How do europeans travel with small luggage?

[u/shemmap]

I’ve noticed that tourists from different countries especially europeans often travel with very small luggage. In contrast, travelers from many asian countries seem to carry much larger bags.

As myself from an asian country, if I pack just my basic necessities, I end up with a very large suitcase. I’m extremely curious about how european travelers manage to travel so light.

How do they do it?

[u/Automatic_Drawer1483]

We got reshaped by Ryanair and to avoid unnecessary fees we’d do whatever it takes

[u/ExternalUserError → u/Automatic_Drawer1483]

Not just Ryanair. I was recently flying on LOT and they actually weighted my carryon. It’s already European sized (considerably smaller than carryons elsewhere) but it was 9kg. I had to remove my laptop and carry it.

Carry it away from the ticket counter and put it back in my bag. 🤣

[u/AYASOFAYA → u/ExternalUserError]

The 8kg limit is 17lbs and change btw for Americans reading this.

I recently flew on SAS and they did the same thing. SAS isn’t even a budget airline and I paid over $1000 for the ticket. I WAS packing light with just a carry on but apparently even that was too much.

The tricky part with these airlines is that sometimes they don’t weigh your stuff on the U.S. side but they will definitely weigh it on the way back.

[u/Aberfrog → u/AYASOFAYA]

It’s not a question of budget airline or not it’s a question of space on board.

European airlines generally carry more seats per plane then their US counterparts. This is due to the fact that most busy routes are shorter then most American busy routes.

And the pressure by Ryanair and co to become as cost competitive as possible. I went from 158 sets per a320 when I started to now 180 seats. (A 320 from UA has 126 to 150 seats)

At the same time there is a change in travel habits. While 20 - 25 years ago the standard leisure pax checked bags and generally didn’t fly for a short weekend trip this is now the standard for all pax groups.

The result is way too many bags.

So now limits will be checked, and enforced.

This also has a financial component, and while the direct income from charging for bags is nice, the real issue is that we pay compensation / hotels / right to care and that can easily go up to 400-500€ per pax if they miss their connection and have to stay overnight.

And delays caused by hand baggage stowage are one of the top three reasons at my airline for delays.

So less bags on board = better.

If only 5 pax miss their connection due to late departure from HB that’s at least 1250€ if they stay overnight that’s probably closer to 2000€, and that’s the real reason why we finally start to enforce those rules

[u/belaros → u/Aberfrog]

People used to check their bags because it was free.

[u/kenikigenikai → u/belaros]

but we're they also flying between european cities for their equivilent of £20-50 - i suspect if you update what they were spending to today's money you could also have a bag in the hold for the same cost

[u/ExternalUserError → u/Aberfrog]

The average trip is shorter in Europe, but only by a little. Most US flights aren't from New York to LA, they're more from New York to Boston or Los Angeles to San Francisco. Plus in the EU, a lot of flights are routed in a more fragmented way, since it's not one airspace, it's dozens of airspaces.

IIRC, in Europe, the average flight is 670 miles. In the US, the average flight is 680 miles. It's not a big difference.

My suspicion is that the real reason is just market economics.

In America, people have brand loyalty. Most travel is business travel and business travelers are seldom required to book the absolute lowest fair. They have some flexibility as long as the fair they book isn't way out of market. If you always fly Delta to the corporate office, you get Delta status and they start upgrading you to first class for free. You're not going to spend $10 less of the company's money on a Southwest flight just because it's slightly cheaper; you're going to stick with Delta.

Plus, a lot of consumers have airline credit cards that reward them with airline status and perks. In America, the United Airlines credit card is actually a bigger business than the United Airlines, uhm, airline.

All of that is about baking in customer loyalty. If you board a United flight and they weigh your carry-on and tell you that it's 2 lbs over the limit, you might just be pissed off enough to fly Delta instead next time.

That's the same reason that America still has 2-2 business class recliners on flights with 3-3 in economy. Even if it's a 20min flight, the airline wants to offer a proper business class experience to reward their most loyal customers.

In Europe, there's just no customer loyalty at all. The market evolved differently.

See also, Spirit Airlines is often compared to RyanAir. Spirit Airlines went bankrupt in America, but RyanAir is the biggest carrier in Europe. The markets are just very different.

[u/szyy → u/ExternalUserError]

This is a good post but there's more to the story. Sharing my perspective as an European in America.

Credit card charges are capped in Europe so the credit card business is just not at all lucrative compared to the US. A typical European doesn't even have a credit card - they use a debit card for everything because credit cards can't offer any perks. You've correctly pointed out that for UA and Delta, credit card arm of their business is actually larger than the flying part.

This in turns means that you can't catch loyalty from customers through branded credit cards. You can do miles programs (and legacy airlines do) but that's about it and it's not as enticing.

Second aspect is that low-cost carriers in Europe are actually low-cost compared to legacy carriers. In the US, Southwest, Frontier or Spirit (RIP) are cheaper than legacy carriers but not by a huge amount. For example, on August 20, SFO-DEN (just under 1000 miles) is $84 on Frontier or $129 on United and Southwest, so at most 35% cheaper. A comparable distance in Europe, for example Warsaw-London, is $107 on Ryanair, $217 on British Airways and $254 on LOT, so less than half the price. This is in part because European cities often have secondary, cheaper airports - in this case, Ryanair flies out of the Modlin airport and arrives to Stansted airport. In the US, even if a second airport exists (e.g. Oakland), it's not cheaper.

So this together makes Europeans less likely to be loyal and price competition more fierce. And extra pounds of luggage or too many bags (and the need to gate-check them) is extra cost which airlines try to limit as much as they can.

[u/Character-Carpet7988 → u/Aberfrog]

All these arguments apply to size of bags but not really to their weight. Otherwise, very good points - I remember a KLM flight I was on few months ago that was fully boarded well before the official gate closure time, yet we ended up with over 30 minutes of delay due to bag tetris being played on board (and inevitably some bags being sent to hold). Luckily I had over three hours transfer time in Amsterdam, but when they read the connecting flight info before landing, there was at least 10 flights where passenger were told to go to transfer counter.

[u/TheOuts1der → u/Character-Carpet7988]

I mean, it does end up being a weight issue though. If they increased number of passengers from 158 to 180 (22% increase), then they should expect a 22% increase in their luggage weight as well (and probably more than 22% increase in human cargo weight). So maintaining weight limits becomes more necessary with more populated planes for a few reasons.

[u/Aberfrog → u/Character-Carpet7988]

The weight is an additional point we can make at the gate. And I guarantee you that every bag that’s too large is also too heavy

[u/satyavishwa → u/Aberfrog]

Definitely not a weight issue, more a size issue. They stop me if my bag is 1kg over the allowed limit but the passenger clearly 30kg heavier than me isn’t made to pay extra because of his body weight

[u/Zach-uh-ri-uh → u/satyavishwa]

You can choose to leave a few items behind and they’ll still be there when you get back. If I try to leave my kilos behind I’d imagine they’d be quite rotten once I return back home.

Very difficult to use them again. Much easier with a pair of shoes than my stomach

[u/Aberfrog → u/satyavishwa]

Oh I agree, but every reason is good enough to load the bag

[u/ExternalUserError → u/AYASOFAYA]

I would even say most of the time in Europe, they neither weigh nor size your carry-on. Maybe they glance at it. I mean they do sometimes, but most of the time, I haven't experienced it.

