Packing Tips For European Travel

We went to Germany and Austria for 10 days and managed to have everything in a carry on. It was crucial to not have to lug around a giant suitcase every time we switched cities/countries. We rolled up our shirts and underwear to take up as little space as possible. Packed only a few pair of shorts that we could wear at least twice, if not three times and one pair of jeans. We also brought a backpack each that held some clothes and other things. Oh, and we brought some vacuum seal bags so on our way back we could shove dirty clothes in there and condense them as much as possible. It allowed us to buy a few souvenirs, including shirts, and have room for it on the way back. I know this isn't a ton of advice but it is possible! You can also check out Youtube for some good tips on how to pack and what to pack.

Everyone told us to pack nice clothes because people don't walk around Europe in T-shirts and shorts but we didn't care and we saw tons of people in comfortable clothes. Especially being we did a lot of the more touristy things and stayed in the big cities. We only brought one pair of comfortable shoes but we didn't have any plans to do any nice dinners or going out.

Oh, and don't forget to do your research on what kind of converters you will need for your electronics, mainly phone chargers and maybe a charger for your camera. We found a nice pack on Amazon that was cheap and worked great. We only went to two countries but you have a lot more so you may need multiple kinds but the good ones are adaptable to multiple outlet types.

I pack 4 pair underwear/socks, 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts plus what I wear on the plane including a light jacket. I usually only pack 1 pair of shoes plus a slightly nicer pair I wear on the plane. Then my toiletries bag, some paper clamps for hanging stuff to dry if I wash underwear/socks in a sink. I rarely have to do this anymore as the airbnb's usually have a washer. We rarely go to any place fancy so that reduces what I have to take. I do have to take my laptop in my carry-on as I have to work some while we are over there.

roll your clothes

I agree with your dad’s approach, though the whole world’s gone super casual, it seems. More “baskets” (athletic shoes) on the streets of Paris now than heels. Still, I try to make an effort to look slightly better & avoid either the “just rolled out of a backpack” look or the “I ordered everything from the ExOfficio catalog” ensembles so often seen among mature American travelers.

My top Euro packing tip isn’t even clothing: buy a microfiber washcloth. A washcloth isn’t standard equipment for many European AirBnBs, or some small hotels unless they cater to Americans. (I’m not sure why—maybe they feel it’s a personal item & shouldn’t be shared? I dunno.). Anyway, I like a good scrub, so I’ve learned to pack my own quick-drying washcloth in a ziploc bag. That way, you can pack it up immediately after use & go on to the next destination.

I like 4 undies,, 4 pr socks (unless hiking, then more), PJs that can pass as outerwear in a pinch (yoga pants or lightweight joggers for men; no logo, non-washed out t shirt in long or short sleeves as seasonally appropriate). If at all possible, the PJ items should be some sort of quick drying fabric, not cotton. I’ve discovered I don’t like sleeping in funky jammies, so something hand-washable is nice to have. One extra pair of shoes; I usually fly in a waterproof, zip ankle boot and pack either a clog/loafer/or lace up solid high tops (all waterproof). 4 bottoms (usually all pants), 4 tops, one dress to wear with leggings (often I choose to fly in this). For colder weather, a cardigan, a merino sweater, and the tops get swapped for some wool blends and I add a tank or merino undershirt for each top, plus a cashmere oversized wrap that doubles as a plane blanket. All this stuff gets rolled and fitted into a packing cube by category: underwearsocks, /base layers, tops, bottoms, etc. This keeps me organized & I can tell at a glance if I need to do laundry or if I’m running out of clothes.

Coats: this is where size/weight matter. I’m a fan of Primaloft over down, and I’ve got an LL Bean packable coat that fits in its own pocket (then doubles as a travel pillow). A triclimate jacks (rainshell w/zip out fleece liner) is a must in Northern Europe in winter. For warmer trips, I have a stretch hooded thigh length raincoat.

I always have a trash bag stuck in one corner of my suitcase, in case a mud or other nasty disaster happens & I need to pack up before laundry is possible. Also permanently in my case are two of the collapsible nylon bags (including a waterproof one by Matador), suitable for groceries, laundry, or souvenirs.

Second the washcloth. It seems many hotels in Africa and Europe don’t include wash cloths in the room. Some hotels have them if you ask, others send more hand towels.
We just buy a set of cheap washcloths from Costco and leave them behind. It frees up that space in our luggage to take things home.

If you do a lot of shopping on your trips, Costco has expandable pieces of carry on luggage. They can fit under the seat of an airplane or you can unzip the top for a decent size checked bag. On our last trip I put the Costco piece into my larger checked bag. We filled it up with souvineers and presents for family and just checked it on the way home. It was a nice way to save the baggage fee on the way to our destination. Here is the link to the luggage piece on Amazon.

LINK

Great tips guys! Keep 'em coming.

Regarding hats, I like to buy one each time I go over there to look "cool".

Like an ivy cap or similar style.

Oh, definitely some non sneaker/running shoes for daily use. Something comfortable, that you can walk 6+ miles in, but can pair with pants or jeans for dinner.

quote:

---

washcloth

---

Was coming to post this. My wife brought a clothesline and some pods for laundering some light items in our hotel room. Since I was checking a bag, I brought way more than I needed - cobblestone and stairs in Italy really weren’t as bad as everyone makes out.

Wish I would’ve had a fan for some air flow while sleeping. Some of those places got a bit warm. Would suggest ancillary and secondary photo storage - WiFi over there made relying on DropBox a pain.

Hid copies of our IDs and passports in our luggage and left copies with someone at home per someone’s suggestion.

Women’s shoes are a little trickier than mens, but not impossible.
Any of Ecco’s GTX (goretex) waterproof shoes are sufficiently supportive for long distance walking without being excessively heavy (like hiking shoes can be).
Ankle boots, either zip up or Chelsea style pull ones, are my other cooler weather default; they can be dressed up. Teva and Josef Seibel are in my rotation.

I figure I can always buy a pair of shoes while traveling if something isn’t working out.