Preparations, part I

Because we're going to be backpacking, we'll need to pack light and only bring the essentials.  We plan on doing a little bit of laundry every few days, so we'll only be bringing about a week's worth of clothes.  As for our other stuff, though, I've started to hunt down some items.  Here's my list of must-haves.

Basics:

• Large internal-frame backpack (some good brands are Osprey, Arc'teryx, Kelty, Gregory, Lowe Alpine [thanks, Cory!])
• Discreet laptop backpack
• Cross-body day bag or purse
• Travel clock (preferably one that tells the date, month, day of the week, and temperature, and can switch from 12-hour to 24-hour time)
• All-in-one travel plug adapter (try not to bring anything that requires voltage conversion, like a hairdryer; most laptops and some cell phones will accept anything between 100-240v)

For flights and trains:

• Neck support pillow (inflatable is good; takes up less space when not in use) 
• Folding travel blanket (can also be used as lumbar support pillow)

For the hostel (sleeping, bathing, securing your sh*t, doing laundry):

• Flip flops for the communal bathrooms
• Sleeping mask
• Multi-pack of disposable ear plugs
• Travel safe (securely holds valuables, made of slash-proof material)
  
• Cable lock and luggage lock(s)
• Quick-drying "pack" towel
• Laundry: travel clothesline, laundry hooks, sink stopper, your choice of detergent (I'm going to bring soap nuts, which we use at home)

Miscellany:

• Metal water bottle (keep it empty through security and fill it once you get inside the airport terminal)
• Mini first aid kit (you can DIY or buy a prepackaged one)
• Quick-drying boxers and/or undies (ExOfficio and Patagonia are two good brands)
• Swisscard
• Small flashlight
• Flat-folding shoulder/duffel bag that has a zipper and can be checked or used as a carry-on.  Rick Steves also makes a similar bag that's slightly bigger than the one above.  Essential for items you might purchase on your trip!
• Packable shopping bag (for groceries, shopping, etc.)

Special gear for the gals:

• Go Girl or similar device (perfect for those scary bathroom situations as well as those teeny tiny bathrooms on planes and trains)
• Diva Cup or similar device (seriously, don't waste precious packing space with tampons or pads)
• If you don't [always] need the support of a bra, consider something like these, which will save packing space and keep you cooler and more comfortable

For the traveler with discriminating taste:

• Your tablet of choice (takes up less space than a laptop; also doubles as an e-reader)
• Cocoon-style travel sheet
• Vegan passport
• "Translator" card (Grandma Bee swears by hers for international travel)
• Travel corkscrew (what else will you use to open that €3 bottle of wine?)

I've purposely avoided adding any kind of hidden money belt to my list, as I find them annoying, inconvenient, and completely unnecessary—especially if you're just traveling to Europe.  The only time you might possibly need such a device is if you're going to a country with a travel advisory warning.  Otherwise, they're more trouble than they're worth.  Who wants to be digging in their pants for their passport when the train conductor comes through as you arrive in Prague?  No thanks!

Can you think of anything I forgot on my list above?  Tell me!

Tickets purchased, itinerary drafted

Today was the official start of our adventure: we bought our airfare to and from Europe!  We're flying straight-through both ways, into Madrid and out of Paris.  I'm really excited about flying nonstop, as it will minimize our travel time and my potential air malaise.

For those readers who care about such things, we'll be on a Boeing 767.  We'll be sitting next to a window on both flights.  This is about what our view will look like inside the plane, although we'll be a little closer to the front:

Aaaand we'll be drooling at first class from our coach seats:

Here's our draft itinerary:

• July 2: Arrive in Madrid at the mind-numbing hour of 6:30 am local time
• July 4: Barcelona
• July 7: Meet up with our fabulous travel companions, Alexis & Phil, in Zurich
• July 10: Milan
• July 13: Venice
• July 15: Take an overnight train (quad cabin! it'll be a giant sleepover!) to Vienna.  I'm sure our train will look precisely like this photo, complete with the random bottle of beer (or is it mini-champagne?) next to the circa-2001 Mac that surely every cabin comes equipped with:

• July 19: Prague
• July 22: Cologne; Mark's wedding; possibly meet up with Jolteon
• July 25: Amsterdam
• July 27-29: Paris; visit with Marine and family, hit up the Pompidou (and the nearby organic vegetarian restaurant le Potager du Marais—see, I'm already planning our food), le quartier St. Michel, and possibly my old stomping grounds
• July 30: Fly home

If you have any must-see suggestions for any of these cities, or any nearby day trips, please comment and let me know!