Packing Advice: 10 tips for a two-week European jaunt
Packing advice can get awfully proscriptive very quickly, and these tips are no exception. Bear with me.
Before you start throwing everything you own into a bag, take a moment to think about strategy. With a few easy steps, you too can be hitting the road in Europe like a budget travel pro.
I’ve been traveling light since I was a teenager. And if you find the following advice too limiting, know that it could be much, much worse. My mother once traveled from Germany to Paris for a weekend carrying just a small purse!
Packing advice for a two-week trip to Europe
1. There’s no need to check a bag
Find a medium-sized carry-on bag. This is what you’ll be taking with you to hold most of your stuff. Everything you need for a two-week trip will fit into the carry-on bag (such as a duffel bag) and a modest backpack.
Don’t try to remember everything in your head. A list keeps your packing system on track. Photo: Steve Hodgson
2. Make a list and check it twice
Catalog what you think you’ll need. Lay it all out, every last t-shirt, sweater and pair of jeans. Haul everything out and line up items next to each other: clothing, toiletries, books, electronics.
3. Condense your clothes
Now take an axe to your clothes. Reduce everything down to the following: eight shirts or blouses, two pairs of trousers, dresses or skirts, a sweater or sweatshirt, eight pair/sets of underwear, eight pairs of socks, and one pair of shoes. Wear a light jacket on the plane to save space in your bag, and you’re good to go. That’s it. You need to be a good editor.
Interlude
Get a hold of yourself. Breathe deeply. To answer your first and most pressing question, you’ll wash your clothes along the way, in your hotel sink or at a laundromat. You might even splurge and arrange laundry through a service. Just trust me.
4. Don’t overdo the toiletries
Reduce your toiletries as well, and keep in mind size limitations for international travel. Separate your toiletries into two categories: liquid and non-liquid, and place the liquid toiletries in a transparent plastic bag with a seal. Your non-liquid toiletries (toothbrush, dental floss, pills, etc.) do not need to be stored in close proximity to your liquid toiletries.
I turned to beauty blogger and travel publicist Lynda Daboh for cosmetics advice. Her two cents: “decant, get free sample sizes, and use powder products where possible to minimize spillage and maximize space.”
Think carefully about what you’ll need on the road. It may be less than you think. Photo: CalypsoCrystal
5. Do you really need that laptop?
Think about your electronics. Do you need your laptop? Do you need your camera? Will your smart phone do the trick of staying in touch and documenting your travels adequately? Among my admittedly tiny professional tribe of travel writers, I’ve noticed a slow but unstoppable trend toward leaving bigger equipment at home.
iPhone and iPad cameras are as good as many digital cameras as far as quality is concerned, and they allow you the opportunity to post and edit photos on the fly whenever you have access to WiFi. Reduce your electronics, and you’ll stand to benefit.
6. Don’t bring a whole library of guidebooks
Which books do you need? Many guidebooks can be transported digitally; relevant chapters of monster-sized guidebooks can be torn out and placed in a folder to reduce weight. Books for leisurely reading can be read on devices to save space again. (I’m old-fashioned and prefer to read books made out of paper, myself, but there it is.) For recording observations, a nice notebook is good to have.
7. Plastic bags can be your friend
Slip one in your bag for dirty clothes. Take another for transporting a second pair of shoes or flip-flops. And take an extra just in case. These will come in very handy.
You can never be too organized when it comes to travel documents. Photo: media.digest
8. Organize your documents.
Even the most technologically advanced traveler can benefit from having hard copies of tickets, itinerary suggestions, general information and a photocopy of your passport or any visa documentation on hand. Organize this into a folder, chronologically if it makes sense to do so.
9. Leave a little space for souvenirs
Leave room in your bags for treasures. Do you plan to do some shopping? If you do, make sure you have room for your loot.
Related: Check out these cheapo souvenir ideas in Paris, Amsterdam, and Florence
10. Everyone has different needs, so plan ahead
You can be forgiven of thinking of the practical last, but now it’s time to turn your mind to questions of utility. First of all, remember that many objects of daily use (hand sanitizer, tissues, many toiletries) can probably be purchased on the road.
Will your plugs work or will you need an adaptor? (Quick answer: You’ll likely need an adaptor.) Will you have language difficulties? If so, consider a phrase book, and consider familiarizing yourself with the language in advance by listening to it. But there are also the intangible valuable things whose value only you can determine. Will you need multivitamins? A favorite snack? A favorite pen?
Think ahead, dear Cheapos, and you are on your way to a fun two-week adventure.
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Great tips my love! I think that packing cubes and vacuum seal bags are a godsend! I use them on every trip and they are absolutely amazing. I actually use all these tips in general just when packing for a trip. Good luck with the move!
