Are we crazy...thinking of only bringing carry on bags to Europe!

[Baron Barracuda]

OP didn't say what airports they'll be flying in/out of.  Some are handling the situation better than others.  

 

Just returned from river cruise Amsterdam - Budapest where five of our checked bags continued to tour Europe even after we returned home.  Returning home a tight connection in Munich caused four bags to get left behind while the fifth somehow missed our outgoing flight from EWR and then unsuccessfully spent two weeks chasing us down the Rhine.  The good news is that  all were delivered to our homes within four days of returning home.  

 

Be sure to review the delayed and lost luggage provisions in your travel insurance and credit card.   The member of our party whose bag got stuck in NJ used her $1k delayed luggage benefit throughout the trip to purchase a new wardrobe.  Had the bag been permanently lost she would have been entitled to up to another $3k.  

[CynthiaP]

17 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

I brought a 26" bag on my Rick Steves tour in 2012. I managed it on my own and it was less of a burden than the guy who'd just had knee surgery, used a walking stick, and kept telling the guide to slow down. 😊

 

ETA: Rick Steves wears one shirt and has people to carry his camera equipment. He may travel light; his crew brings all the stuff.

RS has two people in his crew, a sound man and a camera man, who have enough of their own equipment/clothes to carry. RS carries his own luggage, including computer. He uses one carry-on size backpack and a smaller daypack as a personal item. There are videos of RS and his crew going to and traveling around Europe to make the shows. He has explained how it works on a Monday night Travel Show. He wears one shirt for all of the takes for one show in each stop so that when the show is edited there is consistency. He probably takes two shirts and uses the laundry. 🙂

 

Comparing the burden between yourself and a 26" bag to someone who recently had knee surgery isn't an appropriate comparison. 

[hrhdhd]

10 minutes ago, CynthiaP said:

RS has two people in his crew, a sound man and a camera man, who have enough of their own equipment/clothes to carry. RS carries his own luggage, including computer. He uses one carry-on size backpack and a smaller daypack as a personal item. There are videos of RS and his crew going to and traveling around Europe to make the shows. He has explained how it works on a Monday night Travel Show. He wears one shirt for all of the takes for one show in each stop so that when the show is edited there is consistency. He probably takes two shirts and uses the laundry. 🙂

 

Comparing the burden between yourself and a 26" bag to someone who recently had knee surgery isn't an appropriate comparison. 

It is when the website repeatedly states travelers are expected to walk several miles a day and stand for periods of time. It was disappointing to have to slow the pace of the tour for one person who shouldn't have booked at that time.

 

"6. These tours are very active.

Our tours are not for everyone. They are very active — physically and socially. They're designed for energetic and curious people who are ready for the experience of a lifetime.

Museum tours, guided neighborhood walks and occasional hikes all add up to lots of time on our feet during the day. Afterward, we relax at dinner with lively conversations."

"What are the physical demands of your tours?

Our tours are physically active! Expect to be on your feet, walking and standing, for up to three hours, indoors and outdoors, and in all weather conditions. You'll also need to carry your own luggage, often up several flights of stairs."

Edited July 27, 2022 by hrhdhd

[xamsx]

I made a long post in a roll call thread about this yesterday. We do carry-on only and it works out well.

[jelayne]

54 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Last time Europe sold mouthwash, shampoo, sunblock etc or you both get a 1qt baggies with 3.4oz bottles (100ml).

We wear our walking shoes and bring a pair of dressy sandals.  Haven't worn dress shoes in years.

My DH refuses to wear dressy sandals to dinner😂.   
I realize Europe sells toiletries, been there many times.  But finding brands that work on my skin and hair not so easy. 

[JLMcruise]

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

When I fly for a 2 week vacation, I can pack everything in a roller that fits in the O/H bin above my seat and I also take a carry-on that has 2 days of clothes in it as well.  Never had a problem.  

Depending upon your Captain Club status - if you are Elite you can get 1 bag of free laundry. We always take advantage of this and bring less.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I spent the summer in France the year after I graduated from college with one suitcase.  In those days, suitcases didn't have wheels.  I bought toiletries in France after I arrived.  The French have wonderful stuff.  I will say that I threw out all those clothes when I returned to the US because I was sick of them!  But it can be done.

[XuGator]

The thought of washing underwear and socks in the sink is kind of disgusting to me. Seems like the best option would be to just pack essentials and most important items in carry on luggage and then check a bag also, almost assuming it would get lost and chances are you will get everything. If your checked bag does get lost then you have everything that everyone else on here who has said it is doable with carry only has anyways and you can see what it’s like. 

