Traveling Over Seas..How much to pack?

Well we are leaving for Ireland on Feb 10 and we will be returning on Feb 18. I am curious as to what we should pack. We will be traveling the country quite a bit so I am concerned about lugging bags around. Any tips from the world travelers? Help a brother out.

Re: Traveling Over Seas..How much to pack?

I believe int'l airlines allow 2 bags per person, up to 50 lbs each (23 kg).

if you're going to be lugging bags around Ireland, I would rec that you keep it down to 1 suitcase per person plus 1 carry-on. that was enough for DH and I (we just went to Paris & Amsterdam for a week).

I would bring VERY good walking shoes and warm clothing - think a week's worth of weekend wear for this time of year, and maybe a pair of trousers and dress shirt for a nice dinner (not sure what you have planned).

If I were you, I would wear my heaviest shoes (like hiking boots) and take your coat and other heavy items with you in a carry-on, so that it won't take up extra weight in your suitcase. airlines are sick with the prices they charge for over-weight bags! they wanted 50 Euros from us in Amsterdam on the way home b/c DH's suitcase was 2 KG over - that's almost $70! since mine was under-weight, we consolidated some of his stuff into my suitcase right there at check in. it was a PIA, but worth it for not spending $70 for 3 lousy pounds!

I would also bring extra batteries for your camera - batteries are crazy expensive in Europe.

we bought an electricity converter at Radio Shack - DH used it to charge his camera's battery. so that was a good purchase.

we exchanged dollars to Euros at Chase (for $5) before we left. some people said that it's no problem getting Euros from the ATM when you land. we wanted to make sure we had some local currency on us - just incase - you never know. also - call your CC company and let them know you will be overseas for a week. this way you won't have any issues using the card if need be. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted. Discover & Amex, not so much.

don't forget things like aspirin, advil, vitamins, allergy meds, etc. you're not going to Afghanistan, but again, these things are major bucks overseas.

Re: Traveling Over Seas..How much to pack?

wanted to add something...

this concept was truly hard for me, but I actually only brought 4 pairs of jeans with me on our trip I gave in and packed much less than I normally would (DH begged me to) lol. out of everything I packed, I maybe didn't wear 2 or 3 tops. Normally I take 1/2 my wardrobe with me on trips, but I was a minimalist and that ended up working out really well - since we traveled to 2 countries.

so if you're going with your wife, try and convince her to do the same - good luck though

Re: Traveling Over Seas..How much to pack?

Having travelled overseas my fair share, these are my tips that I previously posted (though more apply more to women )

- Pack by outfit (it eliminates/minimizes any "extra" clothing) and really think about how many outfits you need, i.e. I usually need one shirt for during the day and one for at night, but there are some days, where you may only need 1 shirt depending on what is planned.

- It's much easier to wear bottoms again then tops. For 1 week - I would pack 3 pairs of jeans and one pair of nice pants.

- Wear things that can be layered to eliminate the "gross" factor, i.e. bring a sweater that you can wear during the day or at night and more than once - it's not as gross if you are wearing it over a clean shirt.

- Stick to the same color scheme - bring clothes that are versatile and can be worn with more than one article of clothing.

- Bring minimal hair and body products - I also throw them out before I leave to go home.

- Bring 2 pairs of shoes - sneakers that you can wear for sightseeing and 1 pair of comfortable/dressier shoes for night - flats are perfect and can be packed very easily.

- Pack fabrics that don't wrinkle that much.

- Don't pack a lot (or any!) accessories.

These are all for now, but I will try to think of some more!!!

Re: Traveling Over Seas..How much to pack?

I travel to Ireland often...let me know if you need any suggestions of where to go, what to do!

honestly. you're only gone for a week.... i would pack clothes for a week or less. 2-3 pairs of jeans if fine... you can rewear them. sweaters and fleeces you can rewear. i would bring enough undershirts and underwear for a week, the rest you only need 3 of... Ireland is cold at that time so it's not like you're going to be sweaty or nasty!

i would recommend layering as well... Ireland's temps in the winter can fluctuate from freezing (never much mroe below that....0 degrees Celcius is cold for them, up towards 50 degrees F. i would bring a parka or some kind of jacket that repels water and an umbrella.

ETA: Ireland is a fairly casual country, but i would bring at least one nice outfit if you plan on going out to eat at one of the fancier hotels or restaurants. but over all, a nice sweater and jeans will get you in most anyplace.

GOOD LUCK!

Message edited 1/14/2009 9:38:10 AM.

Re: Traveling Over Seas..How much to pack?

When we go to Ireland in the Winter we tend to go for a week. My DH usually brings a few pairs of jeans, a couple of sweaters and lots of long sleeve tee-shirts and rugby shirts and some flannel shirts. For dress, maybe one pair of khaki's and a button-down shirt. He loves to bring vests for layering and a rainproof jacket with a hood, something like Columbia makes, would be good for all elements. He will wear his merrell boots every day - day and night. But they are great for walking around and the scene is pretty casual most places. You might want to bring one pair of dressier shoes.

The weather has been quite bad there this winter. Cold, for them, but not as cold as here. The last few days they have had lots of wind and rain.

It would be a good idea to bring gloves, a scarf and a hat and, of course, an umberella Enjoy!