Packing

Packing Light – More Options

ebags Backpack

Whenever we travel, I like to travel light. I also like to plan on having some space in my suitcase so that I can pick up a few things to give as gifts and to remember my trip. I almost always pick up flat items, maybe a table cloth, table runner, lace, etc… that does not take up much room. Maybe a hat or two that can be packed easily.

In fact, I like to take a maximum of about a week’s worth of clothes no matter how long the trip. I like to keep my suitcase down to less than 30 pounds; it is a backpack suitcase and I want to be able to hop on or off a train or the metro without an issue.

A pair of pants or shorts don’t take up too much space in my suitcase, but enough underwear to last 7 days without laundry facilities will take up much more space than an extra shirt or an extra pair of pants. I don’t mind wearing the same pair of pants or shorts for a few days, but I don’t like to wear underwear for multiple days.

Generally, if we are staying in hotel rooms, I would bring my light weight, quick drying, underwear and wash them in my room. On our next trip, my wife and I will spend a week in London followed by a 2 week photo safari in Africa. The first week is not really an issue since we have access to a sink every night in our hotel room. On the safari, we are not sure of our accommodations yet, but we could be staying in tents and moving every day.  It is not like I can leave wet underwear hanging in the tent or even in our room while we are on safari since we will be at a different camp the next day. With fast drying polyester based underwear, they dry overnight, but not cotton briefs. Yes, TMI, but you have to think about those things when you travel.

The other problem is that we will spend summer days in London and winter days in Africa. Different types of clothes for the very different climates.

I could ship my Africa wardrobe to London and carry the clothes that I want to wear in London in my suitcase. Before we leave, I could ship my London clothes home and carry my Africa wardrobe for the rest of the trip. That is an extra expense but it would be a solution. As noted above, the other option will be doing laundry every night or two.  I don’t want to do laundry every couple days for the whole 3 weeks. I have another idea in mind that will give me the space in my suitcase for gifts and cut down on laundry.

I remember that mom always said to wear clean underwear just in case I get into an accident; but I have seen enough of those TV shows where they just cut off your clothes to get to your injuries. So, I figured that I would set aside old and almost worn out underwear throughout the year and take them on my trip. Rather than washing them in the evening, I can just toss them out along the way. So, instead of bringing 7 sets of underwear, I will bring 14 sets of underwear and by the end of the first week, I will have room in my suitcase for gifts.

Starting on week two of the trip, all of the worn out underwear will be in the trash. The 7 sets that I go to Africa with will be the ones that are easy to wash and that are quick trying. I can easily wash them out each night and they should be dry by the morning. The issue isn’t just with underwear. If you are wearing hiking boots, you need to carry extra socks or have a plan for bring 2 or 3 pairs and a plan for washing and drying them every two or three days.

Here is how we plan to take care of the socks issue.  When we are located in a facility that has electricity, even if it is only for part of the day, I will use the blow dryer to dry out my socks.

What do you think of this plan?

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Electronics – Adaptors vs. Converters

Adapter photo

Something that worries almost all first time travelers to Europe or England,  has to do with which of their electronics will work and which ones won’t work.

They want to know if they need an adapter or a converter.

Let’s start with basics. In the USA, we use 110 volt AC appliances, except for electric ranges, electric water heaters and electric heating and air conditioning systems. Those use 220 volts AC.

In most of the rest of the world, they use 220 volt AC appliances.  I should also point out that AC stands for Alternating Current.

Our cars and most electronics use DC or direct current but you don’t need to worry about that. Why, because when we charge our electronics we use a USB plug or a plug with a built in converter that will convert either 110 volt AC current or 220 volt AC current to the appropriate DC voltage for our phones, cameras, tablets or our laptop computers.

With that background, lets move on to talk about adapters vs. converters.

An adapter is a device that allows you to plug your American appliance or charger into a foreign plug. A converter, converts the electricity coming out of the wall from 220 volts to 110 volts.  Newer adapters do have a limited converter to convert the 220 volts AC to the 5 volt DC voltage for the USB outlets.

