To take or not to take....

This is difficult to answer. IMO parking lite is learned behavior. You learn not to take it with you the next time. I have never wish that I packed something that I did not. In part, because Europe is as modern and up to date as the US with shopping centers and stores where you can buy anything you need. Our biggest wasted packing 20 years ago was a travel iron and the converter. Need used in four or five trips but always taken at the last minute, just-in-case. It disappeared one year never to be found again. Extra shoes were the next big item. When we were first traveling didn't have the 3 oz limit. That is a real blessing today. Anything that is "nice to have" or "just in case" or "maybe it will be used once" gets left behind. If you do not intend to use it four or five times - leave it home.

Pack first on paper - make lists, cross check. Basic question - Do I really need that? Will I wear it several times? All clothing should cross match four or five different ways. We avoid nearly everything that is 100% cotton - too heavy and hard to care for. We prefer synthetic blends.

I agree with Frank that it's a learned behavior. I keep a running travel list for Europe that's been refined each time I travel. It's hard to come up with a list for someone else, but two things I'd recommend are to start with Rick Steves' list and modify it for your personal needs and, then, post it on this site for other travelers to comment. I've seen great responses when others have done this.

There was a thread a while back talking about items brought, thinking they were needed, but not used. I tried a couple of searches-maybe someone else will have more luck finding it.

Years ago AirFrance lost my bag on my way to Italy. It was never recovered. I was stopping in Florence at my parents' only for 2 nights before proceeding to a vacation in Sardinia. I had just one day to buy everything I needed to go to Sardinia, including a traveling bag. Had a similar experience in Athens the year before, although eventually I got my bag there. Best thing that could have happened. Shopping overseas, even for essentials not just souvenirs, should be part of your experience if you want to immerse yourself in the local culture. A trip at Carrefour might be even more rewarding than the visit at the Louvre.

Dave, I think this is the thread you may have been thinking about?

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/what-s-the-most-useless-item-you-ever-packed

Oft discussed and difficult to answer, but I have a few suggestions and tips. For trips that are a little more fast paced and where you have limited time in each destination, I tend to go a bit more comprehensive on the toiletries, meds, and essentials, be it toothpaste or socks. RS has noted it can be a fun experience to shop for such things in local stores should you run out, but if you had limited time the last thin you want to do is to go shopping for this stuff, so make sure you have what you need and enough of it. Shoes is a big one. Another pair of shoes could turn into a big regret if you never use them. Unless there's a specific need for bringing a pair of shoes, for example, dress shoes because you're traveling to attend a wedding or other formal event, try to bring one pair that is versatile enough in both style and purpose. For me the heaviest items are my pants and tech gear. On my next trip I think I'm going to keep it down to two pairs of pants (one jeans and one khakis).

A trip at Carrefour might be even more rewarding than the visit at the Louvre
Blasphemy! (But you're right.)

I've learned the hard way to always pack certain key medicines that I will probably NOT need but would struggle to get if needed. It always includes: a few imodium, pepto, antihistimines, fiber pills, and a scrip for antibiotic for sinus infection. I also include in my 3/3 zip-lock: small tubes of antibiotic ointment and cortisone cream. You just never know, and these take up so little room that when I've needed them (bedbug bites in a highly rated hotel, for example), I've been VERY glad to have them.

The most important thing.....take a small suitcase! Either carryon size or the smallest size up from there. You will be very happy you did.

First trip I took three pairs of shoes, never again!

Have a laundry bag for dirty clothes, took but rarely used a clothes line for washing in the sink, most places have a heating rack in the bathrooms so I just drape wet clothes (underwear) there. And I find that I can re-wear clothes without washing (especially jeans, pants and some shirts)....no, they are not stinky! We plan on laundry about every 10 days, or doing it twice on a one month trip. Our first trip I took a sink stopper, laundry soap, clothes line and a special towel to roll up and dry out clothes. I don't bring any of that anymore. Now just a small bottle of Woolite to wash underwear in the sink. Maybe you will have washers in your apartments?

