Travelling light? Carry-on baggage: overseas travel

[Marquise]

I will say one thing: when they say to pack light when you go to Venice, they mean it. Every block connected by stone bridges means there are no carts and the wheels on your luggage don't work. What you carry, you carry for several blocks between your hotel and the nearest vaporetto stop.

My husband and I went to Italy a few years ago when I had a business meeting in Rome, and the first week we walked many, many miles up and down the hills of Rome. I'd been to Italy before but my husband hadn't. On the train to Venice he said he was looking forward to Venice being flat and I didn't have the heart to tell him we'd be climbing up and down stairs every time we crossed a canal. I had to have a computer and business clothes for work but otherwise we'd packed pretty light. It was an unseasonably cold March and we had to layer what we had to stay warm.

We got royally lost one night in Venice, walked in a great circle and found ourselves back where we'd been when we first realized we were lost. A tiny woman in a fur coat saw us peering at a map by the light of a shop window and asked "Can I help you?" but after that all she had was Italian. I came up with hotel (albergo?) and when she asked "Dove?" I initially blanked on the hotel name. Then it came to me and she walked with us three or four blocks and pointed us to the stairway leading to our hotel.

Navigating Venice in the rain was fun, with constant maneuvering of umbrellas up and down in narrow walkways so as not to hit those of people walking in the opposite direction. Fortunately, we had packed an umbrella.

[OakLeaf]

Fortunately, we had packed an umbrella.

Now see? That's an item I always save space on the outbound trip. If I don't need one, then space is saved in both directions. And if I do...

Just this very afternoon I got a compliment on the umbrella I bought in Valencia. And the ones I bought in Vienna and in Amsterdam always bring a smile to my face.

A lighter packer could just buy a cheap umbrella at the destination and give it to a homeless person or "forget" it at a train station before they leave.

[salsabike]

Now see? That's an item I always save space on the outbound trip. If I don't need one, then space is saved in both directions. And if I do...

Just this very afternoon I got a compliment on the umbrella I bought in Valencia. And the ones I bought in Vienna and in Amsterdam always bring a smile to my face.

Oh, I like that. Umbrellas from around the world with memories attached...Nice.

[salsabike]

I guess I don't see that as unusual? I don't generally walk in my running shoes because it's just unnecessary wear. They only last about 6 months as it is. So I can see packing/wearing walking shoes (Keens, usually?), and bringing running shoes, Chacos, and maybe dress flats, depending on the vacation. It's possible to pack lighter, definitely, but why restrict yourself if you have the space? A trip to Italy is a much different experience than kayaking the Everglades or something - you might as well be prepared to experience everything available.

Yes, exactly.

[Crankin]

Yup, I agree. When we went to Italy, we first spent a long weekend in Berlin, visiting our exchange student son. It was April, but still cool. Then, on to Siena. The first 2 days were cold, rainy and raw. Then it became beautifully sunny and 65 degrees. We rode up into the Tuscan hills on crappy mountain bikes, walked miles around town with our son who was studying in Italy, and ate in countless restaurants. Then we spent 2 days in Florence, where it was 75 degrees. When I go to Europe, I make a point of dressing like a native. No running shoes or fanny packs, or anything that brands me as a dumb tourist.
What I'm trying to say is that if I hadn't had my "big red" suitcase, I would not have been prepared for all the different weather conditions, or situations that required nicer clothes as well as casual stuff, along with my cycling clothes and shoes. Sure, we had to lug those damn things up stone steps at the Siena train station, but, we managed.

[jobob]

Might not have been the original intent of this thread, but your stories are giving me wanderlust!


mmmm ... Belgium beckons. And if we go, rest assured, some might be amused by the amount of crap we manage to bring with us. And the rest would be having too much fun to give a hoot.

[PamNY]

You're right, Pam. He was seeking an opinion in particular, a woman. He sits near me at work. I did say it depends on the person. But clearly he hates having checked in baggage. And he knows for me as a cyclist, I've just become more streamlined in vacation baggage packing. I have to say, cycle touring truly has changed me alot how much less I pack in general to still enjoy a trip.

You should have a talk with him about privacy and discretion, and about his tendency to be controlling.

It's likely this issue has nothing at all to do with luggage, and everything to do with his desire to control. If this is a normal taxis-and-hotels type of trip, taking only carry-on bags is ludicrous.

