Though I was convinced by hubby that we have very new suitcases, plus our old ones, so we really don’t need another one. Besides that we were in a hurry so not much time to think about it. We bought no suitcase. Afterward I almost did regret it… *sigh*

I know, it’s not beautiful and perhaps not even so very practical, but I really love the idea of travelling around with such an old suitcase, probably from the sixties or seventies.

I doubt that anyone would want to steal it either – or take the wrong suitcase at the airport, so that would be a huge plus, don’t you think…?

©Lifecruiser Love Vintage Suitcases
 

Other suitcase related posts by Lifecruiser:

Photo: Vintage Leather Suitcase
Swedish American Line Marked Vintage Suitcase
The Perfect birthday gift: a new suitcase for a trip
 

Soon we’re going on a month long stay at our summer paradise island Fårö, Gotland (Sweden) and then we’re only at home one day before leaving for another one month long road trip (at least 7500 km) in Europe with our own car.

Since our summer island is more casual than our Europe road trip will be, we needed to pack our stuff for the Europe trip BEFORE we decided what to bring to our summer island.

Luckily we now have extra suitcases we bought recently, so we did pack them with our clothes and stuff we need for Europe and the clothes left over was packed in the old suitcases.

Then we will let the new suitcases stand here in our apartment already packed while we’re away, so we will be ready to almost turn in the door for the next trip…

©Lifecruiser Love Europe Trip Preparations

Earlier post about Lifecruiser Europe Trip 2012:

Europe Trip Preparations: Camera Gears
Europe Trip Preparations: New Notebook PC
Another meetup for the Europe road trip
Europe Trip Preparations: Champagne Coolbox Snacks
New car for the Europe trip
Europe Trip 2012 Summery
Europe Trip Accommodations
Mapped Europe Roadtrip Route 2012 by Lifecruiser
Routes and stays booked for our Europe trip 2012
Planning our Europe trip 2012
 

Photo of my camera above taken with my iPhone, it is a Canon DSLR. A Canon EOS 600D with a Sigma AF 70-300/4-5.6 DG OS lens, a new UV-filter (to protect), new lens cap with a holder (I lost the original almost at once *sigh*) plus a new extra battery too.

I almost always end up buying my camera gears at cyberphoto.se. No, I’m not paid to say that, it’s just how it is. They always have everything I’m searching for plus that I love their honest test reviews and ratings.

My camera equipment fits in a smaller Golla Generation Mobile camera bag. As little as possible to carry is my photo philosophy, because I get severe neck pain otherwise.

No extra memory card? No, because we will have our Canon Powershot S5 IS plus Canon Ixus 80 IS with several memory cards with us too – and we also have our mobile cameras, an iPhone 4S (which camera I’m very pleased with!) and a HTC Incredible S.

On top of that we plan to backup our photos to both Flickr and Lifecruiser’s new Travel Notebook PC.

If we lose any photos anyway: then we have to do this trip all over again, won’t we? Ha ha…

©Lifecruiser Love Europe Trip Preparations

Earlier post about Lifecruiser Europe Trip 2012:

Europe Trip Preparations: New Notebook PC
Another meetup for the Europe road trip
Europe Trip Preparations: Champagne Coolbox Snacks
New car for the Europe trip
Europe Trip 2012 Summery
Europe Trip Accommodations
Mapped Europe Roadtrip Route 2012 by Lifecruiser
Routes and stays booked for our Europe trip 2012
Planning our Europe trip 2012
 

We went with a Samsung NP305U1A-A02 at the reasonable cost of 3990 SEK (approx $570 or €444), mainly because it’s slim (1" thick), light-weighted (1.21 kg) and still has 500 GB harddrive to store all our travel photos along the way. I’m planning to both save the photos on the hard drive and upload them to Flickr as a backup along the way too.

The graphic is not for a serious game player, but we won’t be playing, we will be out sightseeing…

Not the fastest processor; AMD Dual Core E-450 1.65GHz, but fast enough for checking email, blogging, editing a few photos. 4 GB Memory, with the possibility to exchange it for an 8 MB instead. LCD – 11.6″ HD LED Display (1366 x 768), which we find fully satisfying for our use of it.

High speed Bluetooth, Wireless LAN – 802.11bg/n, Wired Ethernet LAN – 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 3 USB-ports, 1.3 megapixel HD Webcam to use together with Skype to keep in contact with family and friends.

We also got a slim case for it and an extern small mouse (see the photo). Yes, we like to have a mouse and not use the touchpad. We both get tensions in our shoulders and neck if not using a mouse. Old fashioned perhaps, but that’s the truth.

©Lifecruiser Love Europe Trip Preparations

Earlier post about Lifecruiser Europe Trip 2012:

Another meetup for the Europe road trip
Europe Trip Preparations: Champagne Coolbox Snacks
New car for the Europe trip
Europe Trip 2012 Summery
Europe Trip Accommodations
Mapped Europe Roadtrip Route 2012 by Lifecruiser
Routes and stays booked for our Europe trip 2012
Planning our Europe trip 2012
 

If you have looked at our FB account you may have seen it already, but I couldn’t resist posting it here too. She was really happy over it and it’s a brilliant color, don’t you think…?

©Lifecruiser Love New Suitcases

Photo: Vintage Leather Suitcase
Swedish American Line Marked Vintage Suitcase
 

We also have our most festive clothes in a small kind of wardrobe trunk for protection against wrinkles. Yes, we’re going to dress up and have at least one very festive dinner aboard the cruise ship. (Hint: hubbys birthday is the 17th May!)

We leave home Monday afternoon, the ship departures at 07.00pm. I’ll set Lifecruiser Travel blog with scheduled auto-posts.

