Your bag

An efficiently-packed bag is going to significantly enhance your travel experience! We’ll have washing machines in all the places we stay, so you'll be able to pack light. You’ll also need to be able to manage your luggage as we get on and off trains and walk to accommodations.

I use a maximum of a medium-sized suitcase and a medium-sized shoulder bag. A medium suitcase can be packed to the gills and almost certainly not be overweight for air travel. With careful planning, you can bring something even smaller. I also carry a foldaway tote, which can become my carry-on if I need the extra space. But don’t come with full baggage; save some room for shopping!

Your clothing

We can expect mostly warm to hot weather. In the mountains it will be a bit cooler, but you won’t need much for long sleeves or long pants. Be aware, though, that women need to cover their shoulders in most churches, especially in Slovakia.

Make sure you have comfortable footwear, as we may be walking several kilometers in a day. There will always be opportunities to rest during those days, and some days will have quite a bit less walking, but you will not want to wear your feet out in the first few days, and then not be able to participate for a while because everything hurts.

Also, I strongly recommend wearing a pair of compression socks while flying. Discovering this was a game-changer for me. Instead of arriving in Vienna with painfully swollen feet that no longer fit into my shoes, I could walk comfortably off the plane and into the first day of my trip.