The Ultimate Packing List For a Trip to Europe

Share on facebook
Share on pinterest
Share on twitter
Share on email

Table of Contents

You’ve finally got round to taking the European vacation you’ve been dreaming of – the flights are booked, your accommodation is sorted, and your detailed itinerary is ready (thanks MultiCityTrips!)… there’s just one thing left to do. It’s time to pack. Here is your ultimate packing list for a trip to Europe!

Europe is known for its ever-changing weather, beautiful sightseeing spots, and walkable cities, so we’ve covered everything you’ll need, from clothing to travel accessories.

Your luggage guide for Europe

A wheeled suitcase is a solid choice for your vacation – one that is soft-shelled is a better option, as it’s less likely to get damaged in transit. Hard-shelled suitcases are better to protect fragile items, though we’d recommend you put anything of significant value in your carry-on bag.

As for your carry-on bag, a backpack with lots of pockets/storage will be beneficial to you – it would be good to have one that can double up as your bag to carry around on a day-to-day basis, so you don’t have to pack another and take up precious room in your suitcase.

What to wear in Europe

With cities like Paris, Milan and Rome, Europe has certainly garnered a reputation for housing some of the world’s most fashionable people. However, remember that it’s all about substance over style – you don’t want to be walking around for hours feeling uncomfortable or in painful shoes!

While you may have the urge to pack fifty different outfits, we all know that we end up wearing very similar (if not the same) outfits again and again on vacation. Once we find an outfit that’s comfortable, we tend to stick to it! Pack clothes that you can easily mix and match depending on the weather and wherever you’re visiting. For example, dark jeans can be worn with sneakers and a tee during the day, or with formal shoes/heels and a shirt or blouse in the evening for a more dressed-up look.

As a general rule of thumb, pack 3-4 T-shirts in different colors, both short- and long-sleeved. A sweater, cardigan, and/or lightweight jacket (with a hood) is a must too – Europe is known for its unpredictable showers! You may also like to bring some more formal options for up-scale restaurants, cocktail bars, and nightclubs.

Shorts/skirts are a good option in the summer months but are best avoided in autumn or winter. Jeans/leggings are the best (and arguably most comfortable) option to explore in.

Shoes

When it comes to choosing shoes, it’s all about comfort. You’ll be doing a lot of walking, so make sure you’re not going to be in pain. When packing, think about whether you can tackle hills, cobbled streets, and long days in these shoes! Can’t do it? Don’t pack them.

Pack a pair of flip-flops or sandals if you’re visiting beach destinations, plus a more formal pair of shoes to wear at night.

Bags

As mentioned earlier, it’s best if you can double up your carry-on bag as the bag you use when out and about, so it can fit all your daily necessities in. A smaller, cross-body bag is good for nighttime.

Accessories

When packing light, it’s the accessories that make the outfit! Accessories can include anything from jewelry to watches, scarves to sunglasses, ties to jackets.

Accessories can make or break an outfit. For long trips like this one where you will have to pack light, stylish accessories will make you feel like you’re wearing a brand new shirt, even if you’ve already worn it three times.

Travel accessories for Europe

No vacation would be complete without our gadgets – but which ones do you really need to take?

E-reader

If you’re an avid reader while on vacation, paperback books are likely to weight you down. An e-reader, such as a Kindle (or you can download books onto your iPad or iPhone), is a good option. You’ll have plenty of books at your disposal but none of the weight attached to them. You can also download maps and travel guides (and access our fabulous travel technology) to help you too.

Laptop

Laptops are great to carry with you, especially if you’re wanting to work or watch series/ films while you travel. However, they are heavy and unnecessary if you’re taking a tablet. Only take one if you really need it!

Camera

Luckily, many smartphones nowadays have excellent cameras. However, if you’re wanting to take your photography skills to the next level, a camera is one of your most important pieces of kit. There are so many amazing places to capture in Europe – you’ll want pictures to remember them by!

Outlet plugs, power strips, and chargers

European outlets vary from American ones, so you’ll need to purchase a plug converter for your electronic devices. Hotels do tend to have spares if you forget, but it’s best not to depend on this. You don’t want to go without charge on your phone!

Other things to pack for Europe

Clothes and travel accessories are important, but nothing is more important than your travel documents and all the added extras that will help your trip run as smoothly as possible.

Tickets and travel documents

Ensure you have all relevant tickets and documentation – we’ll provide you with them, but make sure you have them! Your passport, visa and travel arrangements confirmations are a must-have too (plus copies!).

