Sat
2
Jan '10
Rick Steves, who is an author of European travel guides and hosts a show on PBS, is a proponent of traveling light. We love to travel light as well, and you will find that you can easily take more than you need without having to check bags. We’ll be talking more about packing light as the trip approaches.
Paul and I both pack light with carry on bags only. This is not required, but we enjoy traveling with less luggage as there is less to lug around and less to worry about. I have an Eagle Creek backpack that is made for backpacking Europe (not camping); I lived out of this thing for six weeks once. It has a small backpack that zips off for a day pack, and once the two are separated, they are carry on size, and all the straps zip into hide away pockets so their not flapping all over the place when I’m trying to board the plane.
Paul uses a medium sized nylon duffel bag, plus he carries a photographer’s backpack. We’re both big fans of packing cubes. I keep different clothing articles in different cubes—one for shirts, one for socks, etc. Eagle Creek and Rick Steves now makes packing cubes (I think the Rick Steves packing video is a little dated as he doesn’t have his packing cubes). You can buy off name brand cubes for less money. Another idea is just buying cheap mesh bags that are used for washing dedicates in the washing machine.
Since we go carry on only, Paul and I have to make sure all of our liquid/gel toiletries fit into three ounce containers and all those fit into a one quart size clear bag. You will need to have this go through the x-ray machine separately at airport security. The bags and containers can be purchased a for a few dollars at Target or you could just use whatever you have on hand.
Like Rick Steves said in his packing video, you can buy anything you need over in Europe. So if you can’t fit all the shampoo you think you’ll need into a three ounce container, don’t worry about it, and just buy it there. Same goes for clothes—you can just buy something there if you need to. I usually find that even when I pack just carry on bags, I still pack too much and end up bring clothing articles back that I never wore or only wore once. A couple of the lodgings we are staying at have washing machines.
If you’re planning on using carry on bags and want to buy souvenirs, you may want to bring a thin nylon duffel bag that bunches up into a small ball that you can fit into the corner of your bag and use when needed, then check it on the flight home. You can always buy a bag there—I bought a cute one in Dublin last time.
We’ve added several travel items that are for sale through Amazon to the left sidebar. We’re not necessarily recommending that you buy these exact products, but rather wanted to post pictures and information on the products. None of these things are necessary, but may make packing and/or traveling more convenient.
How big can a carry-on be? (Dimensions?)
I think I found a great back pack, but I’m wondering if it’s too big to take on the plane: http://www.rei.com/product/770252
Hi Alli,
According the the American Airlines website, carry-ons can be as big as 45 inches once the height, width and length are added. The REI backpack is a total of 50 inches, but if you use the cinch straps to make is a bit smaller, you should be fine. It looks really similar to my backpack (mine may even be a few inches bigger), and I’ve never had a problem. The worst thing they can do is make you check it, instead of carrying it on. One thing you’ll want to be conscious of is the weight. Carry-ons can’t be more than 40 pounds. Paul and I used a bathroom scale last time we went on the trip to make sure our bags weren’t too heavy.
Also, if you’ll be using only carry-ons, make sure you understand the liquids and gels requirements. You can read about them here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/baggage/carryOnAllowance.jsp&anchorEvent=false#examples
There is an Amazon link on the left side column for the Eagle Creek backpack that I use. I think mine is the medium size. The REI backpack looks just as good. You may want to look at the Eagle Creek pack and the REI pack in person to see which one you like the best.
~Robin
Robin, quick question. It is on the packing list, but do we actually need a swimsuit?
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
No, you don’t need a bathing suit, though it’s up to you. We are staying at one hotel, a Best Western in Inverness, Scotland, that has a pool and spa. Paul and I went in the spa for about 20 minutes on the last trip, but that was the only time we used our bathing suits.
Good question!
Robin