One month in Europe, 12 night cruise, all from a carryon? Am I crazy?

[sweetpea222]

I didn't do a review. Too depressed that it was all over I guess. But I will say, the girls did great on the trip. I actually have two girls, twins, who were twelve at the time we were away. They did great with the idea of packing light, and even had room in their suitcases for souvenirs.

 

For our two weeks in Paris, we rented a great little apartment in the Latin quarter, a block or two from Notre Dame. It was perfect, we could walk or take the metro everywhere, and had everything we needed to cook fresh food from the markets and just relax and feel like it was a home. We made sure to balance cultural days (Louvre, etc) with fun days (Disney Paris, shopping, markets, the gardens of Versailles). Having the last two weeks of our trip there, with no set plan in mind, let us experience Paris at a relaxed and casual pace, and as such it ended up being my favourite place. Sitting outside Notre Dame one warm night, at close to midnight, listening to a guitarist from Barcelona sing a Leonard Cohen song, while our girls lay their heads in our laps and the air was warm...a memory I will never forget.

 

Paris is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. You will not be disappointed, I promise. I envy you!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[loma linda ca a & j]

I didn't do a review. Too depressed that it was all over I guess. But I will say, the girls did great on the trip. I actually have two girls, twins, who were twelve at the time we were away. They did great with the idea of packing light, and even had room in their suitcases for souvenirs.

 

For our two weeks in Paris, we rented a great little apartment in the Latin quarter, a block or two from Notre Dame. It was perfect, we could walk or take the metro everywhere, and had everything we needed to cook fresh food from the markets and just relax and feel like it was a home. We made sure to balance cultural days (Louvre, etc) with fun days (Disney Paris, shopping, markets, the gardens of Versailles). Having the last two weeks of our trip there, with no set plan in mind, let us experience Paris at a relaxed and casual pace, and as such it ended up being my favourite place. Sitting outside Notre Dame one warm night, at close to midnight, listening to a guitarist from Barcelona sing a Leonard Cohen song, while our girls lay their heads in our laps and the air was warm...a memory I will never forget.

 

Paris is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. You will not be disappointed, I promise. I envy you!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

thanks sweetpea !!!

 

how did you find the apartment in paris - that is what we would like to do !!

how many bedrooms ? did it have an elevator ?

was disney paris different in any way than disneyland in california ?

Edited April 25, 2014 by loma linda ca a & j

[slidergirl]

Thank you for coming back and posting about your packing success. I'm glad that it worked out for you. I did chuckle when you said that, even with the small carryon, you ended up with some things you didn't use. Goes to show that it doesn't matter what size your luggage is, you can always put something "unnecessary" in it ;)

 

About EasyJet: yes, they are extremely rigid about their bag requirements - zero tolerance. It's quite the sociological observation point at the check-in counters; people trying to re-arrange stuff, add/subtract from their partner, try to stuff the purse in to the carryon because it is ONE CARRYON ONLY not 1+1...

[LaraTiara]

Pinterest also has coordinating ideas, for those who are visual.

 

Obviously your time away is longer in duration, but here are examples which assisted my packing...

Edited April 25, 2014 by LaraTiara

[loma linda ca a & j]

Pinterest also has coordinating ideas, for those who are visual.

 

Obviously your time away is longer in duration, but here are examples which assisted my packing...[ATTACH]310670[/ATTACH]

thanks !! those are amazing combos & colors !!

 

will be perfect for my granddaughter &

her mom when we go to paris !!! ;)

[mousey]

Sweet Pea 222,

 

I feel your pain.;) I too have traveled to Paris and wish I could be there like NOW! I went there with the DH before our DS was born so that was over 18 years ago. However, whenever I think of Paris, it's like I was just there yesterday. It was such a great trip and very, very romantic for the DH and I. We stayed in the same area as you did but we stayed in a hotel and were only there for a week. However, we jam backed so much living and sightseeing into those 7 days. We want to take the DS there soon or have him study for a semester in Europe next year at the least.

 

I think it's awesome that you were able to be away for that long of a time with only a 20" carry-on. I don't know that I could do it but kudos to you for making it work.:D

 

LaraTiara,

 

Can you please give us the link for that site that you showed in your post. I'd love to check out that site.:D

[StudentoftheWorld]

Sweetpea222 – thanks for the follow-up. I appreciate you mentioning how you packing in just a carry on. You said that you “took two pairs of shoes”. Was that in addition to the pair you wore on the plane? Or was two pairs all you had? Also, I don’t mind wearing skirts instead of shorts, but I can’t think of alternatives for my husband, especially in Paris, with the warm temps. I think he’s going to have to resort to wearing his golf shorts, which thankfully are dressier & dry quicker than his usual casual ones. But, he'll certainly be marked as a tourist.

