We’ve all been there, lugging home an extra suitcase stuffed with souvenirs and realizing when we get home that half of them will simply gather dust indefinitely. Even Rick Steves, the guru of lightweight travel, has fallen into the souvenir trap, having picked up “two medieval chairs, two sets of bongos, swords, a mace, and a camelhair coat” all in one trip, as he shares on his website. But one of the great pleasures of traveling in Europe is picking up a few souvenirs along the way, and we’re not here to tell you to stop shopping altogether. We’re here to share how to shop smarter, and you can do that by following Steves’ super simple philosophy: “Lighten up!”w
On his website, he recommends that travelers buy souvenirs that are lightweight and packable. So, no medieval chairs, then. Even with this advice, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. and it’s easy to fall back on the classics like a fridge magnet or mug. There’s nothing wrong with those items if they bring you joy and you’re on a budget, but Steves has more ideas for meaningful keepsakes.
Lightweight and meaningful souvenirs
