Who has done a solo land vacation? In Europe?

[Joanne G.]

On 7/29/2019 at 9:14 PM, Go-Bucks! said:

 

It was on my tour, but I was on a 2 week tour all over the northern part of France... and we did have to carry our own luggage. But its totally doable to pack for 2 weeks in a 22" carryon...I did it.

 

2 weeks in a 22" carryon is impressive to me!  Maybe on a cruise, with laundry facilities or services, but on land?   Maybe I need to rethink some of my packing procedures.  I know many people can pack more efficiently than I do.   (It did just occur to me that I probably wouldn't need formal/elegant wear (dress, shoes, evening purse) on a Rick Steves tour. Or bathing suits, cover-up and flip-flops. 😉)

[calliopecruiser]

13 minutes ago, Joanne G. said:

2 weeks in a 22" carryon is impressive to me!  Maybe on a cruise, with laundry facilities or services, but on land?

I'm about to try 4 weeks with a 21" carry-on......I'll let you know how it works.  I am staying in a lot of rental apartments (like AirBnBs), many of which have washing machines, and I am investing the big bucks in a couple of pairs of quick-drying travel underwear.   I figure a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, 3 or 4 tops, underwear, and my toiletries.  Wear a pair of cargo pants, a top, and my (hiking) sandals on the plane.  I won't be anywhere I'll be able to swim, so no need for bathing suits, and I won't go anywhere where I'll need to dress up - the only dress code concern will be no shorts in the churches or at the Vatican. 

 

Wish me luck!

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by calliopecruiser

[Joanne G.]

1 minute ago, calliopecruiser said:

I'm about to try 4 weeks with a 21" carry-on......I'll let you know how it works.  I am staying in a lot of rental apartments (like AirBnBs), many of which have washing machines, and I am investing the big bucks in a couple of pairs of quick-drying travel underwear.   I figure a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, 3 or 4 tops, underwear, and my toiletries.  Wear a pair of cargo pants, a top, and my (hiking) sandals on the plane.  I won't be anywhere I'll be able to swim, so no need for bathing suits, and I won't go anywhere where I'll need to dress up - the only dress code concern will be no shorts in the churches or at the Vatican. 

 

Wish me luck!

 

 

Good luck!  😄   I will probably have to revise my packing procedures for my 26" checked bag for a 14-day cruise plus 3-days pre- and post cruise stay!    And in the cool, possibly, rainy British Isles.  Rain jacket, extra shoes in case a pair gets wet, etc.  

[calliopecruiser]

1 hour ago, Joanne G. said:

cool, possibly, rainy

It's definitely easier when the weather is warm - fewer clothes and less bulky clothes. 

Packing this light is not (and has never been) my preference, but I have motivating factors on this trip that have pushed me over to that "dark side" of packing light, LOL.  I will be taking lots of trains, and staying in a few places without elevators.

 

[califsealion]

I am a light packer for land trips (not so much for cruises).  I have a few pairs of nylon trousers and nylon or polyester shirts that are quick drying.  They also take up less space in packing than, say, jeans.  Then I travel with some laundry soap and a clothes line.  When you travel by yourself, you can string wet laundry up wherever you like.  😉

[bhsolo]

For my trips I pack a lot of items that can all be layered together and I rewear clothing a lot. I'll also rinse out shirts and bottoms on the regular.

[NancyW12]

they have both stores and post offices where you are going. You can buy anything you need and send home anything you didn't.

[mef_57]

I pack more on a cruise than land. 21 inch with a tote bag for land. Tote would be lighter except for my camera and binoculars. Have an upcoming 3 week cruise and then 3 days Venice. Venice apartment is close to a vaporetto stop, so don't need to pack for bridges. I think I can do that with a 24 inch bag. Hopefully withouth the heavy tote.

As others mentioned, I often have apartments with laundry but I often still do just sink wash. Thinner poly trousers and tops, merino wool sweater and light waterproof rain jacket. Layers. Hanging clothing allows them to air out often allowing more than one wear.

I bought special travel undies once. Never liked the fit. They sit in my drawer. Microfibre ones dry quickly and much less expensive.

For any travel clothes, I test wash at home. Hand wash in sink, wrap them in a towel or wring out as much water as possible, hang to dry. Do this around supper time and check when you wake up. Then I know what eill work for laundry on the road. This is particularly valusble for RS tours or any where you aren't any place more than a night or two.

