Good things to pack

What do you mean? Clothing, shoes, books, electronics, toiletries? Which countries? Summer, Spring, Winter or Fall? Your question is way too general. The more specific you get, the better answers you will receive.

As little as possible...only what will really enhance your trip. There are lots of packing lists, customize it to your trip.

Debit card and passport. After that, it is all optional.

Didgital camera, light jacket, clothes, good walking shoes and a hunger and yearning to see and do it all.

Twice the money and half the clothes that you think you will need.

Bring with you an open mind, a strong desire to explore and a casual attitude. I also agree with the previous posts - bring as little as you can, a passport and lots of money. Pete

Passport and ATM/debit card, for sure, as well as meds, spare pair of glasses/contacts and prescription, itinerary, and all of your contact information and confirmation for hotels. Then such vital items as camera, memory cards, chargers, adapters and converters, and a journal.

All of the above are great ideas and of course the essentials are essential. One thing that is small and fun to pack on a trip for me is a pedometer. At the end of a long day you feel like you walked ten miles and guess what it was 11. Another is a journal to document the trip and in the past few trips I have been using my Ipod Touch and videoing a short video of each day. Just some ideas.

I agree with twice the money and half the clothes. Moneybelt with passports/debit/credit cards, copies of necessary acct numbers and phone numbers stashed in moneybelt / camera/batteries/day bag...I also recommend lots of ziplock bags. Good for so many things.

Along with my small digital camera I bring my netbook which makes it easy to keep up with the USA sports news and my email. Extra pair of glasses is useful in case you break your glasses. I try to take as little clothes as possible and plan to do wash after 5-6 days at a local laundry place. Copies of your passport and credit cards. I bring 2 atm cards in case one gets eaten up by the atm. The less stuff you have to carry around the more enjoyable your trip will be. Most people that go for the first time will have a list of many presents to bring home. All the purchases we buy are for ourselves.

Sense of humor. Leave the attitude at home.

A facecloth, since most budget hotels do not supply them... some pics of family, pets, or the like, to make connections with people..

A tuit. Needs to be round, though. Square tuits don't work.

duct tape

I always take earplugs and a sleep mask with me. I sometimes find it hard to sleep in new places and they're handy if you end up in a hotel where there is a stag party!

a headlamp. It works as a flashlight but is smaller than many flashlights. It works well to read at night when sharing a room with another person. ALSO, plastic baggies, in a variety of sizes. they work well for snacks, saving ticket stubs/brochures to take home, picnic lunches.

Check out RS "Graffiti Wall > Planning and Packing" for lots of good advice.

You definitely need to get a round tuit. And Karen's (deliciously warped) sense of humor ;-)

More of a good "to do" than a good thing. If your camera is SLR take your first photo of a large piece of paper upon which is written your name and address. If your camera becomes lost, strayed or stolen you might at least get your chip back.

I found a Tidestick useful. Hope they still make them - drug store if not grocery store. Works on stains really well, not much larger than a tube of lip balm. Also some of the heavy duty plastic fork/spoon/knives and a couple of plastic - not paper - plates. Lightweight, pack small. If you check your bag, a small, sharp paring knife, maybe can/bottle opener. Some safety pins and hand wipes in a baggie. I put shoes in the veggie bags from the grocery store. Plus, everything that other posters recommended.

I second (or is it third or fourth) the ziplock bags. Also the relevant sections of your Rick Steves guidebooks. A travel pack of kleenex can be a lifesaver!

Here are a few useful things to have: 1). compass - help's you keep your sense of direction when you pop out of a subway station, when driving, etc. 2). small flashlight (penlight) 3). wet naps/small pack of tissues - you never know what condition the bathroom will be in 4). Febreeze and Shout wipes - let's you get one more wear out of your clothes 5). pocketknife (with corkscrew)