DO NOT Make These Europe Packing Mistakes (What Not to Pack & Tips)

packing for a trip to Europe can be stressful especially if it's your first time and there's several mistakes that you want to be sure to avoid so in this video we're going to be breaking down the most common packing mistakes people make when they travel to Europe and more importantly how to avoid them my wife and I have traveled extensively throughout Europe with nothing but carry-on bags and we've learned a lot along the way so if you're anxious about what to pack or how to fit it all in your bag this is the video for you we're going to cover the right and wrong type of bag to bring clothing mistakes you need to avoid things you don't want to forget and stuff that in my opinion you just shouldn't waste your money on but first for those of you who have been around our Channel a while you may feel like you've seen this video before or at least that I made a video with a similar title before and you're not wrong this was our most successful video of last year but there are several things I didn't include in that video that I wanted to add wanted to expand on I wanted to update and the audio quality on that first video was Terri terrible so new information new mic let's dive in the first mistake is big and it's something that I see catch a lot of Travelers off guard it's not realizing they may want to pack differently than on a typical domestic trip in the USA I see a lot of Travelers on their first trip to Europe bring a giant suitcase bursting at the seams with stuff they're not even going to use we're going to talk later about luggage but let's address the elephant in the room overpacking specifically clothing it's really common to bring more clothing than you need it's not your fault the best way to avoid bringing too much is to Take 5 minutes and make a plan a couple years ago my sister medicine Prague it was her first trip to Europe and I remember explaining to her how to pack for a 10-day trip to Europe and just how daunted she was at first by the entire premise of needing to be intentional about what to bring but she did it we made a plan and she fit everything she needed for that trip into a small simple carry-on and you can do that too if you want to so here's a few quick tips and we also have several free packing checklists linked below that you can download first I know you clicked on a video titled Europe packing mistakes but don't forget Europe is an incredibly diverse continent with vastly different climates and weather scenarios so you always want to look into the specific countries and the specific regions that you'll be visiting as well as the weather for those areas beforehand we tend to check a month or so out to get a general idea of what it's normally like and then check again much closer to the trip like a week out to make sure we're packing exactly what we need we once lived out a carry-on suitcases for 6 months straight and we had to make it work for Europe in the winter only to end up in blazing hot Thailand and Singapore just a few weeks later it's a challenge to pack for multiple climates but it can be done and the best way to navigate this is to focus on clothing that is versal and could be used in a variety of scenarios don't forget layering is your TR and instead of packing 10 days of separate outfits build an assortment of tops and bottoms that could mix and match together so you've got multiple options for what could go with what look up the rule of fives I may only pack five tops for a 10day trip and then just plan to stay at a place with a washing machine one time toss a few items in on a quick cycle hang them up to dry overnight and boom I know some people are really bothered by the idea of doing laundry on vacation but honestly when you don't bring much to begin with with it's really not hard and it really doesn't take much time when it comes to shoes most guys can manage on two pairs and since lady shoes generally pack smaller you can get away with two to three my wife brings three usually really important for most people's Europe trips is a good pair of walking shoes Comfort is key because you're going to walk more than you think probably my second pair tends to be for running because I really like to run when I travel but these could also be a nicer pair or like if you go out to a nice dinner Alley's three pairs are typically Walkers some type of sandal and then something nicer that could rotate seasonally don't forget to consider the cultural norms of where you're headed and plan ahead for any religious sites you may want to visit generally this is going to mean shoulders and knees covered allly likes to travel with a scarf like this one for these exact types of situations now that we've streamlined some clothing you might be thinking about how you'll make all this fit in your bag so let's talk about another mistake which is not opting for the packable or travel friendly version of things for instance it's nice to have a bag to put a few things in when you're out and about that isn't a giant purse or a 20 L backpack my go-to is a packable day pack these are clever little backpacks that fold down so small they fit in the palm of your hand and yet they expand hold everything you would need for a day trip they're pretty affordable and very handy this is a must for me I also always recommend traveling with a jacket even in summer a good lightweight rain jacket is a must and I know many of you in our audience have said a