Packing for 3 Months in Europe

Checked Bag (I use a Samsonite):

Clothes (EVERY PIECE MIX AND MATCH):

- Winter coat

- 1 ear warmer headband

- 1 toboggan

- 1 pair of gloves

- 10-12 pairs of thick socks

- 5-7 pairs of athletic socks

- 12-15 pairs of underwear

- 2 bras and 2 sports bras

- 2 short-sleeve dresses (one short and one long)

- 2 long sleeve dresses 

- 1 sweatshirt

- 1 coldgear shirt

- 3 sweaters

- 1 swimsuit

- 6-8 t-shirts (that can layer and be mixed and matched with shorts and jeans)

- 2-3 dressier short-sleeve shirts

- 1 pair athletic shorts

- 3 pairs of casual shorts

- 3 pairs of jeans

- Belt

- 1 pair of leggings

- 1 pair of joggers

- 3 skirts

- 1 cardigan/jacket

- 1 pair pajamas

- Blundstones (My go-to travel shoe! They survive anything and everything, and are super comfortable!)

- Chacos

- Vessis (They’re waterproof tennis shoes… I LOVE them!)

- A bag to pack dirty shoes

Toiletries

- Enough feminine supplies for four cycles (I brought 3 boxes worth of pads)

- Hair brush

- Hair products

- Full containers of makeup

- Full bottle of makeup remover

- 100 pack of cotton rounds

- 1-2 extra toothbrushes

- Travel-sized soap, shampoo and conditioner (buy full bottles when you arrive in Europe)

- Full bottle of face wash (if you have a specific American brand you like)

- Full bottle of lotion (if you have a specific American brand you like)

- Extra deodorant (if you have a specific American brand you like)

- Razor

- Full bottle of sunscreen

- Full bottle of Aquaphor (I sunburn VERY easily)

- Loofa

Miscellaneous:

- Extra duffel bag (to bring a lot of souvenirs home in an extra checked bag)

- Jewelry

- Laundry bag

- A few laundry pods (to last until you can buy more in Europe)

- Ibuprofen

- Food poisoning medicine

- Allergy medicine

- Cold/flu medicine

- Umbrella

- Towel (Nomadix has great towels that are light, pack easily, repel sand and water, and are super pretty!)

A large hiking/travel backpack (I have and LOVE my Osprey Kyte 46):

- Laptop

- Laptop charger

- One extra full set of clothes

A smaller daybag (I love my 26 liter Cotopaxi):

- Water bottle

- Earbuds

- Adapter (remember that the United Kingdom and Ireland have a different adapter than the rest of Europe!)

- Phone chargers

- Portable charger

- Sunglasses

- First aid kit

- Hair ties 

- Bobby pins

- 1-2 claw clips

- 1-2 headbands

- 1 hair scarf

- Toothbrush & toothbrush holder

- Travel toothpaste (buy a full size one once you get to Europe)

- Copies of birth certificate, credit card, passport, insurance card, drivers license (in case you lose your passport and need to go to the US Embassy)

- Beauty kit

- Deodorant

- Deck of cards and other small card games

- Airplane pillow

- Chapstick

Crossbody bag:

- Passport

- Multiple credit cards (in case one or more gets denied/declined/lost)

- Driver’s License

- Insurance card

- Student ID (there are a lot of student deals in Europe, especially for museums and tourist sites!)

Tips:

- Decide whether or not you want to set up an international phone plan with your carrier or leave your phone on airplane mode and only use it on WiFi. WiFi is available frequently in Europe, but I still got a monthly plan through Verizon for $100 per month.

- Don’t bring cash to exchange at the airport. Exchange rates are SKY HIGH at airports! Instead, just withdraw Euros from an ATM as needed in Europe.

- Remember that with most airlines, your checked bag can only be 50 pounds or less. Invest in a luggage scale to make sure you don’t go above that limit on your way to or from Europe!

- When purchasing luggage, keep in mind that European streets and sidewalks include a lot of cobblestone, hills, and stairs. Make sure your rolling luggage has four wheels, is good quality, and is light (without all your things in it, so it doesn’t add to your 50 pounds!)