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  1. #1
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Default Baggage Strategies for European Flights?

    Let me try this another way! We just discovered how restrictive European flights can be with regards to baggage. DH and I are taking a 2 week trip in the Spring to Switzerland, Germany and France. The carrier specifies that we can have a small Euro sized carry on and a personal item that is the size of a small laptop bag (one dimension is 3 inches for width!!). This means that my really great plan of using my Motherlode Jr as my personal item will not work! I guess maybe I can plan on putting a purse under the seat?? We're considering using Euro carry ons and checking one bag between the two of us. Wondering if this is typical practice? I honestly feel like if I traveled in the summer I might be fine with just a carry on but I'm concerned we'll hit ALL the weather and I'm a cold weather wimp!

    Would love any European packing strategies for flights!

    TIA!

  2. #2
    jgenie is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I would pack minimally and do carry on. I tend to wear my jeans / pants several times before washing when I’m home. For some reason, when I travel I feel the need to change every single day. The last trip we took I packed much less clothes and was so much happier. Bottoms are easy to wear multiple times. You can pick up extra tops along the way. Souvenirs to remind you of your trip. Plan for an expandable duffle for the return.

  3. #3
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    I think you should pack lightly as JGenie mentioned. We have been on 3 week trips in Europe with just one carry on bag per person. We were much happier to have less. You don't need multiple of everything as you can re-wear most items and, if really necessary, you can drop off a load of laundry at a wash and fold near your hotel in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon after you return from a day of sightseeing. We've done that occasionally and it is inexpensive and very convenient.
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  4. #4
    SnuggleBuggles is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    I didn't feel like paying for new luggage so we paid for checked baggage on the 1 flight (it was included on the other flights). We used US carry on sized bags and they allowed us to be nimble getting through airports, subways, trains, taxis...
    I had my usual Baggalini tote as my personal bag- I put my purse inside there. Dh had his work backpack because he is required to bring his laptop on trips. We had 1 additional small bag for overflow stuff.
    I agree with a packable tote for souvenirs.
    Just pay to check bags and save yourself some hassle of dealing with dimensions.
    Shoes were my downfall and I packed a fleece that I wore once and a packable sunhat I never wore. Otherwise I followed advice on my threads here (I think maybe it was marin that had exactly the right checklist for how I usually dress).

  5. #5
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I think I’m leaning to checking a bag! I also might bring a lot of shoes. Ever since my injury my feet are even more fussy. And I might be bringing stuff home too…I’m thinking of bringing home a set of Santons that i couldn’t afford last time I lived in Southern France!

  6. #6
    arivecchi is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    We are going to Europe in the spring - France and Germany. We only plan to bring carry-ons. We are also using high speed trains vs. airplanes when traveling within Europe. Perhaps that would solve your problem.

    ETA: We just did carry-ons on our last trip to Europe and it worked well. It gave me the opportunity to really edit what I brought and make sure it was multi-purpose and chic enough for Europe.
    Last edited by arivecchi; 12-31-2022 at 01:45 PM.
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  7. #7
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Default Baggage Strategies for European Flights?

    Dh and I had the option to each check a suitcase and we each carried a backpack (me Motherlode Jr., and DH a North Face backpack). We were going on a cruise though so we only had to unpack once (we spent two nights in Stockholm pre cruise and two nights in Copenhagen post cruise). I liked having the larger bag for gifts and such, but I know I overpacked. It is something I will strive to do better on our next trip in 2024. We put the backpacks in the overhead compartment like a carryon. I also carried my purse like normal (a Dooney and Bourke tote bag) and dh had a small bag of food. We were flying SAS Airlines and no one said anything. If you can use the Motherlode Jr. as a carryon and not a purse you should be fine.

    When I have flown Delta and haven’t had the option to check a bag I put a small purse in the Motherlode Jr., and count that as my personal item and either gate check the carryon or put the carryon in the overhead bin and the backpack underneath the seat.

