As we approach the full-fledged heart of summer, which also is the peak season for travelling in Europe, I thought it would be a good time to share a few of the packing tips I’ve learned along the way. So, for all you about to board a plane and hop across the Atlantic and bounce between hotels, hostels, and Airbnbs for a few weeks, I hope these tips and recommendations can save you a little hassle along the way.
Roll, Baby, Roll
While it may be tempting to just simply lay your clothes in your backpack or suitcase the way you normally would in one of your bedroom drawers, don’t even think about. Instead, roll all clothes up tightly, that way you can squeeze them into every nook and cranny of your bag. It’s a little thing, but it will make a big difference, maximizing every last centimeter of your storage space.
Label Everything For Easy Identification
Being able to easily recognize your items will save you time and money while travelling. Sticky labels are the perfect way to differentiate which one of your packed bags is holding cosmetics, which one has electronics, etc. You could also even get creative and cover the entire outside of our bag with stickers to make sure it’s never mistaken for anyone else’s on the conveyor belt at the airport.
Travel Towel Time
Even if you think you are going to to be staying in five star hotels that will provide you with the plushest of towels, I recommend packing a thin and fast-drying travel towel with your on your trip to Europe. They double as beach towels, blankets on a chilly train (or sunscreens if it’s a sweltering sunny day). But above all, if you aren’t as lucky as the five-star folks I describe above, you can always use your travel towel what it was designed for, to dry you off after a shower.
Rubber Band-Aid
I heard you thinking to yourself two tips back “but Scott, if I roll up my clothes, they are just going to unfurl themselves”, and I see where you are coming from. This is where rubber bands come in. Just before Julia and I took off for our big trip, my Dad bought us a bag of rubberbands and they not only helped all our clothes stay tightly rolled up, they helped in plenty of unexpected ways too (like helping sturdy a squirrely showerhead in Bosnia, pictured above). Bottom line: rubber bands will have 101 uses for you in your travels, so pick up a pack.
Release The Wrinkles
The good news: you’ve paid attention to my first tip and rolled all your clothes up to save maximum space and you’ve even secured them with rubber bands. The bad news: your clothes are a tiny bit wrinkled now. No worries, just pack with you some wrinkle-release spray and you’ll be fine in no time.
Happy travels and maybe I will see you somewhere across Europe this summer!