Yep agree with Mell, travel light! We are travelling for 6 months and it was a challenge trying to decide what to take to cover us for 4 continents and many climate changes. We have settled into our choices now but ditched a few things and made some changes on the way:
My recommendations would be:
- do the backpack thing if possible, dont take big suitcases. If you have to, then just make it a small one the size that airlines allow as carry on. Cobblestoned and/or unevenly paved roads abound in Europe and they will just wreck your wheels. Also, when you are using public transport there can tend to be a lot of stairs (dont reply on them hvaing lifts & escalators, or ones that work anyway!) and lugging heavy suitcases up stairs is not fun. I am using a Macpac, they're great.
- if you are staying a hostel then definately take ear plugs and eye masks
- Drybags! These are great. Pack your clothing into different coloured dry bags or stuff sacks to help compress them down in size, but also it really helps to keep your clothes organised and easy to find eg undies in one, shirts in another.
- Keep one drybag just for dirty laundry so it doesnt smell out the rest of your clothes. You can also use the drybags to take your clothes to the showers and back. Or for when you do things like rafting, quadbiking etc, anything that you might want to take stuff to (spare clothes, camera, money) but dont want it to get wet or dirty
- good idea to put your shoes in a separate drybag so that if they are dirty or damp it wont mess your pack up
- we were told that sleeping bags would be a good idea but decided at the last moment to leave them behind, and we didnt regret it. We've stayed at quite a number of hostels so far and never needed a sleeping bag so far, bedding has all been a good standard
- also along with the robe (good idea!) is a pair of lightweight flipflops to wear to the shower, plus one of those little bathroom bags that you can hook over a door to put your soap, flannel, toothbrush, shampoo etc in. Some hostel dont provide shelf or anything inside the shower cublicles so everything ends up wet and if you need to pack it straight away then having it in a bag helps. You only need a small one. Some places dont have towels, you need to hire them, so if you want your own then grab a microfibre travel towel from the outdoor stores, they are very lightweight and they dry really quickly
- an inflatable travel pillow for sleeping on trains, buses, makes sleeping much easier and because youre head is kept upright you dont end up with a sore neck from leaning and drooling on the passenger next doors shoulder! They take up next to no room too
- swiss army knife and a travel cutlery set have both been useful to us
- dont forget to take a daypack, small but big enough to carry a rolled up rainjacket, camera, water etc.
- also when you pick your hostels try and get ones with a kitchen, its much cheaper and so handy to be able to cook for yourself and use the fridge plus it gives you good interaction with others who are using the kitchen and dining area - its a good way to meet other travellers
Hope this helps a little bit, enjoy your trip wherever you are headed!!
Kel
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