Packing List for 21-Days in Europe

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware. (Martin Buber)

Hello from London! My Mister and I arrived Tuesday morning and have been enjoying the beautiful late-summer weather. One of my September Intentions was to travel here with just one bag + carry-on for each of us, and I’m happy to say that we did it!

This trip is a long one (3 weeks total) and it will take us to five different destinations. We are visiting London, Munich, Vienna, Paris, and Edinburgh. The weather forecast is a range of 40-70 degrees with chances of rain. So far it has been nice, and warmer than expected!

My packing list for 21-days in Europe

The process began a week before our departure and included one “test pack” that was followed by me adding several items to the list. My bags are heavy, but manageable. There isn’t a lot of room for souvenirs, but we try to take lots of pictures and I usually collect tickets, business cards, and other paper things from the places we visit.

The Actual Bags

We each have one of these Travelpro suitcases that we bought during an Amazon luggage sale. They are great little bags for travel because they meet all major requirements for overhead bins and you can really pack a lot in them!

I have a purse very similar to this one that I'm using as my carry-on.  For travel days, it gets stuffed with my laptop, iPad, Kindle, makeup, and liquids bag. It's also great for carrying around when we are exploring, especially if we want to bring our umbrella and pullovers.

Electronics

• Laptop
• iPhone
• iPad mini
• Kindle
• GPS watch
• Heart rate monitor
• Camera
• Headphone splitter
• Battery charger
• Portable Wifi
• Power adaptors
• Bausch + Lomb Clens Wipes

I’m not very good about packing light when it comes to electronics, but that's ok. I am willing to carry them around with me. While packing, I lay all my tech out and make sure the corresponding chargers come along.

A note on workout things: this makes me exercise more often while traveling. It isn’t a surefire solution, but it definitely helps. I was excited to bring my Fitbit for days when all we do is walk and explore, and my GPS watch + heart rate monitor for running.

Mini Medicine Cabinet

• Antibiotic
• Vitamins
• Allergy medicine
• Mucinex
• Cough drops
• Advil
• Tums
• Emergen-C
• EBOOST
• Kleenex
• Band-aids (these are great for blisters)
• Rubbing alcohol pads
• Butterfly bandage

I got really sick when we were in Japan earlier this year. It was miserable when I ran through our medicine stash. I don't plan on needing these things, but better safe than sorry!

Toiletries

• Toothbrush + toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Razor + blades
• Contact solution
• Spare contacts
• Q-tips
• Lavender towelettes
• Compact mirror
• Nail polish remover pads
• Nail file + clipper
• Hair ties
• Bobby pins
• Wide tooth comb
• Round brush
• Curling iron
• Hair products
• Makeup bag
• Rollerball perfume

As I mentioned in my packing tips for multipurpose trips, I collect sample sizes of my beauty products. I do not pack shampoo, conditioner, lotion, or a blowdryer since hotels usually have those for guests. My “liquid bag” is always busting at the seams, so I ask my Mister to carry the toothpaste and contact solution in his.

Jewelry + Accessories

• Silver clutch
• Small tan purse
• Statement necklace
• Everyday necklace
• Nice watch
• Earrings (5 pairs)
• Black scarf
• Blush infinity scarf
• Umbrella
• Sunglasses
• Glasses

I just bought my first-ever statement necklace and am in love! It was a must-bring item, along with several pairs of earrings, and two scarves. These little things help keep me from feeling like I'm wearing the same outfit over and over.

Clothes

• Nice long sleeve dress
• Nice black sleeveless dress
• Cranberry sweater
• Black sweater
• Two-in-one top
• Cream blouse
• Casual sweatshirt dress
• Long sleeve pullover
• Grey v-neck t-shirt
• Black t-shirt
• 2 black + 2 white tank tops
• Exercise tank
• 2 pairs of leggings + 2 pairs of jeans: one dressy, one casual each
• Pajama/sweatpants
• Underwear (6 pairs)
• 2 everyday bras + 1 sports bra
• Socks (2 running, 3 everyday)
• Black tights
• Black leather jacket
• Olive green jacket

I really cannot imagine bringing any more clothes. In my first round of packing, I did not include the nice black sleeveless dress, exercise tank, or the extra pair of leggings. Those were impulse additions to my bag, but I’m hoping they will prove to be useful. There’s nothing worse that bringing something around with you to five cities and not wearing it, so I am planning to keep track of how well I’m rotating my outfits. Also, we are planning to do laundry a few times during the trip!

Shoes

• Black boots
• Black flats
• Running shoes
• Grey TOMS

I tossed my TOMS in at the last minute. They pack flat and are comfortable walking shoes. My boots and flats are brand-new for the trip… so, I should have broken them in before leaving. Guess that’s why I brought band-aids. Also, this is the blister cure we swear by. Ha!

Miscellany

• Water bottle
• Yoga mat
• Pages from my day planner
• Notebook
• Pens
• Wite-out
• Headphones
• Lip balm

This is my collection of creature comforts that, for the most part, I would not travel without. This water bottle is very light and it filters the water as you drink it. This yoga mat folds up and fits nicely in the front zipper section of my luggage.

Taking a few pages from my day planner is more practical than bringing the whole thing. I just hold what I need together with a binder clip, then tuck it away in a small notebook. This pouch holds my pens, whiteout, lip balm, lavender towelettes, headphones (cord-wrangled with one of these), plus one packet of Emergen-C and EBOOST.

That's everything!

Creating a packing list for 21-days in Europe is no small feat. I might have brought slightly more than I will need, but that's hard to tell at this point. My bags are heavy to carry, especially upstairs and through uneven sidewalks, but I can manage it all on my own and it's comfortably under the airline weight limits.

I hope this provides you with some inspiration and helpful information for your next trip... whether you are leaving for a few days or going on a long, faraway journey! Let me know in the comments, what are your top must-pack items?

Image via Unsplash

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