Kelly's European travel blog

Kelly and her family are touring Europe and she has promised to keep us updated with all their travel experiences.

It's not long now until we head for the airport to start our adventure. It's really exciting but kind of scary at the same time. How will I do all the things I've got to do before we leave? As always, they'll get done, but I know from past experience that I won't stop worrying about them until we're on the plane!

There's so many little things to do when you're going to be away for six weeks that I find it easier to make a list (or lots of lists!!) so that I don't forget anything. Have I cancelled the newspaper delivery, got someone to collect the mail, paid the telephone and electricity bills in advance (or arranged for them to be paid by direct debit), packed the passports and airline tickets? The list goes on and on......

Then there's the dilemma of what to pack. We'll be travelling in the European summer so hopefully we won't need too many warm clothes. The old adage still applies "whatever you think you need to take, halve it". We tend to dress pretty casually when travelling, and whilst we rate pretty poorly against the ultra-chic French and Italians, we're comfy, and at the end of a long day taking in all the sights, that's what really counts!

So, having checked and double-checked the lists and halving the amount of clothes I've packed, it's time to go. We've allowed plenty of time to get to the airport and have already checked in online, so we're nearly ready to board the plane. Our first stop is Singapore, just over seven hours' flight away, where we will stay overnight and break the trip for 24 hours before heading off to Paris. I can't wait!