A fold up bag can come in handy- for groceries, laundry, etc.

Make sure you have clothes that dry easily, layer clothes so you don't need to take many (even in summer they didn't dry completely and even with a clothes dryer they don't dry all the way- yep..not sure why- dryers seem to dry with humid heat)

Bought but never used a lock/wire to lock up luggage on a train

I like a video camera to capture the audio- photos don't do that!

Button up tight to prevent yourself from looking vulnerable to thieves, use money belt, fasten day bag etc. Hold bag in front in crowded areas.

Make sure to examine your rental car before you leave rental company.

Take bandaids, meds with us, but I take less now and just visit a pharmacy if needed.

I love my packing cubes! Just started using them and I will now use them forever! With a month away it just keeps things more organized. I like to keep one packing cube for electronics, cords, etc.

Just a few ideas for you!

Much depends on how you travel and whether you are alone. With no traveling companion, I'm another who takes a few of many different types of OTC pills. Don't want to have to search for a pharmacy when I'm ill. Sometimes the nearest open one is more than a mile away. The longer the trip, the more likely that some minor health issue will come up. An extra pair of eyeglasses is essential if yours isn't a stock prescription.

Five things I didn't take on my first trip (eons ago) that I do now: some duct tape (removed from the large roll), a small pair of scissors, a small roll of standard (Scotch-style) tape removed from its dispenser, a small serrated knife (would buy locally if taking only a carry-on), and the round, pliable (not brittle) plastic top of a restaurant carry-out container. I use the container-top to slice bread, cheese and fruit, then I eat off of it. The duct tape is primarily for luggage repair; the other tape, for repairing things like maps. Of course I've also added electronic devices and related gear to my packing list.

If those tiny staplers worked, I'd take one with me to organize trip-planning materials as I go. But they don't.

My top packing-related recommendations are to take things you've worn/used so you know they are comfortable, check buttons and seams before departure to be sure you won't have to do any mending during your trip, and be sure clothing to be hand-washed will dry relatively quickly.

Any new wearables should be test-driven via a full day's use, ideally wandering around museums, shopping malls, etc., as well as outdoors in the type of weather you'll have on your trip, if possible. This can reveal odd problems like a poor combination of shoulder bag/jacket fabrics that will cause the strap of your bag to slide constantly off your shoulder.

Back when I was mailing postcards to a lot of people (don't promise--now very costly!), I took prepared self-adhesive address labels with me. Writing the postcards was pleasant enough; addressing them was a bit of a drag.

I have learned to pack lighter and lighter over the years and can do 3 mos on a 22 inch or sometimes a 24 inch bag. A couple of musts are two pair of very comfortable shoes -- in summer, sandals with athletic well cushioned soles and for me a pair of merrell mesh top clogs -- I can walk miles in either. Another must is a handful of ratty washclothes; they never have them in European rentals or hotels (unless the rental is owned by Americans) and we just plan to discard as they get moldy or at the end of the trip. My husband likes those terry cloth mitt things they use in Europe and so he always buys 2 or 3 during our travels to take home. And we always pack a mini pharmacopia of OTC drugs as well as prescriptions. Prescriptions always go in the carry on; the OTCs in the checked bag. It is fairly easy in France to get OTC drugs you need but who wants to figure that out at 2 am.

I don't take lots of extra clothes or clothes that have limited use. IN winter I don't even take skirts anymore, just black pants I can dress up or down and that don't require special shoes. In summer I have a cotton wrap skirt that packs small and is very cool and works with the sandals and a pair or two of linen slacks. I usually have 2 fitted black cotton Ts in hot weather that are easy to wash and dry over night and go with everything and can double as pajamas with boxers. I use travel shirts, the kind that have the roll sleeves and hidden pockets as light jackets over the T shirt in summer. And I take a sun hat. If you have a basic black or brown or navy base -- slacks and T or skirt and T then you can dress up the basic look with a scarf and a dressy top or jacket. I don't like to wear polyester travel clothes as they are hot and sweaty especially the knits -- but for a dress top it is easy to find a sweaterish thing, or lightweight jacket or overblouse that is very lightweight and wrinkle proof to throw on over the basic layer. This fall I dined at a Michelin star restaurant in Paris and went to the opera in my basic black with a little dressy jacket on the top. They were fine in those settings.

