How I Travelled for Three Weeks in Italy with Only Carry-On

And why I will never check luggage again

I’m back at home, but the Italian dispatches continue here at Quaintrelle HQ!

The content is just too good to ignore. Hopefully it delivers both inspiration and value to you, whether travelling to Italy or not.

I travelled for nearly three weeks through four regions in Italy.

Weather swung wildly from single-digit temperatures and rain to bright sun and 20+ degree temps. We hiked, went to wine tastings, sight-saw, and attended cooking school. Lots of different activities, lots of differences in weather. And I did it all with a carry-on suitcase and backpack.

While travelling carry-on is not revolutionary, or so I thought, responses from friends and colleagues has been that of utter amazement. The first 20 minutes of a call with a client looking to book a wine tasting was not focused on what we could do, but instead dedicated to exactly how I manage three weeks with a limited wardrobe. She was as baffled as she was impressed. (I got the gig – FYI).

Another friend, a very frequent traveller herself, demanded to know my inside tips to making it work.

I thought, if these people want to know, perhaps you might as well.

A caveat: I travel a few times a year. More than some, definitely not as often as many. I don’t consider myself an expert by any means but have discovered a few things that make my adventures far more enjoyable. If you have travel hints and tips, please feel free to share them, I’m sure we could all benefit from collective experience.

Equipment

I used the Monos Carry On Plus and the Metro Backpack. I sent the link in a recent Quaintrelle Weekender. You can also see the reel I made on Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post, but people want to know what was used for such experiences, and, this is what I used.

The luggage is a small investment, but impressively sturdy while also being light weight. It also uses its compact size efficiently: I managed to pack a pair of Birkenstocks, running shoes, two sun dresses, PJ’s, jeans, blouse, sweater, lightweight turtleneck, long sleeve t-shirt, short sleeve t-shirt, jogging pants, workout pants, work out bra, long sleeve and short sleeve work out tops, bathing suit, seven pairs of undies, laundry bar, and three weeks’ worth of travel-sized toiletries, and an umbrella. In my backpack, I had all my electronics and cords, a second pair of “dressy” flip flops, a jean jacket, make up bag, and ball cap, with room to spare.

I left behind my hairdryer (so no need to waste precious cargo space by bringing my own).

The Plan

Like anyone, I check the weather forecast before leaving, and cross reference it with planned activities.

I knew we were taking cooking lessons, going on an outdoor truffle hunt in the woods, seeing a goat farm, visiting several wineries (which would include vineyard walks), sightseeing churches, art galleries and monuments like Rome’s Colosseum, plus many nice dinners out.

I also knew that sadly, there would be many days of rain (out of the 19 days we were travelling, 15 of them had rain). Complicating things was that a handful of days were expected to have 20+ temperatures and bright sun.

Years ago, I made a vow that nothing comes with me unless it’s going to get at least three wears. With the weather, activities, and maximizing my clothes in mind, I build a flexible capsule wardrobe that can work from day-to-night, casual-to-dressy, and hot-to-cold: jeans x blouse/light sweater/t shirt. Sun dress for warm days, topped with a jean jacket for chilly nights out. A scarf helps for both fashionable warmth and upgrade a casual outfit, cute runners are practical for sight-seeing and is also fashionable.

Note that I listed a laundry bar as part of my items. This is a game changer. All but one of the places we rented had a washing machine which really helps with the carry-on experience. However, the one place that did not have laundry facilities was the place we were the longest (one full week), so a laundry bar and the bathtub or sink works for hand-washing and air-drying over the shower bar or radiator. It’s not the highlight of anyone’s trip, but it’s not the end of the world.

If you’re at a hotel, you can always budget in one or two laundry services. It’s pricey, but it is what it is.

The Practicality

Why do I go through this hassle at all?

Let’s start with the airlines and their seemingly dismissive attitudes to luggage.

I’ve had luggage lost (I got it back two days after I landed). I’ve had a suitcase arrive smushed and missing a wheel. And every single time I’ve checked luggage I’ve waited easily 30 minutes for it to come off the carousel and in the worst cases, over an hour.

The last time I checked my luggage I was so paranoid I bought one of those luggage tracker chips. While it’s somewhat helpful to know your suitcase is lounging on the beach in Bali, it’s less helpful when you’re in Iceland.

Now let’s discuss the realities of Europe (or Nicaragua or Costa Rica or….)

European countries are old and small.

The narrow, crowded, cobblestone streets, the tiny car trunks, diminutive train luggage racks, the closets (jk… there aren’t any closets.) Even the elevators in all but the ritziest hotels in the biggest cities are very tiny.

Having a cumbersome suitcase just doesn’t work.

(Suit)case in point: we were cutting it close to catch our train to the airport in Rome. Having a small, lightweight suitcase was a godsend to race down uneven sidewalks that were barely wide enough to have two people pass. When arriving at the station the platform had changed, and once again we had to bolt from one area to another with only minutes to spare. There’s no doubt in my mind we would have missed the train trying to navigate city streets with a bigger, heavier suitcase.

Even if you’re not walking and taking trains (which I do highly recommend – a post for another time), if you’re driving in Italy, which we also did, you want a small car. Again, the streets are so narrow, and parking spots so tight that it’s impossible in most cases to have anything larger than a compact economy car. Which means trunk space is equally tiny.

Looking up: from the ground level of our 5th floor walk-up in Paris

And many places are walk-up. We once had a fifth-floor rental in Paris that was only accessible by a steep, winding staircase. One could honestly meet their demise lugging a 50lb behemoth to the top floor.

Of course, once we were safely in there, where would we store these monstrosities? In one of the Rome apartments we rented, my bed was stuffed into the room, fitting snuggly between three walls. There was just enough room to open the door which allowed for a bit of floor space.

I Will Only Travel Carry-On

Me and my scarf trying to look like a local

Carry-on isn’t perfect. Sacrifices do have to be made. But for me, the few minor inconveniences of carry-on far exceed the many, many drawbacks of checked luggage.

I also kind of like the challenge of pairing down. In Canada I have the luxury of extra. Five pairs of jeans instead of one. Ten sweaters instead of three. We won’t be discussing shoes.

I think, in the end, going carry-on offers a freedom that checked luggage can’t. There’s a breezy, get-up-and-go efficiency about compact luggage I’ve come to enjoy.

There’s no way I’d ever go back.

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