Europe Packing List: What to Bring?

Whenever backpacking Europe, less is ALWAYS better. Too much luggage will mark you as an outright tourist and lugging baggage around everywhere just kills your travel experience.

Now a lot of people may ask...should I bring a backpack or a rolling suitcase? While a rolling suitcase may be good for the traveler who flies, in my opinion, a backpack is the way to go for the youth backpacker. When you are running late for a train and weaving through the crowds of people, I'd rather have my backpack on me than lugging a suitcase and missing the train. With an internal frame backpack, you have the mobility of two hands whether you need to navigate a map or hang onto the rails of a bustling train.

And in terms of the size of the backpack...anywhere around 4000-5000 cubic inches is fine and you can get even away with just a 3400 cubic inches (55L) backpack. And how much should you bring? You should pack the same amount whether it be a 7 day or 30 day trip.

Here is an advisable packing list for backpackers:

	• Day Pack: (empty when you leave for Europe, full on return trip). You can stuff it in your bigger backpack when you leave for Europe
	• Shorts: 2 pairs, 1 for outdoors 1 for pajamas/sports.
	• Jeans: 1 pair (2 if you plan on going out a lot)
	• Shirts: 6-7 T-shirts, 2 Long-sleeves, 1 heavy-weight for cold weather
	• Underwear: 6 pair
	• Socks: 7 pairs
	• Outerwear: water-proof rain jacket
	• Shoes: 1 pair sandals, 1 pair comfortable tennis/walking shoes, 1 pair leather shoes for going out.
	• Hat: 1
	• Sunglasses: 1 pair
	• Moneybelt: 1 VERY IMPORTANT!

-Use one main bag. Make sure it's the right bag, and please consider foregoing the 2 or 3 suitcases you might normally drag along. Cobblestones aren't friendly environments to wander around on.

-Bring a day pack. During the day you'll probably be doing extensive walking about, so have a small day-pack to bring with you. They are great for gathering picnics at farmer's markets and shops as you go. Some backpacks come with them attached, or just stuff an empty one in your luggage. Bringing it empty means you can fill it up with souvenirs for the trip home.

-Don't overfill your suitcase/backpack. You'll want a few souvenirs and things always seem to spread out a bit. Besides, and again, why spend an hour packing and then unpacking each day? I've also found that it's harder to get everything to pack just the way you did when you spent a lot of time at home stuffing it in the suitcase.

-Electronics. You will want to bring an MP3 player for those long train rides. You'll also need a dual-voltage gadget as Europe's electrical system is different than America's. You'll also want to bring along a camera to capture those special moments.

-Documents. You will want to bring your passport and a few photocopies of your passport to take around with you. Reservations of your hotels, airplanes, hostels, etc. Bring your credit and debit cards (debit cards give better rates at ATMs). You should always have some cash around with you in case of emergencies.

Bottom Line: Remember...LESS IS ALWAYS BETTER!