How I Pack For My Travels
The first time I went to Europe in 2010 for 2 weeks I checked a giant two-wheeled suitcase that got lugged around France. By 2014 I had managed to downgrade my checked bag to a carry-on size suitcase (and at least this one had 4 wheels). But as we wheeled those suitcases through the streets of Tullamore, Ireland we knew something had to change. So, in 2016 we bought backpacks and carried them on for our two week stay in Italy. We did the same for our 2018 trip to Switzerland and Germany and our most recent trip back to Ireland. What I love about backpacks is they keep your hands free. You can easily get things out of your pockets or purse. Not to mention you aren’t dragging something behind you which is the worst when you are trying to navigate a busy airport. Or walking down a cobblestone street in Ireland. We only check bags when we have to (like on our way home from Italy when we had 6 bottles of wine) so we are always carrying on - whether it’s a trip to Europe or Florida. If I can pack in a carry on for 2 weeks to Switzerland then I can certainly pack in a carry on for a weekend at Disney. I even packed everything in a standard sized backpack for two nights at Disney when I didn’t want to pay extra for a carry on bag when flying Spirit. You can see how I did that as well as how I packed for Ireland on my Instagram Story Highlights.
BACKPACK/SUITCASE
Regardless of whether I have a backpack or my suitcase, I use packing cubes inside them. They make it easy to sort your clothes (shirts in one, underwear in another, etc.) and it can also help make your clothes more compact and provide more space in your luggage. My clothes, toiletries and anything else I won’t need on the flight all go into my backpack. If there is something I may potentially need I’ll put it in one of the smaller exterior pockets of the backpack so if I do need it, I will be able to access it easily.
For international trips I’ll have my backpack as my carry on and my purse or smaller backpack for my ‘personal item.’ In my ‘personal item’ bag I ensure that I have everything I’ll need during the flight: phone, charger, headphones, medication, chapstick, Kleenex, passport, wallet, camera and also an eye mask and ear plugs if it’s an overnight flight. I also pack a portable charger. My ‘personal item’ bag will go underneath the seat in front of me so everything is easily accessible. I like to wear comfortable clothes which includes leggings with pockets (but seriously should leggings be made any other way?!). I like wearing these leggings on my travel days because not only do they have pockets, but they zip up. And assuming it’s not in the middle of summer, I also always wear this scarf. It has a hidden pocket and goes with everything since it’s black.
Tip: Downsize your wallet. Buy a thin one that only holds the few cards you need and some cash. You don’t need to take your a department store credit card to Italy. I use this small wallet because it holds my essentials, hangs around my neck and a bonus, is Disney themed.
Tip: Use your phone for all your media. I used to bring an Ipod and Kindle in addition to my phone but I now use apps on my phone for all of that. I don’t have an iPhone so I use Stitcher for podcasts, Amazon Music and Amazon Kindle. Just make sure everything you want to listen to is downloaded to your phone while you still are on WiFi. If you have wireless headphones be sure to bring a wired pair as well in case the charge doesn’t hold on your wireless ones or you want to watch a movie on the plane.
TOILETRIES
Pack only the necessities. More often than not, the hotel or Airbnb will have a hair dryer. And, if they don’t, worse case your hair air dries. If this happens then I’ll just put mine up wet. I also don’t bother with bringing a straightener or curling iron. Not a single person in Germany cared if my hair was straightened. Same goes for makeup. I bring the bare minimum and some days, go without it. No one in Italy knew what I looked like with makeup on so they certainly didn’t comment on a day I didn’t wear any. We have Global Entry that includes TSA Pre-Check so we don’t have to get our toiletries out. However, you never know if your bag may get flagged so I still pack them as if I need to get them out - all in one TSA approved size bag that is easy to access.
Tip: Don’t bother packing basics like shampoo, conditioner, etc. If you aren’t staying in a place that provides them, just buy some once you get there. And you can leave them for the next guest when you depart. This will save a ton of room for all your other products.
Tip: In lieu of taking up space in my toiletry bag with a liquid, I take a bar of soap. It goes inside a little pouch that can be used as a washcloth. I collected some of the smaller soap bars from my last Disney trip as they are far smaller than a regular bar of soap. Just take a Ziploc bag so you can put it back in your bag wet when you depart.
