Am I fogetting anything else I should pack/do before going?

I made a packing list by category. It’s easier to see what I need to take, such.as underwear, pills, electronic including charging cords.
I only see sandals on your list, so why are you packing socks?
I’ll pm you.

Bring enough prescription meds for your mom in the event she has to quarantine. You don’t need to get euros before you go. Visit the ATM machine at the arrival airport in Germany. Is the jacket waterproof or at least water resistant? Notify your cc companies and bank that you will be traveling in Germany and including the dates you will be away. Do you have someone collecting your mail or have you put a mail hold on it with the USPS? Make a copy of your passports.

I sent you a pm.

Thanks!

I will be wearing sneakers (and probably wearing them most of the time). The Sandals are for when I wear my dress (we are going out to one really nice dinner). I should have explained that or else it does look weird to have socks on the list. haha. It's also why I don't have a purse on the list. I have a nice cross body bag purse that I will have on me.

Thanks for the tips on my mom's meds. I will tell her to make sure she gets her prescriptions refilled before we go so she has enough. And thanks for the reminder about the banks (and my cell phone company too when I think of it).

I have someone checking the mail, so we are covered there. But I didn't have it on my list! Thanks!

Masks!
A few Band-Aids or adhesive bandages of choice.
Sunscreen
Maybe mosquito repellant
Maybe COVID self-test kits
Maybe sturdy plastic or lightweight metal utensils for eating in room
Sunhat?
External battery for devices if you have one
Multi-plug device for all your electronics, in case you don't have enough outlets in the room
Wipes for tray table and arm rests on planes
Maybe hand sanitizer
Something for securing extra cash and cards when changing hotels (moneybelt, etc.)
Printouts of reservations and tickets unless you're going all-electronic
Travel info in printed form unless you're going all-electronic
Copies of passport and vaccination card
Small notebook of some sort for jotting things down.

I congratulate you on only needing painkillers and your mom's prescription meds. I travel with a miniature drug store.

Is your lightweight jacket a rain jacket? I never travel anywhere without mine.
Travel hand laundry supplies:
Concentrated liquid detergent sold for camping, buy in outdoor stores. CAMPSUDS.
Several inflatable hangers: Shirts, blouses dry much faster using them.
Laundry hangers hooks- great for socks, underwear
A bar of FelsNaptha soap(break in half) to use to get stains out of clothes. I buy it in ACE Hardware or similar store. Keep in a baggie.
I keep these travel laundry supplies with my luggage, ready to pack.
Also, OTC tylenol, advil/ ibuprofen to use in case of a fall, bandaids, bacitracin.
Sunscreen- much more expensive in Europe
Conditioner- not given in hotels abroad
Coin purse-for Euros

Oh my goodness, so many other things I forgot! And I even bought some of these things for the trip and forgot about them (I bought new KN95 masks for example just last week but didn't put them on the list).

Thanks for the additional items. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I am lucky that in my early 50s I am not on any prescriptions. I think I might be getting arthritis in my knees (hence the pain killers). My daughter has nothing too.

I am going to add those travel ponchos to the list (if it rains). My jacket is not rainproof. Maybe drizzle proof, but not full on rain.

1. You won’t need many Euros. When we were there last month we used our chip and pin charge card for almost everything. Very little need for cash. Tap and go. Seriously, WAY too easy method of spending money.🥴
2. Make sure your credit cards have a PIN number. Contact your credit card company for advise on how to do that.
3. Toiletries, masks, etc are readily available there. There are several big drugstore chains with lots of options. My main souvenir was to bring several bottles of lotion home in my checked bag. There are way better products there than in the US. ( although I did just see that Costco is carrying some SebaMed. I paid 5 Euro in Germany for the same bottle that my local Costco is selling for $30!
4. Absolutely take Tylenol, Advil, Tums, etc with you. It is way more expensive in Germany, and has to be purchased from a pharmacy.
5. We stayed at Adina hotels so we had our own washing machine in our room. We bought our laundry soap there, as well as a bottle of the best stain remover I have ever used. Way better than Oxyclean, Shout, Tide etc. Like toiletries, you will find way better products there and can save the hassle of taking it with you. Enjoy!