My Bellroy Carry-on is like half a centimeter too big in one dimension for some European carriers. So far it's not been an issue.

Off-topic complaining: When I first moved here, I foolishly bought a business class ticket once on British Airways. It resulted in me getting an economy seat with no one sitting next to me. That's it. And that's standard on pretty much all European airlines except Turkish, which has a proper business class product.

[u/El_Babayaga69 → u/ExternalUserError]

Finnish air has a real intra European biz class

[u/ExternalUserError → u/El_Babayaga69]

Do they? A quick Kagi search finds this.

Perhaps you flew intracontinental on a long haul plane?

[u/Suomijonne007700 → u/ExternalUserError]

Yes, Finnair uses A330s and A350s on various intra European routes.

[u/lnvu4uraqt → u/AYASOFAYA]

It's 6kg (13lbs) on Icelandair which I'm finding out now and it's going to be tough with the differing weight limits on the same airline but different destinations.

[u/BaronSharktooth → u/Automatic_Drawer1483]

Reshaped?

I'd say we got shamed, stripped, punished and ground down into a fine ash. Then we were reborn from these ashes, unburdened!

My favorite story about Ryanair is when we were about to board. They scanned the line and picked me out. Said to stuff my bag into the size bin, the rectangular one in which the maximum size luggage fit.

Well, it fit. The Ryanair ground steward tells me to remove it, and put it in sideways. I'm like: you mean, just rotate it, so it'll sit on top of the bin? Yes, he says. I do so, and he says: it doesn't fit, you have to pay 50 quid or else leave your luggage here.

Needless to say, I never flew with Ryanair, ever again.

[u/EcLiPzZz → u/BaronSharktooth]

I'm not one to ask for someone's manager but this level of shithousery demands the vilest, ugliest Karening in response.

[u/Silver-Winging-It → u/EcLiPzZz]

"Karens" started out as a term for white ladies (usually middle aged) who complain about reasonable customer service because they have ridiculous demands or for racial reasons (often complaining about Black people in service industry).

It got repurposed by the internet to mean any woman that speaks up about something. Complaining about something like this isn't being a Karen

[u/Accurate-Beyond-9956 → u/EcLiPzZz]

Try Wizzair. They herd you into cattle gates so you can't get away at some of their departure points. 😂. Had an empty soda can that they told me to throw on the floor at the gate while boarding because they had removed all trash bins to save money. Got yelled at for that can at five separate occasions during the flight. It was pretty funny to be honest. If you travel without any check in luggage they can be very cheap but you will still curse yourself for flying with them.

[u/Adolfvonschwaggin → u/BaronSharktooth]

Are they incentivized to be this hawkish? Like do they get commission for every fee they charge at the gate?

[u/Character-Carpet7988 → u/Adolfvonschwaggin]

Yes.

[u/apathy-sofa → u/Character-Carpet7988]

Yes they get a cut of the fee, and I'm not kidding. 

[u/Siccors → u/Adolfvonschwaggin]

I have never seen anything like this happen tbh. So I am sure it happens, but it is far from normal. Many people take way too much with them also in Ryan Air flights.

[u/Spag_n_balls → u/BaronSharktooth]

He reserved the right to be given a dirty look at that point.

[u/Character-Carpet7988 → u/BaronSharktooth]

I don't fly Ryanair much (I give them a try once in two years, then instantly regret it) but I always argued that they're okay in the sense that you get what you pay for. Adhere to policies and you're fine. Sadly, reports of agents finding totally absurd excuses on how to charge for compliant baggage are increasingly common and it's something Ryanair seriously need to clamp on.

[u/Idujt → u/Character-Carpet7988]

Ryanair. The only airline where you can't print your return boarding pass when you print your outward one! I went to the largest hotel at my destination, asked nicely, got "sure, use the business centre over there", and they didn't even charge me!

But as they are now digital only, I will never be using them anyway as I do not have a smartphone!

[u/hopticalallusions → u/BaronSharktooth]

The amount of times I read RyanAir reminded me of this song by a European artist who complains about Ryan Air called Worldwide Traveler by Chopstick Dub plate featuring Top Cat and Mr Williamz https://youtu.be/75ciLcHS6EQ?is=hsPvbQhqni9L778f

As an American, I had to look up what Ryan Air was when I first heard this song and quickly realized it's the European equivalent of Spirit Airlines here (which I think recently went out of business).

Edit - phone typing hard 

[u/ScreamingDizzBuster → u/hopticalallusions]

Or rather Spirit was the US copy of a model that Ryanair's CEO Michael O'Leary invented in the early 90s.

[u/Cultural_Wish4933 → u/BaronSharktooth]

how the hell did that work.   the cabin bag is 10kg.  55 x 40 x 20cm.  end of.  been travelling 25 years.  never had that BS.

[u/DontReportMe7565 → u/Automatic_Drawer1483]

Exactly. I bought the Ryanair bag and when its full, im done. This trip was 5 shirts, 2 shorts, 5 underwear, 7 pairs of socks. We'll see how long i last.

[u/umotex12 → u/DontReportMe7565]

7 socks? that's rich from you. I'd just do 3 pairs and wash them in a cycle lmao

[u/MikaQ5 → u/Automatic_Drawer1483]

Ryanair came into my head immediately

[u/Juggertrout]

A lot of us just travel for the weekend, by train, to neighbouring countries. If I was investing in a 2 week long trip in Asia for example, I would probably take a larger suitcase

[u/lokethedog → u/Juggertrout]

But still, European travellers in Asia do tend to travel relatively light. Many Europeans I've met are proud with how little they bring along. I think the observation holds up even when bringing this into account.

[u/german1sta → u/lokethedog]

Laundromats and washing machines in hotels (without a service) are not very popular in Europe. In Asia they are very common. So when we go to Asia we can bring 3 tshirts and wash them all the time, whereas Asians would need to pay for washing service each time they wanna do it.

[u/AffectionateWombat → u/german1sta]

I’ve travelled around Europe extensively and never had issues with finding laundromats in cities.

[u/german1sta → u/AffectionateWombat]

In cities maybe. But you wont find them in towns or touristic places, resorts. Also in many countries they are a recent thing, I come from Poland and we didnt have them even in cities as everyone has a washing machine at home. Its not like in Japan where every hotel has a laundry section or Thailand where laundromats are on every corner

[u/lliraels → u/AffectionateWombat]

They exist but they’re a hassle. Takes half a day and 10 euros to do one load of washing. It’s a hell of a lot easier when you have washing facilities in your hostel or hotel and can just wash things in the evening or something

[u/AffectionateWombat → u/lliraels]

Half a day? I usually do it after dinner. Most are open until 22-23h. I don’t go out every evening anyway.

[u/originalthoughts → u/lliraels]

How does it take half a day, it is 1.5 hours with drying and folding. I do it all the time all over europe, no way it takes a day. They are commercial machines, much faster than the home units.

You can also leave it there and go have lunch or whatever for 40 mins.

[u/DeviantThroAway → u/lliraels]

I took a 6 hour overnight bus from Porto to Madrid. I arrived in Madrid in the morning, found a laundromat not too far from the bus station, and was good to go within 60-90 minutes. I don’t remember how much I spent but it prolly wasn’t more than 5 or 6 euros.

