Packing Tips

Nice list! What kind of bags are you using? Is the back pack packed or do you take carry on stuff at the beginning? Also do you leave the copies with someone in the states if something gets lost or stolen?

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Bratislava

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Good thing you come in Summer. In Winter can be quite depressing.



Seriously though, I was listening to a podcast with an interview with a Slovakian tour guide and she credited Eurotrip and Hostel with cutting tourism there by 70%

As far as your list, packing cubes. Also, lay all your stuff out and cut it in half. You don't need to pack detergent.

My wife's not a whole lot different, on our honeymoon she took 9 pairs of shoes to italy for 13 days. I didn't know until her bag weighed 65 lbs on the scale at the check in desk.

I've gotten her down to a carry on though, and she's a lot happier.

But my point of this post, is you should honestly pack just your absolute essentials and then head to the store to buy all that other crap on there. Instead of spending the time worrying and checking your list twice at home, make it fun and see what they use in whatever country you are in.

ETA: Another tip, is just bring one pair of "nice" shoes and make sure all of your slacks/ pants and belt match them.

In other words, there's no reason to pack both black shoes/ belt and brown shoes/belt. Just bring one or the other, and only pack clothes that look good with those.

My back hurts just reading your list.....female here, and I don’t pack as much clothing or as many shoes as you do. I roll a 19” international carry on, plus a rectangular boarding bag, c’est tout. My soft sided handbag/purse tucks inside the boarding bag. Maybe I swap the boarding bad for a backpack if I plan to hike.

Why in the hell are you packing four facecloths? Get one microfiber small towel—it will dry in an hour or two if you wring it well, and even if you have to pack up before it’s dry, a quart zip top back stows it in your luggage just fine. Even my OCD husband can get by with one.

I’ll give you two pairs of shoes, but anything more is overkill. Depending on season, terrain, and activities, you need a serviceable leather lace up nice enough to wear with slacks that’s suitable for heavy duty walking (Ecco or whatever best fits your feet)....buy waterproof, and you’ll not worry over wet feet. You might need hiking boots or sandals, or a lightweight athletic shoe....but just two will get you through 95% of life.

Clothes—every single thing needs to cross match with every other thing—pick a color theme: black, brown, or navy. Then build a wardrobe out of five bottoms, six tops, and a sweater (if necessary). Two or three silk scarves, a cashmere wrap, and you can go anywhere.....the male equivalent is a blazer whose color & weight are seasonally appropriate (corduroy packs really well, so does tweed; if it’s linen season, wear it on the plane to keep it from being crushed too badly).

I don’t bother with wet wipes, fabric softener sheets, or detergent—I’ll buy those at a supermarket if I visit a self-service laundry or stay at an AirBnB without supplies. Ditto for shaving cream, razors, and generic toiletries—I pack the facial stuff, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrush, with a hotel sized bar of soap, and basic travel meds. Local drugstores can supply the rest.

Books—I quit packing those long ago. An iPad is the one thing I can’t travel without.....as many books as you want, downloaded Netflix content, downloaded Google maps, transit guides, copies of docs, photo editing software, etc etc. It is downright amazing to be able to bring every.single.book.I.own.aboiut.a.particular.place and have them at my fingertips while traveling.

I always take photos of our passports (all pages) and other important documents and email them to myself in case it gets stolen or lost.

standard protocol...

lay out everything you *think* you need.


now get rid of half of it.



buy the way.. people do live in europe and practically all the junk you want to carry around you can buy there.


for 16 days you should be able to fit everything you need in a child sized backpack.

why the fabric softener sheets if u sink wash? i get the febreeze spray as i pack that too to freshen up the clothes. i alao pack one wash rag/face towel per day and just throw them away when used. most hotels in europe do not provide face towels.