To bottle or not to bottle....

I lose stuff. Especially water bottles. I have a Stanley with a carrier (my mother's day gift from my daughter) that I use for hiking and camping trips. But, not when I travel out of the country. I don't need that big of a container, and like I said, I lose stuff.

But, I have a plastic collapsible water bottle that I like for travel because I can put it in my purse when its empty, and clip to the outside of my purse when its full. However, most often, my favorite water bottle for plane travel and sightseeing is an empty single serving plastic Minute maid orange juice bottle. I have a few in my stash that I reserve for travel or times when I want a small bottle to fit in my purse. It's sturdy and small and doesn't leak. In Europe, I find plenty opportunity to fill during the day. I also like to bring an empty bottle thru TSA to fill on the other side to have something to drink until I'm served on the plane. If I lose it, no big deal, it cost me practically nothing.

In my day to day life, I drink out of glass or metal water containers, but I don't mind using plastic for travel. Also, I will add that I avoid purchasing single use plastics with a passion, especially when the beverage is plain still water.

Speaking only for myself - I dont carry a fluids container (whether cold water or hot tea) anywhere unless I will be walking in the back of beyond where cafes, corner stores or potable running water are unavailable. My bet is that if you see someone in a European city street gulping from a Yeti, they are more than likely a tourist.

I've never stayed in a hotel room that didn't have a couple of water glasses or cups. If that happens, call the desk and ask for some.

I'm with CJean. I sometimes carry a water bottle if I'm on a long day tour and refreshment stops may be limited or if the weather is sweltering. And then, it is not a special use container, but a regular single serve water bottle that I will refill over and over when needed.

I've been "gifted" with reusable bottles on tours, ... They always get left behind. Just more weight to carry.

I carry an 8 ounce collapsible silicone cup in my small crossbody purse (Tom Bihn Side Effect), in my hotel room I travel with a lightweight cup and a coil heater for in the room hot tea. Hotel rooms always have cups/glasses but not always do they have hot water kettles.

I have the typical 12 ounce plastic bottle that comes to the airport with me empty, for the flight and the bus if I’m on a RS tour.. I hate single use bottles but I keep it as long as possible and I love the low weight.

I carry a 330-ml plastic water bottle with me just about always. To fill up with water in the airport after TSA to take on the plane, to have with me on the train, to drink my water with to take my pills in the hotel, etc. it's not insulated so doesn’t stay cold too long but that is the trade off I make for less weight. I take it out with me most days touring, as well. I can still stop at a cafe and people watch. It just means i don't (usually) get caught out without water and desperate for some.

Re: hot tea. Sometimes if I am doing a trip that involves a few or several morning train rides, I do bring an insulated mug with me to have my tea on the train. But those are very specific trips.

Almost every trip, I do take a favorite, handle-less porcelain mug with me to have hot tea in my room in the morning. But that cup never comes out during the day nor on the train.

(Edited to correct size of bottle I carry)

I tend to pick up a regular bottle of water in the sturdiest bottle I can find. I reuse it for a few days, then toss. Not a fan of using a bottle for days on end if I can't thoroughly wash it every couple of days, and I'm not taking a bottle brush with me on a trip! I avoid single-use plastic at home, but make concessions to travel.

Personally I would have ZERO interest in carrying an insulated bottle of coffee around with me (not a tea drinker), unless maybe the weather was freezing. And I enjoy (and sometimes need) a break at a cute cafe periodically.

Also consider that if you're talking hot beverages, I think that means a steel bottle, not just insulated (I have plastic insulated bottles). And that can mean a little extra scrutiny from airport security, as well as at any sites you visit that require you to pass through security.

If you like hot tea, bring the insulated bottle.

This might be a compromise …
I don’t like carrying a large water bottle around because of the weight. On my last trip, I bought an approx. 8 oz insulated metal Zojirushi bottle. It was small enough to fit in my purse and was just enough for water or a small cup of coffee to quench my thirst. I use a 16 oz Zojirushi insulated travelmug at home and have taken it with me a couple of times but the small one was good to get me between places on a tour. The Zojirushi bottles are expensive but they are excellent at keeping hot things hot and cold things cold.

I have a Vapur rollup water bottle that I always take. I don't always use it, because I do love to buy local beverages when traveling. However, when I need it, I'm so glad to have it - ex packing for a last minute road trip and being able to skip bringing single use plastic. On the other hand, I'm a bag checking traveler so I have a little more space to spare.

But, you know when you're in the airport, see a water refilling station, and grind your teeth at the idea of buying a bottle of water for $4.29? And then you get on the plane all parched and they never bring water down the aisle? I like my Vapur.

I carry a standard 16 oz/500ml supermarket brand water bottle in my shoulder or camera bag. I half-fill it with tap water (in Europe) on the road, including at airports, after security. Invariably I lose it, and then I buy another one. If I feel like a coffee, I get one at a bar. For me, a dedicated water bottle is a matter of bulk, weight, and cost, not something I want to consider.

I always pack one of these that I bought on Amazon:

Silicone Collapsible Travel Cup - Silicone Folding Camping Cup with Lids - Expandable Drinking Cup Set - Portable, Graduated [9.22oz]

I use it in the hotel instead of their glasses. In a pinch, I will use it with the hottest tap water & coffee stick for that first morning coffee after a flight. And I do pack a few of my favorite herbal fruit tea bags for an occasional evening cup in my hotel room.

I don’t carry water or a beverage with me during the day. But, I will be bringing a bottle on outings during my upcoming trip because we’re going to be painting in gardens, etc. and I will want a little water (& adding a Nuun tablet.). I will just buy a small disposable bottle of OJ at the airport & use the container during my flights & outings.

