We recently travelled around Italy for 2 weeks, with just hand luggage (no luggage in the hold of an aircraft). Using planes, trains, boats and automobiles, mobility on foot was key so we needed to be able to carry all of our luggage easily and comfortably. This is how we did it.

Our general movement:

• Flight – Stansted to Verona.
• Train – Verona to Orvieto (via 3 hrs in Florence, same day).
• Train – Orvieto to Rome.
• Overnight train – Rome to Sicily.
• Hire car – Sicily 3 days.
• Flight – Sicily – Naples.
• Boat – Amalfi & Sorrento.
• Flight – Naples to Sardinia.
• Hire car – Sardinia 4 days.
• Flight – Sardinia to Stansted.

Breakfast on the Sleeper train from Rome to Sicily.

Having chosen the flights (all 4 were with Ryanair), it was the airline’s luggage policy (bag size) that became important. We settled on 2 bags each:

• A small bag (max size 40 x 20 x 25 cm). This is included in the base airfare and should fit under the seat in front of you.
• A cabin bag (max size 55 x 40 x 20 cm). If you choose the ‘Regular’ airfare (Ryanair), this is included along with priority boarding and seat selection.

There are now dozens of well designed small bags  for this purpose with lots of zipped pockets for laptops, mobiles, documents, etc that fit the low-cost airline measurements. As the bags are rectangular and more ‘boxy’ in shape, they are better suited for packing clothing than more traditional casual daysacks.

Our larger cabin bags are Eagle Creek, purpose built for this type of travel and converts from a 2-wheeled pull along bag to a rucksack.

The combination of both bags worked worked extremely well, utilising the ‘front and back’ carrying method where we needed to, or pulling the larger bag on wheels where we could (it doesn’t work well on cobbled streets!). Suffice to say, without any luggage in the hold, there was no risk of losing luggage and we had no waiting at luggage carousels.

All credit to Ryanair, all 4 flights were on time and we had no problems at all with the App, boarding passes, etc…

The front & back carry method works extremely well when necessary.

The two travel bags together.

If the terrain allows and you can wheel them, stack them.

Location is everything. When booking accommodation be conscious of where you are in relation to your incoming and outgoing travel arrangements, and book according. For example, if you’re coming in by train, book something relatively close to that or you end up tromping further than you might want. The earlier you can book accommodation the better, wider choice.

Choose your accommodation wisely. We used a mix of accommodation using booking.com and Airb&b. Moving around is all very well but at some point, you need a static base for a few days to regroup. We did this in Sicily and Sardinia (Airb&b’s) allowing us to use the washing machine facility (we ensured that these properties had one). The ability to wash clothes allowed us to keep the amount of clothing we travelled with down to a min and negated the need to wash clothes in other places. This cuts down on weight too.

We knew the weather was going to be generally warm, so our clothing/footwear reflected that.

• Clothing – Use packing cubes, or similar, to stay organised.
• Use lightweight clothing that drys easily and doesn’t need ironing.
• If you have accommodation with washing machine facilities, take that into account when deciding how much clothing you take.
• When travelling lightweight, be practical. It’s not a fashion show!

• Footwear – your prime footwear should be comfortable, such as trainers. You are likely to do a lot of walking.
• Footwear takes up a lot of space, so try to restrict it to 2 pairs. Trainers and flip-flops/sandals might work.

Sunrise in Sardinia, AirB&B.

Take anti-theft and loss precautions seriously. These days, your phone is more valuable than your wallet. We used a security cord for our mobiles, which helps prevents snatch theft and potential loss (falling out of pockets). We also used bum bags, out of sight, out of mind.

Lost or stolen phone? Know exactly what to do if you lose your phone (or it’s stolen). If necessary, write down the procedure. Back up your phone before you travel. Should the worst happen, try to erase the data on it before you then tell your provider to block it. If your provider blocks it first, you can’t erase the data. It’s the data most thieves are after.

Something we just had to do! Having spent the day in Rome (we arranged to leave our luggage at the previous night’s accommodation for the day), the train departed at 2230 hrs. We had a 2-berth cabin (bunk beds), While compact, it is more than adequate for the purpose. The train arrives into Palmero at 1300 hrs next day having crossed the Straits of Messina (the train boards a ferry!). There’s more detailed information on this journey on The Man in Seat61’s website, who recommends you take a picnic on board for the evening meal, which we did!

Cost €305.80 (for 2 people), but of course it saves on a night’s accommodation with breakfast thrown in! Book this train as early as you can.

Sleeper train on the Messina Straits ferry from Italy’s mainland to Sicily.

Trains – We travelled from Verona to Florence on one of the mainline intercity trains. It was fast, on time and comfortable. We booked online, in advance to secure a seat on the Trentitalia website. The train from Florence to Orvieti and from Orvieti to Rome were not intercity trains but we also booked those in advance.

Boats – Naples was our access point to Sorrento and Amalfi. Famed for its coastline, we decided this was best seen from the sea. Having arrived by air, and leaving by air, and with just 2 nights here, we left our main bag at left luggage and went very lightweight. We took the bus into town and the train to Sorrento (stayed overnight, lovely place). From Sorrento, we took the ferry to Amalfi, spent a few hours there and then returned by ferry to Naples. While frequent, if you want the ferry timings convenient to you, it is best to book to ensure you get a slot. Book online to avoid the queues at the dock.

You can’t beat using cards abroad these days. With near perfect exchange rates and no fees, it keeps cash levels down too. Check out the best travel cards.
Credit card or debit card? – For security, consider using a mix.
The most vulnerable card will be the one you use the most, and a debit card, if stolen, can limit the damage. If for example, you transfer £100 onto the debit card at a time, that is the most that you can lose.
If a credit card is stolen, a thief can rack up some serious debt until hopefully you notice and freeze it.

Sorrento Port.

• Travel fan – Apart from preferring a cool temperature when sleeping, small travel fans are a worth while investment in case the air conditioning doesn’t work properly or is non-existent. The constant low hum also blocks out any unfamiliar sounds during the night. Mine is USB powered so a power bank can power them all night if needs be.
• Long USB cables – I’m talking 3-metre min. The plug sockets are not always where you would like them to be.
• Multi-Port USB Hub – With so many portable devices requiring charging, it’s worth investing in a suitable hub to charge them overnight.
• Power banks – they are surely a standard piece of kit these days (remember to check your airline’s restriction on power banks in terms of capacity and where they can be carried (checked luggage or in the aircraft cabin)).
• Eye mask – some lights, however dim, don’t go off. It can disturb sleep.

You read plenty of horror stories of hire car scams abroad where excessive charges are applied when returning cars. Our research showed plenty of cars for hire at £20 for 3-4 days but with car hire firms you’ve never heard of! We chose to use Avis/Budget (still cheap at £65), more well known names and we had no problems at all.

Both we booked online in advance. We also took the precaution of buying a Car Hire Excess Insurance policy, cost £37 for 1 year for Europe.

We did take the sensible precaution of taking images and video of the car pre and post hire in case of any issues. Anywhere in Italy, you want the smallest car you can get away with!

Planned well in advance, with a well thought out itinerary, you can enjoy travel of this nature without breaking the bank. Our 4 flights were less than £400, car hire was £65 (3 nights) and £45 (4 nights) (both were decent cars), and the average cost for accommodation worked out at around £80 per night (so £40 each per night).

Our choice of luggage was bang on. When fully loaded, it was small and light enough to be able to move around (on foot) comfortably within a reasonable distance. Much bigger, or heavier and it would have potentially become a chore and taken the enjoyment out of our mobility.