Solo Packing for Transatlantic Trip

On my first solo trip I way over packed - I had a roller case to carry on and checked luggage too. Over the years I have paired down to knowing what is critical to pack and what can easily be left at home.

In an era of skyrocketing baggage charges, it makes sense to limit the amount of luggage on a trip.

There is nothing more embarrassing than coming home with clothes you never wore once on your trip - or worse something really heavy that you never used, like a hairdryer. So to save time, money and traveler's embarrassment, pack light!

Here are the essentials:

• Lots of disposable plastic bags - good for laundry, trash when there's no trash can around, and grocery runs - in the UK there is a law that you have to pay for even the cheapest plastic carrier bags at the supermarkets.
  
• Ziplock bags - sometimes leftovers from one meal can be a sustaining snack or the next meal 
• 
• Tissue 
  
• Face moisturizer/sunscreen - a combo of these is best 
  
• Soap bar or scrap in a zip lock bag, or soapless soap in your liquids
  
  
• Comb 
  
• Face towel 
  
• Brush 
  
  
• Mints 
  
• travel meds/general pain relief medication / chapstick / any medication you usually take - many a trip has been ruined by forgetting prescription medication for example anti-depressants
  
• One set of clothes with an extra set of undies and socks 
  
• One set of nightclothes which could double as backup day clothes 
  
• Laundry liquid to wash clothes in the sink every night 
  
• Hand cream - traveling often involves washing with really hand-destroying soaps - and hand sanitizer or a combo
• 
• Toothpaste 
  
• Toothbrush 
  
• Earbuds - sometimes airlines charge you for earbuds on the plane or give you low quality ones.
  
• Travel sickness bracelets 
  
• Phone and charger - you can use Wifi for free as far as your phone service is concerned; some European coffee shops still expect you to at least buy a drink if you're using their wifi. This should be treated as part of cultural courtesy. 
  
• A pen and a backup pen! 
  
• Water bottle 
  
  
  
• Sun glasses - if going somewhere potentially sunny like France or Italy especially if driving
  
• Camera 
  
• Visa documents and Passports 
  
• Documentation for everything
• frequent flyer numbers
• ticket numbers
• all paperwork and boarding passes from the outward flight

To wear:
Layers and any bulky jackets/coats
All money, passports, visa in inside pocket or hidden travel pouch
Easy on and off shoes for going through security

And that's it! All you need to breeze through security whilst everyone else on your flight lurks in baggage reclaim for ages.

Also see my what not to pick list and what I am telling my little sister about traveling in Europe alone!

St. Columba uses the power of the Cross to stop the Loch Ness monster from eating Lugneus mocu-Min.

Scottish monks are more kick-butt than English monks, Lexie wrote, and included her translation from Latin of the Life of St. Columba below to back this up.

"Once, when the blessed man stayed a few days in the country of the Picts, he needed to cross the Loch Nesa.

When he approached the bank of this loch, he noticed some of the locals burying a poor little man, whom the gravediggers reported had been swimming a while before when a sea creature, seizing him, gobbled him up with a most severe gobbling. Though too late, some helpers fished the corpse into their boat with cast-out hooks. 

The blessed man, hearing this, in response ordered that one of his bros should, swimming, bring the boat standing on the opposite bank to him. When he heard the command of this holy and most praiseworthy man, Lugneus mocu-Min obeyed without delay, and with all his clothes cast aside except his tunic, he threw himself into the water. 

But the monster, who was not so much satisfied by her first plunder as incensed, lurked in the depths of the loch. Feeling the water disturbed by his swimming above, the beast, emerging suddenly with a huge growl and a gaping mouth, hurtled towards the man swimming in the middle of the shallows. 

The blessed man, seeing this, and with everyone who was there stricken with terror (the barbarians just as much as the bros), traced the saving sign of the cross with a holy hand in the empty air, and with the name of God invoked, he commanded the ferocious beast, saying: "You shall not pass, and you shall not touch that man. Turn around and go quickly." 