My travel purse (and my home purse) is tiny, and I hate carrying stuff around. In my travel experience there is water available the majority of the time. Bars, public fountains, restaurants, etc. So what I carry into situations where there may not be water is a tiny plastic bottle that held apple juice for toddlers. It is extremely sturdy (toddlers) and holds exactly 8 ounces --- I figure that much will save me from being thirsty if I'm stuck without water somewhere. I've used it for at least 5 years and will be sad when I eventually have to retire it!

I never carry any bottles around. I do have an insulated mug that I bring; a Yeti 10-inch mug, but I use that to go down to the breakfast room and get coffee before it's time for breakfast. I can always find water some place. If I need to, I'll go to a cafe and get a cup of coffee and a glass of water and get some refills. I'm usually not thirsty enough to do that.

Europe in much better than the US in having water fountains, etc available than the US. Hot tea anytime may be a luxury left behind when you are on the move.

I travel with a Brita water bottle. (European Version). Not because I am worried about the safety of the water but because the filter bottle improves the taste.

Not all tap water tastes good.

But I am thinking of leaving it home in favor of just buying disposable bottles as I go.

If I want a coffee or tea during the day, I'll do like the Europeans and sit down at a cafe and enjoy it.

I use a HydraPeak stainless 14 oz water bottle. I think it is marketed for kids, but it works well this old kid. It’s small enough to fit into a medium sized crossbody bag, but I also like the little plastic handle that I can hook to a carabiner and then affix it to my pants belt loop. It’s not big, not too heavy even if filled. Of course I have to refill it more than with my larger ones, but it is a good trade off.

One reason I would take a thermos bottle on tour is that most, if not all of the hotel rooms on the RS Steve's tour I took in Italy did not have kettles in the room, so filling up the bottle with hot coffee or tea to have in the room was great to have.

Interestingly, at work the single most common item that visitors set down, forget and leave behind are water bottles. Some very highend bottles.

Personally when I buy a bottled drink I hang on to the emptied bottle and reuse it as a water bottle. When at Windsor Castle i did buy a bottle of water that came in an aluminum bottle. Two years later it still gets usec and sits on my desk at work.

We love taking reusable bottles and a couple of years ago found these https://amzn.to/3SbHg4Q. Insulated to keep cold very cold. We buy a 2 liter bottle of water and fill our bottles, then refill as we can so we aren’t using one-use small bottles 3 or 4 times a day. It is durable and can be easily cleaned, safer than plastic. I slip it in my daypack external pocket and fasten it to the bag with a carabiner to ensure I don’t lose it.

Like others have mentioned, we take our coffee in a cafe, sitting down, occasionally at the bar in Italy.

Its nothing I concern myself with much, but there are tablets that you can get on Amazon to clean water bottles that do not require a bottle brush.

We like the 0,3L and 0,2L bottles of water that Lufthansa hands out onboard; they can be refilled and their caps don't detach. Small enough to fit in and carry very easily; just enough to get you from one drinking fountain or cafe to another.

I carry an empty 12 ounce plastic coke bottle. It is made of a hard plastic. Only water goes in this container, so no cleaning issues. It has been called “white Coca-Cola “ by a cruise crew member. In countries where the water is unsafe to drink we get big jug of water at the small local market and refill our bottles or been known to boil water, let it cool and drink it. I buy coffee, wine and beer but usually not water. Hooray, water is safe to drink all over Europe.

I always carry a water bottle with me even at home. I’m always walking (no car) and want the water for hydration.

When in Europe, however, the first bottle of water I buy is the only bottle of water I buy. I reuse that same plastic bottle by refilling at a town or hiking trail fountains. I never pack my water bottle from home. Way too bulky.

I always travel with a water bottle and my bottle of choice is a YETI. It is insulated so I can use it for hot or cold liquids, which is great year round for me. It is a bottle to drink from in hotels or other lodging. I have cool water on hand during bus, train or airplane rides. It avoids the single-use plastic, which is more environmentally friendly. And, I don't care if someone pegs me as a tourist for drinking from this brand. This summer, it has been a life-saver with all of our heatwaves in France. I fill it up every morning with lots of ice and cold water. I keep it in the car (or with me on the train) and it stays super cold on even blistering hot days. I am such a YETI fan now, I'll never use another type.

I've tallied up the responses and the most popular is reusing a single use bottle, supplemented with cafe stops and water fountains. I guess my daydream of sipping hot tea on the bus is, as NickB wrote, "a luxury left behind when you are on the move."

I'll continue with my usual practice - reusing a single use bottle from the flight over, visit cafes when the mood strikes, and enjoy a hot cuppa at breakfast (and in the room if there is a kettle setup).

Everyone, thanks!

Yes, carrying your own water bottle has pros and cons. It's great to have your beverage of choice or just plain water on hand when you don't want to search for a store or cafe and pay $5 for water or more for coffee/tea and a snack.

I'll be taking my insulated bottle, about 700 mL, with me on my upcoming trip and most likely taking it with me on most days. Though I need to consider what kind of bag I carry and what I could be doing that day. I had my water bottle strapped to my purse - when I went to a museum the guard made me put it into my purse. Fortunately, I had a large bag that day that would accommodate it.

I left an insulated water bottle on a train from Glasgow to Edinburgh and haven't been able to find another one with the same kind of opening. Hopefully, I have learned my lesson to never leave something on the empty seat beside me in a bus or train. I left my phone on a Rabbie's vehicle but got it back the next morning.

I have a sturdy plastic 500m L Snapple bottle that I saved that I could take but then it's only for ambient temperature water during the day.

I tried using an insulated water bottle, but it became too much of a nuisance and heavy to carry around. I forgot it a couple of times and had to go back and retrieve it. I also buy a bottle of water and refill it for a couple of days. Practically, every store sells bottled water inexpensively.