light windbreaker is your go-to when you travel however jackets can take up a lot of space so opt for one that packs down very small the key feature to look out for would be one that packs into an internal pocket it packs into itself so it takes up minimal space when it's compressed I know some people love and swear by neck pillows those take up a ton of space if you have to have a neck pillow go with an inflatable one and of course go with the travel-sized version of toiletries keep it under 3.4 o if you're carrying on if you've got a specific product you need to bring with you that doesn't come in a travel size get some silicone liquid tubes that you could pack them into a huge mistake is forgetting things you need most important you can't forget your passport you're not going to get very far without it and I know that sounds obvious but I'd also recommend bringing a printed backup copy of your passport and your driver's license along with other important documents like reservations and travel insurance I tend to just put these in a Ziploc bag and bury them somewhere deep in my luggage don't forget any medication you need to bring with you and in my experience it can't hurt to have the actual prescription in case that medicine gets flagged in security you're also going to need a way to charge any Electronics you're bringing with you personally I prefer to use a simple universal adapter that covers many different countries and continents on several of our trips we hit a lot of different places in one go and I just like to have options but if you're only going to one place you could also opt for a simple single converter this little guy is specific to most of the EU it came in a big package of a bunch of different region specific adapters this is my preferred universal adapter it's by a company called EPA and I like it because you can charge up to six devices at once it's got AC power four USB slots USBC and it's wire cut number one pick it's only like 20 bucks and a good set of plug adapters is going to be cheaper but I like that this is one thing that's going to cover me in most places I also recommend bringing a long phone cable sometimes outlets in hotels or airbnbs are in weird places and having a longer 6-ft cable just makes it easy to have your alarm clock or white noise or whatever you need right there near the bed I also like to carry a lightweight power bank with me when I'm out and about so that my phone doesn't die when I need it for Google Maps or communicating via WhatsApp and speaking of staying connected that's a perfect segue into today's video sponsor Olaf fly when I'm visiting a new place the last thing I want to do is waste my time hunting down Wi-Fi or have to pay a ridiculous roaming charge for simple tasks and communication luckily there's a smarter solution eims eims allow you to switch to a local carrier without the hassle of changing your physical SIM card or acre high costs from your home provider my eim of choice is Ol afly which offers coverage in over 180 destinations with no roaming fees and unlimited data in 117 of them the setup is extremely easy you select your plan and then when you receive your confirmation you scan a QR code and after only a couple of minutes to install and activate you've got the connection you need Olaf's Europe plans come with unlimited data for more than 30 countries throughout Europe and they now include hotspots you can also now customize the exact number of days in your plan which which ensures that you only pay for what you need if you're ready to get started with olly head to the link below and use the code away together for 5% off your eim purchase big thanks to olly for sponsoring this video guys I have a confession to make I have gas gear acquisition syndrome the truth is most Travelers especially new Travelers have gas and I love gear I've recommended a bunch of gear on this channel I prefer quality over quantity and I want a small amount of multi-functional life-enhancing things over a large amount of phony single-use things that said there's certain stuff that you just don't need to bring with you let me run you through a few physical guidebooks I love guide books look they are great for research but I don't pack them anymore take notes or get the digital version of the book they just take up too much space in your bag specific use case travel items perfect example microfiber towel you might need one emphasis on might these are great if you're staying in a hostel you're going to a beach visiting the thermal baths in Budapest but unless you know you need it I would just save your money passport cases and holders the problem with these is you almost always have to take your passport out of them anyways money belts safety is important right I think you should consider safety pickpockets are a real thing especially in crowded areas but in my experience a decent alternative to money belts is one just not keeping your wallet in your back pocket or leaving your phone on the table two opting for pants or shorts or travel clothing that has zippered Pockets or three going with something like a small sling you could wear on the front of your body most important is just to have situational awareness I'm not telling you not to get a money belt but there are alternatives contrary to a lot of what you hear out there super technical and rugged gear and clothing I see a lot of first-time Travelers investing tons of money in technical hiking boots and hiking pants stuff like