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Are you embarking on a European adventure this year? Are you curious about what Europe travel essentials you should pack? I’ve got you covered! In the past several years, I have made many trips to Europe! With each trip, I fine-tune exactly which items I really need for overseas travel, and I am happy to share this detailed list of European travel essentials with you!
And, make sure to browse the Europe Travel section of my website for travel tips and travel inspiration. I love sharing our adventures on my travel blog and Instagram account. Follow along here and on social media for all the photos, videos from our trips, and travel planning details!
If you are just at the beginning stages of planning your first family trip to Europe, here are 6 European cities I recommend for first-timers!
Preparing for a Europe Trip
In the past few years, I have been seeing more and more people taking bucket-list trips to Europe! Beyond that, I have seen so many families visiting Europe, and it makes me so happy to hear that our travel blog posts have helped them plan their trips!
So, if you are one of those planning or considering planning a trip overseas for your family, you have come to the right place. This article about Europe travel gear has become one of my most popular travel blog posts!
READ: My Top Tips For International Travel
We have been so lucky, and things have gone incredibly smoothly on all of our trips. We rarely encounter any situations where we feel unprepared. I credit that to some simple planning and preparation. To help you achieve the same success, I want to share a handful of Europe travel essentials that are key to a successful European vacation.
Whether you are visiting Paris, France, or checking out historical sites in Athens, Greece, there is a lot to consider when packing for a trip to Europe. Today, I want to share some of my travel tips and part of my Europe packing list. In addition, you will also need basic luggage!
READ: How To Plan A Trip To Europe For Your Family
Short on time? I have an easy-to-shop Amazon list with all of my Europe travel essentials. Just click the button below to shop!
Europe Travel Essentials: Must Haves For Your Trip to Europe
I want to stress the importance of packing the essentials to make your trip hassle-free and enjoyable. In this travel blog post, we will explore the top Europe travel essentials you must pack to ensure your family can make the most of your trip.
From electrical converters and power adaptors to Apple Pay, I’ve got you covered with my must-haves for European travel that will help you in all sorts of European travel destinations.
Here are 9 European travel essentials you should not go to Europe without!
#1 Europe Plug Adaptors
The most important item you’ll need for a trip to Europe is an international plug adaptor!
Europe and the United Kingdom use various plug types, such as Type C, Type E, and Type F. Carry a travel adapter to ensure you can plug in your devices and charge them seamlessly wherever you go. Adapters are small and lightweight, making them easy to slip into your luggage or day bag.
I absolutely love this Tessan Universal Travel Plug Adaptor, and I highly recommend it! It’s no wonder it’s one of the top-selling Europe travel essentials on Amazon!
It’s great because it has a slide feature that lets you swap out plug types. Not only does it have plugs for the United Kingdom and European plug types, but it also has a standard United States plug. This allows me to use it on all of my travels. This comes in handy at the airports before and after a trip when I need extra USB outlets to charge multiple devices.
Catch a closer look and a more detailed review in this Instagram Reel I made!
We have several TESSAN European Travel Plug adapters that we bought before we purchased the one above. And these have worked out great for us in Greece, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands. and many other countries.
But always double-check which type of plug is used in the country or countries that you are visiting. For example, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands used the Type C plug. But when we went to England, we had to use the Type G plug. We didn’t buy an extra set and just used the converter mentioned above for everything since it had a Type G adaptor.
#2 Europe Electrical Converter
This is an item at the top of any Europe travel packing checklist and one of the most important Europe travel essentials!
Why?
Because Europe and the United Kingdom use a different electrical system than many other regions, packing an electric converter is vital if you want to do anything beyond just charging a mobile device.
A converter is different than a simple European plug-in. This device allows you to safely plug in and charge your electronic devices, regardless of the voltage differences.
We learned this the hard way after not purchasing one before our family trip to Greece a few years ago. I lost my favorite CHI hair straighter in Santorini after it melted. Luckily, the smell of melting plastic made us aware that our daughter had plugged it in downstairs. So, this is one of the most important Europe travel essentials for women who use hair dryers and straighteners.