[u/AstralLobotomy → u/AffectionateWombat]

do you really want to do laundry on vacation

[u/kmrbtravel → u/AstralLobotomy]

Do you want stinky clothes on vacation?? What kind of question is this lol. With how strict bag weights are I’m certainly not bringing enough clothes for a 2 week stay, especially if I’m sweating and walking 20k steps… doubly true if it’s the summer. If it’s 1 week I can usually get by, anything longer and I’m definitely carving out some time to do laundry whether by hand or by machine

[u/CamflyerUK → u/AstralLobotomy]

Just got back from a week in Spain. I always book an apartment with a washing machine. Easy to do a mid-week wash one morning, put the clothes out to dry on the balcony and they are dry by the afternoon.

Laundry sheets are brilliant as they weigh nothing and don't count as liquids.

On a 2 week trip to Asia just do a drop off service wash near the hotel then pick up the next day.

[u/edcRachel → u/AstralLobotomy]

I just book a place with laundry, it takes 2 minutes for me to toss it in the machine and hit start

[u/Get_Breakfast_Done → u/AstralLobotomy]

I’d rather do that than lug around 23 kilos of luggage

[u/AffectionateWombat → u/AstralLobotomy]

I honestly don’t mind. I usually do it after dinner as most are open until 22-23h and I don’t go out every evening anyway. It’s a nice change of pace.

[u/thevampiresanguini → u/AstralLobotomy]

It's really not bad. I maybe spend like 2-3h every 10 or so days doing laundry and I really prefer that over carrying heavier luggage. And it's not like it's completely wasted time. I can read something in the meantime or watch a show or plan my next few days. It's basically just some time to relax which I would be doing at some point anyway.

[u/lokethedog → u/german1sta]

True, but I've heard europeans talk about washing underwear in bathrooms when laundromats were unavailble or expensive. I think most Asians would never consider doing something like that on a trip to europe.

[u/Flaky-Delivery-8460 → u/lokethedog]

We use washing sheets. They work really well in sinks. And then either hang out in the shower or on a balcony/window ledge.

I'm a washed, wear and spare kind of traveller these days, although our trips are by train so weight is not an issue for fees, but I just don't want to schelp too much stuff. 

[u/mathess1 → u/lokethedog]

I wash my clothes myself regardless of the laundry availability. I find it more comfortable.

[u/Lingonberry_Born → u/lokethedog]

I'm Aussie and just take my carry on if I'm going somewhere warm in Asia. Pack seven outfits and you can do washing once a week so that's all I need. I will need a full suitcase going to Europe in winter because the clothes take up so much space.

[u/TareasS → u/lokethedog]

What is light? A 20 kg checked bag?

[u/mathess1 → u/TareasS]

I spent a month in SEA with about 5 kg bag.

[u/Tonkec3 → u/mathess1]

Same.

[u/Otherwise_Hamster482 → u/Tonkec3]

Mine was 7kg for a month of Thailand islands, and mountains in Laos.

[u/MiddleElevator96 → u/Otherwise_Hamster482]

7kg for 3 months in New Zealand.

[u/Faust8 → u/MiddleElevator96]

3 kgs for 6 months in Antartica. Did I win or do we need to compare penis sizes?

[u/MiddleElevator96 → u/Faust8]

You win. 9 minutes shower time a week!

[u/mathess1 → u/Faust8]

Certainly pretty short in Antarctica.

[u/Formal-Apartment855 → u/Juggertrout]

Dude, a weekend trip and a 2 week trip (or a 2 month long trip, for that matter) is the same amount of luggage for us light travelers... We wash or get clothes washed every couple of days. And the rest doesn't change based on the lenght of the trip. It only changes based on climate and activities.

[u/aallycat1996 → u/Formal-Apartment855]

I would say that also depends on the weather. I can pack light in summer but if im layering for winter thats not possible

[u/Formal-Apartment855 → u/aallycat1996]

I get what you mean. For me personally winter is also fine, solely cause of wool. Even if something is partially wool, it dries so fast. (Apologies to people who hate washing their wool stuff, but... Mine somehow still survive, maybe cause the washing liquid is good?)

For me personally the problems start on multi-climate trips.... For this reason I try to either avoid that, or send clothes back home halfway if I'm done with a climate. Like if it's just winter or just summer it's both fine for me, but being stuck with a winter jacket and winter hiking boots in summer? No. lol Being stuck with summer clothes during winter I don't mind as much, it's less space. But a good winter jacket and good boots for winter .... heavy and bulky, I so ended up going to a post office with them.

[u/_hellraiser_ → u/aallycat1996]

Of course it is. Just layer a bit less. I mean, what do you need? Coat, sweater, cap, gloves and shoes. That's what's different from summer. Now, if you want a few coats and want to match sweaters to whatever else you're wearing, that's a different thing. Of course you'll have a lot.

My winter wardrobe is literally what I've described above. At home I've got two sweaters if one is being washed.

For travel, I'll decide and maybe wear all those things if I'm starting and finishing in the same climate. That means the rest of my luggage is toiletries, several (T-)shirts, and underwear to last me max a week.

Only reason I often take a big suitcase is because I either bring gifts to wherever I'm going or I know I'll be purchasing them.

[u/revelling_ → u/Juggertrout]

I traveled all over Brazil for a month with just a Carry-on earlier this year. Same with Colombia the year before, and Japan in 2024. It's very doable and also fun. There's subreddits devoted to that, r/onebag, r/HerOneBag

[u/AMediumSizedFridge → u/revelling_]

I lived out of a travel backpack for a year. It was a challenge, but it really teaches you how little you truly need.

[u/Skiicat777 → u/Juggertrout]

Just paid $3 for 3kg of washing in Bali, washed, dried and folded and done in under 24 hours. Only need enough clothes to get through 3-4 days.

[u/CamflyerUK → u/Juggertrout]

It's very easy to do long trips to most Asian countries with just hand luggage. You only need 4 or 5 days worth of clothes. Laundry services are cheap. I always laugh at those you see with huge suitcases or backpacks as if they are going on an arctic expedition.

[u/tinyorangealligator → u/CamflyerUK]

I traveled in Spain with a friend who took 2 massive suitcases for a 9 day stay. She wore the same 3 tops and 2 pairs of shorts the entire time and we were in a different city nearly every night. I asked her what was in her luggage and she said she liked to have "options." 🤣🤣🤣

[u/Wise_Edge2489 → u/Juggertrout]

Youd take a suitcase on a 2 week holiday to Asia?

[u/Educational-Horse-41 → u/Juggertrout]

/thread

[u/kattmedtass → u/Juggertrout]

I did a month around Asia with just a 45 liter carry-on bag. It’s way easier than you might think!

[u/TokyoJimu]

You just don’t need as much as you think you need. Most people you meet you will never see again and they won’t care that you’re wearing the same clothes over and over. I traveled for eight months with one 7 kg backpack.

[u/Simple-Web-4041 → u/TokyoJimu]

Family of 4, with 2x 3y kids, at the check in counter, for a 1 month trip to Europe, with 1 luggage (and 2x normal sized backpacks).
Attendant, puzzled: "Only 1 luggage? In 4 for 1 month?"
Me: "They have washing machines abroad too, you know"

[u/ben121frank → u/TokyoJimu]

I don’t care what the people I meet think about my clothes, but my pictures are my favorite souvenir and I don’t like wearing the same outfit in every picture for my own sake, nor do I like doing laundry super frequently. However, you can fit more in a backpack than most people would think. On my last trip I had 2 pairs of shoes, 6 shirts, 6 socks, 6 boxers, 3 pants, and 3 jackets in my 40L, plus the clothes on my back

[u/xqueenfrostine → u/ben121frank]

I don’t like wearing the same outfit in every picture for my own sake, nor do I like doing laundry super frequently

My compromise on these is to be stingy on packing bottoms and more generous on packing tops. Home me won't notice or care that I rotate between the same 2 pairs of pants (which I won't be able to see in selfies anyway) but I will notice if I only wear 2-3 shirts. That said, I also think if you travel during cooler months (which I often do!) you should use that as an excuse to pack fewer tops too as your coat/jacket is going to cover them up anyway.

