Getting ready for our first Europe Trip and we are suffering from information overload.
Looking at a 12 day trip, plus before and after stay(3-4 days total)
Questions:
1. Is it possible to do this with carryon luggage only?
2. Do RS Hotels typically have laundry available?
3. How to you handle souvenirs that are bought?
Sure, it’s doable, if you can commmit to packing light and doing laundry along the way.
You can always do sink laundry every couple of days (lots of advice about that on this forum). Or you can visit a laundromat every so often as needed. If you’re doing a RS Tour, the guide usually advises on best places to get laundry done (either full service or DIY laundries). This would of course be at your own expense.
We take a packable tote in case we buy a lot of things along the and need to check a bag on the way home, but this has never actually happened (to us at least).
And remember that the RS guideline about carryon for tours (if you’re doing a tour) is just that, a guideline, and not a law. But you must be able to handle whatever you bring. There isn’t always an elevator at the hotels and sometimes there is a bit of a walk from bus to hotel (no luggage service).
I find it’s actually easier and less stress to use only carryon, and I’m willing to do the laundry as needed. Everyone’s different.
Many, many of us have done 2+ week tours with just a carryon. Hotel laundry is not always available, and of course expensive. Ask your tour leader at the first meet-up on when and where would be a good opportunity. Other people will want to know as well, and it's a common question for them. They might suggest a launderette at one of your stops, and you just have to use some of your free time.
Tips on having hotel do laundry. You need to be on a stay long enough that they can get the clothes back to you in time. For us, that meant a three-night stay, avoiding a weekend. If you know you're going to do this at the next stop, have your bag of dirty clothes ready to turn in when you first get there.
We pack an empty light duffle bag. It gets checked on the way back, with either dirty clothes and/or liquid souvenirs, leaving room in your carryon for the more breakable souvenirs.
Barbara G has some great advice. I have travelled for a month in Europe, even in the winter with just a carry-on. One note for carryon luggage is that is weight as well as size. More airlines are weighing luggage (Lufthansa, Aegean, plus the lower cost airlines), so check on weight limits as well.
Here are some other things that help me with carryon only.
I have never regretted carrying on my luggage on the trip out. I don’t know how many times over the years that my traveling companions have had delayed luggage. It also gives me flexibility if there is a flight issue and I have to pivot to get to another flight. I am less concerned about the way back as if it is delayed (which has happened to me a number of times in the last few years).
I never pack along an extra bag as it takes up room in the carryon.
If I need to I buy a cheap duffel or gym bag tote that will stand up to being checked on the way home.
Most street markets in Europe will sell lots of these for about E10.
I pack only clothes and dirty laundry in it, and the souvenirs, if any, go in my more sturdy carry on suitcase.
This is why we have a storage cupboard full of bags!
Which tour are you going on? I remember feeling there was no way I could carry-on only. Five trips later, it's routine.
Make a detailed packing list/checklist. Test pack, edit packing list, test pack, edit again, repeat until you meet the airlines requirements. Be sure you can lift your suitcase into the luggage racks, tow it over cobble stones at least 1/2 mile and up/down stairs. There is no hard, fast rule that you need to do carry-on only on a RS tour, but you will thank yourself that you did.
I travel for almost a month with carryon only. Everything, well almost, I take is sink-washable; synthetics dry overnight. I made a mistake last year adding a cotton sweater because I like the looks, but it took three days to dry after it got too nasty looking to wear. Oops! Jackets I usually don't wash for the same reason. Cashmere sweaters dry overnight or by day 2. I do laundry every two days or on the first night of a two night stay. I take plastic folding hangers to drip dry shirts -- no wrinkles. Most tours have arrangements with a hotel mid-way send out laundry. I've never used the service.
For a few years I extended my suitcase on the way home to stuff it full of what was in my tote and checked it. The carry-on tote held souvenirs. That was before United delayed my luggage home. I don't like that kind of annoyance. This fall I just shipped the largish souvenirs home (from Deruta pottery on Village Italy tour). Everything else was flat and didn't take much room so I carried on all luggage.
Enjoy your trip!
Every suitcase I have expands. And I have no problem expanding it to full sizewhen it’s going home and sending it back completely stuffed. I just give it to the airline and let them deal with it
I’m going home, I have everything I need there so it’s not like if the luggage gets delayed I am going to be inconvenienced and I don’t have to worry about packing well. etc. If you want to bring something home, bring it home and just shove it in that suitcase
You've got great advice so far. I agree and will add that usually the RS bus driver will have a spot in the hold are for "deep storage". this is for souvenirs you don't want to bring in every night. So, if you have an extra duffle, purchased at a local market on your time before the tour, you can stash your souvenirs in it and leave it in deep storage.
I'll also say I've done up to 8 weeks with carry on luggage. I used to check my carry on bag until the airport baggage meltdown of 2022, lol. Now I carry on my carry on. I am old so I have a very lightweight suitcase and pack so it is under 20#, that way I know I can lift it into the overhead bin. I've also mostly curated my wardrobe so that it is all workable for sink washing and drying overnight (or at least 24 hours).
