How To Pack for 2 Weeks in Europe

Knowing how to pack for 2 weeks in Europe isn't a skill that comes without practice and I'm here to help you if you're heading there in the near or distant future.

Just a note that this guide is intended for warm weather travel. I'll probably come back and do a part two for colder travel later.

If you follow me on social media you know I cannot shut up about how I'm spending the entire month of July in Europe this summer. And if you don't follow me on social media... well... I can't shut up about how I'm spending the entire month of July in Europe.

Simply put, vacationing in Europe is one of the great joys of my life not only as a traveler, foodie and, adventurer but especially as a writer! I'm so inspired when I'm there and this summer I'll be treating part of my trip as a writer's retreat while I work on my third novel, My Sister's Passport, (more on that later!)

I am one of those souls who is blessed not to be an over-packer but there are many over-packers in my family and amongst my friends and truth be known I EMPATHIZE! It's so hard to leave home and leave town and worry you've forgotten something, but I've come up with some really great ways to help people pack exactly what you need and nothing that you won't for your vacation.

So without further ado, I present my tips and tricks on how to pack for 2 weeks in Europe this summer.

First things first,

• Make a travel spreadsheet. One of my best tools for not overpacking is having a working list of everything I think I might need well before my dates of travel. Whether you're loyal to Google Drive, or Excel, make a travel spreadsheet well in advance. If you're prone to over-packing then exercise that tendency on the spreadsheet, not in your actual suitcase. You'll whittle your list down later.

Next up,

• Buy some travel compression bags. These bags are amazing. You put your clothes inside and then roll up the bag, removing the excess air. It condenses your belongings down without needing a vacuum. Here are my favorites on Amazon. 

Followed by,

• Determine if you'll have laundry while you're traveling. If you have laundry available to you wherever you're staying then you don't need to pack a single outfit for each day of your trip. I like to map out the days of my trip where I'll have laundry. If I know I can wash clothes on Day 4 and Day 8 then I can pack 5 days worth of clothes then clean them and re-wear them. But what about variety? you may be asking. 

Well...

• Pack items that you can mix and match. Summer in Europe is all about classic, chic outfits made of cool, breathable fabrics like linen. Whether you'll be beaching, mountaining, or meandering around cities taking in the sights the strategy is the same. I like to pack colors that I know go well together like whites, grays, light blues, navy blues, and denim. If you want to add a pop of color try lightweight scarves. They're easy to pack in a variety of colors and patterns and they are also useful to cover your shoulders if you'll be visiting any churches, cathedrals, or other holy sights that don't allow for bare shoulders. Need bathing suits? Pack 2. That way you'll always have a dry one if one of them is drying. I also advise function over form if you're limited to two swimsuits. Pack the one that will stay on you if you swim over the cute one that might fall down if a wave surprises you.

I can't stress this enough,

• Pack comfortable shoes. I know, I know! You wanna wear your favorite espadrilles or your cutest strappy sandals but blisters can really ruin a perfect summer travel day. Pack shoes that are comfortable and make sure you've broken them in first. If you're planning to spend a lot of time walking, be sure your shoes offer support. I love cute shoes with insoles like Rothys for a closed-toe option and for lots of walking in sandals I'm a big fan of Chocos.

Finally,

• Lay everything out before you travel and do a practice run fitting it ALL in your suitcase. Don't forget those pesky items that take up room like books, tablets, charging adapters, toiletries, hairbrushes, curling irons, and of course you may want to leave some room for souvenirs. If you find that your bag is too full, fine-tune your outfit options and remove a couple unnecessary items.

Here's a downloadable PDF sample of a packing list I'd use for a Europe Trip. (not in spreadsheet form for ease of reading)

packing_for_2_weeks_in_europe_example.pdf
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