I emailed you. You can look at Rick's packing list for women https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light/packing-list-women but I didn't find it very helpful when I started my on-going packing list. But we all pack differently so all ideas are good. Your list reminds me that I forgot the Tide pen!

Some things that I bought that are helpful
Stashbandz instead of neck wallet or money belt -- have one for each of you
travel wallet I take several in each color for different currencies, small enough to stash in your purse for daily money, large enough for daily credit card.
rfid card sleeve not for rfid ID but to keep my cards from rubbing together in my Stashbandz
folding hangers
very small flash light
ziplock bags in all sizes from snack to 2 gallon
Advil -- it's expensive in Europe if you can find it.

Lots of people are coming up with great ideas for you.

Thanks for the tip on the pin! I just set one online for my credit card.

We are doing a couple of tours with licensed tour guides. I booked them directly with the local person giving the tour (not the online broker company) and I got a better price that way. But the guides asked for cash at the beginning of the tour, so I will need some cash. It's interesting that cash is not needed as much now. Everyone I talked to who went to Germany before told me they like cash in Bavaria. Then again, I suppose Covid changed a lot of that.

You don't need a plug converter for the electrical outlets. Converters change electricity. You need adapter plugs that allow your chargers/devices to be plugged in in Germany.

Unless you insist on specific brands, you can replenish most toiletries in Europe. And your brand may be available as well.

Unless you have and allergy against credit cards, you should see if your cards are contactless or if you can set up Google Pay or Apple Pay before you leave. If you haven't gotten them already, get most of your Euros once you get there.

I always bring at least a couple of small snacks with me, even when I travel internationally (they are either in the original sealed package or have been consumed by the time I arrive at my destination airport). I also bring an empty water bottle and fill it up at the airport. A pen and a little notebook, my Kindle, pressure-reducing earplugs, and an eye mask also are "must haves" for me. I often travel with two friends and we try to bring a travel game or two - we especially enjoy playing Yahtzee after a long day of sightseeing.

It is so nice that you can go on a trip with your mom and your daughter - should be a very special trip!

There is testing widely available in Germany, either self tests or test centers. Masks are everywhere too. I wouldn't waste space in my bag bringing those.

Yes, cash is still popular here. For small businesses, credit cards are not a good deal. This is why your tour guides want cash, as well as the sausage stand at the market, or that small restaurant in your neighborhood.

Hi CAE- Just want to make sure you understand the electrical system you need to recharge your electronic devices. Germany usually has power in their wall that is 220 volts and 50 Hertz ( or cycles). The US values are 110 volts and 60 Hertz. And the wall socket mechanical configuration is different in Germany than that in the US. So there are 2 catagories to understand, the different voltage and the different mechanical configuration. .

Some US electronic devices can work with either voltage level, 110 or 220 volts. ( They all work with 50 or 60 cycles so that difference can be ignored.) But if you don't feel comfortable understanding your recharge cables and voltage input levels, all of your devices will always work using 110 Volts. So always take a voltage converter (AKA voltage transformer) with you and always use it to be safe when recharging you electronic devices. Use this voltage converter between the wall socket and the recharge cable.

The mechanical configuration can be easily solved by always using a mechanical adapter. This small inexpensive device automatically changes the mechanical configuration of the wall socket so that you can use your normal recharge cables.

So in summary, use both a mechanical adapter and a voltage converter between the wall adapter and your normal recharge cables. Both of these devices can be purchased in Germany or bought in the US before your trip. Amazon has both items and I believe Rick sells them. (I bought 3 adapters for $1.00 each from rick about 5 years ago).

Some hotels provide these items but take your own to be safe.

Have a great trip!!!

The advice you got above about using a converter is from the 1990's. Most chargers today have built in converters. No need to lug a heavy converter.

Look at your charger. If it says something like 110-240volts, all you need is a plug adapter. If it only says 110v (or 120v) then you need a converter.

