What to pack for a trip or extended stay

[Curious]

Aw man!! That's torture

Undies and socks for 10 days will take up the majority of a carry-on suitcase alone!
Keep in mind that 2nd carry on has to fit underneath the seat in front of you and your purse would be considered a carry on.

I'd think of this from two angles.. toiletries & clothing. As far as clothing, I know it will be summer, but what types of activities are planned? Space bags are a great idea!! (except I have yet to find some that don't leak )

For toiletries, I recommend the following:

Find out the amenities offered at your hotel...
for example, will there be shampoo/conditioner, bar soap, hair dryers, laundry facilities, etc.
It all varies depending on the class of the hotel.
You might want to make one of your carry on liquids handwashing laundry detergent (or buy some crystals)..
so that you have the launder option in your hotel room anyway.
Get travel sizes for any toiletries you need that are not offered by the hotel from the sample aisle at your drugstore.
Beauty supply stores (e.g. Sally's) have travel size containers for items you can't buy and need to portion off larger supplies.
Forgo hairdryers and/or curling irons, etc...
if really needed, I'd coordinate with one of your friends (you bring the dryer - if not supplied by the hotel, they bring the iron, etc.)

 

[marylauda]

Curious, our activities are the usual things...museums, lots of walking around...we'll be in Paris for a few days and we will also go to the Loire Valley (so LOTS of walking there) and Normandy, and (I think) Mont St. Michel.

Friends and I have thought about avoiding the liquids altogether and just buying them when we get there. We aren't doing any things at night that would require dressier clothes, so I'm not taking more than a couple pairs of (flat) shoes. I'm just really concerned about what type of bag I can take that will fit under my seat...

Blondes, yes, if anyone were to talk to the people it would be my parents. I'm a junior in high school.

 

[quimby]

I went to Paris for two weeks with only a backpack full of clothes. I wasn't backpacking around Europe, but I wanted to travel light. It's not easy, but quite possible, and sort of fun too. Once you're there, the last thing you'll want to do is fuss with your stuff.

The suggestions others already gave you are very good. I might just add a few more.
-- wear your clunkiest walking shoes on board and maybe pack another pair. personally, i wouldn't because then you have to worry about your shoes dirtying up your clothes.
-- separates that you can layer will give you a lot more versatility. you should pack a few more modest separates in case you go to a cathedral. i don't think France is a stickler for this, but it's nice to be respectful.
-- if you pack a clothesline, you can always wash and rinse your clothes/undies and hang them up to dry. no need to bring 10 days of stuff.

have fun!!! if i think of any more, i'll post again.

 

[kisa]

I think you already have some good suggestions, but aren't you paying for the ticket? I can't believe they are telling you you can't check luggage on a ticket you paid for. I bet if you raised heck about it they'd have to let you check luggage! Also doesn't the airline usually cover lost luggage up to a certain dollar amount? I would probably just get my ticket and check my luggage anyways like someone else suggested. Do you know what airline you're flying with?

 

[marylauda]

^ No, I'm not sure what airline we are flying with yet. The trip is a few months away and since we are a group we won't know for a while because we can get switched around.

Checking my luggage anyway sounds good but since it is a group of about 20 people I wouldn't want to make everyone wait on me to check my luggage/retrieve it after the flight. Plus I would never have the guts to go out on a limb like that.

 

[Blondes]

Also doesn't the airline usually cover lost luggage up to a certain dollar amount?

I don't know about airlines, but if you've paid for the ticked with for example amex, you get some pretty decent shopping money if the bag is gone for a day, even better if it's gone for two.

Seriously, have the parents raise hell. In my opinion there is no point in bowing under things one can change.

And think how silly it will feel if the airline says you all have to check one of those two bags anyway once you get to the airport and they see a group of ten kids with two bags each. Then you'll have checked bags and you'll have left stuff you wanted to bring at home.

 

[shutterbug]

What to pack on a long trip?

Hello! I'll be leaving for a month long trip to Germany and the Netherlands on the 1st and I'm wondering what I should bring with me? Keeping tabs on the weather, it looks like it's all over the board this summer. What do you pack to prepare for a long trip? I'm also planning on going shopping while I'm there, so I'd like to leave some room in my luggage. Any ideas?

 

[Blondes]

What should i pack for a one week trip to Washington DC the first week in November?
I know I'm super early, but I was bored and started thinking about this...

Anyone from there? What's the weather like? Will it be below 0?

