Estonia and Sweden

[elainegrey]

I spent too much time yesterday working out travel plans for my trip to Europe this summer, but -- as someone whose travel has been limited in the past decades to family, familiar conference destinations, and road trips with everything one could need -- eek, i feel daunted.

I want to travel as light as possible. I decided my feet are the most daunting concern, so i'm going to wear walking boots with my dresses and get some practice in them over the next months so the blister horrors are avoided and i minimize the risk of spraining my ankle on cobblestones.

I'm pondering buying light luggage specifically for the trip. I'm thinking about the day in Stockholm between landing in the early morning and taking the overnight ferry to Tallinn, Estonia at dinner time, and the day in Tallinn before taking the overnight ferry back to Stockholm. I hate thinking about "disposable" cheap luggage, but i don't know that i need to invest. I am going to check with my traveling local family members to see what they have to suggest or loan.

Recommendations about really light travel accessories like rain ponchos and wraps and totes as well as European SIM cards are currently welcome. I will be using my iPad as my guidebook and notebook so the walk around bag needs to hold that as well.

Christine is very anxious about my travel so i need to find ways to help ease her worries.

Comments

[gurdonark]

That is great that you are going to Europe. I think that light luggage is a good way to go.

If I wanted to reduce my footprint here on cheap luggage, I'd pick some bags up at our local Goodwill. But we have a really surprisingly shop-pable Goodwill.

My light jacket and my rain jacket is a Columbia rain jacket. There are lots of models, but many, like mine, would work for Summer rain and Summer chill. A search engine search for Columbia and raincoat turns up lots of similar choices to my own.

I think it's smart to get used to sensible footwear. Also, though I love to walk, I think it's good to preplan as much public transport as possible in terms of routes. I cannot speak for where you are going, but our trip to Scotland was lightened by use of Google Maps to help us navigate Edinburgh's "which of ten private buses to take" issues.

[elainegrey]

Oh, thrift store luggage - that's a good idea. Our county has school thrift stores that i've been using with success for linens and other housewares. The local one doesn't have luggage but the one towards Chapel Hill might. Christine has a Columbia jacket she likes as well. My rain layer is a vinyl REI rain coat that is not particularly light or warm, so i may be stuck in my mind on rain jacket performance.

I looked at Stockholm where i need to get from airport to terminal and the public transit mapping seemed quite successfully done. The walking is more that there's days to spend and i have enjoyed walking around cities compared to many "attractions."

Thanks!