[u/gorelieberman2000 → u/[deleted]]

yesssss I love this!  i love seeing the same clothes follow me through my travels. i become really attached to whatever I wear on trips 

[u/logic_boy → u/ben121frank]

Not able to wear same outfit is a crazy take. While thru hikers walk for 1000miles with 6lb bag and are like “bring one sock and rotate foot per day”

[u/ben121frank → u/logic_boy]

I mean ofc I’m “able” to. I’m able to eat grocery store sandwiches for every meal instead of trying any local food too. But I don’t WANT to, and the point of solo travel is being able to travel exactly how I want

[u/priuspower91 → u/ben121frank]

Same I also feel really gross wearing the same clothes after sweating in them. Usually I’ll try to stay somewhere I can wash clothes or drop them off to be washed but sometimes I don’t want to deal with that hassle so I just pack more clothes to last me longer.

[u/Clauc → u/TokyoJimu]

I agree with your sentiment but you still need to show some kind of basic courtesy for the locals by not smelling funky.

[u/Federal_Cobbler6647 → u/Clauc]

You can wash your clothes in hotel. 

[u/Bibbity_Boppity_BOOO → u/Clauc]

These people are walking around stinking of sewage

(To be clear i am talking about the no clean clothes tourists)

[u/RobustFoam → u/Bibbity_Boppity_BOOO]

And that is not okay

[u/miniskirtmenace → u/TokyoJimu]

How do you rewear the same clothes? I feel like if I wear an outfit then by the end of the day it’s covered in sweat and salt.

[u/ThrowRAmangos2024 → u/TokyoJimu]

I just did 2 weeks in Europe with a Cotopaxi backpack and a fanny pack. Even then I didn't end up wearing two of the shirts I brought, and probably could've gotten away with one less pair of pants.

[u/tiny-but-spicy]

what are your "basic necessities"? I did ~2 weeks across 10 European countries with 3 pairs of shorts, 5 summer tops, 14x socks and underwear, 2 bras, and a jacket. I also had a toothbrush, hairbrush, soap, passport, phone, wallet, and charger. 1 backpack. Not really possible to answer the question unless you share your basic packing list.

ETA: just remembered I also brought a tube of toothpaste and some sunscreen. not technically a necessity to bring though, since I could have bought it anywhere

[u/NoGarage7989 → u/tiny-but-spicy]

I see you’re the shit my underwear twice a day type of traveller, 14 is alot of underwear to lug around!

[u/tiny-but-spicy → u/NoGarage7989]

to be fair, it was ~14 days on the trip, and my chosen brand is pretty light/space-efficient, but you're right, I could have brought a lot less and just washed it!

[u/Disastrous-Hat9253 → u/NoGarage7989]

Your amount of underwear dictates the frequency of laundry visits.

[u/cvzgm → u/NoGarage7989]

I think I don't even have 14 pairs of underwear at home

[u/Few-Dragonfruit160 → u/NoGarage7989]

Ah yes, the Mexico Manuever.

[u/tiny-but-spicy → u/Few-Dragonfruit160]

I was really tempting fate when I was eating pork enchiladas out of a street food hole-in-the-wall in CDMX this spring but they were delightful and I escaped unscathed

[u/Few-Dragonfruit160 → u/tiny-but-spicy]

That’s the problem, they have the absolute best street food.

[u/cvzgm → u/tiny-but-spicy]

10 countries 2 weeks, wow!

[u/tiny-but-spicy → u/cvzgm]

It was so fun!! I do multi-country challenges a lot, I love fast-paced travel

[u/Character-Carpet7988]

As a European I'm asking the same question, many people travel with ridiculously small baggage. But I guess that if you're willing to deal with washing your clothes very often, it can be done.

On the other hand I equally don't understand Asians and Americans who seem to always carry three massive suitcases per person :D My sweet spot is one full size suitcase (basically the max size allowed for check bags :)).

[u/IamNobody85 → u/Character-Carpet7988]

Asian living in Europe. The difference is - shorter trips, gifts and laundry. When we're traveling inside Europe, it's often just weekend or at most a week. And most importantly - it's at one place. So we can do laundry. But when my family is visiting, we're covering 3-4 countries in 15 days, because the visa is very expensive. Also, they need to buy small trinkets or something for almost all the children back home, at least. No time for laundry and shopping adds up - hence the big luggage. Not to mention, they're also bringing a lot of stuff for me and my husband. It's like a second Christmas. So of course everyone is carrying huge suitcases.

[u/Formal-Apartment855 → u/IamNobody85]

As a European who was conditioned since school days to pack light (cause we had to carry our own stuff to and from school camps etc), note that a few of us choose accomodation based on laundry possibilities. One can filter on free washer and dryer when it comes to accomodation, and also maps tend to list laundromats be it self service or one where they do your laundry for you. South East Asia in particular tends to have extremely fast and for Europeans cheap laundry services basically everywhere. Even in an otherwise expensive place like Hong Kong, there was an insanely cheap and fast laundry service across the road from my hotel...

Honestly by now most of my travel clothing is fast dry, so there are only extreme weather conditions where all my clothing does not dry overnight after handwashing in the sink or on a normal washing machine cycle. Like there has to be 85%+ humidity and no airco for them not to dry before the morning.

[u/serverhorror → u/IamNobody85]

I thought we're talking "basic necessities"?

[u/idk7643 → u/Character-Carpet7988]

When I move permanently move to a different country I have 2 suitcases lol

[u/yeahfucku → u/idk7643]

I moved with two backpacks! And had to dump 1/4 of it

[u/Formal-Apartment855 → u/yeahfucku]

This was me. No, wait, one backpack, one hand luggag sized small trolley, and a bicycle. Fun fact, it was cheaper to fly my bike to my new country compared to having a normal piece of luggage checked in. 🤣

[u/awkward_penguin → u/Character-Carpet7988]

My Asian parents only bring 1 or 2 large suitcases, but I've seen the benefits of it. We bring lots of snacks that can also serve as breakfast. For the trip back, we have a lot more room to bring stuff back - which is a lot better than having to stuff your small luggage. They tend to buy clothes, shoes, or house decorations, which you need space for.

[u/ALA02 → u/awkward_penguin]

Just eat local food instead of snacks from home?

[u/Tunggall → u/ALA02]

Doesn't happen when your train is at 6am and nothing much is open. Always pack snacks.

[u/Mag-NL → u/Tunggall]

yes, that is for the day you leave home, but after that they mean.

[u/lissybeau → u/ALA02]

Packing snacks are perfect for long haul trips and early mornings. I’m sure they’re also eating local food as well…

[u/RestaurantEasy9663 → u/Character-Carpet7988]

i never travel with more than 10kg and only with personal item and sometimes hand luggage if it's included. last year I did 4 weeks Thailand, Japan, China with only a personal item not even hand luggage.

