What to Pack for Europe

When it comes to planning a trip to Europe (exciting as it is) there is preparation involved. It’s important to be prepared and allow enough time to purchase what you need to bring with you.  No matter when and where you’re traveling, your basic carry on packing list shouldn’t change much. Pack light! I can’t express that enough. Between flights, hotels with no elevators, and running to trains. You want to pack light, be comfortable, still look good, but most importantly be smart and prepared.

What to bring to Europe varies on the season, style, and location. For this post I’m focusing on the basic essentials such as passport pouches, portable chargers, power adapters, travel insurance, you know those important things.

The black pouch has a tie that goes around your neck that I wear under my shirt or under my jacket.

The tan version is Nate’s that goes around his hips (like a fanny pack) but sits inside his pants.

1) Passport Holder– I highly recommend you get a pouch for your passport. This goes with me everywhere. I do NOT keep my passports in hotel safes when I travel. I have heard stories where the safes were stolen from hotel rooms from staff members a handful of times, so I keep it on me. I keep everything important in that pouch including my money and credit cards. Mine was stored under my shirt. Nate kept his on the inside of his pants. There are plenty of pickpockets, I’ve had people try it on me and they failed because I was prepared. Having your valuables under your shirt or inside your pants (in the front) makes it really challenging to steal. Note: I only took 1 credit card, 1 debit card and my drivers license with me (if I needed to drive). I’ve had my pouch for a while, so you can get better passport holders that have built in RFID blockers built in. Click here.

2) Passport Protectors– Yes, unfortunately, as good as most people are, there are always a few bad apples out there that make it more difficult for the rest of us when we travel. So, it’s very wise to cover your credit cards and Passports. There are professional thieves out there that can steel your information by scanning your bags or purses, so cover it up.

3) European Power Adapter– You need one of these! Different areas have different outlets. You also want one that has a couple USB chargers.

4) Travel insurance – I know people struggle with this one! Things can always go wrong. But for a fraction of your trip cost, travel insurance will take care of you if things don’t go as planned, and give you peace-of-mind. My last trip, three years ago, our flight was delayed and we missed our first night in Germany. Because we didn’t have insurance, we couldn’t get our money back for the missed hotel room. Delayed and cancelled flights happen all the time! I had Travel insurance this time around and it payed for all those hospital bills, events that I missed, the museum passes I didn’t use, and my missed hotel night. It was totally worth it. We were just reimbursed close to $4,000 for trip interruption and medical expenses. It’s nice to have a back up plan that works. We use and recommend Allianz Travel Insurance. It will also replace lost or stolen items and will pay for hotel rooms and plane flights if yours get cancelled.

5) Water bottles– Most places in Europe the water is drinkable. But if you’re headed to Turkey or the UK you’ll want to do your research and make sure your water bottle has a built in filter. For all the places we’ve been too, the tap water is fine. Don’t waist your money on bottled water, as it gets expensive. Bring your own water bottle and fill up at the hotel and at a restaurant. Stay hydrated and save money. For filtered water bottles click here.

6) Travel Daypack – This can be in a small backpack or stylish (larger) purse. I did a large stylish purse. It carried my camera, bandaids, wet wipes, Tums, Pepto-bismol, Ibuprofen, water bottle, umbrella and shout wipes. It held all my essentials and I didn’t look too touristy. Click here to get my simple grey purse.

You can kinda see my gray bag that carried everything in it.

7) Rolling suitcase – Do NOT do large suitcaes. Use a small carry-on sized suitcases with wheels. There are endless cobblestone streets, hotels with no elevator, and super narrow stairwells that make it challenging to carry anything up or down. Here’s a suitcase that get’s super good reviews! Make sure you get locks for the suitcase too! Click here for locks.

8) Hanging Toiletry bag – I loved having this as I traveled. It’s kept everything clean, organized, and mess free. It’s easy to take out, put back without a problem.

9) Mobile Wireless Internet – If you are road-tripping it’s great to have wifi and a GPS! Plus, if you stumble through a new fun town, you can quickly look up reviews and hit a fun restaurant without much hassle. I know, we depend a lot on the wifi, but having it when you travel makes things very easy!

10) Jet lag pills – Oh jet lag! It can really kick your butt! Don’t lose precious travel time trying to catchup on sleep. You can try these jet lag pills or try Unisom. They worked for me!

11) Foot gels– Yes, your feet will thank you so much! Even if you wear sneakers, smack some gels in there. You’ll be walking so much, trust me!

12) Lint brush– So you look polished when you step outside.

13) Knee Brace– If you don’t do a lot of walking, a trip to Europe will kick your butt! You’ll do more walking than you realize. Give your knees some love, too. I’m always on the go, plus we did a ton of hiking, so my knee brace was good to have around when I needed it!

14) Inflatable neck pillow– Yes! You’ll want one when you sleep on the plane. Then when you are done, you let the air out and fold it up. Trust me! I helped me sleep much more comfortably and didn’t take up much space to pack it when I wasn’t using it.

15) Wet wipes– I like to have these pretty much everywhere I go. They can be used for so much. It’s one on my staple items I keep on me all the time.

 

Walking: As I said before you’ll be doing a LOT of walking. Make sure your shoes are comfortable but also stylish.

Fashion and Style: Look good. You don’t have to be fancy, but you’ll blend in better and not look so touristy. Go with darker outfits, and fun brighter shoes. Check out my post on What I Wore In Europe.

Weather: Check the forecast before your trip. A light rain jacket doesn’t hurt if your traveling during the wet season.

 

SPRING – March, April, May: It is an ideal time to travel to many locations (smaller crowds). I’m a HUGE fan of less crowds for better photography. Plus the weather is great. It ranges from 50 degrees to the low 70 degrees. It will be the wet season, so check the forecast.

SUMMER – June, July, August: Summers can be great, but some areas get really sticky and super hot. With nicer sunny weather comes LOTS of tourists. If you don’t mind the crowds and the inflated prices, it’s a lovely time to go.

FALL – September, October, November: I’ve wanted to try Europe in Fall. I’ve heard it’s another great time to go. It brings milder weather, lower prices and smaller crowds. Sounds lovely to me!

WINTER – December, January, February: Winter is legit in Europe. It get’s cold, but nothing like a Minnesota winter. I’ve heard it’s mild over there, depending on your location, of course. Yes, you’ll have to bring heavier warmer items, but the prices are still okay and crowds are smaller (except around Christmas).

In general, the best seasons to visit Europe are the spring and fall, particularly in end of April, May, beginning of June, and September. During these months, prices are lower than during peak season, and the weather is comfortable, without a super heavy coat.

If you have any travel questions, please ask! I’m happy to tell you all I know!

XOXO

Melessa