[Susanb10567]

1 hour ago, XuGator said:

The thought of washing underwear and socks in the sink is kind of disgusting to me. Seems like the best option would be to just pack essentials and most important items in carry on luggage and then check a bag also, almost assuming it would get lost and chances are you will get everything. If your checked bag does get lost then you have everything that everyone else on here who has said it is doable with carry only has anyways and you can see what it’s like. 

That’s the mindset I am going with…

seems the most reasonable..I am usually a terrible over-packer ..so this should be an interesting experiment..

[Virginia100]

I’ve traveled 50% of my business career for over 40 years. I could never get by on just a carry on for my usual 2 weeks. In the pandemic era I’ve found travel size toiletries that pass the liquid limit in airports have dried up in my area. Almost none available. Good luck to all.

[CU64]

6 hours ago, jelayne said:

FYI for the OP Celebrity does not allow steamers on board, it will be confiscated and returned at the end of the cruise.

 

 

We have a 17 N trip ( 12 cruise) and are trying to figure out how to just do carry on. Where we hit issues is with liquids ( shampoo, conditioner, gel, body lotion, mouth wash, perfume, hair spray, face cleanser & cream, suntan lotion). With no checked luggage where do you pack these?  

The second issue is shoes, DHs size 14 take up a lot of space & weight even when we pack socks & undies in them.  We both wear our walking shoes to fly and take a pair of dress shoes for evenings and a pair of sandals. I can figure out the clothing but tge toiletries and shoes have me stumped.

 

Forget dress shoes. Wear black walking shoes or tennis shoes. Wear them in evening with long black pants or trousers. They pass easily for dinner even on formal night. No one is looking at your shoes. OR wear your sandals. 

[letsgogogo]

Not only are you not crazy, but you are brilliant. Europe is no place for larger checked luggage. That’s coming from someone who packs heavily for a cruise. European travel requires being nimble and on the move. Big bulky bags on old cobblestones are a huge pain in the ass. Most Europeans have smaller wardrobes of higher quality versatile pieces. Pack solids that do triple duty. Seek out a laundromat in an interesting part of town near a café. Be like a local. I have traveled Europe four or five times and will never take anything but carry-on luggage. If you are flying to Europe to go on a cruise and you were not traveling anywhere else other than the cruise, then perhaps you may want more options and a checked bag. Otherwise, don’t do it. Nobody arrives in Europe with Carryon on luggage and thinks, “oh if only I had lugged more crap with me.” Nobody. Bon voyage. 

[letsgogogo]

Worth every cent to send a bag or 2 of clothes to laundry on your cruise. Don’t bother packing toiletries. That’s Europe. You can find shampoo toothpaste and anything else other corner pharmacy. When you’re done with your trip, if you have no room for these items just leave them behind. If you have the resources for European travel, not a big deal to buy some toiletries there  that you won’t finish. Plus it’s kind of fun to try products that aren’t available here. 

[lifeisrealygood]

People tell us we are crazy, but we only take carry-ons whenever we travel anywhere.  We have taken more than a dozen cruises out of Rome or Barcelona or Venice or Southampton or Amsterdam among others, and always take a 12 or 14 day cruise, plus spend a week in the port city before our cruise.  We are away for twenty two or twenty three days.  The carry-on goes overhead, and the "personal" item goes under the seat in front of you.  Remember, those "personal" bags are pretty big.

 

And, no, we do not smell on the cruise by over wearing our clothes.  My wife wears cocktail dresses pretty much every night, and they easily pack into zip-lock bags.  She wears each dress one or two times during the cruise.  I, the guy, still take four or five pair of pants, and about seven polos, and that works for evenings.  

 

The trick for us is we have a packing list, by day, which lists everything we will be taking on our cruise.  Incidentals as well as clothes.  We do not have to follow the day by day clothing schedule, but it covers all the days and makes sure you do not overpack.  

 

When we get to the airport, we verify that both our carry-on and personal bag fit into the sample bag containers that are located throughout the check-in area.  

 

We are elite plus on Celebrity, which gives both my wife and I two free laundry bags per cruise.  But, we do not give them anything good.  We normally do one bag for each of us during our cruise.  They get our laundry, which is made up of socks and underwear, and maybe a few t-shirts for me.  My wife only gives them here underwear.  She does not trust them with anything else.  

 

Some girls seem to have just a suitcase for their shoes alone.  My wife looks great, but only takes three pair of fancy evening dress shoes, one pair for walking, and one pair for water activities.  

 

I can say that we just take carry-ons, and my wife always looks great, and I think I look neat and clean.  

