Bag Lady, You Gone Hurt Your Back
Packing Light - especially on an itinerary where you will be moving and changing locations a good bit - cannot be underestimated. In fact, it can be the difference between an enjoyable vacation and a miserable one! You will never meet anyone who says "I wish I had packed heavier" when they return from a journey. Rick Steves, the Public TV European travel guru, only allows the members of his escorted tours to bring 1 carry-on size piece of luggage per person...even when the tour is THREE weeks long! Can't be done? Yes it can...and it should! I've done it myself, and schlepped between California, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji with one carry-one for two weeks.
This is how you should think, every morning dress quickly in whatever outfit was clean and appropriate for the day. Think of your wardrobe as your "travel uniform". You are there to enjoy and expand your horizons...not worry about what you are going to wear (and pose for the "gram"). Doing a little laundry along the way won't kill anyone - in fact, it can be a real adventure!
You can moved quickly from place to place...No worries about big suitcases and where to fit your luggage on a train or bus or taxi. A lot of European hotels don't have elevators, so lugging heavy bags up and down stairs can be a real bummer.
Having too much luggage "marks" you as a typical tourist. Con artists figure you're helpless and you become a serious pickpocket or scam target. Have you seen Taken with Liam Neeson? LOL
You save enough money in checked luggage fees to treat yourself to some special "extras". You also save time by not having to wait around at luggage claim in strange airports. You can be off to start your adventure while everyone else stands around waiting for their bags to arrive.
Here are my suggestions for cutting back on the amount of "stuff" you think you need on your next trip:
Spread out everything you think you might need on the living room floor. Pick up each item one at a time and ask yourself "Will I really use this enough to justify carrying over the Swiss Alps?" (or wherever you are heading) When in doubt, leave it out!
Don't pack for the worst-case scenario...Pack for the best-case and buy yourself out of any jams along the way. Risk shivering for a day rather than taking a heavy jacket. Buy a cheap umbrella from one of the may street vendors who "miraculously" appear when the drops start to fall. If you think it "might come in handy", it should stay home.
Pack exactly the same whether you're traveling for three weeks or three months. Rather than take a whole trip's supply of toiletries, take enough to get started and replace them along the way. Believe it or not, Europeans use toothpaste, lotion, hair gel, soap and (sometimes) deodorant! It's fun to go into a general store and stock up on local brands on the fly!
Invest in a good quality piece of luggage that fits your needs. If you are healthy enough to carry your bag, do it...suitcases on wheels don't get along with cobblestone streets very well....
So weed out the unnecessary, pack your bag and go walk around the block a few times to get a good idea of what you will be dealing with. You will thank me later! Remember, in your travels, you'll meet two kinds of tourists - those who pack light and those who wish they had!