 

LaraTiara, I have gotten a lot of my ideas from pinterest, but the two you posted look new to me. Unfortunately when I click on the thumbnails, they only get a tiny bit bigger. I was easily able to search for and find the “Packing for a one week vacation”. Can you give me the key words for the other, so I can try and search that one, too?

 

Loma linda ca a & j – off topic, but I see that you will be spending in Copenhagen. I’ve only been once for a day (port call). We went to Kokkeriet, a very expensive, but very wonderful restaurant, with another couple from our cruise ship. It’s not for everyone… many small courses served over a four-hour period. We had to cut our visit short since we had 7pm reservations and had to be back at the ship for a midnight sailing. Anyway, If you have the time AND the money, I highly recommend the Kokkeriet. http://www.kokkeriet.dk/en/kokkeriet.html.

[mousey]

Quick question...I have been looking at European River Cruises for 2015 and keep seeing "elegant casual". What does that mean for men and women. It's not a term that I am familiar with and am having a difficult time finding an answer. Thanks for the help!

 

Lisa

 

Lisa,

 

I've seen how you dress on your cruises from some of your other posts and what you wear for your dinners at night would be perfect for "elegant casual". You have excellent taste and could never go wrong!:D

[sweetpea222]

We booked our apartment using a website called "homelidays" which had been recommended to me by a teacher I worked with who had been to Paris the summer before. I didn't rent the same apartment she did, but after a lot of research and queries, chose a one bedroom flat on Rue des Ecole's, in the Latin quarter. We established a good relationship with the owner, Jean, who was very helpful and straightforward. It worked out better than we had hoped. The apartment, though rather small, was really great and contained everything we could need. Plus the sofa bed the girls slept on was sooo comfy! It was on the 6th floor, but there was an elevator which was hilariously small. Most of the time the girls used the stairs!

 

If you do rent an apartment, send out lots of queries and evaluate the responses, ask questions on TripAdvisor (they were really helpful) and look for honest reviewers on whatever site you go with. I learned a ton reading through TripAdvisor's Paris message boards.

 

About my shoes... Yes, just two pairs, one of which I wore on the plane!!

 

Oh , and the biggest thing about Paris Disneyland was the size. It's smaller than California and much smaller than Florida, BUT still, we had a blast there. After three weeks of historical sites, churches, museums, mosques, and art, the girls deserved some good old fun it was a terrific day, and the best part is you can take the RER right there, DL is the last station on one of the lines.

 

I'll answer more questions happily if you have them and will write a bit more about the decisions that went into my final choices for packing tomorrow. Too hard to write so much on my tablet!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[OzKiwiJJ]

I can’t think of alternatives for my husband, especially in Paris, with the warm temps. I think he’s going to have to resort to wearing his golf shorts, which thankfully are dressier & dry quicker than his usual casual ones. But, he'll certainly be marked as a tourist.

 

Get your husband some travel / hiking pants, like these http://www.rei.com/product/861660/rei-sahara-convertible-pants-with-no-sit-zips-mens-32-inseam

 

They are cool and comfortable in hot weather but warm enough on a cool day. They dry quickly if they get wet and they are very lightweight. Also they look much better than shorts. Europeans do not wear shorts in the cities. However if you get the convertible pants then if there is a need for shorts all you have to do is zip off the lower part of the legs.

 

I've been wearing these sorts of pants when travelling for ten years or more. I've worn them in Paris in 30C+ temps, in fact I was comfortable in them in 37C temps in India last month. They are the first things that go into my suitcase.

[sweetpea222]

My husband took two pairs of pants very much like those, one khaki and one dark grey. He wore them as shorts (the zipper was just around the knee or so) and as pants. He never felt like he stood out in any way. It was over 35 degrees in Paris for a few days while we were there! I think it only cooled off to 24 or so at night. Plus Athens, Barcelona, and Izmir Turkey were all in the 30s. So you need to balance comfort with practicality and appropriateness. For instance, my father-in-law had to wear a wrap around his waist at the Blue Mosque because his knees were exposed.