Then truly, this holy voice heard, the terrified beast fled in a swift retreat, as if it were dragged backwards with ropes, but before this it had come so close to Lugneus mocu-Min that between man and beast there was no more than the length of one pole.

Then the bros, seeing the beast retreated and their chum Lugneus returned to them safe and sound in the boat, glorified God in the blessed man with huge admiration. And even the gentile barbarians who were present, struck by the magnitude of this miracle which they themselves saw, magnified the Christian God."

Translation by Lexie. 

What not to forget to pack when traveling pregnant

Traveling pregnant can be a pain in the butt. Literally. You can develop hemorrhoids, yeast infections/thrush and all manner of nasty pregnancy-related issues. Also see my post about general issues with traveling pregnant.

At home it can be easy to idealize your future holiday. Of course it'll be perfect - you think - you'll be on holiday! If you can mostly do without that unattractive support belt or unladylike chewing gum at home, why bother packing it? You can easily ruin your holiday by being an optimist.

my last trip's packing had mostly to do with what my children might need - though they ended up sharing their pretzels!

I just got back from holiday. I have traveled 20,000 miles during this my third pregnancy and here is the list of things I wish I had remembered to bring:

• travel socks with disposable/shorter socks over top - so if you have to walk through security in socks you can get rid of them easily. Take multiple pairs because otherwise you'll be wearing the same pair for four days running and that can cause itching.
• comfortable shoes
• if in 2nd or 3rd trimester - support belt
• soft face cloth for heating up to deal with headaches
• anything you need to sleep - I know people who travel with their pillow or favorite pillowcase
• to treat nausea - mints, ginger biscuits, lemon drops, whatever helps
• palatable snacks - 'expensive snacks' is what my sister calls the kind you really want to eat. Nothing against a 30p sleeve of ginger biscuits but you also need something with fiber to fight constipation. If you are anxious to avoid nuts for the sake of all the poor children with peanut allergies who might be on your flight AND avoid getting in trouble for carrying fresh foods across borders, you might have to invest in exotic dried fruit or wholewheat crackers.
• empty water bottle to stay hydrated!
• sweatpants - ignore everything you read online about dressing smart for travel. Some people find in pregnancy that they swell or grow unexpectedly whilst traveling and you don't want to be still trying to force yourself into pre-preg clothes.
• some hydrating cream or oil to fight itchy, dry skin - which you might get all over.
• Imagine all the health issues you've ever had during pregnancy and amplified by 100 - even if it's ones you don't like to think about like hemorrhoids or yeast infections/thrush - and bring whatever you use for treating this for at least the first few days of the trip in case you are too tired to go shopping for it. Also budget buying more things to treat this whilst traveling.

I find traveling in the first trimester requires a lot less gear but more throwing up. Traveling in the second trimester seems to take up more space - not just you being bigger but bigger outfits and more things like security belts but you're generally a bit less nauseated.

The nice thing about traveling pregnant when you're showing is at least you're not self conscious about the six passports bulging out of your security hip-pouch. Also I think people might take slightly more pity on you.

And you can force yourself through security by reminding yourself that no matter how hard it is to travel pregnant with two small kids, it is definitely easier than traveling with 3 small children like next year because at least the child in your womb can't kick off in a noisy and embarrassing tantrum for 6 hours on the plane.

Another thing you might want to remember - anything you need to do with pregnancy reveals whilst you're away. We decided to find out the gender while with my side of the family. We quickly came up with signs, but if you wanted to bring balloons or blue/pink candy or the scan pictures to show your family/friends/innocent bystanders, those should go on your packing list too!

Trunkis

We have owned two British Trunkis since December 2014 and taken them 30,000 miles. The trunkis have been extremely useful but also frustrating at times.

