How much to pack for a six week trip to europe

Have you looked thru "Graffiti Wall > Planning & Packing" yet? Lots of helpful topics there. I have been to all of those countries in the summer and suggest you make sure to include things that you can "layer" for warmth and something waterproof. Rick Steves "claims" he only takes his one 21" carry-on when he goes to Europe for 3 months (I do for one month) so it is possible but definitely a challenge.

Pack what you would pack for a six day trip and plan to do laundry. I do mine in the bathroom sink, and I've traveled for as long as 10 months with a carry-on size backpack. It can be done! Read Rick's packing tips in Europe Through the Back Door, or my packing list is here: http://tinyurl.com/23mkbh5 - three posts.

Pack as little as possible. Six weeks is a long time to be hauling luggage all over the place. You can wash clothes your self, use a laundromat, or pay the hotel (really, really expensive). It's a bit of a hassle, but less of a hassle than hauling a bunch of bags around. You may get tired of your wardrobe, but no one else will notice or care. You do not need to dress up to watch a play, at least in London. I would not pack some fancy clothes just for that reason.

Pack enough underwear for 10 days. For clothing, unless you are really going to be working up a sweat during your hikes, most of it can be worn a 2nd time before you will need to wash it. Having some extra underwear will buy you time to find a coin-op laundromat so you won't have to hand wash everything in a sink & have dripping clothes hanging out in the bathroom. I've seen people wear jeans and fleece pullovers to London theater, but there is no reason you can't fit 1 nice outfit in your bag. A simple pair of knit black pants that pull on & contain some spandex so they don't wrinkle easily are very lightweight & roll up nicely to fit in your bag. With a top made from similar material, a pair of earrings or necklace and a nice pair of flats, you have 1 outfit that can go from a day of sightseeing on to dinner and then the theater or a club. Layers are crucial, as is some good rain gear - the places you are going are very cool, windy & often rainy/damp (even in the summer). Try to stick to a neutral color palette so you can easily mix up your few key pieces and get many different looks. This helps keep the overall weight of your bag as low as possible since you will be wheeling or carrying it on your back as you move about Europe. Definitely bring 2 pair of shoes. You will want a backup in case 1 pair gets soaking wet or starts to give you blisters. Pack a stick of Body Glide, moleskin & double layered socks for all your trail hikes (even if your boots are broken in they can sometimes give you problems).

I did 6 weeks ( England, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic ) from late August to early October, 2009, with nothing but Rick's Convertible Carry On( and Civita Day Pack for my day bag), experienced temps ranging from the muggy heat of Venice to the chill of Jungfrau in Switzerland and didn't want/need anything other than what I had( my bag weighed just over 20 lbs fully packed). Use Rick's packing tips( he has suggestions/lists for both men and women) and I'm confident in saying you'll be well prepared and ready for anything...

I've never gone as long as six weeks but I am looking forward to doing that someday. A six week trip wouldn't change what I pack. I only bring underwear, socks and shirts that I can wash in the sink and dry overnight. I have three of each and wonder why I don't just take two. One shirt is long sleeved and the others are short sleeved. I bring one pair of pants that's washable but I can't seem to find a pair of cargo pants I like as much as my cotton ones. Once I had to half wash them to get out a spill and they dried in two days. I bring a backup pair of shoes that would let my preferred shoes have some time to dry should they get really soaked. So far, they never have. Add to this a water resistant soft-shell jacket, a pair of shorts and I'm done except for my toiletries. It's taken several years for my wife and I to get down to this level. Our first trips had each of us hauling 28" rolling duffles stuffed to the gills. As we traveled more we became more aware of how little we used different items and started leaving them out. Now, we would never consider packing dress clothes for a one night event but our normal clothes are nice sports clothes. They are nice enough to go into the theater in London without anyone looking at us as underdressed. Now if the Queen invites us over, we probably would wish we had brought some fancy stuff.

Extra consideration may be necessary if your 6 weeks spans a season change. Early fall to late fall, for instance. You may need to take something warm. Or, just buy what you need when you are there. I've bought an extra garment a couple of times while traveling. Kay's north-south itinerary shouldn't require additional clothing. You don't need to be "dressy" to go to the theatre in Britain. Just clean and decent.

Like some others have said, pack light and plan to do laundry, and buy wash-and-dry-overnight clothes that you can clean in your hotel room. Another tip is that many dry cleaner/laundry and laundromats in Europe will let let you drop off a bag of clothes, which they will wash for you for pickup later that day or the next morning. They typically charge by the kilogram. Saves having to spend 2 hours staring at a washing machine window. Some of these places will even iron your things for you. But the absolute key to packing light is doing laundry along the way. Several on this forum have suggested that RS should publish a guide to laundry facilities in Europe. (His regular guidebooks sometimes do mention these.) Such a guidebook would be very handy.

Five tops and three bottoms that can all be mixed and matched makes fifteen outfits - which means you will only wear identical outfits three times each. Add a waterproof shell and a couple of (not bulky) sweaters for warmth, even in August you are likely get some rain and/or cool nights. For womens shoes, bring one casual pair that can take a lot of walking. Generally in Ireland and Scotland, it's good to think about something that can take getting wet. A pair of sandals that can go casual or nice doesn't take up much space and gives you a second option. If you pack clothes that are flexible enough to mix/match and work for casual or nice, you can cover a lot of possibilities. I prefer non-cotton, they're easier to clean/dry and don't show the wrinkles. The key is not to bring anything you aren't happy wearing in two or three different combinations. Does each bottom work with either pair of shoes? Does every top work with every bottom?

To the good advice you have already received I'll add that the locations you mentioned could very possibly get rather chilly that time of year, but I'm sure you've thought of that. To paraphrase Mark Twain, one of the coldest winters I ever spent was late August in Scotland. I definitely needed wool socks and a sweater. Of course, nobody knows for sure what the weather might do in the future, but you want to be prepared.

We have gone forty-one days with a convertible carry on and will go for forty -six this fall. Three pairs of pants, four shirts, blazer, two pr. socks, two pr. underwear, laundry kit, shoe shine kit, light raincoat with removeable hood, silk long johns, electronic odds and ends, and a lot of small stuff to maintain a healthy psychological outlook on a long trip.

Kay...you may be surprised that you can have some hot weather in northern Europe that time of year...so take a swimsuit and at least something you can wear on a warm day. I would take at least one nice skirt and slip-on shoes to wear to dinner and the theater...you'll feel so much more posh.

Kay, I've found that not all "dry overnight" men's travel undies actually do dry overnight, especially in humid areas. So, I schedule sink laundry appropriately. I spent two weeks-plus in the UK last October with one carryon. I could have carried on indefinitely given access to laundries.