Preparing
So, it's official, we’re going to Europe!!!!! Now it’s time to prepare. I watched the Rick Steves videos, read the books, and perused his website. The 2 main questions I had were how physically fit do I have to be and what should I bring?
I'm not in horrible shape but I do lead a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I have an office job, so I sit all day and I don’t exercise on purpose. Previous travelers on the travel forums had the same recommendation: get accustomed to being on your feet A LOT and walking 2-6 miles a day. So, the first thing I did was buy a pair of good walking shoes and I started walking around my neighborhood. I was consistent, and after a couple of months, I felt ready to take on Europe!
The other question was what should we bring? Rick Steves and his travel community were helpful again with a packing list and made it clear that you're responsible for carrying your own luggage up/down stairs and to/from the bus and hotels. This means it's not recommended to bring a large suitcase unless you're strong like The Hulk. What is recommended is to only bring a carry-on and a day bag. You read that right...Only a carry-on for 3 weeks! How is that even possible?? Am I right??
I suggest bringing coordinating pieces that you can mix and match. Ladies, you will be seen in the same outfit, it’ll be ok, it’s what all the cool kids do! Obviously, you should pack appropriately for the weather at the places you'll be. For our trip in June, we were going to be in a mix of climates from chilly, gray Haarlem to warm sunny Rome, to the snow-covered Alps to rainy Paris, so it was a little challenging to make sure you were prepared and to get it all in one carry-on. I was skeptical that it would all fit, but I trusted the process and I’m so glad we packed light because some hotels didn’t have elevators.
My packing list
Carry-on items--
-2 light pants, 1 capris and 3 shorts
-1 long sleeve shirt, 5 plain t-shirts
*some of the churches require knees and shoulders to be covered so be prepared
-PJs, underwear, socks
-1 pair of walking shoes and flipflops (for walking around the hotel room because hotel carpet…eww)
-toiletries in compact sizes. We used the body wash/soap supplied by each hotel and we bought a full-size bottle of shampoo and conditioner when we arrived in Haarlem.
-feminine products (because ladies, you know it will always come when you’re on vacation)
-Medication in the original container
-Packing cubes to organize your toiletries and clothing
*TIP Each night we hung our worn outfits to 'air' out, allowing us to wear each garment twice. Doing this allowed us to only have to do laundry once which was during our free morning in Florence on day 11.
Daybag and money belt items--
-Always carry your passport in your money belt since that is your formal identification when you're abroad.
-State driver’s license
-Money…don’t leave home without it! I brought 1 credit card and 1 debit card that didn’t charge fees when used internationally. I reduced the credit line on my credit card and only put a couple thousand dollars in my debit account to use as a backup in case my credit card didn't work or got stolen. I also brought a few hundred Euros, but most places accept credit cards, making purchases easy.
-A voltage converter for each person. Not all countries on the continent use the same kind of converter. We brought converters that had 2 prongs, and had a third one that flipped out for stays in Italy and Switzerland.
-Cell phone charger for each person.
-We ended up not needing our cell phone power banks because there was plenty of opportunity to charge our phones on the bus and hotel.
-Headphones
-A personal Brita Water bottle with a filter to ensure we had clean water on the go.
-Compact umbrella, light jacket
-Pages of the places you’ll visit tore out of the RS books so you don’t have to carry a big heavy book.