NYPorter

(60 days for those leaving on May 29th)

As promised, I have tips and information on packing for the Europe 2024 adventure. First, however, I want to thank those of you that provided additional tips and recommendations for travelers. As a result, I updated the earlier newsletter and the website. Please take the time to read the update. You may want to print the packing list and use it as a starting point. Let’s get started with the topic of packing for the trip.

Downloadable links to the updated Newsletter and packing lists are at the bottom of this page.

What to pack for - the weather.

After several questions regarding temperatures and precipitation I did some research for late May and early June. First, let’s talk about the weather you’re leaving behind in Western NY and NJ first. Normally, at this time of the year (May-June) you expect rain ⅓ of the time, three or more inches of rain a month, and lots of cloudy days. Or it could be stated with a positive note as about 18 rain-free days, less than 4” of rain, and less than half the days are overcast!

We’re going to be in Europe, so let’s look at the Mediterrian, from Barcelona to Athens. During our trip, we can expect at least 24 rain-free days with mostly clear skies and less than an inch of rain.

Location	Rain Probability	30 Day Rain Total	Overcast
Western NY	33% - 35%	2.7”	46% - 51%
Phillipsburg, NY	37% - 39%	3.8”	48% - 51%
Rome, Italy	12% - 18%	1.2”	22% - 36%
Athens, Greece	6% - 9%	.5”	14% - 25%
Barcelona, Spain	14% - 15%	0.4”	27% - 37%

Temperatures are going to be a bit warmer than the 66°-74° range for NY and NJ. During our trip, the high temperatures in the Mediterrian region should generally range from 74° to 82° with a few exceptions - Corfu, Albania.

May-June 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
19 Rome Depart US- Fly to Rome (Overnight Flight)	20 Rome Arrive Rome Afternoon relaxing High 76°, Low 53°	21 Rome Rome Conection Day 1   High 76°, Low 53°	22 Rome Rome Conection Day 2   High 76°, Low 53°	23 Rome Fly Rome to Athens Pre-night in Athens High 81°, Low 53°	24 Globus Greece Open day in Athens Welcome dinner High 81°, Low 62°	25 Globus Greece Athens Tour of city High 81°, Low 62°
26 Globus Greece Corinth-Mycenae   High 78°, Low 56°	27 Globus Greece Nauplia-Olympia   High 78°, Low 57°	28 Globus Greece Patras-Delphi   High 80°, Low 58°	29 Globus Greece Meteora Area   High 80°, Low 56°	30 Globus Greece Thermopylae - Athens   High 81°, Low 59°	31 Globus Ends Ends after breakfast Post night stay in Athens   High 82°, Low 64°	1 Med Cruise Depart Athens   High 82°, Low 64°
2 Med Cruise Olympia   High 80°, Low 60°	3 Med Cruise Corfu, Albania   High 88°, Low 62°	4 Med Cruise At Sea   High 78°, Low 63°	5 Med Cruise Malta   High 78°, Low 67°	6 Med Cruise Sicaly   High 80°, Low 70°	7 Med Cruise Naples Pompei Tour 81° High 78°, Low 64°	8 Med Cruise Rome   High 79°, Low 59°
9 Med Cruise Corsica   High 74°, Low 56°	10 Med Cruise Niece, France   High 74°, Low 66°	11 Med Cruise At Sea   High 75°, Low 65°	12 Barcelona Disembark after breakfast Hotel Check-in / La Ramblas High 76°, Low 62°	13 Barcelona Montserrat day trip 81°   High 76°, Low 62°	14 Barcelona La Sagrada Familla tour City tour or just explore High 76°, Low 62°	15 Barcelona Return flight to US   High 76°, Low 62°

Packing

So, what does the weather information tell us about packing? Pack clothing appropriate for summer weather but consider a light jacket for evenings, at restaurants, and perhaps that occasional shower. The next question posed to me a lot is, “How much should I pack?”

Clothing - More or Less

There are many schools of thought around how much to pack. My favorite is “pack less clothes and take more money”. Julie and I like “pack light, not less.” When you’re on the road, laundry is a challenge. Julie prefers washing things out and drying them overnight when possible. I prefer packing enough to make it between laundry days. This is a balancing act.

Here’s what I suggest: We’re going to have a couple of 5-7 day stretches between laundry days, so plan accordingly. We can get multiple days out of a pair of slacks or shorts. Shirts and tops generally only make it one day. Socks and underwear… I want clean stuff every day. So, think about what you can practically expect to wash out while traveling, and then figure out what you need to survive between laundry days.

☆ Julie Pro Tip – Rember to pack a Tide pen for pasta sauce and coffee drips.

I plan on packing eight days of shirts, socks, and underwear. Two (maybe three) pairs of slacks will get me through the week.

New Technology

Growing up, we loved the feel of cotton. Today, we leave the 100% cotton behind when we travel. The new fabrics are lighter, comfortable, less bulky, and dry much faster than cotton. You can pack more efficiently with modern fabrics, so you can pack more in the same luggage. I hate to write this but leave the jeans and 100% cotton tee shirts at home.

☆ Julie Pro Tip – We cross-pack changes of clothing so if one suitcase is lost, we still have a change of clothes until the case arrives… or I go shopping!

Packing Items

Click here for an extensive list of items to consider packing. Obviously, you’re not going to need them all, and there will be items unique to your own lists.

☆ Diana Pro Tip – We always pack extra 9V batteries for Neal’s nose-hair trimmer. I can’t believe how many he goes through!