If your device is charged via USB, and you bought the charger within about the last 5 years, you have nothing to worry about. (But check anyway). Some hair curlers, hair dryers, etc may be 110 only.

Everything mentioned above is spot on. I would add/emphasize two points….

1. If you forget something you can always buy it there. They are civilized.
2. No need to take cash.. withdraw from an ATM upon arrival. Much better exchange rate throughthe machine.

I don’t know if this will help you or not, but my list is divided up by container; ie, carryon, personal item, wallet/purse. I find visualizing each container helps to organize and not forget items. I also have a separate segment of the list for when I arrive and switch items around for my days between changing bases to remind me of what I need.

Someone on the forum in past threads mentioned they were glad they took a thermometer.

A few more things I thought of as I was making a packing list master list (already have a working copies for this year and next):
extension cord This was handy since some hotel room have one or outlets not conveniently located
luggage scale
alarm clock
Bandaid blister bandages, toes and heels
Anti-blister stick
small containers and bottles to comply with 311 rules, label the contents of each.

I have the same extension cord that horsewoofie linked to and never travel without it. If you have a cell phone you can use it as an alarm clock.

I have read all of the items people think you should take. Now I'll add one more.....

......a second suitcase for all the items suggested.

A few days before my trip I email all my previously booked hotels, car rentals, private tours and reconfirm my reservations, especially if they were booked months ago. It rarely happens that the dates are wrong or someone doesn't have your reservation but it doesn't hurt to make sure everything is good to go before you show up.

Thanks again for the tips. I don't think I will need everything listed. But it's good to be aware of it all. And I will double check the hotels. I know one definitely knows we are staying (they keep emailing me, haha).

And I hear you Frank! Although I won't be taking all the stuff suggested. We are only staying for 10 days. My goal is to get it all in one suitcase for the three of us (easy for me and my daughter, not sure about mom. She doesn't pack light). But the suitcase I have is huge. We just moved and literally all of my daughter's clothes fit in it. All of them.

With one suitcase, either my daughter or I can roll the suitcase and the other one can push mom in her wheelchair.

If you want euros, as soon as you arrive at the German airport, use any bank ATM as that will be the least expensive way of getting cash as opposed to doing it in advance at your local bank in the US.

Make sure your travel insurance includes Covid coverage in case you test positively the day before you travel back to the US and must quarantine. Last minute hotel expenses, food expenses, and airline change fees or the need to buy a brand new ticket home will all be costly.

Make sure you have enough prescription meds for a possible extra 1-2 weeks in case of a positive Covid test the day before you travel back to the US.

To save weight and space in my luggage, I buy shampoo & conditioner when I arrive in Germany. Soap too if I weren’t staying in a hotel/B&B.

Hi again - Unless you really understand what a voltage transformer is and how to use it, I would feel very bad if I did not warn you about what might happen if you tried to connect a hairdryer that was designed for 110 Volts to a 220 Volt power source. The transformer may weigh a couple of pounds but it is certainly comforting to know that your Mother or Daughter (who may not understand the purpose and proper connection of the transformer) might have a dangerous accident in a foreign country if the transformer is not used when necessary. Plan for the worst......

1) As advised, every hotel room has a hairdryer. No need to take one. If you insist, make sure it is dual voltage.

2) The same goes for any "heating" type appliance--curling iron, ketttle, steamer. Make sure they are dual voltage. If the one you have is not, buy one in Europe. They aren't that expensive--probably less than a transformer--and you have one to use for future trips.

One, or maybe 3, thing(s) I didn't see listed above is wash cloths. They are not typically provided in hotels.

I'm also a little concerned about the BIG suitcase -- especially if you're going to be going on the train anywhere or staying anywhere without an elevator.

Be sure to check the weather forecast to guide your final clothes packing. I lived in Nuremberg 3 years. Only one summer was warm and dry enough to hang my laundry outside my apartment.

