Italy: Viva Italia Meets Thread

[wdwtheplacetobe]

Hi all, can any travelers weigh in on luggage strategies? My wife and I are booked for the mid-September Italy trip and I am trying to figure out the best approach. I had been thinking that we would each pack super efficiently into separate 20" carryons and travel very light. But obviously that means finding a way to either ship souvenirs back or bringing an extra soft bag that can be used and checked on the return leg.

Are we better off bringing one large bag and checking it, and then two smaller carryons (backpack sized for example)? How have past travelers balanced the desire to be lean and efficient versus the desire for more space and more stuff?

Thanks for any help!

Rich

We did one large suitcase each (<40LBS---so you have 10 lb leeway for little stuff). And each had a small carry-on. In Orvieto, the Ceramics are fabulous...Giacomini is the place to go! Ask your guides...they will know. "Mama" has artists that design and hand-paint and they are gorgeous. The shipping is absolutely fantastic. In Murano, we had a glass Duck shipped from Marco Polo. Their shipping was also perfect. No need to worry.

You are going to have a Magical Trip! ABD does it very well!

 

[mapsd]

Hi all, can any travelers weigh in on luggage strategies? My wife and I are booked for the mid-September Italy trip and I am trying to figure out the best approach. I had been thinking that we would each pack super efficiently into separate 20" carryons and travel very light. But obviously that means finding a way to either ship souvenirs back or bringing an extra soft bag that can be used and checked on the return leg.

Are we better off bringing one large bag and checking it, and then two smaller carryons (backpack sized for example)? How have past travelers balanced the desire to be lean and efficient versus the desire for more space and more stuff?

Thanks for any help!

Rich

For ABD, the normal rules don't apply for luggage.
Once you're in Italy, you'll barely touch your bags, you set them outside your room and they magically appear at the next location, so take advantage of it & take more/larger bags than if you were lugging them yourself!

We each checked a bag (slightly smaller than max allowed so that we wouldn't have to worry about being over the weight/size limit) & we each took a carry-on, packed loosely.

One bag was filled entirely with snacks for the kids & other consumable stuff. This bag became storage for our souvenirs/purchases. Remember that the masks you make in Venice will take a little room in your bags as well.

In general, European hotels don't provide washcloths, so you may want to take your own.

 

[Alacrity]

As I recall ABD urges one bag (each) and weight limits, for us, were #50. You might double check the weight limits on your airline(s) to make sure. The can charge you far too much for being a couple pounds over weight.

As for wash cloths, we used some similar to these: http://www.amazon.com/2pack-Trekr-Self-Cleaning-Washcloths-backpacking/dp/B004KSL96C

They work and make some good suds. They are a little rough but dry super quick.

 

[SingingMom]

In general, European hotels don't provide washcloths, so you may want to take your own.

I had heard this also, so last year, I bought 10 washcloths, figuring we could leave them if they were too wet to pack as we went along. EVERY hotel on the London/Paris tour had washcloths . Lol

DD teased me about it the whole trip! We ended up giving them to our guide! Lol

 

[carpenta]

I believe the reason for the bag size is for the bus. They can only stuff so many bags in the undercarriage of the bus and with a full group it maybe tight. Plus the more bags the longer to get those bags. Generally hotel rooms in Europe are not "American" sized with all this extra space.and in Europe some hotels are located away from the street and tough to get bags into the hotel.

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

No washcloths in some of the Italy hotels.....also be aware....no toilet seats in Rome!

 

[lovetotravel]

No washcloths in some of the Italy hotels.....also be aware....no toilet seats in Rome!

We had wash cloths in all our hotels in Viva Italia, but toilet seats are rare in all of Italy...lol!!!

 

[CrazyZeus1]

We just returned two days ago from the Bella Italia trip, our first ever ABD, and we are HOOKED! Best vacation we have had in our entire lives!

We decided we loved Italy so much that we're booking the July 10, 2014 Viva Italia trip today Would love to meet anyone else who is going on this trip...

Hubby is Jeff, I am Heather, & our son Reese will be 11 at travel time!

 

[sayhello]

We just returned two days ago from the Bella Italia trip, our first ever ABD, and we are HOOKED! Best vacation we have had in our entire lives!

We decided we loved Italy so much that we're booking the July 10, 2014 Viva Italia trip today Would love to meet anyone else who is going on this trip...

Hubby is Jeff, I am Heather, & our son Reese will be 11 at travel time!

ABD's are so addictive!

Sayhello

 

[kanadar]

Thanks for the welcome! My sister just booked our ABD a few days ago for June 19th! We are sooo excited!

Also, wdwtheplacetobe, I noticed your location says "Normal", I was curious if that was Normal, IL?

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

Thanks for the welcome! My sister just booked our ABD a few days ago for June 19th! We are sooo excited!

Also, wdwtheplacetobe, I noticed your location says "Normal", I was curious if that was Normal, IL?

Alacrity and I are in Normal, IL! IASW! You will LOVE your ABD Italy tour!

 

[kanadar]

What a small world! Yeah I'm super excited! We haven't quite started the planning yet, but I think we are going to do a few days before and/or after. Sayhello, it will be me, my sister and my dad. My sister is on disboards too but I can't remember her name on here and apparently she hasn't posted on here yet haha

 

[beachcat]

Did anyone here over the last two years have a guide named Licia?

 

[pihanettie]

LTR, FTW (Long time reader, first time writer)
Just wanted to say we are signed up for June 8th, myself and DD (age 10) and DS (age 9)
Thanks.

 

[sayhello]

LTR, FTW (Long time reader, first time writer)
Just wanted to say we are signed up for June 8th, myself and DD (age 10) and DS (age 9)
Thanks.

Welcome to posting on the DISBoards, and the ABD Forum! I've added you to the roll call in the first post!

Sayhello

 

[pihanettie]

Welcome to posting on the DISBoards, and the ABD Forum! I've added you to the roll call in the first post!

Sayhello

Just wanted to say you are my hero!
You do such a great job on this board. I would love to meet you someday.
Thanks for all your helpful advice so far.

 

[sayhello]

Just wanted to say you are my hero!
You do such a great job on this board. I would love to meet you someday.
Thanks for all your helpful advice so far.

Oh, my! Thank you! It's totally my pleasure! This Forum is a labor of love for me!

Maybe we'll be on an ABD together some day, or meet at a DISMeet!

Sayhello

 

[richflour]

We are on the may 26th trip . Dad and daughter (age 9)
We were going to south africa but after we seen the airfare we changed it to this trip!

 

[sandhya]

Just a little tidbit: when we came back from our trip our daughter was carrying her Mask with feathers. One of those Nazi customs officer asked us to step aside to a different room where it took us an extra hour to get out of the airport. So, keep your mask hidden if it has feathers(every body knows they are artificial, the second customs officer actually rolled his eyes). This happened in Dulles Airport in Washington last July.

 

[twentyco]

I will be traveling with my daughter on the April 18, 2014 Italy trip --- anyone else out there going? We are really looking forward to it!