Good news! I have packed so well for our European trip in 132 days from today that I still have room in my suitcase to pack my obligatory bottle of wine and other purchases I want to bring back home to Texas! That’s what I call: packing like a pro!
Above is my empty suitcase with all of my clothing ready to pack. On the left, starting at the bottom of the image: 4 shirts, 3 pants, 1 long-sleeve shirt, 1 lightweight sweater, 1 rain jacket, 1 fleece jacket. On the right, starting at the bottom: slippers, 1 camisole, 2 underwear, 1 scarf, 1 laundry bag, 1 toiletry kit, 1 clear bag for examination of liquids at airport security. At the bottom of the suitcase: 2 European plugs, iPhone plug w/ USB, iPad plug w/USB.
I will pack my rain jacket and scarf in my day backpack because those items stay with me all the time. You never know if or when it’ll rain or you might feel chilly or need to cover up. Because they pack flat anyway, the day backpack will go inside of my large carry-on backpack to avoid having more than two bags to keep track of. When we’re traveling in Europe, I only carry my day backpack with me; the carry-on backpack and my luggage stay on the bus. Here’s what it looks like “packed like a pro:”
Ta-da! Everything in the previous picture is packed, AND I even included some rolled bubble wrap in the front of the suitcase for my bottle of wine I’ll be bringing home! 🙂 I also packed my shower scrubby because European hotels do not provide washcloths–only bath towels and hand towels–so if you like using a washcloth, make sure you bring one of your own, preferably made of microfiber material that will dry quickly. Or a shower scrubby. To the left of my suitcase you see my day backpack with the rain jacket and scarf, still plenty of room in there for a bottle of water, travel literature, and any small trinkets I pick-up along the way. The day backpack gets unloaded back at the hotel every evening–items are either trashed or packed away for the trip home. I used two packing cubes for my clothing, and the electronic plugs are also sitting within the top cube. I still have almost half of the suitcase for dirty clothes and souvenirs, because we all know dirty clothes weigh infinitely more than clean clothes! True statement.
Because I blog the day’s events each evening in the hotel at night, my day backpack will also hold my pencil and my small notebook for jotting down information as we travel. It will also hold a pack of kleenex (really important ladies, for bathrooms), an emory board, gum/mints, a set of picnic ware (we’ve always needed it at least once), my iPad, and some medicines (anti-diarrheal, Tylenol, Tums). The day backpack is small enough to carry without getting heavy and in the way of other people, especially in tight spaces like artisan shops, bakeries, gelato stops, and the big, touristy-packed venues.
There it is–my suitcase, my backpack carry-on, and my day backpack. Remember, my day backpack will go into the larger backpack for the flight over. There’s so little in it at the outset that it’ll fold in half easily. In my large backpack, I will include: my bag of medicines and necessary medical equipment, my Kindle reader, my neck pillow, a few snacks (nuts, Kind bars, veggie chips, jerky), flight tickets/paperwork. Remember: your passport will be ON YOU at all times, and if I were you, I would also keep my credit card and money on my person, too. Tom and I use an armband from Duluth Trading (see previous post about different ways to carry your passport).
One more thing: Tom and I like to order a set amount of Euros from our bank before leaving the States, so we have cash at the ready when we arrive in Europe. Simply go to your banker and tell them you’d like to order X amount of Euros, they will calculate the exchange rate, you pay your U.S. dollars, and the bank calls you when they arrive, so you can pick them up. It typically takes no more than two weeks for your order to arrive. How much? That’s something you will have to decide. How often will you use your credit card? Some restaurants accept ONLY cash, and you will definitely need to have coins at the ready for using the public toilets–many of them are NOT free.
Happy packing! It’s important to pack your bags and carry them around, make sure you will be able to handle what you pack. Also make sure your suitcase doesn’t go over the weight limit. With just a little over 4 months before we depart, it’s nearing crunch time. Make sure you’re getting everything in order a little at a time. As always, if you have any questions or would like to see some information about a topic not addressed yet, please let me know.
Talk to you soon,
Tom and Suzanne
2020Euro/"Passion"Tour 