It is easy to buy stuff you leave behind if you need it. And I would never take an iron or clothes that had to be ironed. I would also never take a hair dryer as virtually every place has them; worst case scenerio you buy one there.

Can't believe I forgot to mention the washcloth situation! In 4-1/2 months of travel I'm not sure I saw one, other than what I took with me. You definitely want thin. And I suggest not white. You don't want your precious washcloths picked up and tossed in the laundry along with the hotel's towels.

I stayed mostly in 3-star B&Bs, apartments found through booking.com, and hotels. Only one time was there not a hairdryer--in an apartment in the lightly visited Burgas, Bulgaria. I've stopped taking a hairdryer, too.

My accommodations supplied soap (sometimes liquid), and a high percentage also had shampoo. Below the 4-star level I wouldn't generally expect lotion or crème rinse.

The thing I get a LOT of use from is ziplock bags; I always bring several in both quart and gallon sizes. I use them to store receipts, bottles I'm afraid will leak, and on one memorable occasion, a bedbug for the B&B owner to give to the exterminator (I see I'm not the only one who's run into bedbugs).

I agree that if there are any OTC meds you like to have around, take some with you. They take up very little space and are a problem to find in the middle of the night (yes, Europe has pharmacies, but not the 24 hour ones on every corner like in big US cities). However, don't take a lot of stuff you don't use, "just in case" - a small supply will do.

Don't forget charging cords for any devices you are bringing. And don't bring anything that's not dual voltage or multi-voltage.

Unless you are going for a special occasion, don't bring too fancy or formal clothes.

acraven mentions test wearing clothing before the trip -- don't forget to test WASH items for 1) drying time 2) wrinkle resistance 3) color fastness. Especially #3, unless you like unexpectedly pink underwear.

Bring money (ATM cards/accounts, credit cards) and you can buy what you forgot or discover you can't live without. It will be a cultural experience locating and buying stuff in a foreign land.

things that you ended up not using and wished you had never packed?

It's been a while but the most recent things to drop from my packing list: Laptop, alarm clock, travel towel.

there things you really wished you would have packed but didn't?

Usually OTC medications. On my last trip to Germany, someone in my group ate something that didn't agree with him on a Saturday and we had a tough time finding a open pharmacy on Sunday just to get some Imodium. In general what an American would consider a drugstore (akin to a Walgreens or CVS) doesn't carry OTC meds and you have to get them from a pharmacy which have more limited hours. I've found it is just better to carry some OTC pain killers, allergy meds, upset stomach meds just in case because when you need them, you REALLY need them.

DJ

I always take a 6' extension cord ( to use with the appropriate adapter plug). It gives you three charging options with one plug in, and comes in very handy when the one room receptacle is in an awkward place behind the nightstand, behind the tv, or high on the wall at the room entry.

I also opt to take small amounts of otc items for the convenience of having as needed vs having to find a store asap.

Here's my list of things I always take with me:

Wash cloths - they will not be provided, or there will just be one or two heavy mitts.

Sharp knife. For picnics and because the one in your rental will be very dull.

Packing tape and Sharpy for sending packages home.

Length of duct tape wrapped around a pencil - never know when it will come in handy.

A few clothes pins. The ones with hooks on top are best.

Scissors - for cutting into plastic packaging, etc.

Bandaids.

Small flashlight.

I keep most of this in a medium cosmetic bag that easily fits into my suitcase and keep it ready for my travels.

