What to Bring

Shirts... Bring up to five short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts in a cotton/polyester blend.

Sweater... We will be in warm climates the whole trip except Munich which can be quite cold in early June.

Pants... Bring two pairs: one lightweight cotton and another super lightweight for hot and muggy big cities, and churches with modest dress codes.
Jeans can be too hot for summer travel. Linen is great. Button-down wallet pockets are safest.

Shorts... Take a pair with pockets — doubles as a swimsuit for men.

Swimsuits... Two should do it.

Underwear and socks... Bring five sets (lighter dries quicker).

Shoes... Take a well-used, light, and cool pair of walking shoes or tennis shoes with a good tread. Also a pair of comfortable dress shoes for dining out.
Some people bring along an extra pair of sandals or beach slippers in case the shoes get wet.

Jacket... Bring a light and water-resistant windbreaker with a hood. Gore-Tex is good if we get rain.

Dress up... women-a summer cocktail dress. men-a lightweight sportscoat. Italy is casual in the summertime but no matter what the weather,
Italians are very well dressed and we stand out as tourists if we look shabby.

A tie or scarf... For instant respectability, bring anything lightweight that can break the monotony and make you look snazzy.

Money Belt... It's essential for the peace of mind it brings. You could lose everything except your money belt, and the trip could still go on.
Lightweight and low-profile beige is best.

Money... Bring your preferred mix of a credit or debit card, an ATM cash card, an emergency stash of traveler's checks (optional), a couple of personal checks, Bring American dollars for situations when you want to change only a few bucks. I rely on a credit card with a four digit pin number and 400 Euros cash as a backup. The Euro will be the only currency needed except for those spending time in Switzerland.

Documents and photocopies... Bring your passport, airline ticket, rail pass or car rental voucher, driver's license, student ID, hostel card, and so on. Photocopies and a couple of passport-type photos can help you get replacements more quickly if the originals are lost or stolen. Carry photocopies separately in your luggage and keep the originals in your money belt.

You'll want a careful record of all reservations along with a trip calendar page to keep things up-to-date as your trip evolves.
Ray will provide the hotels' written confirmations, a proposed budget and the itinerary which includes all hotel phone numbers.

Small Daypack.... A small daypack is great for carrying your sweater, camera, literature, and picnic goodies while you leave your large bag at the hotel or train station. Fanny packs (small bags with thief-friendly zippers on a belt) are a popular alternative but should not be used as money belts.

Camera... Digital is the way to go. No film to carry and pictures can be downloaded and emailed back home.

Toilette Paper... Bring a few rolls. They pack easily and can insulate fragile contents of your suitcase.
If you have a sensitive tush you will find European toilette paper quite course.   

Zip-lock baggies... Get a variety of sizes. They're great for waterproofing your toiletries from your other luggage contents.
The jumbo size is handy for packing clothing.

Water bottle... The plastic half-liter mineral water bottles sold throughout Europe are reusable and work great.

Wristwatch... A built-in alarm is handy. Otherwise, BMW provides a neat travel alarm clock. In some hotels wake-up calls are particularly unreliable.

Earplugs... If night noises bother you, you'll love a good set of plugs.

First-aid kit...Your BMW will come with one.

Medicine and vitamins... Keep prescription drugs in original container with your name and your doctor's name. Write down generic name.

Extra eyeglasses, contact lenses, and prescriptions... Many travelers find their otherwise-comfortable contacts don't work in Europe.
Bring your glasses just in case. Contact solutions are widely available in Europe.

Sunscreen and sunglasses... Italy will be sunny.

Toiletries kit... Sinks in some hotels come with meager countertop space and anonymous hairs. If you have a nylon toiletries kit that can hang on a hook or a towel bar, this is no problem. Put all squeeze bottles in zip-lock baggies, since pressure changes in flight cause even good bottles to leak. Consider a vacation from cosmetics.

Not all hotels provide soap. A plastic squeeze bottle of concentrated, multipurpose, biodegradable liquid soap is handy for laundry and more.