Gosh, I never bring along reading material, as I find the airline magazine(s) sufficiently interesting, if I really want to read something. And because I’m fluent in German and quite a bit in Italian, I just pick up something there when I arrive. I usually leave behind those materials when it’s time to fly back to the States.
Also, I found a pair of very comfortable leather low-cut boots that work for traveling as well as traipsing around Europe or even hiking here and there. They look smart in a city, but totally at home in the country, too. No one ever notices that I’m not European.
Thanks for your notes, Alex — I’m passing them along to a guy friend that wants to travel abroad with me.
I also appreciated hearing from others about their ideas, e.g. chocolate: absolutely!
take an empty water bottle, chocolate and/or a bag of nuts.
Make sure to scan your passport, tickets, credit cards (with their number to call if you lose them) and put them in dropbox or onedrive or google drive or whatever you use. Download google translate to your phone: it can translate spoken, text, and manuscript fairly well. (think menus, museum captions as well as actual communication with humans).
Plastic bags are not eco-friendly but in this case I love them. Plastic bags have helped me so many times. Love your tips. They are so useful. I am going to show your post to my sister. She is going to travel to Paris next week. Thank you!
Wow – you pack much more than I do. For two weeks I would bring, one extra pair of trousers, four dressy t shirts, one nice long sleeved shirt, four sets of underwear and three pairs of socks. On the plane I wear trousers, (I don’t even own a pair of jeans), dressy t shirt under a sweater, a pashmina, and my long trench coat, which doubles as a bathrobe if needed. If I know I am going out to a dressier dinner, I will include one top (it actually can fit into my pocket) to go over the dressy t shirt. I do not being extra shoes. If I am going somewhere that requires outdoor footwear, I will wear the lightweight hiking boots on the plane. This is the same wardrobe (with the addition of one turtle neck sweater and a turtleneck exchanged for one of the t shirts), gloves, hats, wind pants and wind jacket that I took for a 60 day trip from the polar ice cap of Greenland, to Europe, to a ship sailing from London to Cape Town, to Ethiopia and to Jordan. Sub zero to tropical weather.
As for the difference in packing between genders? It is just one garment that is the difference – it is either a sport jacket (if needed) or a bra. There is no reason women need to over pack with the excuse that they are women.
And, yes, I know I am a bit extreme with this and that most people would not be able to cope. I just hate hauling things around. If I can’t lift it over my head 10 times, then I need to lighted my load further.
An additional tip would be to plan your travel wardrobe around one color so that everything matches and is interchangeable.
Also, since many of the sites are in churches have clothes that are modest or you won’t gain admission.
I love the packing cubes we got from Rick Steves’ website years ago. When doing a trip with mixed climates (Paris/Egypt in January), the cubes were essential. All my wardrobe necessities for each area fit perfectly into one of the cubes. I never had to disturb the “other” climate wear. There was a third cube for undies and intimate apparel. Everything is very compact!
Great article! My daughter and I travel to Europe every summer and go for two weeks or a bit more, with nothing but a regulation carry-on size backpack…in which we manage to jam a couple of cocktail dresses, a shawl, a pair of heels, and dresses and flat shoes for exploring. They top out at about 19 pounds, fully loaded. Last year I had to bring sneakers (trainers) for hiking in the mountains and was disgusted at how much space they took in my bag…but the mountains of Spain were worth it. We usually manage to bring home half a dozen pairs of ballet slippers and pointe shoes from Paris, too, and we’re always dressed up, as we’re attending theatre, ballets, and concerts. (And eating sandwiches in parks to make up for the cost of the theatre tix!) 🙂
Got the tip right here! Try Uniqlo’s “Airism” T-shirts & boxer/briefs for men. My husband brought 3 prs & they saved more than 50% space! They are thin, pretty comfy, and wash & rinse quickly & easily in a sink. Use hotel shampoo, usually dry overnight (if not try the hair blower!) or bring an extra pair or 2 just in case. Uniqlo had a great sale a few weeks ago – may still be on. Give them a try-u’ll be glad you did! I use “skorts”, wear sans undies, flip them upside down & wash & rinse the “panty” piece (again in hotel sink w/their shampoo) and they usually dry overnight, too. Great in summer, perfect for visiting Churches & they are comfy. Buy umbrellas if you need them, don’t waste suitcase space on something you can buy anywhere – if needed. I squeezed computer cords in the space an umbrella would take. Find the right shoes & 1 pair will do you. We do Rick Steves Tours-carry-ons only recommended. We’ve done it! If we can you can too. (Use sample make-up & skin care products; disposable make-up removal cloths can also be used as mini face-cloths) don’t forget, nearly everything can be purchased nearly every where you go. Just enjoy!