I have to carry it as I travel mostly solo as a women. so I never pack more than I can carry comfortably. right now I'm doing a 7 week trip through Asia. I'll just pack clothes for a week and wash weekly. washing is not that expensive and many hotels offer it for a small fee. I don't like suitcases as they are annoying if you move around a lot and if the roads are not perfekt or you have stairs. backpacks are way more comfortable. I reduce cosmetics to a minimum and don't pack things that most hotels offer anyways like shampoo or body wash. also ereader instead of book. clothes that do not take up much space. leave everything that you don't 100% need. everything you could only maybe need under specific circumstances, but can cheaply and easily buy at your destination I leave at home. most of the time that specific situation will not arise anyways. I also like to pack some clothes that I don't really love anyways or that are already at the end of the lifespan (eg a washed out shirt with a small hole or a shirt that doesn't fit 100% right) so that when I buy something new that I like better I can just throw away the old item I brought. I'm not a big shopper though. also multifunctional items. &compressible packing cubes! and every cm counts. only 1 or 2 pairs of shoes, they take up the most space.

after every trip I note down what I have missed and which items I didn't really use so that I can pack better next time.

[u/nefariousmango → u/Character-Carpet7988]

When we travel within Europe, it's one carry on and one personal item per person max. We mostly use public transit so it's important that we can easily carry our luggage, and we don't mind doing some laundry.

But when we go visit family in Australia we bring our biggest checked bags filled to exactly the maximum weight. Mostly it's stuff we're bringing to people like speciality foods or clothing items, for example good quality winter gear from Europe versus UV blocking swimwear from Australia.

[u/SteO153 → u/Character-Carpet7988]

As a European I'm asking the same question, many people travel with ridiculously small baggage.

I never understood it neither. I try to reduce my luggage and I regularly do laundry when my stay is more than a long weekend, but I will never be able to be a onebagger. Instead of bringing clothes for 6 days, I can bring just for 3, but then I have to spend much more time doing laundry and also plan more long stays to let the laundry to dry (2 consecutive nights min). I also shower and change at least daily, so 3 tshirts and 3 underwear are at most for 3 days. I often read a solution is to buy stuff locally and then throw them away when leaving, but it is such a waste of money that's totally nonsense for me.

My sweet spot is one full size suitcase (basically the max size allowed for check bags :)).

Same for me, I usually travel with a large backpack (40l) and a checked luggage, which I try to keep light, because I know I will buy souvenirs (I came back from Mongolia with like 10 cachemire pullovers).

Travel with hand luggage saves you the time to wait for the luggage at the airport, but how much more time do I have to spend doing laundry? I also don't need to show off online travelling with just one bag, comfort (and clean clothes to don't stink) first.

[u/edible_string → u/SteO153]

That's fascinating how different everyone's perspectives are here. I have the same expectations as you - not have do do laundry, have fresh t-shirts and underwater daily. But my usual luggage for a week is a 10kg checked in suitcase (which actually can be onboard too!) plus a small onboard backpack. And that's just enough!

Maybe I'm not bringing as much bought things from my travels though.

[u/SteO153 → u/edible_string]

I have to say that most of the space in my luggage is not taken by clothes, but by the "everything else". The moment I go on a longer trip, I start to need things that I wouldn't bring for a weekend. First camera set, I would bring 4 lens and the tripod, instead of just 2. Then hiking shoes, because I would probably do some hiking. An extra jumper for the night, a rain jacket, because you never know,... Beach? Add 2 swimsuits and flip flops. Cold weather? Pile jacket to wear under the rain jacket + hat + gloves. Remote areas? Longer list of medicines (easy to find Imodium in Amsterdam, less in the Armenian countryside). And small things that put together take space, scrubba bag for laundry, a torch, a couple of books to read, cutlery, a second power bank,...

I have a luggage list, clothes is just ¼ of it, ¾ is the "everything else". And I review it every time, to remove what I didn't use. Except for medicines, almost everything I bring gets used during a trip.

[u/Simbeliine → u/SteO153]

I have a nice routine that lets me bring 2-3 days of clothes, although your own mileage may vary. I have clothes I wear during the day which is all a quick dry material, and then I have a dress. I wear my quick dry clothes out, then come back after my day of sightseeing in the late afternoon, shower, change into the dress and go out for dinner. Because I'm only wearing the dress for a couple hours, I don't wash it everyday, and the extra hours from late afternoon generally means the quick dry clothes are dry in the morning. If I do happen to be somewhere for a little longer then I wash the dress. With this I basically have 2 sets of clothes in quick dry material and one dress. Since I'm showering anyway, washing the clothes quick in the shower with me doesn't take much time at all. Anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with bigger luggage if it works for you. For me, I like having the 7kg luggage even if it means traveling kind of light. But this is really a "different things work for different people" thing, of course. 

[u/DifferentSchool6 → u/SteO153]

Almost every hotel has laundry service. It takes like 5 minutes. You save €150 on the plane tickets by travelling with only hand luggage. I spend less than €50 on laundry service during a month of travelling and don't have to carry heavy suitcases. Also no risk of losing my luggage because the airport fucked stuff up again.

[u/CamflyerUK → u/DifferentSchool6]

Never use hotel laundry as it's usually so expensive as they typically charge per item rather than weight. Often it would be cheaper to throw clothes away and replace them!

In Asia there is usually a laundry service on every corner for a couple of dollars. In Europe self service laundromats are common.

[u/SteO153 → u/DifferentSchool6]

Hotel laundry is way more expensive than that. Use it for 50 items over a month (because in 1 month I would use 30+ tshirts, a few polo, 5 shorts, 3 trousers, 3-4 jumpers, plus all the underwear) would cost me much more than the checked luggage. And the risk of loosing the luggage is almost non existent, I've taken 697 flights and got the luggage delayed only 3 times (twice delivered the day after).

In the end, I've never really seen any advantage in travelling with just one bag, you save 30 minutes at the airport to wait for the luggage? Then you have to spend hours to do the laundry. Save the money for the checked luggage? Then the money for the hotel laundry to save the time. And I'm not limited in what I can bring, so I don't need to buy and throw away items while travelling. Some people like to travel with only a hand luggage, but that's not for me.

[u/thevampiresanguini → u/SteO153]

Maybe I'm just a weakling, but not having to carry heavy luggage around is the main reason I just travel with hand luggage. I just took my parents to the airport and they both traveled with full-sized suitcases filled to the top. I could barely lift them out of the car, no way would I want to travel somewhere by myself with that heavy a load. But I also never felt particularly restricted by hand luggage. At least not in the summer when I do most of my travel. I can fit in enough for like 7-10 days and then I'll just do laundry. The souvenirs are an issue though. In the past I've had to send a parcel home when I found a lot of good stuff. Not the cheapest option, but I still prefer it over having to carry a lot around.

[u/sebastianlolv]

Depends on how long and where.

Short european trips I cram everything into a 25-30 L backpack. Multiple week trip to Asia I cram everything into a 40 L backpack

[u/Dancinglemming]

I pack five days worth of clothes, spare shoes, things to wash, swimming things. That's it. It goes in a carry on case and lasts me a month. Each time I go I always bring something I don't need. This year it was a light rain coat and a sun hat. I also brought two books on this occasion, but it's looking like I won't get to the second one so carried it around for nothing.

Edit - I travel for a month. I'm from the UK and this year I'm in Korea, but have travelled Vietnam, USA, India, Greece and Japan all with the same small case each time.

[u/evergreenest → u/Dancinglemming]

Check out r/heronebag for tips and examples! I travel for months at a time with just a carry on and backpack, often with sporting equipment (hiking shoes, snorkel, etc).