I couldn't tell you what you'll need to pack for your child, but we just got back from Paris and my husband and I fit basically everything in two backpacks. I carried a purse on the plane with a kindle, ipod, camera, etc., and he carried a small bag full of snacks. We had to pack sweaters and scarves and warm clothes, but we didn't pack many changes of clothes and did laundry during our trip. Here are my packing regrets:
-I wish I hadn't packed a crappy extra pair of shoes that gave me blisters. I threw them away after wearing them once on that trip and was limping for days after. Only pack the best shoes, and you don't need many pairs.
-I wish I hadn't packed an umbrella. It didn't really rain on us much and when it did it was too windy for an umbrella anyway. plastic ponchos can be tacky, but they don't turn inside out and ineffective when it gets a little windy.
-I wish I had packed a pair of binoculars. Some of those fresco or mosaic ceilings are really high and I would have liked to see more detail. not only that, being on the Eiffel Tower or any other great viewpoint in Paris it would have been cool to have.
-I wish my husband had packed a knee brace. Lots of walking, lots and lots of stairs, his knee started hurting the first day. He didn't complain and he still was able to climb all the monuments we wanted to, but it would have been kinder to his knee of he'd put his brace on.
-I wish I had packed a regular tooth floss instead of a sample size from the dentist. I am a little bit of a nut about my teeth, I didn't realize how little floss there was in that thing! It's not like tooth floss is heavy or bulky. I ran out 4 days in.
-I am SO GLAD we just had backpacks. It was easy to get around, we weren't dragging bags behind us. It's amazing what you can fit in a back pack and it is nearly impossible to go over on weight limits in a bag like that. We brought cheap towels from home, as one of our hostel didn't provide any, and threw the towels away to make room for souvenirs. Did the same with travel size toiletries, even a few pieces of clothing we didn't care about.

My husband is a notorious under packer. One year in Paris and Burgundy it was a little colder than expected at first and then a little hotter -- he ended up heading for Monoprix and C&A to buy long pants, a jacket, a sweater and then later shorts and short sleeve polos -- we ended up with a huge collection of extra clothing and just donated it to a charity before leaving for home. It is easy to acquire that needed sweater, gloves or hat or whatever and cosmetics and toiletries are easy to find and often the same brands you might see at home. And we love buying weird toothpastes; got lavender in Italy, some sort of nut in Russia, and lemon once in France.

We did find that the choices of dental floss were dismal. We like the soft gum friendly kind and use it every day and could not find it in France.

Wow. Thank you everyone! Lots of wonderful suggestions and advice. Love this forum!!

A monocular is less than half the weight of binoculars and may come with a handy magnifying add-on too. Happened upon one in an airport duty-free shop and now always take it, so I am equipped for both bird-spotting and botany on a walking holiday and for seeing details on monuments in urban contexts. (I'm one of those people who always close one eye anyway when looking through binoculars.)

The zoom function on a camera is a good substitute for binoculars, where cameras are allowed, anyway.

Sorry if it's been mentioned before, but another thing I always bring is a collapsible duffel bag for emergencies. The one I have is made of a thinner nylon material (not the thick cordura type) and it packs into itself because there's a pocket on the side of the bag. When expanded it can fit quite a bit, but when collapsed and compacted, it's the size of small fanny pack and very light.

This comes in handy say, if on the last day of your trip you do a bit too much shopping and run out of room in your baggage. Usually what I'll do is I'll take all my clothes (and other stuff I wouldn't mind losing) and put it in this duffel bag and check it in, leaving my carry on (whether a roller or backpack) to carry all the souvenirs and other things I wouldn't want to lose.

On washcloths - I don't bring them, but I do pack the dry "facial cloths" from Olay which can be tossed after use. Nothing wet to carry, and a package of 33 (enough for most vacations) weighs only ounces.

For a month-long trip to four locations, plan on visiting Monoprix or other stores for toiletries, clothing, snack foods as needed. Bon voyage! !

Sooo much good advice. My packing guidelines and rules for trips as long as one month (same list for 3 nights, BTW)

• never check luggage

• do not duplicate anything your partner can bring. (He packs the floss, I pack the bath scrubby.)