Let us know if you want suggestions for packing. Many of us have done trip reports where we list our capsule wardrobes. Here's my last one from a month in France last October, including a 2-week tour:
I'd expect 1 or 2 laundry stops organized by the guide, in order of decreasing likelihood from our experience on RS tours: the hotel sending it out, walking to a nearby laundromat the guide has called to set up group laundry service, or simply being told of nearby self-service laundromats. You can also ask at the desk of the hotels you're staying for 2+ nites, they often have arrangements worked out for use by non-tour guests. Most people on the tour are washing laundry in the sink in the interim, I find it best to do this every other day so it doesn't become an ordeal and so you have space to get everything hung to dry. The RS laundry line of 3 intertwined rubber tubes works great! I bring 4-5 days of underwear & socks and it's a great feeling to hit that day when you realize you have enough clean underwear to make it to the end of the trip without doing laundry again ;-)
This is easily doable to go carryon only. We have done 3 weeks with just carryons. I do not pack my bag check full so there is room to bring things home. I use the Rick Steve's 21" rolling bag, and when I am fully packed (for me, not the bag being stuffed) I come in at 16-18 pounds. That leaves plenty of room for purchases. If I do buy more, I can expand it and depending on the airline that might need to be checked. The other thing I do if I know I am going to buy larger items is to bring a LeSportsac weekender duffel bag and use that for my carryon flying home with my purchases in that. Then I check my suitcase with dirty clothes etc. The weekender bag weighs less than a pound, so really easy to stash in there.
Hi! Don’t stress about it. Many of us felt that initial anxiety when we first heard about the recommendation to only bring carry on luggage for a RS tour. That was many trips ago, and I’ve never checked a bag - even for 1-month trips.
Besides the good advice already shared, your kitchen scale will be a great help. Look through your clothes and pull out 8 shirts that you like and might want to bring. Do the same for some dresses & pants. Weigh each in a bowl on your kitchen scale. Select the half that weigh the least. Usually those also dry the quickest when you’ll wash them. Those four shirts, 2-3 pants and a dress will give you a good start of deciding what you want to bring.
For souvenirs - I used to pack 1-2 rolls of TP from home. By the time I finished the trip, that spot in my luggage was replaced with souvenirs.
Enjoy your trip & have fun planning!
- Is it possible to do this with carryon luggage only?
Yes. Wife and I did 4 weeks with carry-on
2 Do RS Hotels typically have laundry available?
If not the hotel, something will be close by. We just did sink laundry.
3 How to you handle souvenirs that are bought?
Depends on what you buy. We had the decanter set we bought in Venice shipped. Everything else fit into nooks and crannies in our bags.
Some folks bring an empty duffel kind of bag and use that for the trinkets and check the carry-on bag on the homeward flight.
I generally plan to shed some clothes and at least one pair of shoes (I only bring two pairs.) I watch as my athletic shoes are wearing out, and bring the pair that only has a few weeks wear remaining. (I have a habit of buying a pair of shoes in Europe.)
I also jettison some clothes. I have been criticized here for doing so, which puzzles me- it's ok to donate old clothes at home, but not abroad?
I plan that my prescriptions and shampoos, etc will be empty by the end of the trip.
I do not carry a purse, so I have a backpack and carry-on. I use a bandolier phone case with neck strap, and keep some cash, credit cards, and battery in the phone case side pocket.
I wear a Scottevest jacket or vest with inside zipper pockets. These inner pockets are great for glasses, phone, small wallet.
I keep my passport and extra cash and credit cards in a silk neck wallet, which is so comfortable and has lingerie -type straps, worn under my clothes.
I find that with all the Tap Pay (with Apple Wallet) systems in use, that I rarely need to have a credit card in hand, nor even a Wallet. I came back with almost all the cash I brought to Europe last year - so many businesses are credit pay only now.
When I left Belgium last year, most of my suitcase was full of chocolate! It was a very good trip!
Good luck , and you can travel lightly! Safe travels.
Thank you so much everyone for all the valuable feedback and tips. We are looking at several tours that include a last stop at Vienna. I've dreamed of seeing the Lipizzaner Stallions ever since I was a child. My wife is looking forward to seeing Germany and ideally some castles. We've traveled internationally, but never together.
I see there are 8 day, 12 and 14 day tours ending in Vienna. We would probably lean towards the 8 or 12 day option, but I want to make sure we get to see a castle.
Plan is to stay several additional days to take in more of Vienna.
Danke schön
How exciting!
I learned here on the Packing Forum the very best advice- regardless of trip length, treat your clothing choices for packing as if for just one week (with the caveat of time of year or different climates during your travels).
Then, wear everything you take on repeat, or on repeat and in different combos. On the 2 RS tours I've joined nobody dressed up for dinner and, only if I pay attention, do I notice what anyone else is wearing anyway.
I'm currently on a non RS tour and it's the same wear on repeat strategy. One guy is definitely wearing the same black (distinctive) jeans every day and it's been a week.
It does really also depend on the time of year, cool/cold vs hot/humid, which you don't mention?
Have a wonderful time!
I've done several 21+days with a carry-on & small backpack only. I suggest taking a look at Rick's packing checklist (not just the narrative, the actual checklist). It seems brutal but it is pretty great. Keeps it small but gets it done! Pay attention when you pack & truly use every available space (if you pack more than one pair of shoes, the insides of those shoes should be stuffed to the gills). Other than that, you have gotten really good advice here!
I will say re souvenirs & packing... I tend to pack short so I can "gift" myself easy to find & easy to pack "clothing souvenirs" like shirts and scarves. I also try to buy small or light things for others (like local artwork, sketches, thin paperbacks of local stories/legends/cookbooks & the like). Last trip I packed an Eagle Creek Pack-It Garment Folder type thing so I would have a solid but lightweight panel in my carryon. It worked great to protect all the lightweight souvenirs I bought that otherwise would've crinkled or ruined.
I think maybe just know that no matter how much you plan, things will be different than you expect and rolling with it is half the fun & makes for better stories later!