Pros:

• they are rolling suitcases which the kids can ride on, eliminating the need for a buggy/stroller
• they fit in the overhead compartment
• they pass the time on long layovers
• they are a good way to 'park' the child somewhere like in the line to registration. It's easy to say, 'Stay on the trunki' and keep them to it.
• they are cute
• they are novel

They actually fit a lot of small items

Cons:

• they don't actually fit as much stuff as you'd think and are a strange shape - you cannot pack in stuff like you normally would a backpack or roller case. There aren't separate compartments for things. I wouldn't feel safe putting for example a kindle inside as it would get jounced around and fall about.
• unless you are a die-hard minimalist, it is hard to pack everything a family needs for a transatlantic flight and one or two connecting flights in two trunkis. If you bring anything other than the bare essentials, there just isn't the space. I often end up packing one or two backpacks as well as the trunkis.
• The most I can fit in a trunki is generally one child's nightclothes, earphones, laptop or activity book, crayons and snacks. However if I split up the kids equipment between the trunkis, it's a pain to get out from the overhead compartments because trunkis don't balance well on laps when open - they're large, unwieldy and not weighted properly for it. If one child is asleep and we're juggling the other one, it can be quite tricky unless I decide to block the entire aisle to lay the trunkis on the floor to riffle through. Two open trunkis take up about three or four feet of aisle and it feels like a great imposition on anyone who might need to get up from the seats to go to the bathroom. So as far as trunkis being a practical way to take stuff on a trip, they're not great for actually being on the plane. My latest adaptation is to have all the 'we need it now' items in a small purse and then backups and items we use rarely or only once on the trip in the trunkis. I would top up the snacks and emergency items in my purse about once every hour or two. Meanwhile the purse fit under the seat in front of me or on my lap easily. This system worked better than I thought it would.
• trunkis are great indoors like an airport but less sensible on dog-poo-covered pavements or cobblestone or pebble paths. If your trip involves these, ditch the trunkis ahead of time.
• there's no way to keep a toddler strapped to the trunki, unlike a buggy where the toddler is buckled down. If your toddler is determined to run away while you are at customs/immigration, there's no way to keep them down other than to drop everything and restrain them with your hands - which you probably need to juggle passports, visa documents and to prove finger prints.
• they are not great for Under 3's - one of our 2-year-olds has been known to fall off the back of the trunki and hit his head on a marble floor.
• I'd be scared to put trunkis through checked baggage as they do not close completely and seem rather delicate so you're stuck with them as hand luggage even if your outbound trip isn't a smashing success.
• wheels are fixed so turning can be a bit tricky - no tight corners, you have to plan ahead!
• going downhill can be a bit disastrous but  luckily our airports normally don't have steep slopes in them. I say normally but you never know!
• they are not great on escalators - we pull the kids off and carry the trunkis up but some airports have a lot of escalators so this can get tedious
• trunkis can be a bit of a hazard in crowds, esp if you're like me and not great at steering. It's easy to almost do someone in with one of these things.
• the website used to claim that trunkis encourage kids to take ownership of their own luggage and become responsible - haha! Before this year when our kids are now 5 and 3, we have never been on a trip where the kids weren't too tired to ride the trunkis by the end and needed to be carried, as well as having the trunkis carried with them.
• It's awkward to carry a trunki, a child and a backpack or other luggage simultaneously

Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow has had a bad rep for a long time. Some is legit, some is not deserved, in my opinion.

The Heathrow British Airways baggage handlers' shift ended in the middle of unloading our plane to find two passengers' bags who didn't board. The next shift didn't come on for about 45 minutes so we sat and sat on the unmoving plane for at least an hour and a half till we got permission to use the runway.

The queues went on for miles but every employee at Heathrow was polite. Interestingly I expected their English to be better than Amsterdam or Paris's airports and it was - but most of the people we interfaced with did not speak English as their first language.

Heathrow has amazing escalator systems going up three or more levels. Our kids thought this was novel.

It has lots of shopping and places to eat. There was even a cash machine.