They may sell in Germany, but I would take neosporin... in Iceland a couple of years ago my son got a cut that was getting infected and I had forgotten the neosporin. We had to visit the doctor there TWICE to get it handled. So I will be remembering that on all future trips! Germany may sell it OTC though, not sure...

A small travel umbrella? A reusable water bottle to take on day outings? Everything else was already mentioned.

A few more thing to consider prior to leaving your home.

• Cancel newspaper for the days you’ll be gone, or make sure it’s picked up daily by person collecting your mail.

• Turn off faucet to your washing machine. I know someone who forgot to do this, and returned to a flooded home. They were only gone for a weekend!

• Turn off A/C

I’m also concerned about taking one ”HUGE suitcase”, as it may be too heavy to lift onto trains/ buses. If you plan to drive will it fit in the trunk?

Wishing you a wonderful trip!

P.S. One more thing!
A money belt or hidden belt pocket?

Almost anything you forget you can buy there. But make sure you have the prescriptions.

I would recommend that you register with STEP. (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) https://step.state.gov/
It has come in very handy on several of our trips, as they have sent us alerts on areas on various things such as areas to avoid when a demonstration is scheduled, transportation strikes, etc. Every time we visit a country, I look up the contact information for the American Embassy in that country and plug it into my phone before leaving. I also plug in the phone numbers for the credit card companies so that I can reach them quickly should my card become lost or stolen. Have a wonderful trip!

Adding to Priscilla’s post:
1) turn the water off at the main so nothing leaks, ie hot water tank, ice maker, broken pipe.
2) unplug small appliances.
3) turn off power to the stove; we and two of our friends had GE stoves that the ovens turned on by themselves.
4) do not turn your air conditioner off; set it at 85*. If you live in a hot climate, like I do, your house will heat up too much if the air is off.
5) have someone water your house plants or send them to a green thumbed neighbor for “summer camp”.
6) give a friend your itinerary and house key and frequently send them pictures of your trip. If something happens and you are delayed coming home, someone can watch your house or arrange for more housesitting services.

I do not believe I've seen these things listed yet (and apologies if I just missed them):

Chewing gum

Spare glasses or contact lenses (if you have them)

Safety pins (just a few)

Extra passport sized photo (maybe -- we needed one to get a rail card for a couple of countries)

Something to occupy your time on the plane and at the airport (a Kindle works well for this)

Thanks again!

On the huge suitcase, I can lift it. Recently my daughter put her entire wardrobe in it when we moved to out new house. I was able to lift and carry it. Not very high off the ground, but I could carry it up and down stairs. The hard part was not hitting the walls. I am just thinking how will we wrangle three suitcases if mom is in a wheelchair (and can't carry one), my daughter is pushing the chair (and can't carry one). That leaves me carrying all the bags. I think I rather have one big one on wheels I can drag around and carry when I have to. It will be a lot easier than trying to drag two or three around. We are only staying at two hotels the entire time, seven days in Nuremberg and three days in Munich. So I won't have to move it much. But if anyone can think of a better idea, I am open to suggestions.

As someone else noted, I have a carry on list that goes in my large tote purse, and a list for the carry on suitcase. If you are planning to check anything, please make sure that things you cannot be without (medication, makeup, toiletries, chargers and adapters, passport, money, etc.) is in the carry on bag/purse. A couple of other things on my packing list that I did not see included are sunglasses, money belt, travel umbrella (small and weighs very little), water bottle, and a pen.
For your issue with potentially being responsible for three suitcases, how about you and your daughter consider a backpack suitcase situation.

I would suggest one wheeled carryon size and two backpacks. There are different scenarios for working this. 1. Piggy back one on a j hook to the wheeled bag, makes it almost weightless to pull. One person wear the second backpack. 2. Again the piggyback situation and one backpack in Mom’s lap. 3. Two wear backpacks and one pull wheeled carryon. 4. Both backpacks on the wheeled bag…one with j hook and one on top on the handle area.

