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It’s almost July and I couldn’t be more excited, because next month, I have an almost 3-week trip planned around Europe. I will be going, along with a friend, to three major European cities, plus a few smaller ones. We will be hitting once-in-a-lifetime events, major tourist attractions, and everything in between. And that is exactly what I want to share with you today! I am sharing a brief overview of our ultimate European travel itinerary with you in hopes that it will inspire you to plan that trip of a lifetime. And then I am sharing my favorite luggage from Level8 that I will be taking on this trip with me. Dream big and go after it!
But first, a warning: I don’t think we will be sleeping until we get home. So do with that what you will.
London, UK
First, we are flying into London, where we will be spending approximately 18 hours near St Pancras/King’s Cross station before we jump on the Eurostar to Paris. London wasn’t ever really a part of our plan, it just happened to be A LOT cheaper to fly into and take the Eurostar than it was to fly into Paris. So we are adding a day at the beginning of our trip and we get to finally enjoy dinner at Dishoom (we have reservations!) and a pint in a pub before the real trip begins.
Paris, France
We will arrive in Paris on July 26th, just in time for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics! Yes, we will be attending, and yes, we are so excited about this amazing opportunity! We will be spending a few days in Paris, but we are mainly focusing on the Olympics events. We figure Paris will be there and we can go back (also my friend has already been to Paris several times), but the Olympics isn’t something we can just go to whenever we want, so that’s our priority.
Quickly, for our Paris activities, we have purchased tickets to The Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, and a food tour in Montmartre. We discussed a cabaret show as well and while it was something we really wanted to do, we just couldn’t fit it into our schedule if we also wanted to sleep, which seems important. I guess that’s something to do when I go back in the future!
For our Olympic events, we have tickets to the Qualifications round for Women’s Gymnastics (Go Team USA!) Beach Volleyball (at the Eiffel Tower Arena), and Swimming (a Medal Ceremony!) Another Olympic-related event we are planning is to visit as many hospitality houses as we can. A hospitality house is a venue for the participating countries to showcase their athletes, culture, and food while also celebrating the events. It sounds like an amazing atmosphere and a great way to share the joy of the games. We already have tickets to several of the houses including Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, and France, but we aren’t opposed to a few other houses like Italy or Slovenia. Sadly, Team USA and Great Britain have priced us out.
As if that wasn’t enough excitement, you know I had to take some time to visit Disneyland Paris. There was no way I was going to Paris without at least one day there. And that’s all we have time for, exactly one day. So we are trying to fit in as much as we can in that short amount of time. We plan to squeeze as many rides from both parks (Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios) as we can, focusing on the rides Walt Disney World doesn’t have. We will be spending that night at a Disneyland hotel before jumping on the train and heading south. I’m very much looking forward to drinking a glass of champagne in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. It might be the most bougie moment of my life.
Provence, France
The next few days should be slightly less hectic, but we still have plenty planned. We will be staying in Provence and exploring several of the small towns. A wine tour to sample some of the local wines is a must and we’re looking forward to picnicking after visiting the local markets. I’m pretty sure this is how Belle lived before she met the Beast.
French Riviera
After drinking alllll the French wine and eating alllll the camembert and brie, we will be traveling even farther south to the Riviera! We rented an Airbnb for 2 lowkey nights so we can spend time sleeping, doing laundry, and lying on the beach. This sounds like heaven after the previous 10 days.
Then we have one night in Marseille, France’s 2nd largest city because we are attending our last Olympic event – a women’s semi-final football game! Fingers crossed we see Team USA here, but only time will tell. Also, keep an eye out for us on TV because have seats in the Fan Section, right behind one of the goals! You’ll know it’s me because of the pink hair.
In the morning, we head to Nice! We have one night only here and hope to visit Eze and take a quick trip to Monaco. I think our hotel is very close to the Promenade des Anglais, a promenade along the water made famous by the British in the 1800s, so I’m sure no matter what we do, it will be a beautiful view and a wonderful time.
Rome, Italy
After all that, are you tired yet? Because we still aren’t ready to go home. From Nice, we are hopping on a plane to Rome, Italy! Here we have two full days where we are going to explore the Vatican, including a tour of the Scavi Necropolis, the Colosseum (the underground tour!), the Capitoline Museum, AND a food tour in Trastevere. If we can find any time around all of that, we just want to drink Italian wine (instead of French wine for a change) and eat pasta. Maybe get some gelato. Okay, definitely get some gelato.
And that’s it! Really. The next day we will finally fly home. And then we will finally sleep. For at least a week.