The seats seemed clean and new.

 The ladies bathrooms were clean with free hand cream!

There was this amazing soft play area too - with separated zones for babies and older kids - and an attendant who supervised the play! The best part was that there was a loooooooong couch-like object running alongside and many parents were lying down and napping while their spouse watched the kids.

Bamburgh Castle Day Trip

Bamburgh really has it all: a beach, a castle, a quaint English town, and the best ice cream. It feels off the normal tourist track and although the castle isn't one of the giants of British castles for history, size or importance, you can definitely spend an hour or three wandering the fascinating exhibitions!

Note: we went in April so our pictures aren't as good as others online - just type in Bamburgh Castle for some great sunsets etc!

Fast Facts:

• Distance from Edinburgh: 76 miles
• Using public transport: 1 hour and 47 minutes
• History: an Egyptian in the second century wrote about Bamburgh. Nomadic tribes wandered this site and Romans used the hilltop position of the castle for their beacon system but it was really in the 6th century that Bamburgh's recorded history begins as the royal seat for the Bernician monarchs. Bamburgh is also famous for the Bamburgh beast. King Oswald brought Christianity to his lands by inviting St. Aiden to come and teach them.
• What there is to do: explore the walls and the interiors, walk along the beach, stroll through the English village, eat the best icecream.
• Website: http://www.bamburghcastle.com/castle.php

Pros

• Space in the castle for picnicking
• The castle's ballroom/great hall was the best, with the weapon collections in glass cases and the musician's balcony
• The beach can be lovely to walk
• ice cream trucks seem to park there year round and the tea shops sell icecream as well

The view from the castle to the islands is amazing - Holy Island can be seen on a good day!

Cons

• It can be freezing at Bamburgh even on a sunny day
• Even the tea room is freezing

inside the castle scullery

Frequently asked questions

It can seem overwhelming to plan a trip to a place you have never been before. These are all based on questions I have been asked in the past by visitors from abroad.

Also see my posts about What to see in Edinburgh, Edinburgh in 2 days, and day trips from Edinburgh.

How do I begin to plan a trip to the UK?

It always starts with your passport if you're coming from abroad - is it up to date? I have known one or two people who had to miss or delay their trips or expedite their passports at added cost for not checking the passport dates at the outset. A strategy I use to stay on top of them is to use my google calendar to send me reminders.

Where should I fly to if I want to visit Edinburgh?

Edinburgh has an airport but not many international flights go direct right now. If you do fly into Edinburgh, the airport is 30 minutes' bus ride from the city centre so budget a £5 bus/tram ticket or a £15 taxi.
Manchester is closer in distance to Edinburgh but its transport links aren't as regular as London's to Edinburgh. Manchester is also about 4 hours by train.
London is 4 hours away if you take the 'fast train,' which leaves many times a day (though not regularly on holidays or Sundays). We like using thetrainline.com for buying train tickets. We always choose the option to pick the tickets up at the station, and turn up 30 min early in case there are long lines at the ticket machines. If the tickets are for a 6 am train however sometimes I'll pick them up a few days early so we don't have to get to the station at 5:30.

It is even shorter if you fly from London to Edinburgh - sometimes a 50 minute flight - and sometimes flights can be cheaper than the train! Especially if you are doing a trip where part is spent in London, you may want to look at cheap smaller airlines like Ryanair for deals. Just remember to check out money pitfalls about Ryanair online - for example they charge you 20 pounds per person for printing boarding passes if you do not come with them printed!

Another option if flying into London is Megabus which is usually the cheapest. It drops you off in the city centre near the train station. It does take a long time though so we have never done it!

Where should I stay in Edinburgh?

A brilliant bed and breakfast near the city centre is Elderfield Guest House

We also got rave reviews from friends who stayed at 53 Fredrick Street, in the New Town part of the city centre

We also found fantastic deals on Air B&B, which is worth a look. You basically stay at people's homes for a lot cheaper than a hotel.

