Cities of Light Prague to Paris 2 days before departure

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Our first order of business was to get the COVID test so we could board our Austria Airlines flight to Vienna, Austria then on to Prague on Sunday morning. As we were sitting in the car in line for the test Cathy got a text saying that we no longer need a test for COVID to return to the US on June 28. That saves us a whooping $300!

The next order of business is packing. Now most everyone I know packs way too much. I am a minimalist. From experience I can tell you you do not need 20% of the things you pack. We are gone for 16 days. Eight days will be in hotels and eight days on a cruise. The first thing to do is check the weather for the time you are traveling to determine if the weather will be hot, dry, cold or wet and pack accordingly. Remember you are on vacation not dressing to impress! You do not need exotic dress clothes, suits or even sport coats as most cruise lines are now at most business casual. So leave these at home. You will be glad you did.

So what do I pack? I bring enough socks and undergarments for 1/2 the number of days. Now don't get excited, I am not wearing dirty clothes for half the trip. A well seasoned traveler learns how to use the sink in the cabin to wash essentials such as socks and underwear. I bring a small bottle of Woolite and a roll of cord. I wash clothes in the sink, wring out the water using a towel to twist the clothes dry and hang up over the shower with the cord. Next day clean dry clothes.

Packing outer wear is a little more complicated. Based on weather you might pack heavier on shorts, if a warm trip is expected; or you might pack long pants for cooler weather. The weather forecast is for temperatures in the range of 58 to 78 F, so I am packing long pants that are very light and non wrinkling and a few shorts. As for shirts bring only those shirts that can be worn with multiple pants. That way you change up your outfit but not have to have a full 16 days worth of clothes. I only bring clothes that are easily hand washed, easy care, no wrinkle and quick dry. I assure you packing lite is the way to go.

As for shoes, always one pair for heavy walking days, one comfortable classy shoe for dinners and one pair of sandals for lite days. The cabin comes with slippers and a robe so leave these home. Most quality hotels have shampoo, body wash and towels galore. The cabin on the ship also has these essentials. One thing I learned is in Europe they do not have a wash cloth! If you find this essential, bring your own. I choose to bring a jumbo mesh body sponge for my shower. Toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush, deodorant, medicines round out my kit bag. My wife adds some makeup, lip balm/sunscreen and perfume. Do not forget the electric plug adapters. You will not need a converter but you will need an adapter to plug in your US style electric appliances. These are light and cheap so I bring 6, I always lose one or more along the way!

As for packing all this. Now that is a skill I learned over many successful trips. First pack by category. All the underwear, pants, socks, shirts etc. are packed by section. That way you do not have to unpack everything to find anything. I chose the fold and roll method of packing. First fold the item then roll it tightly. In this way you have everything in a neat block of like items. By first folding, then rolling you also eliminate wrinkling and keep everything together.

Since so many suitcases look alike I always add a ribbon or tie a colored rope or some distinguishing mark on my luggage. Makes it easier to collect and you can spot it quickly if someone else snags your bags, as often can happen in Europe! I also have an identification name tag on the bag with all my contact information just in case the bag is lost along the way. I have been on many trips where a fellow passenger lost their bags in transit and it took many days to identify the bag and return to the owner. Not a lot of fun!

So here we are. COVID tested, waiting for a negative result, packed and ready for departure. We leave Sunday morning at 9:30 when the limo greats us and whisks us away to the airport. A word about airport parking. It costs $20 a day to park at Detroit. We are gone 16 days so that is $320 plus tip say $10. The limo to and from the airport is $310 including tip, so for us it was a no brainer, I booked the limo. Why not arrive in style and save a few bucks at the same time!

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