I found bringing a few binder clips to help close gaping curtains at night if needed. https://www.amazon.com/Coofficer-Binder-Clamps-Assorted-Different/dp/B07DXSBT5J/ref=sr_1_10?crid=1SBZ3RYAQ3PU4&keywords=paper+clips&qid=1655420601&sprefix=Paper+%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-10

With few exceptions, whatever you forget, you can buy in a store over there.

CAE, are you planning on taking trains around when you are here? If so, I would rather urge you to rethink taking any bag large enough to fit an entire wardrobe (I don't know quite how large that is, but it sounds big).

The train system is really not set up for people to transport absolutely huge bags (carry on size things and backpacks are easy, the larger it gets, the more annoying it gets). And if you have trouble managing the bag in your own house/car, then imagine getting it up the narrow stairs into a train, and then through narrow train aisles, and into a storage space. Also, think about where the suitcase will be stored while you are on the train--with a very large one, it may be hard (also depends on what types of trains you are on, but especially on regional trains, luggage storage can be rather ad hoc).

Having less luggage and smaller bag(s) will be a huge quality of life improvement if you are taking many trains.

Thanks Azra, you bring up some good points. I am not taking many trains with the luggage, but I am taking two trains with it. I hated carrying the bag up and down stairs when moving because it scraped the walls and I didn't want to damage paint. That was my real struggle with it. But that does mean it's wide and that might cause issues.

We take a train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg and stay there for 7 nights and then from Nuremberg to Munich for 3 more nights. We are taking trains out of Nuremberg to other places, but just say trips.

I didn't think about the bag fitting in the luggage. If only I could get my mom to pack light. I know from experience my daughter and I can fit a week's worth of clothes for both of us in one overhead bag and then we each have a backpack. My mom doesn't travel so light. Where my daughter and I would share one bag and have a backpack each, for a weekend trip, my mom would have two overnight bags and a backpack and a tote bag. A lot of it is all her medicine and associated medical needs. But she also packs a lot of stuff "just in case." My "just in case" is, "they have stores there, don't they?" haha

The large suitcase is a 80cm bag (32 inches). Some people had other ideas for carting bags. I'll try to figure something out.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but we always turn off the main water valve to the house and drain the pipes. A neighbor had a washing machine line burst while she was away in France. $30, 000. in damages. Insurance cover most of it, but she had to live in a hotel while repairs were made. What a mess.

I very much understand the complexities of travelling with family and needing to make things comfortable for your mother and your daughter alike!

That said, 80cm is pretty enormous. Are both of your long trips with ICE or other long-distance trains, I hope? They, at least, do have specific luggage storage areas. I would strongly suggest that doing these trips on Regiobahn trains should likely be avoided. There are many more transfers and they really do not generally accommodate luggage of anywhere near this size. And, they are used as daily commuting vehichles, so get at certain times of day very full with people, baby prams, bikes, and so on.

So, ICE-or-similar trains would be likely a bit easier. In any event, you might want to do a youtube search for "ICE germany" or so, to see if you can get a sense of what interiors of the long-distance trains feel like: it will still likely be a bit of stress, but if you are prepared for that, then perhaps not a shock.

I don't mean to be negative, by the way! I just ride German trains every day, and see my fair share of hassled tourists. So, forewarned is forearmed.

Be sure to contact your credit car/debit card issuers to let them know when you will be traveling internationally so your transactions will not be rejected if they trigger "fraud" alerts. Saw this happen in Italy for a couple trying to purchase an expensive purse!

You already have lots of things on your list, but I have a very small thing that I always take on trips...a skin protectant. The one I use is made by Gold Bond called Friction Defense and looks like deodorant. This stuff is THE BEST! I actually use it all the time, not just traveling, because I like to wear linen skirts and I don't want to ruin the breezy coolness by wearing bike shorts underneath to combat "chub rub". It works to prevent chafing on any skin that might rub together in hot sticky weather. But I have found that it also works on feet if you think you are about to rub a blister, or on spots where your clothes are rubbing in a weird way, etc. It is sometimes hard to find it at the grocery store, but it is usually at drug stores and online.