As an aside, none of the adapters shown in this article will work in South Africa or Swaziland. If you are going to South Africa, make sure to pick up the appropriate adapter for that country. They use a type M plug down there. You can order type M adapters from Amazon.

An example of a universal travel adapter with USB ports.

 

This is an adapter kit.

This is an old travel hair dryer with a small round switch that allows you to use it with either 110 or 220 volt systems.

 

Sometimes I will plug this 3 way plug into the adapter plug and then plug it into the wall socket. Don’t plug your hair dryer or curling iron into this adapter unless it is dual voltage and you have switched it to 220 volts.

Here are two styles of plugs the generally work in Europe although the one on the right does not always fit the sunken plugs in Switzerland or Italy. You will need the one on the left. Also, in Switzerland and Italy you may notice 3 holes in the wall plug. Don’t worry, these adapters will work just fine.

Back to the discussion of the need for adaptors or converters.

In most hotels and cruise ships, they have a 110 volt circuit in the bathroom for an electric shaver. Don’t plug your hair dryer into that slot. Many cruise ships don’t even want you to bring along a blow dryer or a flat iron for pressing your clothes. They tend to overload their circuits. Facilities that are set up to handle the electrical load, generally provide blow dryers in the cabin or the hotel room. It may not be the one you are used to using, but it will do in a pinch.

Don’t plug your hair dryer into an adapter either, unless you have a hair dryer with a switch that will move it from 110 volts to 220 volts. You will burn it up. As for your curling iron or blow dryer, since you could not leave home without it, why not just buy one from a store in Budapest when you arrive. You can get one for about 20 Euros. Then you won’t need to use one of your adapters.

If you need a converter, here is an option that you can get on Amazon.

This is a Travel Smart Adapter/Converter available at Amazon or Target.

 

This is another complete adapter/converter kit. It will allow you to plug into any plug in Europe or England and convert the output to 110 volts.

Most of us don’t carry converters any more. We just carry adapters for the country we will be visiting. I always carry more than one so that my wife can plug her phone or tablet, etc. in on her side of the bed and I can plug mine in on my side of the bed.

Just make sure to pick them up from Amazon or your favorite retailer before you leave home. You know your battery will be dead when you arrive unless you remembered that on most international flights that there are generally 110 outlets or USB outlets in the plane. Sometimes they are under the seat, so that you can keep your device charged up. If you don’t already have transportation waiting for you at the airport, you will want to use your phone to order up Uber or Lyft to get you to your hotel.  You did remember to order an international plan for your phone before you left home, didn’t you??? Go to the Tips page for more tips.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

What Do You Have in Your Essential Cruising Carry-on Bag?

Picture of small back pack

Although men and women may see this list differently, I believe this list will meet the needs of both, especially when you consider what they each may already have in their pockets, purse or fanny pack.  Everything noted here would easily fit into a lightweight backpack (day-pack), like the kids use for their book bag in school these days.  And, to make things easier for all, I will suggest that everything that you both need is laid out on the bed, then packed into the two backpacks so that each of you is carrying an equal amount of weight; maybe the guy will carry a little extra.  Yes, I am over 60 and I am a gentleman. 🙂

The essential carry-on bag –

travel documents toothbrush/toothpaste
book or Kindle/deck of cards hand lotion (3 oz or less in Ziploc bag)
smart phone or cell phone germicidal hand cleaner (in Ziploc bag)
lightweight jacket/windbreaker bottle of water
medicines camera/memory cards/batteries/
ear plugs MP3 player
sunglasses/reading glasses if needed Ziploc bags
shorts, shirt/blouse, sandals watch/jewelry
mini flashlight/binoculars folding tote bag/fanny pack
pen and notepad sun screen (3 oz or less in Ziploc bag)
international diver’s strobe light  (if you are worried about falling overboard)
your money, except for a few small bills, should be in your money belt.

Each person should have his or her own passport, identification, money, etc… in their own carry-on bag. In fact, the money, except for a few small bills should be in your money belt. Don’t include aerosols; use pump sprays in your carry-on bag.

