The advice “travel light” is not without merit, but I do recommend considering packing the following items for any extended trip. I was either glad I brought this stuff or had to buy it on the fly.
Hand Fan
Yes, it rained A LOT during my trip, but there was enough sun and heat to make a spur-of-the-moment purchase of a street vendor hand fan a life-changing event. Even if it’s not that warm outside, walking for miles and hauling your pack around is sweaty work. And buses? Sweaty. Very, very sweaty. A/C is not so much of a thing in Europe as it is here, so you have to make your own wind, just like Tyra Banks intended.
Pocket Mirror
Another golden impulse buy—the pocket mirror saved me from countless embarrassments. Blotting my sweaty face with paper napkins almost always shredded the napkin and left huge pieces of lint fluttering on my face. And with the wind and rain, everyone needs to know what the hell is going on with their hair before they step into a nice restaurant. Also, you can signal people with sunlight if you get bored.
Scarf
You may have noticed I am not especially fashion minded. Probably this is due to the fact that fashionable clothing is not made in my a) size or b) budget, so I have given up and wear basically the same thing every day. Yes, I brought six identical black tank tops to Europe. Not having to worry about putting together an outfit only gave me more time to explore and eat new foods. I brought a scarf, but it wasn’t an infinity scarf and kept falling off. I gave up on it and bought an infinity scarf from a street vendor at the gay pride event in Hamburg. Dad loved shopping there so it was extra special. My advice, bring one or two infinity scarves to change up your wardrobe. They won’t fall off and you’ll look at least slightly different in your pictures. Plus, they are light and easy to pack.
Umbrella
Invest in one that won’t turn inside out and backwards. I never found one.
Dry Shampoo
*Cue the Hallelujah music* Dry Shampoo! If you haven’t already joined the dry shampoo revolution, you have a wonderful surprise in store. You do not have to be a slave to long showers and the hairdryer anymore. I use this brand, which I recommend if you can stomach the price. This brand is less expensive and nearly as effective, though dry shampoo in general can smell and feel gnarly. Try a few out before you decide what works for you. If the first three or four do not work—DO NOT GIVE UP. There are loads of options, and the time and energy saved by using dry shampoo cannot be overstated. Still not convinced? Observe the picture above. That’s 4th or possibly 5th day hair. This is my life now. I can’t imagine getting up an hour earlier every day to wash, condition, gel, mousse, protect, dry, then curl my hair. Forget it.
Eye shade
I am a napper, so using an eye shade is nothing new to me. I used an eye shade on the plane and a few trains, but it mostly came in handy in my actual Airbnbs as I was trying to sleep at night—it stayed lighter A LOT later in northern Europe and it screwed up my sleeping schedule (go to sleep early and sleep in as late as possible). This particular shade has convex areas for your eyelashes so you don’t wake up with bedhead on your face.
Pocket Kleenex
This one is probably pretty obvious, but I went through a lot more Kleenex than I thought I would. Pack triple what you think you need. I ended up using this not only for sneezes, but for napkins, blotting paper, and toilet paper.
Handkerchief
I had my dad bring me an actual handkerchief because I was going through so much Kleenex just blotting my face. A handkerchief is greener, classier, and won’t leave lint all over your lip hairs.
Benedryl
So they don’t have the same drugs in Europe. For over the counter stuff, bring what you like to use, but also bring Benedryl. You never know what exciting new pollen you’ll be allergic to, and Benedryl can double as a sleep aid.
Books
I brought The Stand and Daisy Miller and Other Stories knowing I’d trash them or leave them behind as I finished them. The Stand was very satisfying to finish because it cleared up so much room in my bag. Bring a few paperbacks you know will be entertaining but not lifelong companions. I bought a few books while on the road, too, trying to keep this same philosophy.
Things I Thought I’d Use But Didn’t
Compass
I brought a small compass, but I used the compass app on my phone almost exclusively. I forgot I even had a real compass.
Reusable Water Bottle
I was gung-ho to go green and use this collapsible water bottle, but ultimately it just made more sense to reuse regular water bottles, and then recycle them when they became unwieldy.
Bungee
Several travel blogs suggested this adjustable cord to help you hang your laundry, but I never needed it. The Airbnbs always had a rack or a lot of closet space where I could hang things to dry.
Earplugs
I am an earplugs advocate, and even though there were some loud nights, I didn’t like using the ear plugs when I was travelling—I wanted to be alerted to the noises around me. The exception was when Dad and I shared a hotel room. He snores. A lot.
Inflatable Travel Neck Pillow
I love the idea of this pillow and used it on my redeye from SFO to Madrid, but I never really fell asleep. The pillow shifts ever so slightly as you finally relax your neck on to it, even when the pillow is secured in front. It’s just not that comfortable. I do like that I could deflate it to take up less space in my bag, though, and for that reason alone it is superior to other U-shaped travel pillows.
Take what you will from this. Remember, whatever you packed is what’s going with you.
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