🧳 How I Traveled Italy for 14 Days with Just an Expandable Backpack
No checked luggage. No regrets. Just one solo traveler, 20L, and a route across Italy.
Can You Really Travel for Two Weeks with Only an Expandable Backpack?
Last November, I flew into Paris with no plan but a backpack.
Two weeks later, I had crossed half of Italy—Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Naples, and Rome—still carrying only 20L on my back.
No suitcase. No stress. Just a light expandable backpack that somehow handled it all.
The Route: A Tight Loop Across Italy
Here’s what it looked like:
✈️ Paris → Milan
🚄 Milan → Turin → Bologna → Florence → Naples → Rome
🚄 Rome → Milan → Paris (return)
Every day was either a train ride or a city walk. I needed flexibility, not bulk.
And that’s where the expandable design made all the difference.
What Fit Inside My Expandable Backpack
I’m a student, traveler, and part-time digital nomad.
I packed:
· Laptop
· Camera
· Clothes for 4 days
· Sleep sack
· Toiletries
· Chargers
· A foldable rain jacket
· One book
· Snacks
Yes—no checked bag, and still had space for a tiny souvenir.
Why Expandable Matters (Especially for Solo Trips)
· In Bologna, I had to run for a train—20L meant I made it.
· In Naples, I stayed in a 6-bed hostel room—small bag, zero awkwardness.
· In Florence, I added a sweater and snack—my bag flexed with me.
I never had to repack. I never had to think twice. That’s the thing with expandable backpacks—they shift with your day, not against it.
Solo Travel Is Easier When You Carry Less
As a solo traveler, I didn’t want to rely on others or store luggage.
Having a compact, expandable bag made walking, checking in, and switching cities frictionless.
And Europe was kind. No theft. No stress. Locals were helpful, and trains mostly ran on time (except in Rome, of course).
Would I Pack the Same Again?
Absolutely.
I’d maybe swap one top or one extra sock—but I wouldn’t trade the freedom of having everything with me, at all times, without carrying weight I didn’t need.
It turns out: 20L is enough—if the backpack is expandable.
🔗 The Backpack I Used
My 20L expandable backpack was just right for city-to-city travel, overnight trains, and hostels.