Spread out everything you think you might need on the living-room floor. How do you fit a whole trip's worth of luggage into a small backpack or suitcase? The answer is simple: Bring very little. With only one bag, you're mobile and in control. Porters are a problem only to those who need them. Changing locations becomes a major operation. Too much luggage marks you as a typical tourist. Packing light isn't just about saving time or money - it's about your traveling lifestyle. (After getting to my hotel two hours before planned, I enjoyed a jumpstart on my Norway time with a lovely evening in a salty port town, where summer's "magic hour" lasts until 11 p.m.) But then I'm reminded of the joy of having everything with you - like the time I avoided a long layover by hopping on an earlier flight from Copenhagen to Bergen. It can be a drag, dragging your bag through airports, and even I sometimes wonder why I followed my own advice to bring only a carry-on. If you're taking a separate flight within Europe, expect to be charged to check even just one bag. While it's still free to check one bag on most overseas trips, you'd likely pay a fee to check a second bag. These days, you can also save money by bringing less. When I fly home, I'm the first guy the dog sniffs. When I land in London, I'm on my way downtown while everyone else stares anxiously at the luggage carousel. You don't have to worry about it, and, when you arrive, you can hit the ground running. A small bag sits on your lap on the bus or taxi and stashes easily overhead on an airplane. Quick, last-minute flight changes become simpler. When you carry your own luggage, it's less likely to get lost, broken, or stolen. If you can't, stagger home and thin things out. Fully loaded, you should enjoy window-shopping. Or practice being a tourist in your hometown for an hour. Pack up completely and walk around your house or block. Before flying to Europe, give yourself a test. You'll walk with your luggage more than you think you will. After you enjoy that sweet mobility and freedom, you'll never go any other way. For many, this is a radical concept: 9" × 21" × 14"? That's my cosmetics kit! But they manage, and they're glad they did. At my company, we've taken tens of thousands of people of all ages and styles on tours through Europe. My self-imposed limit is 20 pounds in a 9" × 21" × 14" carry-on-size bag (it'll fit in your airplane's overhead bin, at least on your transatlantic flight - though many European airlines restrict hand luggage to even smaller weights and dimensions). You'll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags: "Every year I pack heavier." You can't travel heavy, happy, and cheap. The importance of packing light cannot be overemphasized, but, for your good, I'll try.
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