One of the most important purchases you can make for your trip is a good pair of walking shoes. Don't buy shoes online, trust me. Go to your shoe store and try them on. Make sure to break them in long before you go on tour. This includes flip flops. Hurting feet and legs can ruin an otherwise good trip. It's also important to bring blister packs just in case. Shoes that you thought were great back home may still give you blisters after walking all day on uneven streets.
Unless you are traveling to very cold climates, leave the cute boots behind. They take up too much room in your luggage as well as being heavy.
Always pack light. The elevators in Europe were made during the Renaissance and are usually the size of my coat closet. This means you will be lugging your bags up several flights of stairs to get to your room. Make sure the luggage is as light as possible. Don't waste your allotted weight limit on a great piece of luggage instead of that great bottle of wine.
Also, don't be that person who is holding up the line because her luggage is not within the airline size restrictions. Check beforehand regarding the size allowance as well as the permissible items you can fly with. Use your conditioner for shaving cream and cut one more thing you need to pack. I bet you have lots of ideas too!
Pack a dryer sheet in your luggage for a fresher smell, as well as a small bottle of wrinkle release spray. The spray will give your clothes a cleaner smell and take that packed look away too. Bring plenty of underwear and socks, but also pack panty-liners to keep you feeling fresh throughout those hot days. Tide has travel packets of laundry detergent specifically made for hand washing in the sink. This way you can pack even less.
There are lots of suggestions out there on how to pack. Should you pack in cubes or zippered plastic bags? I prefer a little of both. I pack my shoes in a cube with my socks. This is the cube I pack for my bras and panties. Usually I will pack some of my panties in the cups of my bras as well.
The rest of my clothes I put in the zippered bags. I put shirts together, bottoms together and pajamas together. I don't like to pack by outfits because you can't be sure of weather and I'm fickle in what I like to wear on which day.
Keep extra change handy in case you need to use the restroom. Most public restrooms in Europe charge a euro or two to use.
One of my last tips for the day is to wear clothes with pockets so that you can easily access your passport, money and lip gloss. If your clothes don't have pockets, look into a travel vest. A purse is easily picked up and can get heavy (even the cross body ones) depending on what you put in it.
If you have a great travel hint, I would love to hear it!
Bis bald!