We love TripAdvisor for reviews as well!

When should I order British money?

I would order some British pounds through your bank before you come so you don't stress about that. Or call your bank and see what the charge would be for using your charge card. Usually it's 12% but it might be worth if if you are nervous about carrying cash.

Otherwise I seem to recall there are places that do it in the airport or the train station...I haven't actually done that part for years though so you'd have to do some research. You might get ripped off otherwise.

Anything else I should do in prep?

Buy a really good map of the places you are going or study and copy out the online maps. Some people use their smart phones in wifi zones to check where they are - most American phones can be used abroad in wifi zones for little or no cost. You may want to buy a travel package if you want to use it more regularly however.

It is considered courteous in this country to buy a coffee or something if using a cafe's wifi or toilet.

How do you call/text a UK number with an American phone?You type 011 44 for the country code and then the number.

What books should I read in prep for a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland?

I love 'A Christian History of the Royal Mile' by Paul James Griffiths. He just came out with a new book called the Seers.

A new book on the market for 7.50 is 'A Sad Departure' about the current situation with the Church of Scotland.

'Fair Sunshine' is about the Covenanters.

The History of the Reformation in Scotland by John Knox has the benefit of being written in the period in question. I particularly love the account of the prisoners taken in the St. Andrews uprising who later became galley slaves on French vessels being forced to kiss the statue of the Virgin Mary and one unnamed prisoner throwing it overboard rather than kiss it. Many people think the unnamed prisoner was John Knox.

A biography of St. Margaret of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots, James the I and VI, John Knox or Bonny Prince Charlie wouldn't go amiss.

What car rental companies do you recommend?

I'm not sure about the best car rental as none of our guests have rented cars. Public transport is so good here, you can get most places and actually enjoy the sites that are going past without having your nose buried in a map or GPS.

Parking in Edinburgh is a bit of a nightmare to be honest, so if you opt for a car you might want to choose a B&B further out with free, easy parking - maybe even Sir Walter Scott's home Abbotsford in the Borders which is now partially a hotel.

Automatics are definitely becoming more common - though they might be five to ten pounds more expensive to rent per day. You might want to consider spending your time in Edinburgh without a car, and just rent the car when you need it for the highlands. You might want to check on any proposed roadworks going on before you do though because sometimes they do it all in spring and it really slows down driving if you have to make a 3 hour detour, like all our friends going to the church retreat last year. We got the train and got to Pitlochry and back again without a hitch except for the last leg where everyone except old ladies had to stand.

The other thing to remember is they charge you for using some of the roads in Scotland. So even if it seems the same price to rent a car to get someone as to take the train, you have to remember the toll bridges - esp if going to Skye! Parking and petrol are apparently always going up in price and some b&bs have a hidden 'parking cost' where they charge you for using a parking spot.

The easiest way to see the highlands I have found is to find a bus tour that goes the place you want - some are one day, some are 3 days and go all the way to Eileen Donan and the Isle of Skye. Then you have a knowledgeable guide who will tell you about the castles you pass and the local history.

I find I don't really need flexibility when I travel because I usually have charted out what we're doing every day. And if you get an Explorer Pass, you're sort of locked into a series of castles anyway. I never plan to do more than one castle in a day generally because we like time to get coffee, explore old churches and anything else that might look interesting, but everyone has a different traveling style.

When is the best time to do the highlands and islands?
Before the midges come out in July and August! Or after they all die off!
Some islands like Skye have a despotic single restaurant which charges ridiculous prices for poor service. There are also toll bridges and it's possible to book a week's holiday there and for it to rain the whole time. Since Skye is really only known for it's wild outdoor beauty, there's nothing to do but sit inside your cottage and play cards.

Do you have taxes in the UK?
The price items are labeled in the shop includes tax which is great. If you have to buy something larger like coats while you're here (don't forget to pack warmly even in summer!) you can claim back the VAT when you get home.