If you stayed the night before departure in a hotel, then you may want to transfer some stuff from your luggage to your carry-on bag and vice versa.  Depending upon the flight and the amount of time I expected to be sitting in the airport, I may have had my phone chargers and even a portable DVD player or mp3 player and charger in my carry-on bag for the flight.  On the other hand, my pocket-knife or mini-Leatherman would have been in my luggage.  I will put the chargers and DVD player back in the luggage and the pocket-knife in my pocket so that my carry-on is lighter and only has what I will need until my luggage has arrived at my cabin.

When I get on the ship and find my cabin, I will change into my shorts, short sleeve shirt and sandals, maybe grab a book, and head up on deck to enjoy the departure.  Only when it is time to dress for dinner, will I actually wonder if my luggage is in my cabin. If it’s not, then it will be casual dress for dinner, with a quick check with the cabin steward to ask about the luggage.

You will see that the laptop is not on the above list.  If I do have to bring it, it will be in my backpack.  I am trying to leave it at home.  I can do most everything I need to do on the smart phone, except easily update my websites.  I can even update my blog with my smart phone. If I save enough money, maybe I will add a tablet or notebook to the list.  Have I missed anything? Is there something you would add to this checklist?

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Taking a Test Run on Your European Vacation

BART Ticket Machine

Just a few weeks ago, a friend was asking about our wedding anniversary trip to Europe back in 2014. Said that he wanted to take his wife on a similar trip in the fall of 2016 for their 25th wedding anniversary. I told him that I would be happy to help them put together a trip, but that I expected him to do a test run before that.

What, a test run? Yes, since we learned so much from our first trip to Europe in 2013 which made out trip in 2014 so much better, I realized that my friend needed to really experience traveling the way we did so that he could avoid the pain of hauling 2 large roller bags and 2 carry on bags and 2 personal bags like we did in 2013. I even remember watching a Rick Steves video where he suggested loading you bags and taking short weekend trip to get the feel of how much a pain the excess baggage can be. (Here is a link to the Rick Steves video as well as other packing light videos.)

It does not make sense to most of us because we generally travel in the US and are only hauling bags from the baggage claim area to the rental car bus and from the bus to the rental car and from there to the hotel room.  When we traveled to Europe, we used public transit, not rental cars. When you take trains, some of which are double deckers, and take metro lines some of which are three flights of long stairs below ground, without an elevator, you learn quickly what a pain in the back it is to haul those heavy 50 pound roller bags up and down stairs.

So, I told him that he should take a test run of a trip that uses the same type of transportation that he would use in Europe, and of course, to load their suitcases as if they were headed to Europe. First of all, they will take the Capital Corridor train from Sacramento to Richmond, transfer to the BART Metro Train from Richmond to San Francisco. Depending upon which hotel they staying at, they can get off at Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell or Civic Center, etc… From there, they walk to their hotel, hauling their suitcases.

Then, while in San Francisco, they should spend a day on one of the hop-on hop-off buses to take a tour of the city. Get off and enjoy the various stops just like they might do in Paris. This is a great way to get the feel for a city that you have never visited before. You get to get a look at all of the main sights so that you can decide which ones you want to visit and spend more time exploring.  I think they enjoy food as much as we do and they should check out the great Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building.

Of course, he should plan for a nice 24th anniversary dinner with his wife and enjoy a wonderful test run visit to San Francisco.

eBagsWeekender

eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible

 

How much do you want to bet that they will lighten the load before they take their big trip in 2016. As I mentioned earlier, we went from 2 large roller bags and 2 carry on bags and 2 personal bags to 2 backpack style carry on bags and 2 small backpacks like our kids use for their books in high school. Take a look at my earlier post about suitcases.

If you have not tired this trip, you should do it if you live anywhere within a hundred miles or so of San Francisco. We just did a similar trip. We spent 5 days at our timeshare in Napa and did two day trips into San Francisco. We drove from Napa to the El Cerrito BART station and took the train into the Embarcadero station in San Francisco. Spent the day at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. On Sunday, we made a return trip and got on the hop-on hop-off bus for a day trip throughout the city. We hopped off and on, did a lot of walking through Chinatown and various other areas. A great trip. No downtown SF parking challenges either. Of course, since we were staying in Napa, we only had our small backpacks because you always want to carry a jacket with you, maybe some snacks for a little picnic lunch as well.

