Here's what I loved
and used from the Rick Steves site:
- Convertible carry on (larger bag pictured at left): LOVE THIS BAG!! So glad I didn't get a bag with wheels or use a traditional roller bag. All the steep, narrow stairs and going from city to city and around train stations would not have gone so well
- Civita day pack (smaller bag pictured at left): Leave your purse at home; plenty of space and good keep your bag on your front
- Hideaway tote: for shopping and laundry
- Universal European adapter: self explanatory
- Travel aid kit: Used it once, but glad I had it. I am a Geocacher (anyone else??) and used the duct tape to access a hard to reach cache in Belgium
- Money belt (waist vs. neck style)
Bought elsewhere and
highly recommend
- Packing cubes: great for separating out tops, bottoms and unmentionables
- Small cable locks: keep the pockets to your valuables safe by locking the zippers together; get a couple for your day pack and backpack
Didn't use, but will
likely use at some point:
- Travel clothesline: Airbnbs where I stayed had hangers which I used to dry my clothes since European dryers suck.
Also extremely helpful, Sarah Murdoch's packing light and
right video!
Don't buy:
- Picnic kit: Never used the picnic kit I bought Rick Steves site. If I plan to picnic, it's likely going to be food I can eat with my hands anyway (sandwich); unnecessary weight for backpack
- Umbrella: Don't spend $20 on an RS umbrella you'll likely lose anyway. Get one at Target instead. If you lose it, there are plenty in Europe for cheap (I paid 5 Euros for one in Brussels).
- Guidebook page binder: Unless you want to destroy your hard copy book; get RS books on Kindle app and bookmark key pages
- Water bottle: Bought platypus water bottle on Amazon, was just awkward and didn't bring. Also bought a water bottle with a built in filter. Tried using right when I got to the airport en route to Europe and it didn't work properly. Ditched it--there was bottled water everywhere.
- Alarm clock: Don't buy a travel alarm clock--your phone has an alarm and will always be set at the correct time, no matter where you travel. It’s also unnecessary weight.
- Toilet seat covers and camping toilet paper: Not sure what I was thinking as I wasn’t traveling to a third world country.
Misc. Tips & Recommendations:
- Contact lens wearers: You can get pretty much anything anywhere, but if you have contacts and use a certain kind/brand of cleaner, make sure you have plenty for the trip.
- Vacuum sealed bags: Not recommended; sure, it help makes space in your back, but remember, the more you pack, the heavier your bag!
- RFID sleeves: If you have RFID sleeves for your credit cards, remember to put these on the TSA belt before walking through the metal detector. I didn’t know this and couldn’t figure out why my money belt was setting off the alarm!
- Keep calm and carry on: Don’t check your bags: Pack light and keep your bags with you. This is not the time to roll the dice ‘hoping’ your bag will show up when you land in Europe.
- Laundry: I stayed at Airbnbs with washers last year and ended up buying and abandoning bottles of laundry detergent. They only make them so small and I didn’t want to carry them from city to city (weight and leak risk). If going Airbnb, be prepared to carry or leave behind leftover detergent. Or, just use a launderette, which typically have detergent. Plus, it’s a nice break if you have a jam-packed itinerary. Also, I washed everything in cold (20 degrees Celsius) to be safe and had zero issues with shrinking or fading. You just never know.
- Bring extra Ziploc baggies for who knows what
- Heated towel racks also make great dryers for reusing towels or laundry you’ve just washed. Just be sure to turn them off before you leave the room for the day.
- Shipping items home: Major PITA. In Paris, they had no cushioning and my package didn't arrive home intact. In Amsterdam, I had to buy the bubblewrap and box and package everything up myself. This was just too stressful (and expensive) and I won't do it again. If there's something I can't live without, I'll either try to carry it or buy it online when I get home.
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