Here’s Your Ultimate Packing List for Europe

Ultimate-Packing-List-for-Europe

 

Europe Packing List

 

I’m headed off to Europe this weekend for summer vacation and can’t wait! I’ve been to Europe many times and think I’ve nailed down the art of what to pack so here’s my ultimate Europe packing list for summer and spring.

Europeans dress just a touch more formally than we do in America so I’m packing lightweight tops and longer shorts with subtle accents for my summer Euro trip. I particularly love lace and stripes for summer wear! All of the fabrics are easily cleanable and breathable in the heat. Here are the essentials you must pack for your European vacation!

 Read more:  A First Timer’s Guide to Paris

 


 

 

What to Pack for Europe

1. Clothes

I recommend packing breathable tops and a couple pairs of jeans and shorts to mix and match. I want to be comfortable sightseeing but I also still want to look nice, so I recommend stain resistant blouses and tank tops and then I usually pack a blazer or light sweater for chillier evenings.

European countries generally do not use AC so I stick to lighter, cool fabrics and I don’t worry about packing a jacket for AC chills.

 

2. Shoes

Europe has tons of cobblestone streets and you’ll likely do a TON of walking. I recommend comfortable sneakers like these for sightseeing and all around day wear.

 

3. Accessories

A large scarf is essential. It can cover your shoulders if you want to visit a church and can also keep your neck warm on chilly days. I never travel without a scarf.

For dinners or shows, I also bring a couple inexpensive but cute costume jewelry pieces. My current favorite shop is Bauble Bar – they’ve got loud statement pieces, dainty pieces and everything in between… and they’re really affordable so if you lost an earring you don’t get too worked up.

If you’re traveling to Europe in summer, don’t forget a hat! I like bringing inexpensive straw hats to protect from the sun and to also make the outfit :)

 

4. Backpack & Tote Bag 

I recommend a backpack or large tote bag for day trips as well as a smaller cross-body bag for everyday sightseeing. I currently use this extra large travel friendly Lipault tote bag which doubles as my carry on in airports. It fits loads, including a laptop, spare change of clothes and all my camera equipment plus there’s a handy slip pocket to loop over a carry-on suitcase.

I also usually bring a smaller bag, like a cute cross-body bag. For my favorite travel backpacks, you can reference this post.

 Read more:  The Best Europe Travel Apps to Download Before Your Trip

 


 

 

5. Suitcase 

If you’re visiting Europe for two weeks or less, I recommend bringing a rolling suitcase, just because I find it more comfortable to push luggage rather than carry on my back. I’ve reviewed all my favorite carry on luggage brands in this previous post here and am currently using my Delsey large suitcase.

 

6. Packing Cubes & Toiletries

I like to group clothing by color or function and pack each group of items snugly in their own packing cube. These are a lifesaver for keeping your suitcase organized in your hotel room and are my number 1 secret to maximizing space in just a carry on suitcase. I typically reserve one packing cube for all my worn clothes to separate the dirty stuff from my fresh clothes!

Amazon has their own inexpensive 4 piece packing cube set and several travel blogger friends swear by this set from eBags. Personally I use a set from CalPak which I love. They’re machine washable for easy cleaning and have a mesh panel so you can see easily what’s inside.

Toiletry Bottles | Optional, but I currently like these for shampoo and conditioner. If I know I’m staying in nice hotels, I don’t always bring shampoo but I always want my conditioner. I also pack extra ziplock bags to keep toiletries and wet clothes safely contained.

Portable Charger | Definitely a must! I currently use an iPhone 6S Plus and this Anker portable charger keeps my phone fully charged at all times. The charger is small and sleek enough to fully charge an iPhone twice. Anker has great customer service – I once bought a product off Amazon that ended up dying and they quickly sent me a replacement free of charge, so I highly recommend them!

Electric Converter | If you are international, you’ll need a US converter. Also pick up a travel sized power strip so you can charge your laptop, phone and everything in one go.

Camera | I bring a professional DSLR camera and a couple lenses to shoot all the photos you see on this blog. I also bring my spare battery, battery charger and extra SD cards. To keep everything organized, I use a memory card case and a travel accessories case so the wires, chargers and small things don’t get lost.

For underwater photos, I use a GoPro, backdoor floatie and dome. For video, I use a stabilizer and my iphone, along with an external battery. You can find all my gear here.

 


 

So that’s my Europe packing checklist! Am I missing anything – what can’t you live without on your vacation?

 

Fun Day Trips in Europe

 

 

 

Europe Vacation Checklist

  • Compare flight prices and timings on Skyscanner
  • Check accommodation availability and pricing on Booking.com
  • Get travel insurance for your Europe trip – get an immediate online quote here

 

Read more: Sailing the Rhine River on a European River Cruise and eating my way Through the Best Desserts in Paris

 

Shop Europe Outfits


 

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5 Comments

  1. Claire
    August 20, 2017 / 7:49 pm

    Hi

    I’ve followed your blog for a while and before starting a trip around Europe I ordered a KnowRoaming sim on your recommendation.

    However, upon beginning to use the sim I have since learnt they do not enable SMS messaging. I have contacted the company and they say this “feature” is not set up yet and won’t be for a while. I feel like this is a necessary and important requirement of a SIM card and is worth letting your readers know! Not everyone has or wants to use WhatsApp, especially elderly relatives. If I had know that KnowRoaming did not cater for SMS I would not have chosen their product.

    Keep up the good work!

    • Sher
      Author
      August 20, 2017 / 7:59 pm

      Hi Claire – I’m so sorry you are disappointed with KnowRoaming. I have an iPhone as does my family so when we used it throughout Italy, we were able to use KnowRoaming’s cellular to send free text messages to each other via iMessage, so I didn’t realize SMS messaging was an issue. (In the past, we had to wait until we were back at the hotel to use hotel wifi for imessages, so i liked that the sim let us message even on the streets.)

      Totally understand you might not like to use WhatsApp as it’s another thing to download. KnowRoaming does support facebook messenger – do you use that?

      I will update my post so other readers are aware – thank you for bringing it to my attention that it was an issue for you. I want people to enjoy the products I recommend as much as I do, so I appreciate your feedback.

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