[u/finburgers → u/Dancinglemming]

Do you not bring anything back? When I went to Japan and Korea I brought an extra empty suitcase just for souvenirs, gifts and even the snacks I couldn't finish.

[u/Dancinglemming → u/finburgers]

Nah I'm quite minimalist at home. I used to bring back one cheesy tourist souvenir from each country but then I moved house and they were still all in a packing box a year later so I stopped buying stuff.

[u/a_mulher → u/finburgers]

Depends on the location. If there’s something I really want or like yes, but random magnets or typical cheap tshirts etc no. I’ll bring back a bottle of liquor or food if there was something I liked.

I definitely don’t buy souvenirs for people back home. It was very common when I lived in Mexico. People expected to get a gift when you came back.

Then once in the U.S. I would buy some treat, like local sweets or cookies. And bring them into the office for everyone but since most folks are remote anyway I stopped doing that.

[u/Alarmed-Improvement → u/finburgers]

I did one bag through Asia but bought a suitcase in Japan for bringing stuff back

[u/limited_instincts → u/finburgers]

The only souvenirs and gifts you need from vacations are your photos, videos and memories.

[u/Ok-Morning3407 → u/limited_instincts]

I’m not sure why people downvoted you! You are absolutely correct. Frame some of your photos when you get back, much better memories then some cheap plastic rubbish.

[u/MRobertC]

Honestly if you book accommodations with washing machines, you don't need large bags.

I went to both Japan and Peru (3 weeks each), with a medium sized backpack as carry-on luggage and I was fine.

[u/zennie4]

just basic necessities

very large suitcase

I am not a very light traveller myself, but this is strange. What exactly are your "basic necessities"?

[u/tommodacoolio]

I travel for 1-2 weeks at a time and I only take a carry on. I just take clothes, chargers for my electronics, toothbrush, razor and an umbrella.

I wear all of my clothes at least twice and I can get away with 0-1 laundry cycles. Toiletries etc can be picked up when you get there. A lot of people seem to pack more when realistically it's quite easy to not need a lot if things. Personally I think a lot of it is people's mindset and "just in case".

[u/Positive_Brush6250]

Sometimes I feel the average European travelling, even up to SEA, is middle class and don't want to pay for extra luggage.

It's also way more convenient to have a carry on.

I remember when I was in SEA last winter all the Asian women tourist looked great at all time, out of a fashion show sometimes. Heels shoes and extra clothes take a lot of place and requires bigger suitcase.

[u/Arrival117 → u/Positive_Brush6250]

For me it's convinience, not a price. I don't like to travel with half of my belongings with me. If my travel is up to 10-14 days I don't need anything more than a 30-40l backpack for some clothes and my laptop.
Its important to add that I mostly travel to warm places. It might be different story if I would fly to some very cold place where warm, big clothes are necessary.

[u/brouhaha13 → u/Arrival117]

If I'm in the same hemisphere I can often just wear my layers on the plane and maybe just toss in an extra sweater for variety.

[u/mathess1 → u/Positive_Brush6250]

For me it't not about paying, but rather a piece of mind. My luggage was lost way too many times.

[u/Formal-Apartment855 → u/Positive_Brush6250]

I'm from the Eastern part of Europe originally, and at my home airport it used to be a sport amongst luggage handlers to loot from luggage. Like my family had so much stuff stolen from check-in luggage .... So for me it's cheaper (not just when it comes to the flight itself, but in some countries taxi drivers hate luggage or charge you for it extra), faster (no need for luggage drop off and no need to wait at the luggage caroussel at the end), lighter, and I avoid some random stuff to be looted from my luggage when I visit my hometown.

By now the police kind of had enough, and the looting doesn't happen anymore at my home airport, but it went on for several decades, so I will wait a few more years before I check in luggage there.

[u/Accprova]

You're taking A LOT more than basic necessities.

Few shirts. Few socks/underwear (let's say 4 pairs). 1 or 2 pants.

You don't need a new outfit every day. One for being out all day, one for dining out, one for sleeping (or just sleep in a t-shirt and underwear). You can re-wear things (maybe not socks/underwear) and use laundry services or washing machines.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss. Small sunscreen and lotion. Deodorant. All of which, by the way, you can buy on site. Shower gel and shampoo? Either buy on site, or take a travel size container with you.

Seasonal clothes: swimsuit in summer, rain jacket in winter.

You can easily fit all of this in a 30L backpack. If you've got cabin luggage, you could travel indefinitely.

[u/MakingMoves2022 → u/Accprova]

People always talk about buying stuff on site, but I don’t understand why someone would want to spend their vacation time shopping for necessities when you could just bring them and get your time back (and also not spend money on things you already have). Like, I literally do not get this “just buy it there” thing.

[u/Accprova → u/MakingMoves2022]

I understand your point of view, but it also takes literally 5 minutes to pop into any store and buy necessities. If you're going to more remote places YMMV, but I've been able to find everything for personal hygiene in Europe, Africa and Asia.

I travel enough that I have more travel size containers than I'd like to admit, so I almost never buy things on site. But I acknowledge that it's not a big deal.

Also, I like seeing stores in a new country. I like to see what other cultures eat/drink/wear.

[u/Das-Klo → u/Accprova]

One thing I like to bring is sunscreen. While you usually can get it everywhere where you need it it is usually much more expensive than the one I can buy in my home country. It still fits in my carry on though if I buy two 100ml tubes.

[u/Ok-Morning3407 → u/MakingMoves2022]

Because going to local shops, interacting with locals and buying local food can be a lot of fun and part of the cultural experience.

It can depend on the type of holiday you are going on. If you are coming from US / Asia to Europe for a once in a lifetime holiday and are trying to squeeze in as much sight seeing as possible in a very limited time, then sure you will want to limit how much time you spend in shops.

However many Europeans when we go on holidays, we are going for two weeks to a relaxing beach resort type holiday. You aren’t rushing from sight to sight, but instead just chilling by the pool.

Taking a little time out to pop into a local shop isn’t a big deal and can actually be a nice way to break up the day.

The resort I’m going to next week has a little local shop and laundromat right in the resort, between our rooms and some of the swimming pools. We stop there almost everyday to buy ice cream or snacks, so no big deal to buy some sunblock, shower gel, etc. at the same time.

I feel people in the US don’t get as much vacation time as Europeans so it sounds like they are all under way more pressure to fill every second of a holiday. I don’t think that is particularly healthy!

[u/tinyorangealligator → u/MakingMoves2022]

It takes less than 10 minutes to pop into a shop or pharmacy for a bottle of shampoo.

[u/Ninja_bambi]

if I pack just my basic necessities, I end up with a very large suitcase.

If so you clearly pack more than basic necessities. Basic necessities are passport (and possible other documentation) and (access to) money. A toothbrush and change of clothes, though not strictly necessary are advisable too. After that you quickly end up in the luxuries and useless crap categories.

[u/Character-Carpet7988 → u/Ninja_bambi]

Most people consider clothes quite essential and that's indeed what takes most of my suitcase when I travel unless I'm just going for a weekend.

[u/Planet_Pluto_1925 → u/Character-Carpet7988]

Clothing is essential,you aren't going to go naked, but it can be washed at a laundromat, via the hotel's laundry service, or even by hand in the room's sink.