If you have never used public transit, or BART or other types of metro train systems, you really do want to try those things out here in the US where at least you can read the signs. Don’t wait until you get to Europe to learn. Most transit systems are organized by the names of the stops at each end of the line. For example, the BART train that I noted here today is the Richmond-Daly City line. When you are looking for the right train, because several different trains use the same underground tracks, look for the name of the town at the end of the line in the direction you are traveling. I think BART has 5 or 6 lines. Some are not in use on weekends so you have to be ready to use a different line to get where you are going. Also, you put your ticket in the slot to get into the station and you put it in the slot again to exit. If you did not put enough $ when you bought the ticket, you will have to add $ to it to get out of the station. For example, currently the cost from the El Cerrito station to the Civic Center is $5.40. If you bought 2 $5 tickets because you were in a rush, you will get into the station and get to the Civic Center station, but you have to take each ticket to the machine on the wall to add an extra $.40 to each one to exit the station.

Check out this video on how to buy BART tickets.

I recently created a page on this topic with several videos for you. Check it out.

Remember, life is short, vacation today. You can always rest later. Don’t wait until “sometime” to see the world. If you wait until then, you may not be able to do it. Do it while your health is good.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Cruise Luggage Tag Holders

Cruise Tag Holders

Have you every tried to attach a luggage tag to your bag before your cruise? They send you this paper thin sheet that you cut into ribbons and they ask you to fold them and staple them to your luggage. Well, you know that they won’t stay there as you fly from home to the cruise terminal because the airport luggage handlers will either tear them off accidentally, or they will get wet and fall off. So, you plan to attach them before you head for the cruise terminal. Well, did you bring a stapler with you to attach them. No!! Who carries a stapler on a cruise. Apparently I was not the only person who thought that system sucked.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Suitcases — Update

ebags Backpack

As I said in my earlier post about going with the backpack style carry-on bags, I would do a follow-up story to tell you how it went.

First, a little more background on my efforts. I did a sample pack with enough clothes to make up 20+ outfits. Packed it and left it for 3 weeks then opened it up to check to see how wrinkled the clothes were. I packed 8 short sleeved shirts, two long pants, 2 shorts, underwear for a week and my DOP kit. I used the techniques shown on RickSteves.com.  Best of all, the total weight was about 22 pounds. I can carry that and it will fit in the overhead of any airline that we planned to use during our trip to Europe in the spring of 2014.

Since we planned a week in Malta and a couple of days in Barcelona, prior to our 12 day cruise on the Mediterranean, we split our packing into two parts. First of all, we packed a 24″ roller bag with our cruise clothes. Both my clothes and my wife’s clothes. I pre-ordered the rental of my tux on the ship so that I did not have to pack a suit or sportcoat and slacks. All of my wife’s dresses would take up less space and weight  less than one sportcoat, so I figured that it would be well worth the cost. Since it was a 12 day cruise, we needed enough clothes for a dozen outfits for each of us and a pair of dress shoes in addition to the shoes that I would wear to Malta. Also, since we had our carry-on backpacks from the week in Malta, we would have some extra clothes there as well. The roller only weighed in at about 35 pounds. Quite a drastic reduction from two 48 pound roller bags the year earlier.

We were not going to be using the “cruise clothes” in Malta and since we did not want to haul the roller bag to Malta and back, we made arrangements to drop the roller bag off at Citadines, the hotel we were using when we returned to Barcelona the following week.  I planned a 6 hour layover in Barcelona before heading to Malta so that we had time to put our carry-on bags in the locker at the airport, take the R2 train into downtown and the L3 metro to our hotel to drop off the roller bag. The staff at the Citadines locked our bag in their secure storage room and it was there waiting for us when we returned a week later. We even had time to walk the La Rambla and enjoy some tapas and a cold beer before heading back to the airport.

