• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Contact
Ordinary Traveler

Ordinary Traveler

Adventure Travel Blog, Luxury Escapes

  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • Resources
  • Videos
  • Travel Photography
  • Retreats
Ordinary Traveler / Blog / Europe / Women’s Packing List for Europe (And How to Pack Light!)

Women’s Packing List for Europe (And How to Pack Light!)

By Christy Woodrow, Last Modified: October 27, 2019

How to Pack for a Trip to Europe

Since we normally visit warm or tropical destinations for one week or less, I had to do a little more planning for this two-week trip to France and Scotland in regards to what to pack. In France, I wore dresses (with leggings underneath on the colder days) but I needed warm clothes and layers for Scotland.

Here’s my complete women’s packing list for Europe — which can be used for any trip length and will fit in a carry-on only!

Women's Packing List for Europe (And How to Pack Light!)

Not to mention, I didn’t know how much time I would have to do laundry considering I traveled to a new hotel almost every single night of the trip. I also had to stay aware of the weight of my checked luggage and carry on because I took a couple of flights with Ryanair — who is notoriously strict about their baggage weight limits.

We used to travel with backpacks (you can see our packing tips for backpackers post if you are interested) but our travel style has changed over the years and the last thing I want to do is lug around a heavy backpack anymore — my camera/laptop bag alone weighs almost twenty pounds.

About a year ago, we bought a new set of hardside luggage that we have been very happy with. So far, we have only used the small carry on size — it’s the perfect size for a one-week trip to a warm destination — but I took the medium-sized luggage for this trip.

Packing List for Europe

 

Women’s Packing List for Europe (And How to Pack Light)

 

Clothing

  • 7 Tops – 3 Short Sleeved, 4 Long Sleeved
  • 2 Pairs of Pants
  • 2 Dresses
  • Black Leggings to Go Under Skirt / Dresses
  • Boots to Wear with Pants and Dresses
  • 1 Pair of Sneakers
  • 1 Pair of Flats (I LOVE these for travel and they brighten up any outfit.)
  • 1 Skirt that Goes with All of My Shirts
  • 1 Light Cardigan to Go With Dresses or Jeans
  • 1 Heavy Coat (waterproof)
  • 1 Swimsuit
  • 2 Bras
  • 1 Scarf
  • 1 Cute Beanie
  • 1 Pair of Gloves
  • 1 Belt
  • 15 Pairs of Underwear (These are small and I would rather not run out if I don’t have time to do laundry.)
  • 10 Pairs of Socks

 

Other Items

  • Sunglasses
  • Chewable Acidophilus and Activated Charcoal Tablets
  • Travel Umbrella
  • Bathroom Bag with small toothpaste, small floss, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, small sunblock, toothbrush, small face wash, deodorant, comb, nail clippers and makeup.
  • 1 Book (I brought Nineteen Minutes
    by Jodi Picoult and it was a hard book to put down!)
  • Plug Adapters
  • 1 Hat
  • 1 Purse that Folds Up Easily

 

Camera Gear & Electronics

  • Camera / Laptop Backpack
  • Sony a7ii Camera
  • Sony 16-35mm Camera Lens
  • Sony 24-70 Camera Lens
  • Tripod
  • 3-5 SD Cards
  • Extra Camera Batteries
  • Phone + Charger
  • Macbook Pro & Charger

 

More Packing Lists & Tips:

How to Stay Stylish While Traveling

The Best Carry-On Luggage for Every Budget

Packing Light: How To Pack For Carry-On Only

How to Pack for a Sailing Trip

How to Choose the Best Travel Camera

Carry-On Packing Guide for Airplane Travel

The Ultimate Packing Guide for Travel Photographers (Tips From a Pro!)

 

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. The price stays the same for you, but if purchased through this link, the company would pay us a small percentage of the sale.

About Christy Woodrow

Christy Woodrow is a travel photographer and professional blogger based in San Diego. She has been traveling around the world with her partner, Scott, since 2006. Join them in their quest to find off-the-beaten-path destinations by signing up for weekly emails. You can read more about her on our about page.