Clothesline... Hang it up in your hotel room to dry your clothes. The handy twist kind needs no clothespins.

You'll find bath towels at all fancy and moderately priced hotels. I bring a washcloth or small sponge. Washcloths are rare in Europe.

Sewing kit... Clothes age rapidly while traveling. Your flight attendant may have a freebie for you. Add a few safety pins and buttons.

Travel information (minimal)... Rip out appropriate chapters from guidebooks, staple them together, and store in a zip-lock baggie. When you're done, give them away.
Get a map best suited to your trip's overall needs and pick up maps for specific local areas as you go. Ray will provide a printed GPS for the entire driving route

Address list... A list of e-mail addresses and mailing addresses will help keep you in touch. Taking a whole address book is not packing light. Consider typing your mail list onto a sheet of gummed address labels before you leave. You'll know exactly who you've written to, and the labels will be perfectly legible. Or, just send mass e-mails as you go (bring a shrunk-down print-out of your e-mail address book in case you can't access it online).

Postcards from home and photos of your family... A zip-lock baggie of show-and-tell pictures is always a great conversation piece with Europeans you meet.

Small notepad and pen. A tiny notepad in your back pocket is a great organizer, reminder, and communication aid.

Journal... An empty book to be filled with the experiences of your trip will be your most treasured souvenir.
Use a hardbound type designed to last a lifetime, rather than a spiral notebook.
Attach a photocopied calendar page of your itinerary.

Optional Bring-Alongs:

Robe or nightshirt... Especially for women.

Inflatable pillow... for snoozing on the plane.

Hair dryer... People with long or thick hair appreciate a travel hair dryer. These are generally provided in hotel rooms but it's good to have an extra one if two people are getting ready for an evening out.

Light warm-up suit... Use for pajamas, evening lounge outfit, instant modest street wear, smuggling things, and strolling the hotel grounds after sunset.

Slippers... Great for the flight and for getting cozy in your hotel room.

Small flashlight... Handy for reading under the sheets and not disturbing your roomie or for late night trips down the hall, exploring castle dungeons, and hypnotizing street thieves.

A good paperback... There's plenty of empty time on a trip to either be bored or enjoy some good reading.

Radio, Walkman, MP3 player... Partners can bring a Y-jack for two sets of earphones. Some players have a radio built in adding a new dimension to your experience. BMW sound systems can be set up to utilize mp3 players.

Collapsible cup.

Small roll of duct tape.

Collapsible umbrella.

Tiny lock... Use it to lock your luggage zippers shut.

Spot remover... Bring Shout wipes or a dab of Goop grease remover in a film canister.

Insect repellent... Especially for some parts of Southern Italy.

Gifts... Local people love T-shirts from Hawaii and Mac nuts are like giving gold.

Notebook Computer... If you have a lightweight one with wireless. Quite a few hotels in Europe are set up for wireless.
See: Wireless Locations

Walkie Talkie...If you have one, bring it. It's how we stay together while we are driving.

Batteries...All your devices that don't have rechargable batteries will need either AA or AAA batteries.

Adapters (electrical plugs)...
Electricity...
Try to go without too much electrical gear. Travelers requiring electricity need a converter to make their American appliance work on the European current and an adapter to allow the American plug to fit into the European wall. Many travel accessories come with a built-in converter. Look for a voltage switch marked 120 (U.S.) and 240 (Europe). Often, buying a new travel appliance with a built-in converter can be cheaper than buying a separate converter (about $30) to use with your old appliance. My electric razor is current compatible for Europe. Regardless, you'll still need an adapter. Secure your adapter to your appliance plug with duct tape; otherwise it'll stay in the outlet (and get left behind) when you pull out the plug.

Many hotel rooms have only one outlet, occupied by the lamp. Hardware stores in Europe sell cheap three-bangers that let you keep the lamp on and still plug in your electric toothbrush, hair dryer, computer or the rechargers for your phone or camera.

now the real trick