©Lifecruiser Love Cruises
 

Yes, of course we had to test it at once, putting some yummy snacks to go with the two Champagne bottles. We noticed that the cooler worked very well already at the short time we did have it on. Perfect!

We will hardtest this cooler during our month-long roadtrip, from Stockholm, Sweden through many countries in the hot summer month of August. Our goal is Provence, France and we know by experience that it’s hot there at that time of the year.

.. and we had to have some fun too – look at this other photo below and you’ll understand….

This was another cheap Ferrari though….lol… Our Skoda Yeti is almost Ferrari red funny enough. And our favorite Skoda service adviser is Alexander…

I hope he likes this celebrate of his name!

©Lifecruiser Love Europe Roadtrips

Earlier post about Lifecruiser Europe Trip 2012:

New car for the Europe trip
Europe Trip 2012 Summery
Europe Trip Accommodations
Mapped Europe Roadtrip Route 2012 by Lifecruiser
Routes and stays booked for our Europe trip 2012
Planning our Europe trip 2012
 

It’s someone in Sweden that owned that suitcase, to be more exact: someone in Hälsingborg in the southern Sweden, it’s says so in the text on the suitcase. Fun is that it’s with an old spelling – it’s spelled Helsingborg nowadays.

©Lifecruiser Love Vintage Suitcases

Some other travel suitcase related photos by Lifecruiser:

Swedish American Line Marked Vintage Suitcase
Packed Packing Habit
Lauters Countryside Auction
 

Shopping for airfare in advance or securing it with a Capital One Venture Double Miles Challenge can make flying in much more affordable, and simply choosing to avoid big resorts will allow you to see and do far more than you had imagined.

However, before you take flight, be sure to pack each of the following in that backpack that will become your lifeline:

Variety

One of the biggest pitfalls that backpackers get themselves in to when traveling is not packing a variety of items. Be sure to pack at least one tee shirt, tank top, long sleeved shirt, pair of jeans, and pair of shorts. You will also want to pack one or two pairs of different shoes to fit the variety of terrain you will be covering. Ultimately, you want to make sure that you will be prepared for any climate situation.

A Solid List

Before flying out, create a list of all hostels in and around the areas in which you will be visiting. Along with names, you will want to make sure that you include addresses and phone numbers so that you can contact them in advance if you wish. Having this list will help you get about more easily, and will also make it easier to find other accommodations should your first choice be filled up for the evening.

First Aid Kit

You never know when a bump or scrape may occur. To keep yourself from having to find a local pharmacy for Band-Aids and antibiotic ointment, pack a small first aid kit equipped with bandaids, gauze, ibuprofen, and antibiotic ointment.

Travel Journal

While it may not seem like a necessity, having a travel journal during your travels will be something that you will thank yourself for bringing later. Be sure to take a small one along to document places you’ve stayed in and people whom you have met. It’ll be great for resparking memories and for future travel plans should you choose to return.

A Credit Card

While cash is great to have on hand, having a credit card can be a real life saver for travelers needing to cover an emergency or book a last minute room. Just remember to make sure that the card you take is one of the numerous credit cards without foreign transaction fees to maximize your spending.

Smart Phone

Taking a smart phone may seem frivolous and expensive when traveling abroad, but it can definitely be a life saver. In addition to translation apps, a good smart phone will be able to help you locate restaurants, hostels, sites, and just about anything else of interest. It is essentially a personal assistant for the wandering traveler.

Ziploc Bags

Clothes get dirty and wet when traveling around, and toiletries spill. To keep your other items clean and dry, always take a few extra quart and gallon sized Ziploc bags.

Locks

When you are out and about exploring cities, the last thing you want to do is lug around your backpack. However, leaving your bag unattended isn’t always easy either. To keep your belongings safe at hostels, bring locks for both your zippers and for your hostel locker. This way you will be able to stay both bag and worry free.

Backpacking is a great way to see all the nooks and crannies of Europe, but it is an adventure that you don’t want to be unprepared for. Make sure that you adequately pack your bag so that you are able to take on any adventure you come across.

Lifecruiser Love Europe Trips
 

1. Foreign Travel Medical Insurance
You may be fit and full of life when you board that plane for overseas, however anything can happen that could land you in the hospital. Seasoned travelers know the importance of buying foreign travel medical insurance to cover everything from a quick emergency room visit to serious bodily injury. Travel health insurance is cheap and provides a big bang for your travel buck.

2. Basic Travel Insurance
Your basic travel insurance plan costs pennies on the dollar and is put in place to cover lost luggage, expenses during airport delays, and so much more. Check with your travel provider to add a basic policy to your travel package to ensure peace of mind around the clock when you leave.

3. Take Your Medications with You
Although foreign countries have local pharmacies, your prescribed and over the counter medications may not be available in your foreign host city. Be sure to pack what you need and keep your meds on your person at all times during the flight. Medications should not be packed into your checked bags as theft and lost luggage could render you helpless abroad.

4. Back-Up Credit Cards
To ensure you have sufficient funds for an emergency, it is wise to take along an extra credit card. If your second credit card is new from the bank, be sure to activate that card in your home country before you depart. To activate a bank card, you will need to swipe the card at an ATM or have your teller put the card in motion. Many ATM machines abroad have an anti-theft mechanism that does not recognize a credit card that has not been used in its home country.

5. Pack Light
The biggest mistake infrequent tourists make is to over stuff their luggage. You need a bare minimal with just a few changes of clothes to have everything you need while overseas. Over-packing the suitcases is not only costly at the airlines, it will drain your energy carting them around and leave you little case space to pick up souvenirs.

Lifecruiser Love Travel Tips