Money

Debit and credit cards are widely accepted in the majority of European destinations, but it’s always best to carry cash in case of emergencies, or in case a place doesn’t accept card payments. Any Euros/Pounds left over can always be spent on your return (or kept as a nice memento!).

Health products

First and foremost, it’s vitally important to bring any prescribed medication with you. It may be worth carrying a doctor’s note in case it’s needed at the airport. Painkillers are handy to have, as you’ll never known when you’ll need them.

Travel insurance for Europe

Of course, we’d all love our trips to be as smooth-sailing as possible. However, it’s important to plan for the unexpected. We offer comprehensive travel insurance to help in the case of accidents or sickness.

Travel insurance offers protection should you need medical attention – if you don’t have insurance, it may cost you thousands of dollars to be seen by a doctor. It can also cover personal liability issues, lost or stolen bags, or delayed/canceled flights.

A travel insurance company such as Travel Guard offers comprehensive travel insurance programs, starting at $30, include per-trip & annual plans, coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss & more! Travel Guard provides 24/7-customer service with a personal touch through its World Service Center.

Summary: A packing list for a trip to Europe

To summarise, here’s everything we think you’ll need for this packing list for a trip to Europe:

Suitcase & carry-on backpack

3/4 t-shirts of differing colors

2/3 blouses or shirts

A formal shirt/dress

1 cardigan/sweater

1 lightweight jacket with a hood

A pair of jeans

1 pair of trousers/capris

1 pair of shorts or a skirt

A pair of sneakers

A pair of sandals/flip flops

1 pair of formal shoes/high heels

A cross-body bag

Jewelry (necklaces, earrings, rings)

1 watch

A scarf/throwover

Sunglasses

Underwear / socks

Smartphone

Tablet or laptop

Camera

E-Reader/Kindle

1-2 plug converters

Device chargers

Passport and ID

Travel documents

Travel insurance

Debit/credit cards

Emergency cash + money bag/wallet

Prescribed medication & painkillers

Toiletries

And that’s everything – happy packing! Think there’s something missing from our packing list for a trip to Europe or want to add something to your packing list? Check out our travel shop for more things you might need for your trip to Europe.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links to products recommended by us above may contain affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, MultiCityTrips earn a small commission if you make a purchase.

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Travel Resources for Planning Your Own Trip

To make planning your European trip on your own easier, in addition to what already mentioned in our travel guide, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in any destination using these travel resources:

European River Cruises:

Uniworld River Cruises: The world’s best and most awarded luxury river cruise line—offers itineraries in spectacular destinations throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia, and Peru. The company’s European fleet features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 120 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry, enticing shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, impeccable hospitality, and numerous other all-inclusive benefits.

Pre- and Post-cruise/Tour Extensions: Uniworld curated pre-and post-cruise/tour extensions make it easy to add a few days to the front or back end of your trip while leaving the planning to them

The packages include a variety of hotel options, transfers, and a dedicated destination expert to escort you along the way.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Airport Transfers & Transportations: 

Airport Transfers: GetTransfer offers both airport transfers & car rentals with a personal driver. Other airport transfer options are KiwiTaxi and Viator.

TrainEuroRailTrainline, or RailEurope are all great sites for train tickets as well as Rail Passes if you would like to add more flexibility to your trip. They are good for most trains throughout Europe. For trains in Italy, we like and recommend ItaliaRail. As for Portugal, you will need to go to the official website for Comboios de Portugal (the Portuguese train company) to book your train tickets when traveling in Portugal.

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

CarRentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking is a great site for bikes & scooter rentals

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Travel Insurance:

Travel Guard:  Their comprehensive travel insurance programs, starting at $30, include per-trip & annual plans, coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss & more! Travel Guard provides 24/7-customer service with a personal touch through its World Service Center.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links, MultiCityTrips may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Trip by Travel Experts

Need help planning a trip and find the best vacation package for your multi-city trip to Europe? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-city, multi-country European vacations, and complicated itineraries are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize an amazing multi-city trip to your dream destinations in Europe.

Ready for a trip? Check out our planning options and get in touch with us today!

Featured Pre-Designed Packages

These air-inclusive, pre-designed multi-city European vacation packages can be personalized to suit your needs!

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Not sure or can’t decide which planning option is right for you? Schedule a free 30-minute call with one of our travel experts to discuss your travel needs today!