First Time Traveller

Go to onebag.com and read it all. You'll realize you can pare down quite a bit. I've been in Scotland in September and it was beautiful. Cool, but not cold.

Click on the "Travel Tips" tab at the top of the page you're reading now. Read the articles under the heading "Packing."

I've made six trips to Germany with a only carryon, one in January, and always been under the 18# limit for Lufthansa.

One thing I would suggest is to start a list NOW; that way you will have plenty of time to think about what you really need to take, and you will be less likely to leave something off.

Don't start out with everything you might want and try to cut down. Only put on the list what you absolutely have to have.

One mistake I made the first time I went was thinking I should bring everything I MIGHT need. I took up valuable room with kleenex, extra toothpaste, laundry soap only to find out that all that is available over there for about the same price. Now I bring one small tube of toothpaste and 3 ounces of woolite to get started. Having said that, I do always bring my favorite cold medicine and enough contact solution since I am picky about those 2 things. As for clothing: think layering. I carry short sleeve shirts, 1/4 zip fleece pullover, and a north face jacket. If I wear all these together I can go to the top of the jungfraujcoh. Throw my Marmot Precip jacket on and I can go in the rain. However, they can all be used by themselves in cooler or warmer weather. Washing out underclothes every other night becomes part of the fun. (towel warmers are your friend. Many rooms have them and they dry your undies out overnight) Lasty, I used a Rick Steves roll aboard bag for the first time this trip and it was awesome. (I've always used my own before this) It just seemed to swallow up my stuff and I had plenty of room. Use the Rick Steves Packing list and you will be fine. My last piece of advice: If you aren't comfortable wearing something here, you won't want to wear it in Europe so choose wisely and don't just buy what others say have worked for them.(leg zip off pants are not for everybody) The list also suggests scarves for women, I don't wear them here, so they would be a waste for me to take to Europe. Have fun.

Roberta, have faith in yourself! It can be done! You will be SO glad to have little to think about. Just pick a color of clothing to work around and layer; stick to it. You've got almost a year to research and practice. My husband and I travelled for three weeks with one RS roll-aboard, one medium backpack, and two RS Civita bags...not each, but for both our things. We used one medium sized packing foldable, and lots of ziplock bags. The helpline, graffiti wall, and other non-RS sites are filled with good info. Enjoy the experience of planning; it's half the fun!

Roberta: For Rick's packing tips for women (written by women), click here http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/womenpacking.htmand here http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/womenpack.htm

I've traveled to Scotland many times and the best times are when I travel light. It really makes a difference. I travel with a little bit more stuff than many on this board because I take a Digital SLR and bring a tripod as I take landscape pictures. So, I really try to control other materials. I take along a light weight fleece and then buy a lovely sweater as one of my souvenirs. I also do walking in Scotland and if you're much off the road, the trails are damp so that means a hiking boot and I using a walking stick. (That said, I don't think that you need these for a Rick Steves Scotland trip.) You will need a good Goretex rain jacket with a hood. When you travel in Scotland you never let the weather stop you. It may slow you down, but you can't let it grind you to a halt, so the rain gear is important. I wear my goretex jacket in Edinburgh, Glasgow and walking around the lochs in the highlands. It will be a wonderful trip. It a wonderful place and I wish I were there now! Pam

Roberta, the world will not grind to a screaming halt if you have check through luggage.

I completely agree about checking bags. I do it all the time--US and trips to Europe. Pam

Roberta, do yourself a huge favor and buy a copy of Rick Steves's wonderful travel-skill book, Europe Through the Back Door. It deals with packing light and many other nitty-gritty issues and strategies.

Although you don't "need" this book to take a tour, reading it in advance will enrich your experience.

Have a great trip!

Roberta,

As Adam mentioned, having a look at Europe Through The Back Door would be a really good idea (especially as you're a "first time traveller")! The "Pack Light" chapter will give you a good idea of how (and how not) to pack and what type of luggage you might be most comfortable with.

