Comment by devilbunny
18 hours ago
> "hey, this is Europe, why not try the train?"
I have two people and four items of luggage plus a personal bag each. City trains are poor for this and subways are worse, but I am here for two weeks - I do need clean clothes.
In general, a lot of luggage doesn't work well on public transit on any continent. I've generally moved towards packing lighter but it isn't always possible. For two weeks in cities I can mostly do carryon. If I'm hiking/camping, yes, I may need more.
That sounds like a huge amount of luggage for just two weeks.
My wife does not pack light either. She loves giant suitcases. It is always an argument that I rather bring four carry on size suitcases so I can manhandle them up the many stairs in Europe. Instead of two jumbo suitcases.
That's still a fair bit of luggage, however subdivided. Can't always be avoided but still hard to navigate on trains, etc.
1 reply →
You have never met my wife.
However, it’s not that much. Two weeks in one carryon is tight for me; she has trouble doing a weekend in one, and that doesn’t include hanging clothes.
A whopping four items of luggage. I bet you envy Atlas with the impossible burden you have to carry with you.
> two people and four items of luggage plus a personal bag each
Well, there's you problem. I have traveled the world, including many trips of 6 weeks or more, with only a single. carry-on. Laundromats exist everywhere.
Snark aside, a bit of planning and organization w.r.t. packing pays off handsomely in terms of flexibility when traveling.
Spontaneous weekend trip to a remote island when carrying only a backpack - sure. Add two heavy suitcases, and it becomes an impossibility.
Please don't tell other people how they should live.
Personally I love travelling light (<10kg carry-on pack for 2 months last year to South America) but it isn't for everyone.
> Laundromats exist everywhere.
Only if you value your time at nearly $0. They are incredibly annoying when travelling - too often a 10 or 15 minute walk each way to one. Great for backpacking, but a complete waste of time if you only have a limited amount of time for your holiday.
Having just got back from a 8 week European vacation, with a wife+kid+me.
There's also the small issue of it being was 95F degrees outside at 75% humidity (southern France). This means 1 outfit isn't lasting more than a day (sometimes only 1/2 a day) before becoming unbearably stinky. x3 this means laundry needs to be done every other day or packing a ton of stuff.