As many of you know, most timeshare condos have a laundry room or a washer and dryer in the room. The place in Malta had a laundry room, so, on the night before the last day at the condo in Malta, I put on my bathing suit, and went to the laundry room and washed everything else. That meant that we would have week’s worth of clean clothes to add to what we packed in the roller bag and left in Barcelona.

I know you are just waiting to hear how it went. It went great but I know that we can go lighter next year. I still had too many shirts and pants and not enough underwear. My wife had a couple of outfits that she didn’t wear as well. Doing the week in the timeshare before the cruise worked out well because we had access to a washer and dryer which meant that we could get along with fewer clothes.  The other thing that worked out well is that by sharing one checked bag and having a week’s worth of clothes in our carry-on bags, we did not have to worry about a lost bag. Fortunately we did not have a lost bag and could change clothes as often as we wanted during the cruise.

Already looking forward to next year’s vacation, especially since we will be going to Africa for a couple of weeks before we spend a week in Myrtle Beach for a family re-union. That means that we will need one set of clothes for the safari and an entirely different set of clothes for a week on the beach because it will be winter in South Africa and summer in Myrtle Beach.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Riding the Metro in Barcelona

Barcelona-Metro-Map

I noted in a post last year about how to get the best use of the Metro when travelling in Paris. This year, we traveled to Barcelona and after doing my homework, we were ready. Of course, I printed out the map for the local trains and the metro so that I had them in hand when we arrived in Barcelona. I also downloaded the RENFE application to my phone before the trip. It provides info on the train schedule in Barcelona.

I knew that we would take the shuttle from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 to catch the R2 train into Barcelona. We would get off on the 4th stop at Passeig de Gracia. You should know that the name you see on the map is not always the name that you see on the board on the train. For example, our stop showed up as pg Gracia not as Passeig de Gracia. I always count stops so that I don’t miss my stop. A couple we met from Grants Pass missed their stop, the one at Sants, before our stop at Passeig de Gracia. We helped them off the train and over to the platform to get them back to their stop before we proceeded on to the Metro.

My wife saw some pickpockets getting ready to put the squeeze play on the man and she rushed them and shouted at them to leave the man alone and they snuck off into the crowd. Another thing that we noticed when we got on the train was the “helpful” man that assisted people with their luggage, placing it on the far side of the train, out of sight of the “victim” where their partner in crime could take the bag while the victim was still getting their other bags onto the train. Another reason that we opted for smaller and lighter bags for our trip.

Barcelona-Metro-Map

 

Click on the map to enlarge it.

From there,we would walk over to the L3 Metro, which was three floors below the train, and take it two stops to the Liceu station in the middle of La Rambla. Only a half a block to our hotel from there. My research also provided several additional tips to make it a more enjoyable vacation. 

First of all, I discovered that there are lockers at Terminal 1 in Barcelona where we could store our suitcases while we went into town. I planned a 6+ hour layover because we wanted to leave our carry-on bags in the locker and take our 24″ roller bag to the Citadines Aparthotel, (the hotel where we will stay before our cruise but after a side trip to Malta).  I had made contact with the Citadines hotel on La Rambla to make arrangements to leave our suitcase with our cruise clothes so that we did not have to haul them to Malta and back. If you remember my earlier blog about Paris, we stayed at a Citadines Aparthotel there and loved it. It was a 1 bedroom apartment in the hotel. The one in Barcelona, we chose to use, is a studio apartment in their hotel right in the middle of the action. They are a great chain of hotels and apartments. When we vacation in England in the next year or two, I have already picked out a Citadines that we will be using there.

Second, to make the process a little easier, we purchased the 10 ride metro ticket that was good on the train as well as the metro.  My research told me that I would need to have some Euros in small denominations to use the machine to buy the 10 ride ticket. We used 8 rides to make it downtown and back to the airport.  We picked up second 10 ride ticket at the same time so that were ready for our return from Malta without having to pick up the extra ticket during the rush. We had 6 rides left when we started our cruise and gave the ticket to a couple we met from Tazmania who were going to spend a couple of days in Barcelona after the cruise. Even with giving the left over rides away, it was still cheaper to buy the 10 ride tickets than to buy single ride tickets for each leg of the journey.

