Note: To be honest, after my post on the flight attendant packing (read: 10 days in a carry-on here) & the my very astute reader comments, I’m a bit scared to post what I am packing! 🙂

I feel like I should cut down even more because I know I don’t need all of my items, but I want every piece.

Is that so bad? 🙂

*takes a deep breath* …..so here goes nothing!

Was it Minimalist?

Not entirely.

I have a more minimalist option in these guides on my other blog – Fabulously Broke in the City – packing for a week-long business trip, 3 or more weeks oeverseas, and just for a weekend or a week.

I went over the guide & added more items, because of the different climates and impromptu events.

This isn’t just some regular trip for us to a country or city where we basically don’t know anyone — we are going back to the homeland!

For one of us, anyway.

Seeing as how I’ve been told repeatedly by BF & other various Europeans on how they don’t really tolerate slobbiness in Europe (and will actually give you a stern talking-to about what you’re wearing), I’m choosing carefully, and to leave my sweatpants at home 😛

The Details

I am going for 6 weeks (minimum) or 42 days in total: France, England, Italy… and perhaps Greece.

Who knows!? We’re sort of spontaneous traveling folk when the opportunity arises.

The climate will be unpredictable: cool in England, warmer in France, warmer still in Italy, perhaps!

Funny story:

The last time I went super minimalist to Europe (Portugal), I was told it was SO HOT, I’d melt under the sun and burn to a crisp (which I did not, by the way, as I am not one of those pale, porcelain types).

But I didn’t pack any sweaters or warm pieces of clothing, and ended up melting during the day, but freezing at night.

It was SO COLD, I would have needed a winter jacket & at the very least, JEANS to stay warm at night.

I vowed to never be caught off guard again by claims of how hot a country can get, because I turned into an icicle in those lovely outside cafes.

Here’s my suitcase & my standard fare for pillow & sleeping sack:

Ricardo Beverly Hills Rolling Carry-on that changes into a Backpack if you want, but the thought of putting THAT on my back, makes me hesitate. I’d rather roll it.

BF told me they’re strict with weight & size on European flights, so I don’t want to overdo it.

Anyway, this is what I always bring to a hotel, because I am a cautious, scabies-avoiding traveler.

(Can you believe that my mom and my brother both caught scabies on separate occasions in both 3-star and 5-star hotels!? *shudder*)

Here’s one option of where to put my pillow & traveling sack.

Here’s the other option of where I could put my traveling sack & pillow:

The Clothes & Packing Criterion:

• some semi-formal variety on this trip (dinners and other events with friends & family members)
• two outfits to attend weddings
• clothing that won’t make me look too tourist-y to avoid pickpocketers targeting us
• clothing that is comfortable for 11-14 hour days (I am anticipating it to be the most exhausting trip, ever)

CLOTHING PACKED

18 items of clothing shown (including the 2 wedding outfits, the belt & the sash)

29 pieces in total including underwear and shoes

(obviously the underwear is not shown.. c’mon now! 🙂 )

Note: I always overpack on the tops by one or two pieces if I have the space, because I’ve been through situations before where we went on this huge tour in the morning, and by late afternoon, I felt dirty & disgusting, but I didn’t have a fresh top to change into because I forgot to do laundry the night before & ran out.

ALL ROLLED UP!

See how compact it looks when you roll it flat?

Don’t try and fold them and then roll them unless you plan on doing a Tetris-like pack with little tubes stacked in rows.

I just take a flat top for example, and just start rolling very small, tight rolls.

Not shown: Accessories in detail.

Head over to my Style on a String site to see them.

All of my accessories go in this hard case:

If you want specific jewellery details, wait until the end of the post & I’ll tell you where to get the info.

The jewellery box gets packed near the front beside the sleeping bag:

THE PACKING LAYERS

THE SHOES ARE NEXT

The last layer is for the toiletries and my rolled up pillow & electronics chargers bag.

As you can see, it reached it’s comfortable limit (the pillow is squishable), and there’s still space on the sides.

So let’s take a look at what’s packed in each bag:

So here’s everything I packed in that bag (except the eletronics chargers)

These are all of the electronic chargers I am bringing.

Here is an overview of the travel adapters

Now for the final zip-up

(and no, it wasn’t a struggle! 🙂 )

And that does it!

I am still pondering on what else I can cut out without compromising what I will need there. Perhaps I can get rid of all the sweaters and just bring one.