 

My suggestion is to thoroughly research where you are going, taking notes of what is appropriate dress for the occasion, and then factor in the weather. Then start whittling down!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[loma linda ca a & j]

 

Loma linda ca a & j – off topic, but I see that you will be spending in Copenhagen. I’ve only been once for a day (port call). We went to Kokkeriet, a very expensive, but very wonderful restaurant, with another couple from our cruise ship. It’s not for everyone… many small courses served over a four-hour period. We had to cut our visit short since we had 7pm reservations and had to be back at the ship for a midnight sailing. Anyway, If you have the time AND the money, I highly recommend the Kokkeriet. http://www.kokkeriet.dk/en/kokkeriet.html.

thank you so much for recommending a great restaurant -

we shall be there 3 days before moving on to sweden so

shall skimp on lunches and indulge ourselves with that dinner !!!;)

[loma linda ca a & j]

We booked our apartment using a website called "homelidays" which had been recommended to me by a teacher I worked with who had been to Paris the summer before. I didn't rent the same apartment she did, but after a lot of research and queries, chose a one bedroom flat on Rue des Ecole's, in the Latin quarter. We established a good relationship with the owner, Jean, who was very helpful and straightforward. It worked out better than we had hoped. The apartment, though rather small, was really great and contained everything we could need. Plus the sofa bed the girls slept on was sooo comfy! It was on the 6th floor, but there was an elevator which was hilariously small. Most of the time the girls used the stairs!

 

If you do rent an apartment, send out lots of queries and evaluate the responses, ask questions on TripAdvisor (they were really helpful) and look for honest reviewers on whatever site you go with. I learned a ton reading through TripAdvisor's Paris message boards.

 

About my shoes... Yes, just two pairs, one of which I wore on the plane!!

 

Oh , and the biggest thing about Paris Disneyland was the size. It's smaller than California and much smaller than Florida, BUT still, we had a blast there. After three weeks of historical sites, churches, museums, mosques, and art, the girls deserved some good old fun it was a terrific day, and the best part is you can take the RER right there, DL is the last station on one of the lines.

 

I'll answer more questions happily if you have them and will write a bit more about the decisions that went into my final choices for packing tomorrow. Too hard to write so much on my tablet!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

wow !! am getting more and more excited about taking the kids/grandkids to paris ! i loved it so much when we were there but am looking forward to the expressions on their faces when they see the eiffel tower & everything else !!

since they are boy & girl 17 & 12 we need at least 2 queen size beds for us & parents and 2 couches or twin beds / or 6 twins for all of us - might have to get 2 apt hopefully close to each other or at least in same building

 

will check out that homelidays and also trip advisor which i always research before booking anything - sometimes that is the clincher whether we book a certain place or not !!

will try to find something in latin quarter or rue cler district which rick steves raves about with all the markets & bakeries for our supplies

 

re disney paris - since they will only be with us about 8 days, we are going to see how much else we can cram in before we even mention disney - we live close to disneyland here so they go there every other year or so

 

would like to go to versailles & chartres besides seeing the sights of paris - eiffel / river cruise, louvre, d'orsay, montmartre/sacre coeur, military museum - napoleon's tomb, notre dame/sainte chapelle, cluny, the list goes on and on ~~~~~:eek:

[loma linda ca a & j]

Sweet Pea 222,

 

I feel your pain.;) I too have traveled to Paris and wish I could be there like NOW! I went there with the DH before our DS was born so that was over 18 years ago. However, whenever I think of Paris, it's like I was just there yesterday. It was such a great trip and very, very romantic for the DH and I. We stayed in the same area as you did but we stayed in a hotel and were only there for a week. However, we jam backed so much living and sightseeing into those 7 days. We want to take the DS there soon or have him study for a semester in Europe next year at the least.

 

I think it's awesome that you were able to be away for that long of a time with only a 20" carry-on. I don't know that I could do it but kudos to you for making it work.:D

 

 

LaraTiara,

 

Can you please give us the link for that site that you showed in your post. I'd love to check out that site.:D

hope your son gets to study in europe - how awesome is that ??

plus i know you would return to paris for a visit while he is there !!!;)

[StudentoftheWorld]

Sweetpea 222 - How did you make do with just two pairs of shoes? Could you attach pictures? I’m thinking hiking shoes, walking shoes, dress shoes, and flip flops for our trip.

 

OzKiwiJJ – thanks for the link. I bought my husband a pair in the hopes he’ll like the convertible pants. The review for the shorter inseam (what my husband needs) doesn’t sound promising, but he’s going to give them a try.

[sweetpea222]

This was one of the pairs I took, in black

 

http://taosfootwear.com/shoes/sandals/gift/

 

Taos makes such comfortable shoes, and I found they worked really well (for me) even without the ankle strap that many people recommend you have while in Europe, because of the uneven surfaces. I get blisters really easily when I have straps around my heel, so I loved being able to slip these on and off easily. The leather is soft and comfortable, and the bottom of the shoe really gripped well. I wore these with my cargo capris and shorter travel skirts.

 

The other pair was not as well made, sadly, but I found them to be quite cute and comfortable enough for shorter, less strenuous walking (not a visit to Pompeii but fine for wandering around Mykonos). They looked sort of like this but without the chain.