In the meantime, and because this trip is coming up quicker than I thought, I’m trying to figure out my packing list: what I can leave at home and what is an absolute MUST. I don’t want to take a huge suitcase because moving around that much (8 different hotels and multiple trains and planes!) is difficult with a large suitcase. I’ve done it before and never again.
For a while now, I’ve been using Level8 Luggage as my primary suitcase choice when traveling. In the past, I’ve used their 20” Road Runner Carry On with laptop sleeve, the Luminous Carry On and Checked Bag set, and now, Level8 has been so kind as to send me their 20” Glitter Carry On in white and their Atlas Laptop Backpack for this trip! I’m still debating if I can pack everything I need into these two pieces, or if I will also need to check a bag (most likely their Road Runner Carry On). Ideally, I’d be able to go carry-on only and skip the checked bag. That’s always my goal. I know I could absolutely do it, but I also have to consider all the merchandise I will likely buy from the Olympic shops. And Disneyland Paris. And the wine I will want to bring home… I guess I will practice packing ahead of time in order to make my decision!
So why do I like this luggage and continue to use it over and over? Well, one of the biggest features that attracted me to this luggage is the polycarbonate hard shell. I prefer this to a soft shell because if it’s raining, and your luggage is sitting on the tarmac waiting its turn to board the plane, you don’t have to worry about everything inside getting soaked. I’ve also had cloth suitcases damaged by handlers before, so maybe I’m biased. And there’s the time I watched my luggage just sitting there in the rain before it was loaded, while I’m dry inside the plane. No thanks, I’ll stick with hard shell from now on.
I can also appreciate the TSA-approved locks. There’s no more need for those tiny little padlocks. The lock is built right in! You can set your own 3-digit code, so you (hopefully) don’t forget it and you’re all set to go! It’s definitely easier because you won’t have to worry about losing a key. Yes, I’m aware of how easy it is to pop a zipper. Let me sit in my false sense of security please and thank you.
Some of my other favorite things are the two mesh covers for each side of the suitcase. Most times, you see this on one side, but I haven’t often seen it on both sides. What I love about it is that my dirty clothes can breathe! In theory, this should help eliminate strong odors in the suitcase after a few days (or weeks) of traveling.
And of course, the four 360-degree spinner wheels (I never want a suitcase without them again). They are smooth and move nicely in any direction while walking through the airport. The real test will be cobblestone in France and Italy this summer, but I’m less worried about that because I can carry it with one of its two handles. (It’s also lightweight thanks to the polycarbonate material.).
It comes in at 14.4”L x 8.6” W x 21.3”H, so it should fit most overhead bins when flying, and bonus, it comes with a cover to protect it from dings and scratches.
And then there is the Atlas Laptop Backpack. Let’s start with the laptop pocket. The pocket itself fits computers from 13” to 16”. I am planning to take my laptop with me this summer, so it’s important to me that it’s well protected. This backpack has 3D EVA foam cushioning to absorb any hits or drops to the backpack, which makes me feel pretty confident. The back of the backpack also has additional cushioning. It feels more like it’s to help keep the backpack off your back, which is great because I get super-hot normally, but it doubles as additional padding for your laptop. And when you unzip this back pocket, it opens completely flat, making it convenient to get your laptop in and out.
There are 2 more compartments and the main compartment is huge. I can easily fit my over-ear headphones, chargers’ case, clear liquids bag, and more. The front pocket is perfect for all the little things like my wallet, passport, lip balm, pen, and whatever else I deem worthy of going with me on this trip.
The straps are extremely padded so they don’t dig into your shoulders and the handle is a braided cable with a rubber covering. It couldn’t be more comfortable. And to top it off, the backpack has two side pockets that fit water bottles or a small umbrella.
It’s a 31-liter backpack and its dimensions are 12.6”L x 6.5”W x 18.6”H. It’s definitely big enough to fit anything else I need for the flight in it.
Overall, the water-resistant polyester material feels well-made and durable. It’s like getting a new toy and I’m excited to use it. Will I take it as my day bag? Probably not, because I don’t need anything that big with me all day. But will I use it as my main personal item from now on? You bet!
I will be posting over on my YouTube Channel my packing video in a few weeks, so you can see what made the final cut for this amazing trip. When I get home, I’ll be posting a full review of the suitcase and backpack as well, so be sure you subscribe to my channel. And of course, I will be sharing my tips and experiences from this trip here on my blog!
If you are in the market for new luggage, I highly recommend Level8. I’ve been using them for years already and will continue for years to come. You can check out their website here.
And for more information on other travel gear, check out this post.
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