Of course, as some of the others mentioned it's certainly acceptable to check luggage as well. However, keep in mind that on a RS tour you will be carrying your luggage to the Hotel room. Sometimes this involves a short walk and often many stairs. You'll be very glad you packed light!

My approach is to use a Backpack which has a detachable Daypack. The main Backpack is always checked as my Camera gear tends to make it a bit "heavy". I use the Daypack for carry-on luggage, and that method has worked well for me so far.

Happy travels!

Roberta, if the airlines ever "misplace" your luggage for a few days, you'll learn to appreciate packing lightly enough to carry it on the plane.

Roberta,, as for checking luggage,, I have nothing against that, if I am staying put a week at a time, but , since you are taking a RS tour,, that generally means changing hotels every two days,, and the lighter you pack the better. There is no " getting a taxi from the train station to the hotel if tired option" on tour,, you will often find yourself transporting your luggage serveral blocks to the hotel( the tour bus does not do door to door at every site. I have not done the RS Scotland tour, but did a Family tour this summer. Those who packed bigger suitcases really regretted it.

I did get sick of wearing the same stuff, complicated by the fact that although my tour was only 14 days,, we ( my child and I ) stayed an additional 12 days on our own.. so too many days with same 5 tops,, LOL. Solution was we ended up buying a few new items to wear. LOL

If you are only going for the tour( 14 days?) then I think it should be fairly easy to pack light.
And although Scotland is certainly not warm in September,, you are not going to need a winter coat and snow boots! LOL

I did not use a back pack,, most on tour used a wheeled bag!

I agree with Larry. The last time I checked a bag was 1993. I never saw it again. The airline reimbursed me for the lost suitcase and clothing, but I lost precious vacation hours shopping for replacements.

Roberta,

One other point - as I recall, one of Rick's "rules" is to pack the same for two weeks as for two months. Plan on washing some clothes in a Hotel room sink, so try to find travel-friendly clothing.

Cheers!

The last time I checked luggage was for a cruise. After that, I figured out how to do a cruise with only a carry-on.

The advice I like best from this thread is only pack things you will use a lot. Everything should do double and triple duty and mix and match with everthing else you pack. Five tops and three bottoms can make fifteen outfits.

The other advice I've seen recently is to pack for four days whether you are going for weekend or a month. Four days fits well in a carry-on. With mixing, matching and layering, it's enough for almost any trip.

When I return from a trip, I never find myself asking what I should have brought. Instead I'm asking if there was anything in my bag I could have done without. My load keeps shrinking as I pack smarter.

Roberta,

As mentioned above, start your list NOW.

Secondly, check back with this forum and with "Tips to Packing Lightly" on the Graffitti Board (see topics at the bottom of page). The topics of packing lightly, what to pack, type of bag, etc etc is updated almost daily with new questions/concerns.

Don't pack heavy items for Scotland. It isn't that cold. You need a good rainjacket and layers underneath. It is too windy for an umbrella. Take a jacket with a hood and a rain hat with a tie. Take an extra pair of shoes. If you do get cold, it is a good excuse to buy a souvenir sweatshirt or sweater.

No one dresses up so don't concern yourself with that issue.

I don't know how old you are but the backpack might just be too much. Most people use rolling suitcases. I do. I love the RS lightweight rolling suitcase. Just returned from a 2 week trip with it. The only drawback with rolling suitcases is dealing with stairs. They just don't work so you have to be able to pick it up and carry it. There may be some hotels where you will have to carry it up several flights of stairs. The RS roller is lightweight enough to pick it up. Many rolling bags weigh too much.

The RS Civita bag is fantastic. It holds a lot of stuff. I carry everything on board. I also have the RS blue stuff bag (for souvenirs). It stays on the bus and I just add to it. It leaves the bus when the tour ends and I repack it and check my luggage if I'm going directly home.

