazing that we seem to have uses for them. And a couple of teabags - sometimes there's a chance to have a late-night cup of tea in our hotel room, which I love, and they're so small, that it isn't a big sacrifice of weight.

I have a stash of freebie individual-sized cold and stomach medicines. Yes, I could buy them there, but not if they're needed in the middle of the night.

A small scarf - I tend to get cold (though we travel mostly in May or September/October), and it's nice to have a small one in my pocket.

Booklight, for when I'm reading and DH is sleeping.

Blowdryer - I've stopped bringing one. I would rather be doing anything that drying my hair on vacation, and most hotels have them, anyway.

Jewelry - I always take a small amount, and still don't wear much of it.

Safety pins - I always have them in the bottom of my bag, but I don't know if I've ever used them. Good insurance, though.

Enjoy!

Thanks for all of the notes; there are several things I hadn't thought of.

The trip was a surprise and somewhat of a last minute thought on hubby's part. When we travel in the US I do all of the research and hubby and I look at my research to make final tentative (we're flexible about changing plans due to weather, our moods, a road sign that catches our interest...) plans. Hubby making most of the plans for this trip is a pleasant change for both of us. That said.... I have made a bunch of notes about both countries - a lot of great reading on this site alone! - and will soon leave them on his computer in a place he can't miss!