If you are thinking of visiting, you may also want to have a look at this video. We did not make it but want to share it with you.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Suitcases and Travel

ebags Backpack

I don’t know about you, but after our trip to Europe last year where we hauled our suitcases on and off the metro and the trains and airplanes, and up and down three flights of stairs in the metro, I don’t want to have to go through that again.

At the time, I did not think that we had really over-packed by too much.  We were going to be gone for about 21 days and even planned to stop to do laundry about 10 to 12 days into the trip.  We each had one checked bag and one carry-on bag and one personal bag.  The personal bag had our medicine, travel docs, one change of clothes, my kindle and snacks. Nothing was over-weight; but when you figure that the checked bags were close to 48 pounds each and the carry-on bags were about 20 pounds each, that added up to a lot of stuff to carry. The three flights up from the metro station to the street was the final straw. We were going to pack lighter next time.

I bet you would think about what you needed to bring with you if you went through something similar. In fact, I challenge you to experiment before you leave home. Pack your bags, get on a bus or a train or the metro locally, haul your things to a hotel in a town a hundred miles or so away from home, carry your stuff to your room and then decide it it was too much.

Well, it is almost time for the next trip to Europe. We spent many hours over the past few months studying and watching seminars.  I really liked the RickSteves.com video on packing light. I also looked at one from PackingLight.com that demonstrated how to travel with the equivalent of enough clothes for 60 outfits that will fit into a carry-on.  Unfortunately the video from PackingLight.com is no longer available online. In both cases you would have to wash underwear and sox every couple of days to make their packing plans work. Well, I only needed to have 20-30 outfits for our trip, which meant that I could bring extra underwear and sox and not have to hand wash them every night or two, so that looked pretty good to me. Still need to find out if my existing carry-on bags would work or if I wanted to buy  a new convertable bag that could be used as a backpack or hand carried luggage so that my hands were free when we hopped on and off the metro.

Before spending any money on a new carry-on bag, I also looked at what airlines allowed in the way of carry-on bags since it seemed that every airline had their own rules, especially the smaller airlines in Europe. So, to save you from having to do the same research, here is the results of our research. What you will see is a summary of several airlines rules followed by a summary of luggage that you own then a table showing examples of replacement carry-on luggage. I deleted the specifics of my luggage to leave you space to print out this article and to enter your info so that you can do your own survey. Click here for more on Packing Light.

American Airlines

Type of Bag

Size

Weight
Checked Bag Max of 62” HWD 50#
Carry On Max of 45” 22x14x9 40#
Personal Bag Max of 36”

British Airways

Type of Bag

Size

Weight
Checked Bag Max of 35.5×29.5×16 50# or 23kg
Carry On 22x18x10 or a total of 50” 50# or 23kg
Personal Bag 16x12x6 or a total of 34”  50# or 23kg

Veuling Airlines

Type of Bag

Size

Weight
Checked Bag Max of 62” HWD 50# or 23kg
Carry On 21.65×15.78×7.87 22# or 10kg for carry on and personal bags combined.
Personal Bag purse/briefcase/laptop

As of January 2018, Ryanair’s cabin baggage policy will change. Only priority boarding passengers will be permitted to take one small bag (35 x 20 x 20cm), plus a larger cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20cm) with a maximum weight allowance of 10kg into the cabin.

Alaska Airlines

Type of Bag

Size

Weight
Checked Bag Max of 62” HWD 50#
Carry On 24x17x10=51” 25#
Personal Bag purse/briefcase/laptop/daypack

 

Fill in Your Currently Used Wheeled & Non Wheeled Bags
Description of Bag Size in Height, Width and Depth  Total Size

 

Convertible Backpack Style Carry-on Bags

Name

Size

Weight

Wheels

Price
eBags eTech 2.0 Weekender- *3091 cubic inches 22x14x9 2#12oz No $75
eBags Motherlode Weekender Expandable-*3299 to 3651 22x14x9 4# No $80
Rick Steves Classic Back Door Bag *2500 cubic inches 21x14x9 3# No $80
Rick Steves Convertible Carry On (expandable)*2500-3000 21x14x9 3# No $100
Rick Steves Rolling Backpack *1960 cubic inches 20x14x7 5.5# Yes $160
Eagle Creek EC Weekender *2500 cubic inches 20x13x8 2#9oz No $150
 *The numbers above with the asterisk is advertised cubic inches of space within the suitcase.

