1. I pack my down bed pillow in my carryon. It compresses pretty flat (it's feathers) and fluffs back up wonderfully. If you've got a window seat, it comforms great to the side and I can sleep the entire flight. Tip: Make sure you use a patterned or colored pillowcase. If you use standard white and the pillow is left on your bed at the hotel... yep, you guessed it, the maids just peel it off and that pillowcase is gone forever.
#2. Check out www.thecontainerstore.com. They have great travel "zip lock" bags made of heavy plastic with flat bottoms so they sit nicely and last forever. They also carry the "leakproof" containers, etc. I used to use kitchen type ziplock bags and I'll never go back.
#3. A packing list on a 3x5 card tucked into my suitcase for the "return" packing. Without it, I'd have left a dozen or cell phone chargers, robes hanging on the backs of closets, etc. by now.

For a trip based mainly in one place, a reasonable scale map of the area.

Guide books - not just photocopied pages as I've made the mistake of changing my mind about where I wanted to go and the guidebook pages were back at home!

Language book - for most European countries you can get slimline books with loads of useful phrases as well as information on local customs.

Swiss army knife (post 9-11, not in hand luggage). The knife is redundant but the corkscrew and bottle opener can be life savers...

After some awkward moments at US Immigration Control I now always type out a note of the exact addresses I'm visiting and keep this on my person. (The "awkward" moments involved tipping out my suitcase to find the address book).

And of course, always pack some bottled water, toothbrush, and complete change of clothing in your hand luggage just in case it's the only luggage you see for a week after you arrive!

Stamps for postcards. I like to send them. Postcards are everywhere but the stamps/ post office are harder to come by. Alot of times I send a postcard to myself with a funny remark that somemade on the trip.

I usually put together a 1/2" binder, sort of a travel Bible, of maps and directions to specific destinations. I include highlights of much more places along the way then we have time to see, which gives us last minute flexability. I also include hotel and ticket reservations. I know it sounds anal, but my wife who doesn't like the planning process, loves to read it!

Along with books, we usually pack bottled water, TrailMix bars, and homemade trailmix.

great info..things ti think abiut...I can;t stop reading everyones stories, and advice! Husband and I are leaving the 21st for 2 weeks...first time to Europe! Amsterdam, Rome, Siena, San Remo, then the lakes..finishing in Venise. What type of clothes do you suggest...we are laidback and strive for comfort...but doen't want to stick out/be underdressed. Simply capri panrs and walking shoes or a sundress? Lightweight (columbia brand) pants for my husband?
Suggestions ..I would like to pack very light...

Most of it is what we don't pack. We generally pack, then take 1/2 away-especially if we are going to be on the trains. For us, travelling light makes the trip easier and fun. Anything forgotten can be purchased overseas. We photocopy pages of our guides and then discard them at the end of the day/city. Next trip will be a rolling carry on for each of us for a 24 day trip. It took us a long time to get down to this.

wet wipes are a must-an entire box of them (openened and the packets stashed throughout the luggage)
a travel roll or 2 of Charmin if you are travelling abroad where the bathroom tissue has the texture of sandpaper
numerous travel packs of Kleenex (bought packs of tissues in London that were like small table napkins rather than tissues)
mini field glasses-useful for plays as well as landscape
extra pair of prescription glasses
a few good jokes to lighten a rough spot or 2 as well as help relieve boredom
small water bottle
travel size can of spray wrinke remover
best new travel item for me: a small colorful tote bag with small matching umbrella that zips into the bottom- invaluable on a recent trip to the Baltics

We have two favorite games that pack really easily.

Yahtzee - we have a tiny silk drawstring bag with 5 mismatched, funky dice, and a pad of Yahtzee score sheets. This always comes on trips. We can play on the flight, in the airport, at a bar, etc.. We also always give ourselves silly names that have to do with wherever we're vacationing. For example "El Guapo's Pinata, The Meanie Wahine, El Capitan de Yahtzee, Kinkamayhemmayhem, Queen Kahuna of Yahtzee & Salsa, etc.." We get pretty silly.

