Luggage Size. Since we will be handling luggage several times, your luggage must be of a size and weight you
can handle easily. I have never returned from a trip and said, "I
wish I'd taken more stuff with me." To travel abroad for a month
requires very little more than to travel abroad for 2 weeks (except my
wife says for toilet tissue.)
TransAtlantic: Carry-on luggage (most airlines) should
be no larger than 22 X 16 X 8 inches-PACKED or 45 linear inches (the length, height and width added together). Many soft-sided pieces
will expand several inches beyond this legal size. Don't be tempted
to fudge these dimensions. Reasonably sized backpacks
will usually fit these limits. In addition to this carry-on luggage you are permitted one personal item such as a purse, briefcase, or laptop computer.
Checked Luggage: United Airlines will allow you to check 2 pieces of luggage each weighing 50 pounds, but remember-you have to lift it and carry it. But this is not the "end of the story."
InterEuropean Flights: As we will be flying from London to Toulouse,Toulouse to Paris, and Paris to Italy the discount airline checked-luggage
limit is ONE bag weighing no more than 44 pounds, plus one piece of hand luggage no bigger than 55 x 40 x 20 cm (approximately 22 inches x 16 inches x 8 inches). Weigh your book bag with all the books you normally carry. This
should give you an idea of how much to pack. Some experienced travelers
use one bag for luggage, and a smaller " day pack" for miscellaneous
items. A book bag/back pack makes a great "day pack" to take
with you on each day trip carrying your jacket/rain coat, journal, camera,
water bottle, etc.
Summary: your checked luggage at Chicago should weigh no more than 44 pounds. Your carry-on hand luggage should be no bigger than 55 x 40 x 20 cm (approximately 22 inches x 16 inches x 8 inches).
We will have laundry facilities (washer, drier) in Toulouse about a mile from the hotel, and in
Paris there are a lot of laundromats close to our hotel. And you always
will have a sink. I know very few experienced travelers who don't wash
their own socks and underwear in their room sink. Cotton will dry overnight.
Silk underwear dries in just a couple of hours. Generally, polos and
T-shirts wash fine as well, but may take a little longer to dry. I customarily
ignore the signs which say "no washing clothes," as I interpret
this to mean "when you do wash clothes in the sink, as we know
you will, don't allow them to drip on the floor!" Roll your laundry up in a towel
and twist it. Presto, it's almost dry. You may want to take an additional
hand towel for this purpose alone as some places are a little stingy
with towels. Consider an inflatable hanger for shirts or blouses. Also
I always carry a cheap plastic pants hanger, the type you put your pants
legs in and close with little fasteners. This gives me a way to hang
my slacks over the shower head or curtain bar. After hanging in your
room overnight, you can carefully place clothing in the closet among
the dry stuff. Cheap shampoo or a tube of concentrated laundry detergent
works great. I also carry a large flat "one size fits all"
sink stopper in case there's not one in the sink. You can borrow mine
if you need it. I've never been yelled at for my laundry practices.
Clothing: First of all, think dark. Dark clothes show wrinkles less
and fit in with the locals better. Second, think layers and think versatile:
shorts might never get worn-jeans will. You
will need a light waterproof or water repellent jacket, preferably something
with a hood you can put up when it rains. And it will rain on
some day we're out. On our 2005 trip we had three or four sprinkly
times for an hour or two. You may want to carry a cheap fold-up poncho. Fits easily
in your daypack and is wonderful if we get a sudden rain. If you look
at the figure below, you'll see that southern France is just about
the same temperature as Indianapolis in May and has the same number of days with rain. Temperatures are moderate
in all the places we'll visit, but there will be some cool days, especially
mornings and evenings. And if it's a cloudy, cool day, you don't want
to be miserable. A hat goes with the jacket-any kind to keep the sun
off or rain off. Sweatshirts are fine if it's cool but remember they
take forever to dry. Then again, most of your sweatshirts go weeks without
laundering anyway. I prefer a lightweight dark sweater to a sweatshirt, or
a long-sleeved cotton pullover to go under a long-sleeved shirt.
Shirts: about five, in long and short sleeve mix, cotton or cotton/polyester.