You should know that if you go for wheels, you will give up about 20% of the total carrying capacity.  Also, most airlines have a restriction on how long wheeled bags can be for carry-on purposes because the wheels stick out beyond the end of the bag. EBags have lifetime warranty. They also have shoulder strap at no extra cost. It is $10 extra for Rick Steves Bags. Eagle Creek has a “no excuses” warranty. External compression straps cover bottom half of case with Rick Steves bags and the whole bag with eBags. This last item is important if you are trying to squash the bag down to fit in the overhead. Prices were online prices in March 2014.

After watching the webinars and doing the reading and re-thinking what I really needed to bring on my trip, it was time to decide to either stay with my existing roller type carry-on or buy a new convertible carry-on.  I bit the bullet and bought the convertible carry-on because I knew that it would be much easier when we were on and off the metro trains.

But, will it all really fit like they showed on the videos?  It was time to pack my carry-on suitcase to verify what I had learned. I also wanted to see how wrinkled everything got when things were scrunched down with the compression straps. So, I decided to try out the packing method showed on the Packing Light video. I was able to pack 4 pants, 7 shirts, 1 sport coat, 7 sets of underwear, my DOP kit and a few other items. Total weight was only 20 pounds, including the carry-on bag. I did not put in an extra pair of shoes or sox, but I will probably put the DOP kit in my personal bag and replace it with the shoes and sox and the weight will be about the same. Now I need to follow the advise on Rick Steves’ website and go downtown and walk around for a while. Better yet, take the bus or the metro to town, do some window shopping and come home. I bet I will be taking out some things when I get home.

I will get back with you after I take a test run with the new bag.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Panama Canal Cruise, Off To The Airport In The Morning

Norwegian Pearl Photo

It is Friday, April 13th. I catch my flight to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow morning, but I am not worried at all.  I followed my check list and I am ready to go.

ONE WAKE-UP AND I AM ON MY WAY!!!

A year’s worth of planning and it is almost time to take our cruise of a lifetime.

I guess I better get my checklist out and go over everything one last time..

  • Finalize packing, check!
  • Confirm flight times and print out boarding passes, check!
  • Confirm shuttle service, check!
  • Confirm hotel reservations, check!
  • Make sure to put your passports, confirmation paperwork and cruise docs in carry-on, check!
  • Set alarm and go to sleep.

I am still wondering about staying in touch.  I have read everything that I can find, but I still wonder.  I know that we will purchase a package of minutes of computer time so that we can stay in touch. Don’t expect my cell phone to work as anything but a camera until we make it to Puerto Vallarta.  I have put everything that I need to have handy in my carry-on bag: Tickets, passports, confirmations, cruise docs, money, meds, cameras, books, e-reader, chargers, etc…

———————————————————————-

Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel

Panama Canal Cruise, 15 Days Before Departure

Norwegian Pearl Photo

Today’s email from Norwegian Cruise Lines, “Two weeks to go. Start packing your excitement!”

TWO WEEKS LEFT!!!

I cannot believe that we only have two weeks to go before we take our cruise of a lifetime.

I guess I better get my checklist out and go over everything to make sure we are ready.

  • Go over the cruise docs again, check!
  • Get the luggage tags ready, check!
  • Start packing, check!

Since I am still working, a little, I need to make sure to get everything organized for my friend, so that she can take care of business for us while we are gone. I will probably spend the next week or so doing that. I also need to notify clients so that they know who to call, if they need assistance.  Wow, so much to do, maybe I should have started earlier.

I think I will log on and book some more dinners and excursions.  Don’t want to miss out on any fun.

———————————————————————-

Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!

You may also want to visit our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TeamEdwardsTravel