Sequence - the board folds up into quarters. After that, you bring two colors of chips in a baggie, along with the two decks of cards. This doesn't come with us every time, but it's fun to bring to Hawaii, or somewhere that you might tend to sit & veg while drinking something. When we go to Kona Village, we'll bring it & play by the pool bar. It keeps other people at the bar interested too.

Wow, I thought I was well prepared but have added several things to my list - I won't repeat what's already been listed: 1.inexpensive extension cord for those rooms and cruise cabins with few outlets 2. power converters depending on where we're traveling
3. A Rick Steve's clothes line that doesn't require clothes pins and is stretchable - terrific
4. Night lite (avoids bumping toes and shins in strange rooms
5. Hanging, collapsible shoe bag for keeping shoes as well rkeeping small items organized and in one place - folds flat in bottom of suitcase
6. Pack clothes that mix and match, hand wash easily and layer to limit suitcase size

A recent discovery I made--Cetaphil cleanser can be used without water. Since my skin dries out dreadfully on airplanes, moisturizing Cetaphil works better for me than Purell.

Okay, that's not fun, but it's practical.

For us, it is more about what we don't pack. The less we seem to pack, the more we enjoy the trip. We always do our own itineraries and use car, train, and bus. It started about eight trips ago when I asked my DW to take a look at my suitcase and take out what she thought I would not use or did not have to take. We are now down to a 21 inch carry on each plus one small knapsack between us. This has been great-especially for air and rail. More than once we have made tight connections or standby because we only had carry-on. We sometimes bring home more of course, but we buy one of those cheap nylon bags to put our soiled laundry, etc. in. We only check our luggage on the flight home. The only exception to this is a cruise. DW takes extra. I wear a jacket on the plane. No suit, no tux though. It's vacation time.

I never travel without a few scented candles of my favorite scents: votives or tealights. Very handy for freshening up a room or just making it cosy/romantic. Also a nice smell to have among your packed clothes.

Great ideas here.... my packing will get longer (and then shorter when I throw half away again!)

My addition - a blank notebook (small) so we can write short notes on things we want to remember as the vacation happens- e.g. in the evening. (and it makes figuring out the photos later so much easier :-) )

My Laptop - and wireless card - has helped when looking for different hotels / flights / watching movies. :S-

Beef Jerky is a must for snack food - doesn't go bad, great snack when on a plane, or long car ride. :">

MP3 Player and FM Transmitter - allows me to listen to my MP3 in the rental car.

Digital camera.

Extra pair of undies. :-]

Compass, micro casette to record a "verbal" journal (too lazy to write it), lots of camera memory, several books and most importantly of all, a good attitude.

Glenfiddich - LOL!!

My latest adds for travelling with small kids -

A few grocery plastic bags that get designated as trash the minute you get on plane - a little thing that can help long flights feel less icky. Those wrappers, scraps, wipes, tissues come quickly and there is no where to put them without trash bag

A bungee cord packed in outside pocket or carryon - this was FABULOUS when I was by myself travelling with 2 small kids to San Fran from Atlanta. Imagine 2 Car seats, 1 Medium bag (3 people for 10 days) and a stroller all piled onto a luggage cart and then needed to haul from terminal to Car Rental - up down up down around. The bungee cord comes out, straps everything down on the cart (otherwise everything falls off a dozen times every time you turn). This way it only took us 1 hour!!!!! to get from terminal to car rental- well 2 year olds do walk slowly.

calculator

quick-dry underpants and socks (only one pair of each per person, not packed in luggage but worn on the body, of course)

clothesline

bubble-wrap

A roll of masking tape. It really does come in handy. From wrapping unbreakable "goodies" to keeping curtain opened or closed.

family ideas:
--definitely 2 packs of cards (one for each kid to play solitaire, and enough for group games that require 2 decks).
--a new scrapbook with lots of double-sided tape and colored pencils for kids to capture/save their ticket stubs, drawings, musings, etc. great for delayed trains, downtime in hotels, etc.
--if you're doing a lot of driving, a portable DVD player, 2 headphones and lots of DVDs. I don't care how much the scenery is gorgeous, pre-teens & teens don't give a hoot after 15 minutes into a 3 hour car drive.
--for me, I love to ask each of my girls to recommend a book or 2 for me to read on the plane, etc. It's great fun talking about their choices with them!