Rick Steves packing checklist

If you pack carefullly and thoughtfully, you won't need all the space in a full size carry-on bag( about 21"x9"x14"). Hubby and I have used Rick's original bag (similar to the current "classic bag") for more than 20 years. His will weigh in at about 10 lbs when packed with all he needs- and look more than 1/2 empty. Mine comes in at about 12-15 lbs and looks not quite full. Plenty of room for most purchases, but we always pack an extra "collapseable" bag each, just in case. There is also room in our day bags for extras (and room to stick the day bags in the suitcases if needed).

Hi, Rob.
I doubt you'll be missing anything with Rick's list. He tends to cover the biggies. Maybe you'll have too much. Personally, I've made my last trip with a clothes line and washing socks in the sink. If I'm that desperate for socks, I'll buy more. I get to Europe only once every two or three years and I know well in advance that I am going, so I've saved tee shirts and socks that might otherwise have been thrown out. I bring more of them than Rick recommends, but I discard them along the way. Except in mid-summer, I can get away with wearing a shirt two or three times without a real wash, provided I have a clean undershirt to feel fresh. (Especially true in fall if you have a sweater to wear over a wrinkled shirt.) Try to bring clothes that can serve many purposes. I have a jacket that works both as a light outdoors jacket but also looks like a dinner jacket for better restaurants. As I acquire souvenirs, I pack them in the space freed up by throwing away the old underwear. My reading material on planes is usually a 50-cent paperback from a library sale and this gets thrown out or donated in Europe, too. My last trip to the UK I took this even further, bringing a second pair of old, worn shoes that I used on days when I wasn't walking much (mostly travel days on trains). At the end of the trip, the space was used for many gifts I brought back. All that said, I still find it useful to pack a collapsible travel bag in your suitcase or carry on. If you have too many gifts, you can pull out that bag and check it with the airline to your destination.

In the history of European travel I don't think anyone has ever said they didn't take enough clothing. Even if you carry on a lot of people tend to check bags on the way home. It's usually not a big deal if your luggage is delayed on the way home like it is when you are on vacation.

If you buy too much to pack, you can always pick up a cheap duffle bag. Fill with dirty clothes and such and check it on the way home.

I typically don't carry as much as Rick recommends. I buy easy to wash/dry clothes and often take a shower with my shirt in the evening and rinse out my socks/underwear. I buy easy to dry clothing that doesn't wrinkle (too badly). Microfiber is great for underwear. I also have microfiber shirts. Nylon/polyester blends work well for everything else. I usually test wash and dry something a couple of times before I'll bring it along. As for buying and/or collecting things in Europe, we don't do much of that. I've been hard pressed to find something there I can't buy for less here. We'll pick up a few small things. When we do, we generally have room in our carryon suitcase and backpacks. If we really got a big volume of stuff, I'd probably buy a cheap duffle bag to check in for the trip back.

Rob, My packing list is fairly well determined at this point, after numerous trips (although I usually "tweak" it a bit each year to cover specifics). I'd suggest using Rick's packing list as a Guideline and then fine-tuning it to meet your specific needs. I wouldn't be overly concerned with using carry-on only. While it's certainly an easy way to travel, I don't mind checking one bag and so far haven't had any problems with that approach. However, I do prepare for the "unexpected" by packing enough in my carry-on that I could last for a few days or a week if my bag was "misplaced". I tend to use a lot of travel-friendly Tilley clothing on my trips, most of which is designed to be washed in a Hotel room sink and be (mostly) dry the next morning. If you happen to be in Toronto in the near future, stop by their "flagship" store and have a look. Happy travels!

I go to Europe every year and take a RS 21" roller bag that contains what I have fine-tuned from RS Packing Light List over the years. I also take a collapsable "duffel style" bag inside my RS bag that I use to store anything that I buy in Europe which is less and less every year. I also take only 3 pairs of underwear, shirts and pants, that I can wash out in the room sink that will dry by morning (ExOfficio). I do 3 or 4 weeks every year with no problems. I also have been known to check in my suitcase coming home knowing that if it is delayed, I will be home and have access to everything there.

What everyone else says...use Rick's packing list as a guide and tweak it to your needs. I use his Convertible Carry On, Packing Cubes, and Civita Day Pack, and my bag fully packed weighs in at 15-16 lbs. I'm confident that using his information as a guide, you will be able to pack light and have everything you need for your trip. You will also wonder afterwards why you didn't travel this way long ago....lol

Thank you everyone for you kind advice. It seems we as a group are pretty evenly split over the carry-on, check luggage option. In negotiations with my wife, me opting for carry on, her for 2 checked bags, we have, in true Canadian fashion, reached a compromise. We will take one carry-on and one medium size checked bag. As someone pointed out, this will allow us to pack enough clothes in the carry-on to survive if something happens to the checked bag.
Again, thanks all, apreciate your comments.

I use the Rick Steves pack list as a starting point but don't bring nearly all the items he lists. Here is my visual packing list. It's designed specifically for September weather in Ireland: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=1440268 I am a carry-on person. The more trips I take, the less I want to pack. My carry-on is only about 60% full now for a month-long trip, but I still could do without some of the things I bring. The best advice I ever heard (although I don't follow it specifically) is, "pack for four days, whether you are going for a weekend or a month". Unfortunately, that's a lesson some only learn through experience.

Rob, if you travel light, the suitcase isn't stuffed when you leave. On my most recent trip, I bought a backpack that matches the maximum carry-on size (22x14x9), specifically an Osprey Porter 46. After I had finished packing, I still had lots of room left. The same as with Brad's suitcase, I think mine was only about 60% full. The nice thing about this pack is that it compresses in size when not fully loaded. On the trip home, I had plenty of room for some books we bought on the trip as well as some other items. It still wasn't fully packed. My pack weighed about 10-11 pounds packed. I wouldn't change anything about my packing list other than to take a few more pairs of socks and underwear. That would have allowed me to skip washing out some clothes every night. It wouldn't be essential, but the weight and additional size wouldn't be a problem. I'm happy to say that this trip I didn't really take anything I didn't need.