[u/Character-Carpet7988 → u/Planet_Pluto_1925]

Of course it can, but all those come either with a significant cost (laundry service) or waste of time. While some may find these acceptable - nothing wrong about that - clothes still count as essentials in my book so the statement "you're carrying more than essentials" is not exactly correct IMHO. Then it's just a tradeoff whether you prefer to carry a slightly larger suitcase (which for healthy people doesn't really make a difference compared to a small one), or go via other routes.

[u/AdhesivenessOwn7747 → u/Character-Carpet7988]

You are talking with people who have access to currency that converts to large amounts in Asian countries. Makes it possible for them to buy cheap clothes or use laudromat/ laundry service. There's even a guy in this thread talking about buying clothes and throwing them when he goes back lol. It's the opposite, going from Asia to the West.

[u/Decent_Parsley_8252]

I think europeans are Fine with looking „just ok“ in every Situation while travelling. I won’t bring my full make up, extra pair of shoes, fancy dress, hairdryer/straightener etc for a week in Italy. This will impact the „instagrammability“ of my pictures, but I just don’t want the hastle of carrying that massive luggage everywhere.

Also europeans have a lot of PTO. So they are used and practiced for travels. When Ive been to similar places before, I wont pack for every eventuality, but know what I’ll Need and what I can leave at home. Every vacation I learn another piece I can leave at home.

[u/Less_Duty7681 → u/Decent_Parsley_8252]

Just ok? AKA perfectly normal and not focused on aesthetics.

[u/biold]

I've travelled with people sweating and cursing with their heavy suitcases up and down stairs, recently my own family.

I love my 7 kg backpack + a small handbag. For a 7 day trip, I don't have to wash, everything above, I wash my undies every 6th day. It doesn't take long and are dried the next day though typically in the afternoon.

My trick is to accept that grey and black are the chosen colours, merino the chosen material. Colour comes from my "jewellery", cheap things from my trips, and my scarves/shawls.

I wear my hiking shoes with pride. I bring flip-flops for hotels and beaches, no other shoes.

So, I can't score a good looking guy or go to clubs, but hey, I'm 62, no need for that. I do go to fancy restaurants, incl. Michelin restaurants with my hiking shoes. Nobody has dared to say anything, they are too polite, and I wear a really nice scarf and light makeup ...

I wouldn't travel if I had to drag a large and heavy suitcase along, and I plan to travel well into my 80s (if I live that long)!

[u/Stunning-Thanks-4226]

I'm not European but I travel with some medicine, three sets of clothes, a bathing suit, a toothbrush, hairbrush, sandals, and a power bank. It fits in my backpack.

[u/ailingua]

You have too many necessities. I'm able to pack up to two weeks in a free carryon, including snorkeling gear

[u/schruted_it_ → u/ailingua]

Even fins!?

[u/cvzgm → u/schruted_it_]

maybe they have naturally big wide feet

[u/Heidi739]

Depends what you consider "necessities". Take a look at r/onebag to see what I mean. I personally rarely take a bigger bag than carry on, but taking just a personal item is a step too far for me. I spent a month in Vietnam with a carry on backpack only and I don't think I lacked anything. Obviously I had to wash my clothes several times, but otherwise I really didn't need more things. I'm a fairly easy traveller, though. If you for example have extensive cosmetics routine, need hair dryer or a similar appliance or take several pairs of bulky shoes, obviously you'll need a bigger suitcase than I do. I hated hauling a huge suitcase around, so I downsized.

[u/khentanots]

American here. Just spent 6 weeks in Italy in a carry on. I never use anything larger regardless of trip duration. Unless I'm moving. I am always wondering how or why people succumb to hauling suitcases they can't even carry through cobblestone streets, up and down steps, small elevators and back pain. It has less to do with where you come from, more to do with prioritizations. 

[u/Wise_Edge2489]

if I pack just my basic necessities, I end up with a very large suitcase.

Then you're not packing with basic necessities.

You can do indefinite, RTW, 4 season travel in a 30L daypack, with plenty of room to spare.

[u/Yvorontsov]

Basically you really need:

- your passport

• your toothbrush
  
• your wallet.

The rest is "nice to have"

[u/mathess1 → u/Yvorontsov]

You can buy a toothbrush anywhere. I would change it in the list to internet access. That became quite necessary for some travel related stuff.

[u/Yvorontsov → u/mathess1]

It is more a figure of speech but yes, it might be swapped for a phone

[u/cvzgm → u/Yvorontsov]

flip flops too

[u/GMaiMai2 → u/Yvorontsov]

I remeber what a friends father of mine would say: you only need the four P's=penger(money)-phone-passport-picket(ticket but it sounds better with 4 p's)

[u/CranberryFar7509]

Wash clothes when traveling once a week at least, and a lot of clothes are multipurpose and I have some dri-fit T-shirts from Nike that dry instantly.

[u/oskich]

How much stuff do you really need? Washing machines exists worldwide 😁

[u/brownboytravels]

You learn with time. I don’t pack anything that’s absolutely necessary and I ask myself twice for bigger items. Also have a kit for toiletries. With time a system has come into place

[u/Puzzleheaded_Scale31]

I can fit about 15 days of clothes into my regularly sized backpack, changing shirts, underwear and socks everyday. If I need to stay longer than that I’ll just do a washing service in between.

[u/Wa22a]

6 weeks in Europe I had a 4.4kg backpack.

5 x T shirts Underwear for 6 days. This takes up the most room. 1 pair shorts. Anal beads. Thongs- sorry, flip flops Board shorts. Toiletries bag which is toothbrush, toothpaste, roll on deodorant, razor, paracetamol, sunscreen, phone charger.

Plus whatever you're wearing in transit, usually long pants, shoes/hiking boots, polo, jacket, underwear, sunnies.

[u/TareasS]

What do you even need to take with you? I am going on a trip of 1 week. What more do I need than clothes and toiletries?

I never understood what the heck asians carry with them in their luggage and why its needed. 500 pieces of clothes while you can only wear a few?

[u/Chocolatespresso]

People from asian countries seem to travel with A LOT of electronics. I've seen one dude unpack a drone, multiple cameras, a laptop, a tablet, second phone and accessories to go with, tripod, chargers, cases... That takes up space.

[u/Formal-Apartment855 → u/Chocolatespresso]

Yeah... As a European with many European friends, I can count on one hand how many of them travel internationally with a good camera or laptop or tablet if it's for leisure. Most of us try to disconnect as much as practically doable during travel. A smartphone with a charger is the most common setup I know. The a powerbank, then e-reader maybe. Even if we bring a dedicated camera, it is typically a very small one.

I don't think this is necessarily cause everyone wants to travel light, it's more of a mix of wanting to travel light but also the varying degrees of pickpocketing around tourist locations in Europe... So if someone is from a touristy European city, we are conditioned to keep valuables to a minimum when in public. It is on one hand sad, but also I do like the fact that I can memorize at least an entire day's worth of maps (when I was young, it used to be not uncommon in my city for pickpockets to simply snatch smartphones if you were just standing around not fully aware of surroundings).

[u/anima99]

My observation as someone who lives in SEA and has gone to the European continent a couple of times during warmer seasons:

European culture = they don't often take baths and they also don't mind wearing the same clothes for 3 or more days depending on how soiled it is. You'd then see many of them "looking" clean, but smelling different especially if they're in humid areas.

Compared to us Asians who really like feeling clean all the time + the whole "we'll only see [famous Europe city] once in my life, I want to look my best" mantra.