 

[Legyviel]

I would take loads and loads of t-shirts and few pairs of jeans. Also a jacket. Comfortable shoes. It depends on your style of course

 

[Lilliana]

summerstuff plus a wool pullover, a blazer and a light hoodie and your prepared for every weather. works always fine for me. oh plus one pair of waterproof shoes and jeans.

 

[timber]

I say bring things you really love wearing - and clothes that you can combine into a lot of different outfits. Colours that go together - or maybe complimentary shades of brown, white or grey and then a few splash of colour items that can be used in different ways.

And lots of things you can layer, as opposed to a big coat, which you won't probably need anyway.

 

[DandyWarhol]

bring at least one pair of good jeans that can be dressed up or down, two if you've got space.

if you plan on going to any fancy/dressier places, bring either a pair of nice trousers and a nice top/over coat OR a nice dress that you could also use as a day dress (a normal brown summer dress can easily be dressed up with black heels and some select jewlery)

casual and knock-around clothingwise, bring at least 5 or 6 tops you love (since you'll be wearing them a lot!!) bring a long sleeve and a fleece/sweater/hoodie that you can use when it gets chilly.

if the weather is expected to be bad/snow/rain, bring a coat that looks good with generally all your clothes. i would reccomend a trench coat, as its classy and hard to go wrong with.

for bottoms other then jeans, bring a skirt or two (if you wear them, if you dont, then dont bother, itll just be wasted room). bring two pairs of shorts or capris (a mix might be good, one mid-thigh short and one below the knee capri). you may also want to bring a pair of sweatpants or athletic pants.

for shoes, bring one pair of flip flops, a sneaker (like converse or nike, or whatever you've got, it could be athletic or causal), a pair of heels that work with your dressier outfit, and if you want, a pair of flats.

bring your usual underthings, and pack extra knickers because you dont know how often you'll have access to a wash. also, bring a pair or two of knickers in your carry on (in case of emergency where they loose your luggage - it never hurts to be be prepared).

to make it easier to fit things in your suitcase, you can roll and pack small things like knickers and thin shirts into your shoes to save space. bring a carry on with a good book, a blank notebook, and always carry your digital camera and cell phone and such with you on flight.

be prepared to also do some shopping (which you probably will end up doing!) on your trip! =]

 

[shutterbug]

Thanks everyone for your input! I'm going to start my list tomorrow. 11 days!

 

[nat_attak]

the one thing i seem to never pack enough of when i go on trips are underwears.

 

[modelbehavior228]

I would say all of your summer clothes, plus some jeans and formal wear

 

[Vista]

If the weather is all over the place, I'd bring a few dresses that can be used on their own and that can also be combined with thicker tights or a thicker pantyhose. I'd also pack jeans and tees, and two chunky cardigans that can be worn with both the dresses and the jeans. And as for colors, I'd pick neutral ones that can be combined with anything and maybe pick a few accessories that are more colorful.

 

[satin chic]

The weather has been quite fickle here lately - one day it's more than 30°C and the next day it's rainy and temperate. I'd say you should definitely bring a lot of tees/camis and one or two pullovers in case it gets colder, as well as a few pairs of jeans, a light jacket, comfortable shoes (lots of cobbled streets here, so maybe you won't want to bring your nicest pair of high-heels) and maybe one or two skirts.

 

[shutterbug]

I'd bring a few dresses that can be used on their own and that can also be combined with thicker tights or a thicker pantyhose.

Great idea! I was actually planning on bringing quite a few breezy, colorful dresses because I'm very uncomfortable when it gets over 25 degrees. I was planning to buy some new colored tights while I'm there so that would be perfect At least this summer is shaping up to be slightly cooler than last time I went. I hope it stays mild and sunny all summer, but that might be asking for much

 

[Hebden]

I'd say layers...and things that you can wash in a hotel sink. On a long trip you're going to wear items multiple times so if they're easy to clean you'll save yourself a lot of headaches.

 

[Vista]

Great idea! I was actually planning on bringing quite a few breezy, colorful dresses because I'm very uncomfortable when it gets over 25 degrees. I was planning to buy some new colored tights while I'm there so that would be perfect At least this summer is shaping up to be slightly cooler than last time I went. I hope it stays mild and sunny all summer, but that might be asking for much

For my last trip I brought a few neutral colored dresses and a lot of different tights so that it could be worn in different ways and become different outfits. (Also depending on the shoes) It doesn't take up a lot of space either.