• wear one pair of shoes, pack another. Enough!

• wear my jeans 2 or 3 days

• 3 bottoms, 4-5 tops. In summer, one pair of jeans, 2-3 tops, 2 dresses. I throw in one pair of hiking shorts if we are in the mountains plus a jacket and a cardigan.

• hand wash every-other-day unless we have a flat with a washing machine (do you?)

• no funky travel items like a clothesline or picnic set

• no make-up (freedom!) just a lip gloss; simplified toiletries. I will buy a large bottle of lotion and/or sun cream on arrival

• minimal OTC meds and first aid: Imodium, Benedryl, Tylenol, Calagel packets for bites, a few small packets of antiseptic cream, a few band-aids

I love Olay daily facial cloths, Purex Sheets for laundry (I cut a few into smaller pieces for hand washing and take a few larger ones for when we use machines), ZipLoc bags in sandwich, quart and gallon, and our bath scrubby instead of wash cloths.

We each take too many electronics, but over time I have become used to the mix I bring and I use them all a lot: Smartphone, MS SurfacePro laptop, Kindle Fire, Point-and-shoot camera. They go in my day bag so it's not too big a deal.

I almost forgot. In spring summer and early fall take a good mosquito repellent (or the towelettes). The repellent available in Italy simply doesn't work well and the mosquitos there carry some pretty grim tropical diseases; don't know if those mosquitos are common in southern France or how easy it is to find good repellent, but will be taken high deet repellent this fall when we go. In many parts of Europe there are no window screens and no AC -- And there is nothing like being out on a hike or in a garden or on a boat in the early evening and having no repellent. I just tuck one of the towelettes in my hip pocket in case of need. When you need it, you are really happy to have it. People told us about little plug ins to keep away mosquitos inside apartments but in my experience they don't work -- or they certainly don't work 100 per cent.

I always travel with a small spiral notebook, about 3" x 5". It's primarily for jotting down expenditures and the names of hotels and restaurants, but it's also handy for recording the address of a shop I want to return to and facilitating communication with non-English speaking folks. I write out my itinerary ahead of time before heading off to buy bus or train tickets.

I take one of these hangers. Plastic hanger with 8 clips on it. And when I have forgotten it, I really miss it. I left one in Palermo. And they are much more durable than they look. Comes in a 3 pack for about $9.

http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6027-533-Designer-Plastic-Hangers/dp/B000066RUK/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1457718271&sr=1-4&keywords=plastic+clip+hanger

I've thought of something that's a how-to rather than a what-to:

On a number of occasions I've had a ball-point pen leak all over the inside of a purse. I've always discovered this shortly after getting off a plane. I suspect the pressurization is a risk factor. So I now put all pens in a zip-top snack or sandwich bag before flying. Sometimes the extras stay in one of those bags for the rest of the trip.

Similarly, any sort of cream in a tube lives in a zip bag. Things that are perfectly sturdy in day-to-day life at home seem not to take well to having guidebooks, water bottles, and umbrellas shoved down beside them. I think metal tubes are riskier than more flexible plastic. I only learned to do this after the vinyl lining of my favorite travel purse was attacked by something that leaked from a tiny hole in a tube.

@ DJ ....If you're in a major city in Germany, you can get OTC meds at the train station's pharmacy. They open on Sunday. The pharmacy at Berlin Hbf is opened round the clock.

Hot weather tips: I traveled with my Kool Tie neck scarf, which hydrates with a short soak in water, and then keeps you cool for hours. I found mine at REI. This was a HUGE help during last summer's heat wave in Paris. Also, for the first time, I brought a small (12 oz. capacity) stainless thermos. It fit in the water bottle pocket of my day bag easily, and I was able to fill it with ice and water and stay hydrated. The ice didn't melt hardly at all, so refills of water remained really cold. The heat didn't really bother my sons, but it was tough for me. It was 102 one of the days in Paris, and high 90's-100 most of the other days, so these two items really helped me stay more comfortable.