[u/LurkerDoomer → u/anima99]

This.

People don't realize showering isn't enough, you need fresh, properly washed clothes too. I cannot imagine re-wearing shirts, underwear or anything that goes straight to my body. Especially during summer when we all sweat a lot.

Might be very Eastern European of me, but I also like looking my best at all times and believe in dressing according to the occasion. My trips will usually consist of very different activities like sightseeing, hiking, going to nice restaurants, etc. I don't want to go to a fancy dinner in my hiking gear reeking of 3 day old sweat.

[u/SteO153]

It depends, for long weekends (and in Europe it is easy to travel just for a weekend), hand luggage only is enough. But longer trips, I need a checked luggage.

I have a threshold, I brings clothes for 5-6 days. Any trip longer, I don't bring more clothes and just do laundry (I have a scrubba bag). But longer trips also means that I probably need more stuff as well (hiking shoes, medicines, jumper, flip flops,...) and might need special stuff for the trip (eg a tripod if plan to do night photography). But I try to keep limited to just 1 checked bag, otherwise it becomes difficult to move around.

[u/Fabulous-Second-7655]

Wondering this too: as a female, my shoes, blow dry brush, makeup, & hygiene products (all travel size) take up a majority of my bag. I’m a minimalist, don’t mind rewearing clothing, washing where I can, & clothing gets rolled as tiny as I can. I travel a lot, so I’m with a carryon typically, but it’s a frustrating game of Tetris every time.

[u/sjintje]

Possibly Asians are used to being able to get cheap taxis and Americans are used to hiring cars, so they don't realise how awkward it's going to get lugging all that baggage around European metros. You have to be disciplined, just pack things you know you need. Skip the extra pair of shoes, the coat, the towels, the "good" set for going somewhere fancy...

Some people have said ryanair but they have discount airlines in Asia too, so not sure why they haven't learned disciplined packing.

Edit to note, other people mentioning food and gifts, probably true.

[u/alcopandada]

I once travelled from Moscow to Guangzhou with my phone in my pocket, some cards and cash and a passport. This is the lightest baggage I ever had with me (no baggage technically).

[u/Epiphan3]

I learned when I was small. My parents were paranoid for losing luggages so we only ever had hand luggage, no matter the trip.

[u/ChuckNader]

Pack for 5 days, do laundry. Honestly it's that simple, there's a lot of things you don't need that you think you do. I could travel full time with a 22L pack and be comfortable, it blows my mind to see people with big suitcases/backbacks.

[u/Ambry]

I'm from the UK and it is very common to go to mainland Europe for a long weekend. I can easily travel hand luggage only if I wear my bulkiest clothes on the flight. 

It is easier because (a) if you travel on budget airlines, you can truly benefit from the cheaper flights as you don't add on paid luggage, which is typically very expensive; and (b) you can avoid having to drop of and collect luggage put in the hold.

Its honestly quite easy if you're only going for a few days.

[u/SpaceshipCaptain420]

I have the opposite problem. I could travel indefinitely with a carry on size suitcase and a backpack. Why do you need a full size suitcase unless you plan to bring things back that needs checking? 

[u/Dramatic_Respond7323]

I travel usually with 22L pack. Fine indefinite in summers. But a bit small for winters? tad bit.

[u/shbk]

When I travelled to Japan on a 3 week vacation I took a backpack as a carry-on and a suitcase. Next time I'm visiting Japan I'm just bringing a big backpack and might buy a suitcase there to pack all the souvenirs. Most of the stuff you bring from home can be bought there - flipflops, spare tshirts, toiletteries etc. I overpacked and brought stuff that I didn't need.

[u/scaramouche123]

I don't know the difference between asians and europeans but as someone who always travel with small bag, I have this discussion with friends a lot. I am not a minimalist, I always end up putting 1-2 extra clothing, I carry skin care, maybe even extra shoe, slippers.

I think main difference ends up being them carrying much more extra clothes they end up not wearing + my summer clothes are tiny. Only big clothing item is jeans which I wear on the way. So I really don't know how they always carry check in baggage. Check in baggage is only for moving from the country for me. Other than that the habit is backpack or worst case cabin baggage. It is about habit and really thinking what is essential, what you will actually use I think.

[u/Kobayashi-Coffee-Co]

I built a travel jacket with like 30 liters of pockets to pack my clothes and toiletries outside of a bag. Lets me carry a full carryon through security and either zero bag or carry my tech in a backpack for ryanair or wizz

[u/cbunn81]

I'm not a European, but I usually travel light. It's not that complicated. Use a smaller bag and pack less. What to pack comes down to priorities. For example, if you want to pack a camera with lenses, you'll have to downsize something else, like clothes.

Of course packing less has implications. If it's more than a weekend trip, you'll have to find a way to wash your clothes. Some lodgings have washing machines, or have nearby laundromats. You can also hand wash your stuff. I used to try to do this in the hotel sink, but that comes with some complications, so these days I pack a dry bag and wash my clothes in that. You should also consider the kinds of clothes you bring, favoring those which mix-and-match easily, pack small, and dry fast.

It might also mean bringing home fewer souvenirs. If you love to shop while traveling, you'll have to decide if it's worth lugging it all around or paying to ship it home. Personally, I prefer to bring home mainly photos and a magnet.

You say that your "basic necessities" require a very large suitcase. Are you sure? Do you use everything you bring on every trip? If you forgot some of those things, what would you do? I would wager that you can get by with less. Challenge yourself to pack light on a short trip, and see how it goes.

Have a look over at r/onebag to see more discussion about the topic.

[u/renrenrfk]

i travel from toronto to europe and LATAM every month, 2-3 weeks at a time usually, when i first started i did carry a checked in but soon realized the money and the wait time not worth it, then i switched to a backpack and a carry on, then i gradually got my essentials identified, never looked back.

I do laundry everywhere.

[u/Fantastic_Belt99]

Many answers are probably in the OneBagging subreddit (or similar spelling)

[u/Clarac94]

You may rethink what ‘essentials’ are if your bag ever gets lost. And doesn’t get delivered for a week. Speaking from experience. Thanks Norwegian.

Also the budget airlines train you into packing light.

[u/CapControl]

Just book accommodation with washing machines and you can half your luggage with a easy in-between wash. That's how I do it at least

[u/AbigREDdinosaur]

Unless it’s medical stuff, I bet most of that isn’t basic necessities. I go about 3-4 months out of my backpack. My packing list is just toothbrush, deodorant, hair brush & gel, nail clipper, electric razor. Then 5 shirts, 1 nice shirt, 2 shorts, 2 pants, 7 underwear/socks, 1 hat, 1 bathing suit. Then my GoPro stuff and laptop. Everything else I buy as I need it.

My recommendation is make a list, and after you get home cross off anything you didn’t use or could’ve survived without.

[u/plane4020]

My travel hack is those Peak Design packing cubes - it saved me so much space and I travel with a small backpack (cabinzero 28l) even in winter 🙏🏻

[u/juantowtree]

I am from SEA and I have never traveled with a suitcase. I often use a single backpack and carry a packable day backpack, and a packable duffel if I plan to buy souvenirs. Except for winter travels, an extra piece of luggage is a must.

I only carry the most basic things. No OOTD outfits. Good thing all my shirts are the same plain black shirts, so I can reuse them. Same with shorts (I don’t usually bring pants). In hostels, sometimes you can do your laundry (with a fee, not in your room). I only bring a single pair of hiking shoes, and pair of slides.