that for a trip that they really don't plan to do much hiking on if you do plan on hiking ignore me but if the majority of your trip will be in cities not everything you own needs to be made of Vortex on this topic one area I would say not to skimp in general is your socks stop packing basic crappy cotton socks you're likely going to be walking more than at home so I'd recommend investing in good socks that will Wick moisture and help prevent blisters this is by no means an exhaustive list on the flip side here are a few simple and cheap things I never regret bringing with me Apple Air tag this is to keep track of my luggage in case it's lost or stolen dryer sheets because static cling is my arch nemesis and it also keeps my bag smelling fresh a pen for filling out forms I always seem to have to borrow a pen bring a pen HDMI cable I know this sounds weird takes up very little space it's certainly not a necessity but it's always nice if you want to stream something in your room probably the worst packing mistake you could make on a trip to Europe is this or this or this listen this catches people by surprise and especially if you're coming from the United States where it's super normal to bring a massive suitcase with you everywhere but hear me clearly I'm not saying a check bag is a mistake by all means bring a larger bag if you need one but if you don't need one and based on the data of what a typical Europe trip for an average traveler looks like you should seriously consider downsizing I know I'll get a bunch of comments about this put down the keyboard listen if you disagree with me that's fine do what works for you my goal here is simply to bring awareness to someone who hasn't thought about these things before here's what works for me and my family and based on my experience what should work for a good 80% of people I prefer to carry on to Europe specifically and here's why not everywhere you stay is going to have an elevator you got to contend with stairs and cobblestones and if you're staying anywhere near Oldtown you may not be able to be dropped off right at the front door of where you're staying and you may have to walk a ways if you're visiting multiple countries or cities you'll likely be moving around VIA Rail or bus or inexpensive short Hall flights the right bag for those situations in my opinion is one you can easily manage yourself and carry if you need to right if you got to hurry through the train station to catch your train you got to go up and downstairs to change tracks step up onto the train platform it's tougher with a 50 lb checked bag plus then you got to find space in the compartment right I'm not saying it can't be done of course it can I just don't want to do that and so if you are carrying on and you haven't done that before or you haven't done that internationally before just be advised there are some rules you definitely can't miss first of all size requirements now don't just take my word for it please do your research for your specific flight but generally the carry-on requirements for most most US Airlines is 14 in x 22 in x 9 in we'll put the centimeters on the screen as well and for International Airlines it's even smaller that 22 in becomes more like 21 these measurements include wheels and handles by the way make sure to check the fine print some bags they Market the internal Dimensions but really you need to be focused on the external Dimensions there's also not just a size requirement weight is an issue as well which is a surprise to a lot of people be sure to check with your airline but that's usually somewhere in the 7even to 10 kg range which is only 15 to 22 lb ouch so what does this look like nine times out of 10 I am personally a backpack guy I like backpacks because I only want to mess with one bag whatever terrain I'm going over doesn't matter and especially important I can go handsfree this is a big deal these days because I have a very energetic toddler who doesn't walk she runs this is what works for me and the backpack I'm personally rocking lately is the peak design 45 L I won't go to in depth here but if you'd like to see a full breakdown of what I'm packing for 2 weeks in Belgium and the Netherlands comment freets below maybe you're not a backpack person I know many of you who like to pack caran only prefer roller luggage and I don't blame you it's really a matter of personal preference just don't forget roller luggage tends to be heavier and if you're flying any European airlines the weight component is super important you're going to want to check out this video where I bought tested and ruthlessly compared 10 of the lightest carry-on roller bags on the market and found some incredibly Innovative bags that are stylish functional and will keep you well below those weight requirements you might be surprised about the winner thanks so much for watching happy travels

Channel: Away Together w/ Nik and Allie

Views: 41,932

Keywords: travel tips, pack a carry-on suitcase, packing tips, packing mistakes, packing mistakes to avoid, travel packing mistakes, travel mistakes, packing hacks, travel packing, what not to pack, how to pack, carry on packing, how to pack a suitcase, europe packing, europe packing tips, packing for europe, europe packing list, what to pack for europe, europe packing guide, how to pack for europe, pack for europe, europe backpacking packing, europe packing trip, europe 2024

Id: 9TmLHEmQTFE

Length: 15min 17sec (917 seconds)

Published: Sun May 26 2024