Tip: If your favorite products don’t come in 3 ounce or less sizes, buy some travel containers and transfer the product. I will also take the shampoo, etc. from hotels on other trips and empty them and use those - instead of buying containers. I like that they are smaller. And free! I tend to look for ones that have flip tops to make re-using them easier. For makeup I love browsing the travel size options at Ulta.
Tip: I love having my nails done for trips but don’t like paying to go to a salon nor do I want to use regular nail polish because of how quickly it will wear off. So I was ecstatic to discover Color Street. They are nail polish strips that take about 10 minutes to put on and are instantly dry. And not only do they look awesome, they can last up to two weeks! The strips can vary in price but each strip can be cut in half to maximize their usage and you can get 2-3 manicures out of each pack. I’ll do them the day before or morning of a trip and then take the extras with me just in case on needs redone (I’ve never had to redo one). They can also be removed with nail polish remover - no going back to a salon to have them taken off. I really can’t say enough good things about them.
Here are all my toiletries and misc items (chargers, compact umbrella, etc.) from my most recent trip to Ireland. I love the clear bags because they make it so easy to see what’s inside so you don’t have to search through your whole bag.
CLOTHES
The biggest piece of advice is to utilize a washing machine while traveling because this will allow you to bring less clothes. Ideally, book an Airbnb that has one but you can find laundromats around town if you are in a place without one. I prefer having one in an Airbnb because you can do laundry while you are relaxing in the evening instead of spending time sitting at a laundromat.
I pack layers and about half the number of outfits for number of trip days and do laundry halfway through. For our most recent trip to Ireland we left on a Tuesday evening (we had an overnight flight to Dublin) and came back on the following Monday. Our Airbnb had a washing machine and I packed with the plan to wash my clothes on Friday. This is what came with me. I wore tennis shoes, compression socks, leggings, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt on the plane. I had my jacket and scarf with me as well. In my suitcase was 2 pairs leggings (Denim & Black), 2 pairs of jeans, 3 t-shirts and 3 long sleeve shirts, pajamas, 4 pairs of socks, 6 underwear, one regular bra and one sports bra, a hat, an umbrella, cold weather gear (gloves, ear headband) and two more pairs of shoes. I also packed this towel. One of the first Airbnbs we stayed at didn’t have enough towels, so now I travel with one. It can double as a blanket to cover up with or as something to sit on. All of this gets rolled up - not folded - when going into the packing cubes.
All my clothes from my most recent Ireland trip. I wore a pair of these shoes, one outfit and my jacket. The rest went into the packing cubes on the right and then into my backpack.
Tips for clothing: Pack clothing that is comfortable and can be mixed and matched. I stick to neutrals or the same color scheme so I can ideally wear any shirt with any pair of bottoms. I also try to select items that can dry quickly. This can be unavoidable at times but my t-shirts I take are made of quick dry tech material and the underwear I take isn’t cotton. Not everyone in Europe has a clothes dryer so you might need to hang your clothes to dry. If there is no washing machine you can always wash clothes in the sink. I take this in-sink laundry detergent with me just in case.
Tips for jackets: Only pack one or two. For Ireland I found this jacket that covered both staying warm and dry. It was nicer looking so it is the only one I brought. If it’s not as cold I’ll bring my lightweight rain jacket and a nicer jacket like this one.
Tips for hats - Pack a solid/neutral color baseball cap that will go with multiple outfits. It can be used to not get a sunburn, keep the rain off your face or to just when you have a bad hair day.
Tips for jewelry - Don’t bother packing anything super valuable. I love wearing a Qalo ring for all my travels. You can just wear one or bring a few to color coordinate with outfits. I usually only bring one or two pairs of earrings and one or two necklaces (one simple, one dressy) and sometimes a couple of bracelets. I didn’t take any bracelets with me to Ireland this past trip because it was winter and I knew I’d have on long sleeves the entire time so you wouldn’t be able to see them anyway.
Tips for shoes - Pack two to three pairs in neutral colors that are good to walk a lot in. And always a pair of flip flops to wear around your hotel/Airbnb. Ideally some thin ones like these Roxy flip flops. My go-to shoes to pack are one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of slip-on shoes that can go with casual or nicer outfits. Nike Free tennis shoes are my favorite to take because of how lightweight, flexible and comfortable they are. For the slip-on shoes I have these booties for colder weather and for warmer weather I have some very similar to this Roxy pair. For warmer weather, I add one pair of sandals, again ones that can go with any kind of outfit. I love the Aerosoles brand because they are very comfortable, even for walking longer distances.