I find things take longer to dry in a ship's bathroom. Dry there overnight then move to room or cupboard for final dry.

All this being said, some folks just do not want to do laundry on their vacation. Then they are on their own 😊

[new_cruiser]

We've done 3 weeks in Europe with just carry on. It was on our own using trains between cities. We used travel packs - can be easier than a rolling bag when surfaces aren't ideal or when there are stairs. The ones we used had a very small day pack that zipped onto the back of the larger pack. We also did a 3-week trip in China with the same packs. That was the trip we did with Intrepid Travel.

 

I brought a light weight broomstick skirt for covering up when needed to visit churches. Takes up very little room, easy to stuff into a daypack where it doesn't take much room and easy to slip on over shorts and off as needed.

 

On 8/3/2019 at 7:39 AM, Joanne G. said:

 

Good luck!  😄   I will probably have to revise my packing procedures for my 26" checked bag for a 14-day cruise plus 3-days pre- and post cruise stay!    And in the cool, possibly, rainy British Isles.  Rain jacket, extra shoes in case a pair gets wet, etc.  

 

Instead of extra shoes, you could wear waterproof shoes so it doesn't matter if they get wet. I have a pair of Merril Moab WP low top hiking shoes and have used them in wet places like Alaska and Costa Rica. If you prefer a trainer/sneaker type shoe, there are waterproof ones for that too. I wish I could get the waterproof version of my Brooks Ghost shoes, but they don't do the GTX version in wide. 

 

Other than the broomstick skirt, I haven't bought special clothes for managing with carry-on only. I'm willing to pay to have laundry done as needed for everything other than bras - I usually hand wash those because I'm concerned that a laundry will use too high a temp and damage them. Sometimes in Europe, you can find a fluff and fold laundry place which will charge by the load or by weight if you don't want to pay hotel by the item rates.

[calliopecruiser]

9 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

I brought a light weight broomstick skirt for covering up when needed to visit churches. Takes up very little room, easy to stuff into a daypack where it doesn't take much room and easy to slip on over shorts and off as needed.

I just bought a light, crunchable, indestructible skirt last week for just that purpose.  I almost never wear skirts or dresses (certainly not for wandering around a town or city), but it will be perfect for this purpose.  And it was on sale!

[Joanne G.]

I have a black skirt like that, which can be dressy or casual depending on the top and the footwear. It’s great for travel.

 

I came across some silicone shoe covers on Amazon that may be a good idea in a rainy climate. Now I am looking for quick drying socks. I can rinse out underwear and even a t-shirt in the bathroom sink, the athletic socks that I wear with my walking shoes take so long to dry. I can’t  go along with Rick Steves’ suggestion to wear them more than one day. 😮

 

I am also looking for pants that are lighter weight than jeans.  I may never get to the point of carry-on only, but even if I check a bag, the lighter it is the easier it will be to manage. 

[mef_57]

17 minutes ago, Joanne G. said:

I have a black skirt like that, which can be dressy or casual depending on the top and the footwear. It’s great for travel.

 

I came across some silicone shoe covers on Amazon that may be a good idea in a rainy climate. Now I am looking for quick drying socks. I can rinse out underwear and even a t-shirt in the bathroom sink, the athletic socks that I wear with my walking shoes take so long to dry. I can’t  go along with Rick Steves’ suggestion to wear them more than one day. 😮

 

I am also looking for pants that are lighter weight than jeans.  I may never get to the point of carry-on only, but even if I check a bag, the lighter it is the easier it will be to manage. 

I pack merino wool socks for travel.  thin wool so if you wring them out in a towel, mine dry overnight.  Only place that didn't happen was in the jungle.  Merino wool also has antibacterial capacity so wearing a second (or third) day is feasible. I have no problem with rewearing things as long as not stinky.

In Canada, we have Reitman's as a mall type women's clothing store.  Their standard office type work pant is thin and the poly dries fast.  I wear them for work, so just shop my closet.  I am sure every mall in America has some similar type store.  If it must be cotton, then now is the time to buy summer weight cotton slacks at clearance prices. But after wringing them out, they may require an iron.

[new_cruiser]

I also wear Merino wool socks - not just for travel. They are really comfortable. Thin lightweight no show ones are cool enough for summer, crew height for cooler weather. REI carries a good selection. 

 

For cold wet climates (like Alaska on my May crews, wool also keeps it's insulating quality of it gets wet.