 

In our younger years, when we traveled with our three kids, and we all took carry-ons, let me tell you people behind us when boarding were not happy with us.  But, we always were quick, considerate, and stepped into our seats, out of the aisle, while putting our stuff overhead.  

 

And , over the years, connecting flights have been messed up, and our luggage surely would have been lost.  We have had connecting flights from Warsaw, Paris, Heathrow, & Frankfort among others that have been missed over the years.  Glad to have only had carry-ons.    

[zitsky]

Next post will be… I only brought one pair of shoes.  Are blue sneakers acceptable in the MDR or only black?  Is it ok if they’re ripped?  Designer shoes?  Sparkles?

Edited July 28, 2022 by zitsky

[d9704011]

5 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Next post will be… I only brought one pair of shoes.  Are blue sneakers acceptable in the MDR or only black?  Is it ok if they’re ripped?  Designer shoes?  Sparkles?

Nobody needs an entire pair of shoes when they bring a good sock for one foot.

[Redtravel]

Carry on plus good insurance.  Travel is risky.

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

Nobody needs an entire pair of shoes when they bring a good sock for one foot.

Are they designer socks?  Sparkles?  Holes?

 

 On my next cruise I might have been ok with one pair.  But somebody decided to book a fancy restaurant in Rome.  (Which requires a jacket.)

[Surfguyxxx]

13 hours ago, jelayne said:

We have a 17 N trip ( 12 cruise) and are trying to figure out how to just do carry on. Where we hit issues is with liquids ( shampoo, conditioner, gel, body lotion, mouth wash, perfume, hair spray, face cleanser & cream, suntan lotion). With no checked luggage where do you pack these?  

The second issue is shoes, DHs size 14 take up a lot of space & weight even when we pack socks & undies in them.  We both wear our walking shoes to fly and take a pair of dress shoes for evenings and a pair of sandals. I can figure out the clothing but tge toiletries and shoes have me stumped.

 

I recently did a TA and met this guy from Mexico.  He did our 16 night cruise and another 2 weeks in Amsterdam and Spain with a carryon and a backpack.  Everything was rolled tight and he did some sink laundry.  He brought 2 pairs of pants, both black; 1 was jeans and the other more dressy casual slacks.  He had a pair of black dress sneakers which he wore to dinner and on daily port excursions.  No other shoes and he did fine. He used the ships toiletries and the hotels toiletries so he didn't need to bring those.  My upcoming cruise in 9 days will see me trying out this new way of sailing.  Wish me luck 😬😎

[TMLAalum]

We even did carryon only + backpack for a November Europe Danube River cruise preceeded by 7 nights in Germany, 3 in France, 3 in Switzerland and followed by 3 nights in Munich! We did wash clothes in a timeshare laundry in Germany, hand-washed as needed after and used Avalon's service for a few items. For that trip only a pair of Adidas and a pair of flats came with me, winter jacket was compressible, and several jeans and black slacks sufficed. I've learned that even heavy items such as men's golf shirts and jeans can be hand-laundered and hung to dry in the shower, though they won't be ready to wear the next day.

 

Most recent carryon/backpack cruse/land was last September on the Millennium Alaska and on return a visit to family in Oregon for another week. We did have laundry available on all parts of that trip.

 

Biggest mistake ever was deciding to check our carryons when we were routed CLE-JFK-BER at the counter vs. our original booking CLE-LGA-BER. Thought it would be more convenient since we no longer had to schlep across Queens from one airport to the other. HA HA HA. No bags for our entire 3 week trip that included a 2-week British Isles cruise on the Silhouette.

 

[Provence55always]

38 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

No bags for our entire 3 week trip that included a 2-week British Isles cruise on the Silhouette.

Sounds like a nightmare how did you manage? Hope you had good travel insurance but can’t even begin to image trying to shop for all the day wear, evening wear, gym wear, bags, shoes, runners, toiletries to name but a few🫣

[cw2go]

I've stopped checking bags years ago! Have sailed Alaska and Europe for 2 weeks with carry on only! 

[Virginia100]

Now if everyone does this the deplaning process that is already clogged incredibly will get so delayed close connections will now be missed. My flight in late March took 30 minutes just to get off due to all the overhead bags.

[Surfguyxxx]

1 hour ago, TMLAalum said:

Biggest mistake ever was deciding to check our carryons when we were routed CLE-JFK-BER at the counter vs. our original booking CLE-LGA-BER. Thought it would be more convenient since we no longer had to schlep across Queens from one airport to the other. HA HA HA. No bags for our entire 3 week trip that included a 2-week British Isles cruise on the Silhouette.

 

Yikes 😬

[mozfoz]

Why would you ask if this is crazy? Or do you really mean " how to do it?".