Portable charger: We had a small charging pack that my husband kept in his day bag, along with a short cable for our phones. Since I used my iPhone for most of my photography and videos, it was nice to be able to charge it when we stopped for a meal. His charger was about the size of his phone. Since then, I now have one just a bit longer than a lipstick case. It was recently helpful to charge my phone while in the ER with a family member, so we could share information with other family members.

The flat duffel idea is one we used, as well - started with it stowed in the outside pocket of a suitcase, and were so happy to have space to expand into with our treasures that we brought home. Since we only checked three bags for five family members, we knew we could just check it on the way home.

Have a great trip!
Laurie

One thing I purchased specifically for our 24 night tour of Europe last spring......a travel blow dryer. As mentioned somewhere above, most hotels have them. Also, unless you are hooked on your own bath and body stuff, all of the hotels had shower gel and shampoo although not all had conditioner. I guess 3 oz sized bottles of this doesn't take up THAT much room in your suitcase.

I only used my RS travel clothes line ONCE as it seems most bathrooms had some sort of way of drying our clothes on the hangers mentioned above.

I also bring a Vera Bradley duffle bag, folded flat and stowed in my carry on baggage. I know myself all too well and we always come home with more than we bring :)

Great advice here. I would also suggest you watch the excellent video by one of the RS tour guides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnbTgfimiCs

I have a collapsible expansion bag that goes in an outer pocket of my suitcase. It can be a carry on on the way home if we do shop and have too much stuff. The new good stuff goes in the checked bag and the expansion bag gets soft things like the laundry that make room for the new things in the suitcase.

As long as family members carry their own bags they can certainly decide to have useless stuff, most people learn to pack light when they have to deal with their own stuff.

If you are traveling a lot and by train once you get to Europe it is particularly important to have luggage you can haul up stairs and lift into racks easily.

I found bathroom sinks too small to wash a t-shirt or two. I always bring a superized Ziploc bags. I can let the clothes soak and the move the clothes around like a washing machine would. I get out as much water as possible and then I use my bag of balloons from the Dollar Store. Put them in sleeves, in the chest area and the bottom hem. The clothes will dry much faster. I also give them a once over with the hair dryer, concentrating on any leftover moisture in the hem line.
Last year I wore a 3 tiered cotton skirt the color of denim. I wore it in Spain and all tops matched it and I didn't get too hot. I also brought a pair of white pants and I wore long blue pants on the plane. I also brought a light weight black skirt. I hope to do the same on the Eastern France trip this August. If it is over 70, it is too hot.

Bidets are great for laundry but fewer and fewer hotels have them. I love your balloon idea, would never have thought of that. We usually rent apartments alone the way where we have laundry facilities but this fall we may have some stretches without so that will come in hand. And I agree skirts are cooler than pants. And skirts don't need to be laundered often unless you spill something.

Another thing to think about is a sun hat. They are not as easy to find as I would expect, but a brim to keep sun out of your eyes is a real value if you are out all day especially in spring or fall when the sun stays low and in your eyes all day.

Jill,
I packed a raincoat last summer in Italy. BIG MISTAKE! I lugged it all over the country in an already-too-small suitcase. For France this summer, I'm taking a light windbreaker. If you need something for precipitation, buy a cheap umbrella.

I always have a windbreaker and have needed that all seasons. Last fall I sprayed it with waterproofing spray which made it much more water resistant. There are dozens of very lightweight packable options for windbreaker type garments, some with lots of hand pockets. Take a look on Travelsmith.com, Scottevest.com, Magellan.com, REI.com etc etc I would not lug a heavier trench or coat during warm seasons. I do pack one for fall/spring/winter travel and then layer under it.

Let me tell you about the time we went to Istanbul in October and brought cold weather gear, including a rain jacket (not a shell, something insulated), gloves, scarves, wool beanie, long underwear. For some reason we thought it would be snowing.