[indysteel]

Might not have been the original intent of this thread, but your stories are giving me wanderlust!


mmmm ... Belgium beckons. And if we go, rest assured, some might be amused by the amount of crap we manage to bring with us. And the rest would be having too much fun to give a hoot.

DH and I so want to go back to Belgium and Ghent in particular. What a pretty city. Sigh....

[Reesha]

Speaking of traveling light, packing for my summer cross-country bike adventure should be an interesting challenge. The packing list is truly impressive, but in past years they made people send stuff home because of weight issues with their truck.

I've got get my bike accessories, bike clothes, camping gear, casual comfortable clothes, electronics, etc all into enough bags that I can take on the train. i suppose I could ship some of the stuff along with my bike. Anybody familiar with recent domestic bike shipping rates? :ughhhh:

[Reesha]

DH and I so want to go back to Belgium and Ghent in particular. What a pretty city. Sigh....

Have you been to Brugge? ...It's a notch up from Gent (former Brugge resident, perhaps take it with a grain of salt). I'd also argue Antwerpen is even prettier. If you ever bike tour in Belgium, definitely hit Damme, which is a quaint medieval village just outside Brugge. Also Sluis, NL just on the border

[Marquise]

I loved Belgium when I went there many years ago with my sister, who was living in Germany at the time. We went primarily for the art because I was studying art history and specializing in Northern Baroque but there was much more than just the art to love. I think it was in Ghent that we were heading for the train station and this being before wheeled suitcases were common (yes, that long ago), my sister had some sort of little folding cart that could barely hold our two very small bags. Something went amiss - couldn't have had anything to do with the cobbles! - and a little old man riding by hopped off his bike and said "Let grandfather help!" He secured things with a bungee cord and was back on his bike in a flash.

[shootingstar]

You should have a talk with him about privacy and discretion, and about his tendency to be controlling.

It's likely this issue has nothing at all to do with luggage, and everything to do with his desire to control. If this is a normal taxis-and-hotels type of trip, taking only carry-on bags is ludicrous.

I dunno, Pam. But I don't intend to get further with him on advising on his personal stuff. After all, both of our jobs require that we work with one another on projects on a daily basis.

Best to keep it that way. After all, he "hates" cyclists. He's the employee who thinks I lead a deficient life by travelling around our city (which is uglier when one gets off the parkway cycling routes...just urban sprawl in oil-energy prairies area).

Kinda in this whole thread, to learn of other things that people do on vacation outside of cycling, jogging, skiing, hiking, etc. Wonderful story, Marquise.

[maillotpois]

Our six checked bags (14 total if you count our 2 friends' bags and all our carryons) have arrived safely in Vancouver.

[indysteel]

Have you been to Brugge? ...It's a notch up from Gent (former Brugge resident, perhaps take it with a grain of salt). I'd also argue Antwerpen is even prettier. If you ever bike tour in Belgium, definitely hit Damme, which is a quaint medieval village just outside Brugge. Also Sluis, NL just on the border

Yes, we've been to Brugge, but we spent more time in Ghent on the advice of nearly everyone we spoke with, including a native here on TE. We much preferred Ghent. Much less touristy and crowded, but every bit as pretty. Brugge was wall to wall people when we were there in May of 2010. It was also more expensive than Ghent. We did go to Damme, too. It was lovely as well.

[shootingstar]

Our six checked bags (14 total if you count our 2 friends' bags and all our carryons) have arrived safely in Vancouver.

Yes, you were in Vancouver about 2 yrs. ago or so?

Air Canada started to charge $35.00 (I think) 1 way for past 12-18 months, for any additional baggage that must be checked in (even if it meets carry-on size/weight) beyond 1 free carry-on. I've flown enough by now, that I can't remember when their policy started. As a result of this policy, I have noticed WAY more people taking on their carry-on luggagge aboard. At least for domestic flights.

With this airline's extra fuel charges and tax for each 1 way trip, it's more of an incentive for me to tend to use 1 carry-on for clothing, if I can. I'm cheap. I haven't done a biz trip by plane for past several yrs., so really it's for me to save money on my personal/vacation trips. I've made several personal trips in the past 18 months ...so cost really can add up for me, if I'm not careful.

I really do think about weight and bulk and ease of handling by myself as well as cost.