Scotland is great. Rick's tours are great. If Roy leads your tour, you will be an extremely happy person. He is one of the best.

I'll join the chorus - I've traveled carryon only for the past 5 years and it really makes life easier. I find a travel towel [microfiber] helps a lot when doing laundry in the sink. One other comment - I don't wear scarves much here in DC, but when on the road I take a lot of black and white and it's very nice to be able to put on a scarf to get some color. Silk scarves will also help keep you warm if needed, and a lightweight pashmina can serve as a muffler during the day then become a handsome shawl in the evening. And absolutely dress in layers; I usually bring silk underwear, a silk turtleneck [I get mine from WinterSilks], a quick-dry overshirt with hidden pockets, a cashmere cardigan, and a fleece vest. It gets a little bulky when I wear all those layers, but I am warm!
I do recommend bringing 2 pairs of shoes; if you get wet you will really appreciate having a dry pair to change into. Also it helps your feet if you can trade off from time to time.
I too use the rollaboard and am gradually converting my family... sister has asked for one for Christmas this year and I'm working on my mom. It's really amazing how much that thing will hold. Have a wonderful trip!

My best advice is that once you get yourself packed with what you think you will be bringing (meaning everything, your big pack, day pack, etc.), put your backpack on and carry all your luggage around for a few minutes. See if you can manage it all for a few minutes at least, and if you can handle it while walking up and down stairs, etc. I've found this to be a very instructive way to downsize! If you can't manage it for this trial run, you've definitely packed too much@

Personally, I think the pack light movement is a bit overrated. But I'll admit that I am young and have no problem carrying my luggage upstairs to my room.

Lots of good advice above on lightening your load. Layers are definitely the way to go. You only need one sweater, one jacket, etc. And then a few shirts that you can rotate.

Best of luck with your planning.

Enjoy your trip!

Wear layers...a T shirt, sweater, a lined jacket that can be removed and put on as the day changes into evening or clouds roll by. And for Heaven's sake, don't worry about what you look like. People will have you believe that every European alive looks like he or she just strolled off the runway in Milan or Paris. It simply ain't so. Wear what is comfortable and have a fantastic time. Chances are you'll find a workable outfit and wear it repeatedly. Review your photos once you get home to see what you should really take for the next trip.

Why don't Scotsmen wear anything under their kilts?

Because they had to pack light! LOL

Everyone has offered great advice. I would just add that on a recent 14 Day RS tour almost everyone had a roll-on bag and a day pack of some sort. If you check the roll-on be sure to include at least a change of underwear in your daypack and put your itinerary in an outside pocket of your checked bag (or buy the special bright yellow or green luggage tags from Magellan that state on the outside in several languages "itinerary inside"). This way your bag can catch up with you if it gets lost in transit. I would also suggest you take a trip before your tour if you can and practice all these suggestions. You'll really see how liberating traveling light is. I go to DFW quite alot and recently purchased one of Rick's small Avanti Rolling Totes. I've found I can pack for 6 days and just carry that on board with a large purse. Try it-you'll love it! Finally-remember layering is your friend in cooler climates.

If you do a google search, you will find many light packing ideas.
What you have to do in colder climate is that to use layers. Thermals are very good because they are light, but warm and pack small. Also you can pack a microfleece which is very light as well. Some women like longjohns.I don't, but I know they keep you warm. Try to buy the high quality ones and the newer technology, not just the basic once. I got a top made of silk that I use when I go skiing. It's very thin and breathable.The later ones are made of a thicker fabric and better for cold wheather.
You would need two tops , any combination. If you want to travel light you need to do laundry very often.Your clothes should be quick dry kind, usually with a hight content of polyester. They might not be the best looking clothes, but they will dry quicker then the cotton ones.The problem is that in September being cold, your clothes will take longer to dry than in summer time. I had high quality quick dry tops and they took about 2 days to dry completely. Well I didn't stay in fancy hotels, so the rooms weren't very warm.