Filed Under: Europe

Previous Post: « The Best Places to Visit in Iceland – What to Do & Where to Go (2021)
Next Post: Staying at Grand Residences Riviera Cancun »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sedona says

    Packing is pivotal. Forget an essential item and you’re left
    disappointed and scrambling to find the nearest store in your
    destination. Pack too much and you end up disorganized, burdened with
    heavy bags, and hemorrhaging money to pay for pricey airline baggage
    fees.

    Reply
  2. Traveling Trejae says

    I notice so many are traveling with MacBooks. Do you have any difficulties charging it in France?

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      All you need is the plug adapter so it will fit in the socket. All Macs can be plugged into up to 240 voltage, so you don’t need a converter. My macbook is a bit heavy, but it’s better than the 17″ Macbook I used to bring on my travels. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Guest says

    Those are some really nice pictures. You life seems very enjoyable. I would to go to these places.

    Reply
  4. Krista says

    I also pack a lot of dresses when I travel – they’re so light and comfy and can be easily warmed up with tights, jacket and pashmina. 🙂 I love a good pair of boots that goes with everything too. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Rease Kirchner says

    You look so freaking cute in that last photo. I love the whole outfit.

    Reply
  6. Thomas Dembie says

    Thanks for sharing your packing list! On the camera gear front, I also bring an external hard drive to back things up. Along with my 5D Mark III I also bring a small point and shoot (with a fairly large sensor), since there are plenty of times when I just don’t want to lug around the good stuff, but still want to be able to take nice shots in low light situations.

    Reply
  7. Sandra O'RourkeGlynn says

    Your organized thats for sure. As an ex flight attendant, ticket agent, baggage svc agent then flight control. I was always ready to go somewhere on stby at a seconds notice. As I travel so much now I have one rule when in Europe, its carry on luggage only. You wear the heaviest shoes, people don’t realize how much they weigh. Then a light pair if necessary but I normally buy them there. I buy 5-10 white t-shirts in primark or the equiv before leaving, they match everything and both long and short sleeve and I throw them away before I return, I wear my coat, hat, scarf, gloves, sweater, one pair of jeans, one skirt, use washing machines regularly. and the camera has gotten more expensive and smaller. When I fly international I bring a suitcase. I haven’t used a backpack since I was 19. My sister just went away for 2 nights 3 days with a full size suitcase. I’m in shock when females tell me they bring several pairs of shoes on vacation.

    Reply
  8. SnarkyNomad says

    Packing for winter usually isn’t nearly as much of a hassle as people think, since you’re wearing all the cold-weather clothing anyway. The only real problem would be if you’re planning a winter+summer adventure on the same trip, and have to carry winter clothing around in the summer. But even in that case, if you get those puffy coats that stuff into tiny corners, plus some warm leggings, that’s pretty much all you need. Hat and gloves barely take up space, and I like to wear 2 pairs of socks at once instead of carrying winter socks specifically.

    And nice job on the “skirt that matches everything” decision. I’ve been trying to talk a friend into packing only things that match everything else, whenever she raises the objection of wanting things to match.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Well, it’s only recently that I’ve decided to pre-match my outfits. I used to just throw all of my favorite things in my bag and once I got there I realized a lot of my stuff didn’t go together. 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Meet the Team

Christy&Scott
Welcome to our adventure travel blog! We are Christy and Scott and we've been traveling the world together since 2006. Our goal is to inspire others to live an adventurous life, as well as provide trip ideas and helpful travel tips for people with limited vacation time.
-- READ MORE --

Affiliate Information

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’m also a member of other affiliate programs. For more info please read my Policy Page

Footer

Traveling Tips & Hacks

  • Camping Hacks
  • Travel Tips
  • Cheap Honeymoon Destinations
  • Best Travel Camera
  • Best Weekend Getaways
  • Travel Packing Tips
  • Travel Photography Tips
  • Spiritual Travel

Popular Travel Guides

  • Cinque Terre Travel
  • Rome Travel
  • Venice Travel
  • Havasu Falls Travel
  • Norway Travel
  • Switzerland Travel
  • Big Island Hawaii Travel
  • Kauai Travel

Ordinary Traveler

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Work With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2021 · Ordinary Traveler