Carefully planning the items you take with you can make a huge difference on the outcome of your trip.  If you plan on staying overseas for more than a week then strongly consider taking half the number of outfits for the days of the trip.  Packing in this way leaves you plenty of room to bring back souvenirs.  The tour group I visited France with told stories of interesting ways people in the past had gotten around being able to bring more clothes.  One simple way was to mail the souvenirs home.  This is expensive, but worth it if you can wait a week or more for your gifts.  The other tactic was much more creative.  The person decided to bring their older socks, underwear, sleep shirts, etc. and wore them as usual throughout the trip.  When the person packed to return to the States, they simply threw away their old clothes to make room for the new clothes and gifts. 

  Packing Necessities:

1. Light jacket/raincoat is a must.  Rain showers are very common in early summer and the temperature differences between museums and the outdoors can make you very uncomfortable without one. 

2. Walking shoes are very necessary; you could be walking several miles a day. 

3. Bring pants, shirts, and skirts that don’t need to ironed.

4. Cotton and linen are the most breathable, so find clothes made of these fabrics.

5. Shirts that can be layered.  For example, bring a comfortable sweater that can be worn over t-shirts.

6. Flip-flops for the shower, especially if you stay at a hostel where you share the bathroom with many people.

7. A baseball or bucket hat for those who don’t want to be sunburned.

8. Sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and laundry soap (get the tablet kind) if you plan on washing.

9. A nalgene type water bottle.

10. Lightweight organizers so that you can separate your clean clothes from dirty.  Also, bring something to keep all of your shower accessories together and away from your dry clothes.

11. If your hostel doesn’t provide towels or sheets then bring a fast-drying towel and a sleep sack (two sheets sewn together).  These can be purchased at your local outdoor store for a relatively cheap price.