 

http://www.target.com/p/women-s-merona-tracey-chain-sandals/-/A-15063955#prodSlot=large_1_9

 

Surprisingly enough, the back strap didn't bother me at all, and I loved how cute they were with maxi skirts and the dresses I wore. I'm not a heels kind of girl, and with such limited space I decided to just "make it work" as Tim Gunn would say. I was very comfortable for the most part with my choices.

 

The only thing I wished I had brought, in hindsight, is a pair of flip flops to wear to the pool or running around the ship while we were on the cruise. That would have been really helpful.

[StudentoftheWorld]

Thanks, Sweetpea222! I had never heard of Taos before. The style reminds me of Børn shoes... I'm bringing my closed-toe Børns on the cruise. Even though I'm taking double what you took, I feel better about my shoe choices.

[loma linda ca a & j]

for those who need more support or have wide or problem feet,

i have worn only sas shoes for last 18 years - my feet never hurt

no matter how much i walk

 

the "old lady" black tie shoes for airplane & walking tours

 

the sandals w/ wide straps in black and beige for everything else

they cost over $100 but last for years

i did buy an italian sandal in their store which has a stretch mesh

in a copper brownish color i use for dinner on ship

neither sandal has the toe thong - they rub me :eek:

[LaraTiara]

 

Sorry ladies, I didn't review the photos in the original post. Trying a second attempt :)

Usually, my teenage son assists with technical difficulties...You should be able to enlarge the photos, if it's only a thumbnail.

 

Prior to our cruise, we agreed that carrying on was safer with the airplane transfers. So I search Pinterest for vacation packing. There are many other suggestions on Pinterest, but I truly appreciated these photos!

Edited April 28, 2014 by LaraTiara

[SadieN]

Just spoke with someone who just back yesterday from a European river cruise. They had plane issues both ways. The first plane had mechanical then crew issues. They were able to grab their suitcases and get on another flight within minutes.

They were arriving the night before their cruise.

 

Packing carryons saved their vacation.

Edited April 28, 2014 by SadieN

[LaraTiara]

 

Packing carryons saved their vacation.

 

 

Yes - I agree.

 

By contrast, my parents are big cruisers, and my mom is a fashionista. She "packs for Europe". My dad's solution to all this is booking flights through the cruise line. He says the fares are comparable to off-website fares.

 

In fact, on the trip where we packed carry-ons, mom responded that there was no way she would do that.

 

Mom and Dad arrived same-day as embarkation, without luggage. Their original flight had mechanical problems so their itinerary was re-routed in order to get them on the ship in time. They knew the cruise line would locate them and deliver luggage, at the next port. They purchased a few clothing and toiletries onboard.

 

The luggage arrived, safely, after the first port. Was waiting for them at their door

 

Personally, I prefer packing light and avoiding any added worry!

 

Love the ideas here :-)

[cruisemom42]

And sometimes, despite best efforts, your luggage may not catch up with you for a while if it goes missing. That happened to my parents once. It was several days before missing bags showed up. I think they were on an India/Asia cruise....

 

Once I was on a land tour in Egypt with the nicest older couple, both of whose suitcases didn't arrive in Cairo at the start of the tour. To make matters worse, they had packed only one carry on between the two of them and had very little to get by with. They bought a couple of t-shirts along the way -- but do you know, they never got their suitcases back until the end of the tour (2 weeks later!) when we returned to Cairo.

 

They were so good-natured and "go with the flow" about the whole situation. I hope I could be as zen if it happened to me. :o

[sail7seas]

I always pack change of tops, underwear, swim suit (if warm weather) and whatever else I must have to survive in carryon but I'd be VERY unhappy to arrive without luggage. I always travel in a decent pair of black pants that can be worn to dinner, if necessary.

 

I always crossed packed for DH and me. Each suitcase had some of his and some of her things. I would have been a terrible sport if his suitcase arrived and mine did not. At least cross-packing provided we each would have some things if one bag arrived.

Edited April 28, 2014 by sail7seas

[cruisemom42]

It's usually just me, so I can't cross-pack. But ever since that Egypt trip, I always make sure to have at least a change of clothes with me (1 bottom + 2 tops) and a couple extra underwear sets.

 

Like you, I generally wear something on the flight that could be worn to dinner if needed.

Edited April 29, 2014 by cruisemom42

[mousey]

Geez, I guess we've just been very lucky as with one exception we have never had our luggage go missing in over 40 years of traveling. The one time it was the DH's and DS's golf clubs. It caught up with us on the 3rd day of our trip and was delivered to my parent's house in FL where we were visiting. No real problem there. We've never cross-packed, but I do sneak in a few things into his bag (as his is never full like mine :eek:) Next time I sneak something into his bag, I think I'll make it a complete outfit...just in case!;)