Polos are fine for a couple of them. Three pairs of slacks should
be plenty. Jeans are o.k. at this time of year--in many cities of southern
Europe they'd be hot in July and August. You might want to have one
nicer pair of slacks in case you do something semi-dressy. Church? Special
night out! Chinos or kahkis are fine, but tan really shows the dirt.
We noticed just recently that young people wear everything from jeans
(lots & lots) to tuxedos and ball gowns to the theatre. Swimsuit?
Maybe.
Nothing is worse than wet feet. Four pairs of socks should be plenty:
one pair to wear, one spare pair, and two pairs drying in your room.
Two pairs of shoes are a necessity: sneakers or whatever you
wear on a day to day basis and another pair. Do not bring a new pair
you're not used to wearing. We will not be walking long distances on
a day-to-day basis, a mile or two, but in Rome and Paris one can walk
for miles just for fun.
Personal Items: Sleeping sheet: you will need a bed sheet. I carry one with me every time I travel out of the country. This sheet will be necessary for our trip to the Pyrenees Mountains and you may find it more comfortable if the hotel blankets are too warm. Also you will need a pillow case. I'm certain there's one around the house that can be spared.
Hair driers are available
at our sleeping spots Toulouse, Paris, and Rome. Plus I have one that runs on EU voltage that I'll take. You may want to take a bar of bath soap. While each
place we stay will provide soap, the bars are small. A recent hotel
in which I stayed in Amsterdam provided a bar of soap about the size
of a postage stamp: the smallest I've ever seen. Also, if you use one,
take a wash or face cloth. These are unknown in European bathrooms.
Sunglasses will be handy in both France and Italy.
Medical: any prescription drugs in original container
(with a copy of the original prescription if available); analgesics
(pain killers); other stuff you might need. Extra pair of presciption
glasses (even an older pair) or contacts. Small tissues make great emergency
toilet tissue.
Electricity: If you are taking anything that plugs in (battery charger, hair dryer [available where we sleep], laptop [can't think why you would need one]) you should know that Europe operates on a 240V system rather than a 120-volt system as we do in America. Moreover, the plug/socket structures differ from ours. Therefore, at the minimum you would need a plug adaptor for continental Europe (France/Italy). Many battery chargers work on both 110/240V (it should say somewhere on the device) as do most laptop computers. If your device is not rated for 240V then you also will need a convertor and adaptor.
Adaptors for France and Italy. Convertor to change voltage from 240V to 110V
These plug into the wall outlets. And your
device plugs into them.
Miscellaneous: Alarm clock that works. Two spring clothespins to keep the drapes closed to keep out the sunlight. Small flashlight to find bathroom without waking roomate. List of addresses and email addresses. Book(s) to read while traveling or waiting. I'll have extra fiction: you can borrow mine if you like my taste: crime, adventure, espionage, biography. Light sleeper? Ear plugs are great in a room or airplane. I've got lots if you need some. Can you sleep better with an eye mask? Camera, film (pretty expensive in Europe), maybe extra set of batteries for the camera. I'll have a battery charger for rechargeable batteries. Two or three large zip-lock bags and maybe a couple of smaller bags. Great for packing those damp socks for a trip to the next sleeping spot. Journal: spiral bound or otherwise. Photos of family/friends/pets for late-night sharing. Plastic spoon for that emergency yoghurt. Two or three medium size safety pins. We'll take the duct tape that will always be handy. We'll take the first aid kit.
Weather in France and Italy
|
Average Daily Temp |
Average Low |
Avg # rainy days |
Inches Rainfall |
|
|
Toulouse |
|
|
May |
57 |
48 |
7 |
2.8 |
June |
65 |
53 |
7 |
2.4 |
|
|
Paris |
|
|
May |
57 |
49 |
17 |
2.6 |
June |
62 |
54 |
16 |
2.2 |
|
|
Lafayette |
|
|
May |
61 |
51 |
7 |
3.6 |
June |
69 |
59 |
7 |
4.6 |
|
|
Rome |
|
|
May |
66 |
53 |
14 |
2.1 |
June |
73 |
60 |
11 |
1.4 |
|
|
Naples |
|
|
May |
76 |
66 |
6 |
1.7 |
June |
65 |
53 |
6 |
1.2 |