Thanks for your comments, all.
Paul, you’re right that I meant to mention an adapter, not a converter. I’ve asked the editor to make that little change. I appreciate your comments; I do maintain that a phrasebook – especially one with a grammar primer – can be very useful. And I never check a bag unless I absolutely need to, ever. But of course there are different ways to go about packing light, and for many checking a bag makes sense.
PLRS: Great ideas, all. We should start a Sink Washing Defense Project.
Kate: Rock it.
Guys have it so easy when packing! One pair of shoes goes with everything!
Your suggestions are great but what about:
* Make-up. A woman still wants to look good even if she’s dressed practically. It doesn’t have to be a lot of make-up but it still adds volume and weight.
* Gifts for hosts. We often stay with friends when traveling abroad so we bring ‘thank you’ gifts for their hospitality. Even T-shirts and jewelry start to add up when visiting 3-4 families. Some of the items are also food items or goodies that these friends can’t get in Europe so we bring them with us to avoid high freight charges.
* Trips where snorkeling is involved. My challenge is, I don’t want to put a rental company’s snorkel in my mouth that was used by ‘who-knows-who’ just before me. We went to a birthday party in Sardinia and snorkeled in the Maddalena archipelago and even though I didn’t bring fins, the mask and snorkel added weight and took up prime real estate in my bag.
* Theme parties – on the Sardinia trip, there was one event that involved an outfit including a big floppy hat that I never wore again the rest of the trip—but it was brought to help the birthday girl (my sister) carry out the party theme. Also, there was a formal dinner and, well, my walking shoes just didn’t have the “bling” factor required.
* Travel to several climate zones. Sometimes, when traveling abroad, I go from a sunny Mediterranean island to very chilly Paris in the same trip. Northern France weather requires, as you know, more than a light jacket; scarf, gloves and down coat are indispensable, even if the visit isn’t in the dead of winter.
Please write an article giving your advice on how to deal with these aspects of foreign travel AS A WOMAN while still packing light. I welcome your suggestions because I’d love my suitcase to be lighter. My husband and I are believers in, “If you pack it, YOU get to carry it!”. (He packs heavier than I do! ; )
Michele, great comments. I did address cosmetics in tip 4 by quoting the lovely Lynda Daboh. Regarding your second point, gifts could, I suppose, fit in the space I recommend to be left for souvenirs.
Snorkeling and theme parties certainly present other challenges. It sounds as if you’ve got a great many ideas here, and I’d encourage you to write your own packing list tips blog post. I’m sure we could all learn something from it.
Generally solid advice…with a few adds and demurs…
1. Generally, on international flights, you can check a bag free…take advantage. You won’t have to carry it around the terminal or fight for overhead space…but keep it small enough that you could, because you’re going to carry it everywhere else, and you can’t check it on trains.
2. While my laptop and camera are needed for work, I’ve ditched the Kindle and read on my phone (a spare external battery not much bigger than a couple of credit cards makes that safe)
3. Skip the phrasebook; Google Translate (and there are offline modules for it) takes up no space, lets you point it at menus and signs and get the translation, or type in your question and show it to the other person in his or her language–and they can even reply by typing and having it translate back to you.
4. You will likely NOT need a converter. You’re using dual voltage devices, I hope. So what you need is a plug converter.
5. Don’t let a bunch of fancy “fits every country” plug adapters fill up your bag. Even with simple small ones, don’t take too many. One plus a U.S. 3-way tap turns one outlet into 3.
6. Think about medical savings. Many items that are prescription-only or very expensive in the U.S. can be had for much less, and over-the-counter in Europe. I’m not talking about unknown versions, either; I’m talking the same name brand and formulation. Example: Voltarem gel (diclofenac) 1% costs nearly $50 in copay on my drug plan, but sells OTC in France for about 7-8€ for the same quantity. Of course, gels count as liquids…but aren’t you glad I reminded you that you can usually check your bag free on trans-Atlantic flights?
Great post, Alex. My list (looks over at half-unpacked suitcase from last week’s trip) would also include a thermos and teabags, foldable water bottle, baby silverware (fork and spoon), ipod (for music, kindle reading, and wifi when available) with charger cable and earbuds, a large scarf, and an umbrella! For an international flight, I also pack a neck pillow for comfort.
You can also decrease the number of items you pack by bringing washable undershirts and underwear and doing 1-2 small sink washes while on the road. Non-cotton items air dry overnight, even in winter. Wearing light tees underneath your warmer layers helps stretch their freshness longer, meaning you can also pack fewer of these along too.
Underpants – “clean” and “mine” are definitely very important qualities!!