    I still totally think you can make the Motherlode backpack your carryon if you check a piece of luggage.


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    Last edited by AnnieW625; 01-04-2023 at 03:58 PM.
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  8. #8
    smilequeen is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    We flew Lufthansa to Germany this summer. They weighed my carry on (and fwiw, we were in 1st class…which people had said they were more leniant with). It was just over 20 lbs and we had to redistribute, and it wasn’t that full. No way could I try to fly with just a carry on that way. I did have an Away carryon and the size was fine, but the weight wasn’t. My personal item was this…it fit under the seat.

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  9. #9
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    We spent 2 weeks in Germany this past summer and traveled carry on only. We preferred that to the stress of potentially lost luggage. Half the time was in cities, the other half in the Alps so we needed cooler weather clothing. Three of us used a Monos carryon (7 lbs) and DH had a travel backpack he bought for traveling to off the beaten path places. No one ever weighed them though. I carried a crossbody bag and DH and the boys all had day pack sized back packs. Tips for traveling light:

    Pack using a capsule wardrobe mentality so you can mix and match
    Rewear your bottoms several times.
    Rewear sweaters with a clean under layer
    Wear layers on the plane
    Wear your heaviest clothing on the plane such as your jacket
    Only pack 2 pairs of shoes and wear the heaviest pair on the plane
    Buy things as needed at your destination
    If laundry is an option, do it, even early in your trip (I think you are at your in-laws at some point so maybe that's a good place?)
    Wash an item or two in hotel sinks if needed. I've washed everything from underwear and socks to DS2's pants because we hiked in light rain and he ran through the woods more than the path. This year I bought a Dawn-equivalent dish soap at Aldi and used that but you could take detergent sheets.
    Plan to check bags on the way home with the extras and souvenirs you bought. You won't be scrambling if your bags get lost the way you would on outbound flights.
    Simplify toiletries
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  10. #10
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by carolinamama View Post
    We spent 2 weeks in Germany this past summer and traveled carry on only. We preferred that to the stress of potentially lost luggage. Half the time was in cities, the other half in the Alps so we needed cooler weather clothing. Three of us used a Monos carryon (7 lbs) and DH had a travel backpack he bought for traveling to off the beaten path places. No one ever weighed them though. I carried a crossbody bag and DH and the boys all had day pack sized back packs. Tips for traveling light:

    Pack using a capsule wardrobe mentality so you can mix and match
    Rewear your bottoms several times.
    Rewear sweaters with a clean under layer
    Wear layers on the plane
    Wear your heaviest clothing on the plane such as your jacket
    Only pack 2 pairs of shoes and wear the heaviest pair on the plane
    Buy things as needed at your destination
    If laundry is an option, do it, even early in your trip (I think you are at your in-laws at some point so maybe that's a good place?)
    Wash an item or two in hotel sinks if needed. I've washed everything from underwear and socks to DS2's pants because we hiked in light rain and he ran through the woods more than the path. This year I bought a Dawn-equivalent dish soap at Aldi and used that but you could take detergent sheets.
    Plan to check bags on the way home with the extras and souvenirs you bought. You won't be scrambling if your bags get lost the way you would on outbound flights.
    Simplify toiletries
    These are really good tips!

    Guys, we already signed up to check a bag! I am hoping everything will be ok. Our flight out is direct to Zurich and we'll be staying within 1 hour of the airport for the first 3 days, and we'll have a car. I'm hoping that if there's a mixup with baggage that will be enough time to connect with our luggage! We'll see.

    I think we probably have MORE space than we need with this extra bag. I mean, really the Motherlode Jr. plus a euro-sized carry on is exactly the right size when I'm planning it out. The personal item restrictions are just really making me nervous though! Also, I kind of want to have fashun on the trip. We're going to be everywhere from an alpine village to the Mediterranean. We do think we'll need space on the flight home to carry home souvenirs so I think we'll want a bag for the return trip at least. Hope it works out!

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