Ensure you choose a converter that supports a wide range of common plug types across Europe and the United Kingdom. We have the ALLWEI International Travel Adapter, which has always worked really well for us.
I liked that there were numerous plug types on the device and that the device itself supports the UK plug type, since the UK uses a different kind of plug than the rest of Europe. So, add this to your International travel checklist. And I even have one for you to print off at the end of this post!
RELATED POST: Finding The Best Flight Deals To Europe
#3 Portable Charger For Travel
A reliable portable charger is one of the most important items to have with you in Europe. In fact, this is on my travel packing checklist for every trip I take! With all the photos, maps, and navigation tools you’ll be using on your smartphone, keeping your devices fully charged throughout the day is essential.
And as I will mention in just a while, almost everywhere uses Apple Pay. You will want your phone to be usable at all times. And trust me, you don’t want to miss capturing those stunning European moments due to a dead battery. It would be a shame to visit Europe and not be able to take photos!
I absolutely love these portable chargers because they have built-in cords and can hold multiple full charges. We have several of these at our house and actually use them every day, whether we are sitting out by the pool or just hanging on the couch. I love how they have a bunch of colors so people know whose is whose! And, they do offer a 20,000 mAh option.
I also have a couple of the Rorry keychain chargers that are even smaller. I love these because they have multiple cords and can even charge my Apple Watch, which is very important to me as an Airbnb host. They are small and lightweight. I appreciate having both!
SHOP: My favorite portable charger on Amazon!
#2 Travel Wallet
Ok, this is neither fashionable nor sexy, but hear me out. A dedicated travel wallet will make your life so much easier. We use the ZOPPEN RFID Travel Passport Wallet & Documents Organizer Zipper Case with Removable Wristlet Strap. This is where we store our passports, vaccine cards, travel insurance documents, travel-related credit cards, foreign currency, and important documents at all times, even when we are not traveling.
Before a trip, I pull out what I don’t need and leave it all in a basket on my desk. This is often foreign currency I don’t need, passports of people not traveling with me, etc. That ensures that it has everything I need, and only what I need in it!
I always keep this somewhere safe, like the back zippered pocket of my travel backpack when we are traveling to and from a destination. Once there, I keep it safe in the room and use a cross-body bag for day-to-day activities.
Using a travel wallet helps me keep our travel documents organized and easily accessible. Look for a wallet like the one we have, with RFID-blocking technology to safeguard your cards from unauthorized scanning, providing an extra layer of security against potential digital theft.
I want to add that you should also have digital copies of your passports. Before your trip, please take a minute and scan each passport into your phone or simply take a photo of it. If you ever lose a passport or find yourself in an emergency, this will be very helpful to have at your fingertips.
Read all of my tips for European travel before your trip!
#5 Cross Body Bag
You do not need a large or oversized purse when traveling in Europe. A cross-body bag or a fanny pack is an excellent choice for your European travels. It offers both convenience and security, allowing you to keep your essentials close at hand while keeping your hands free to explore. Look for a bag with multiple compartments, sturdy zippers, and an adjustable strap for a comfortable fit like these.
A bonus would be a waterproof bag to wash after your trip, such as the Lululemon Belt Bags. They offer several sizes and are always great quality.
Even when I am not traveling, I have found myself using a small cross-body purse daily these days. It’s so nice not to be bogged down with a bunch of extras when out and about. If you want to invest in a luxury bag for both everyday and travel, the Saint Laurent Quilted Leather Camera Bag is one of my favorites!
Also, Amazon has a ton of great, inexpensive crossbody bags! I have a few of my favorites linked on my Amazon Travel Essentials List, and I highly recommend this ODODOS unisex belt bag, which comes in a ton of colors.
#6 Apple Pay
It was surprising to see that Apple Pay (tap to pay) was the preferred payment method almost everywhere we went in Europe. We even used it to board the local transportation trams and trains in most places, including Amsterdam. In many places, you can even tap to pay for public transportation!
In recent years, contactless payments have become increasingly popular across Europe. Apple Pay can be a lifesaver when you want to make quick and secure transactions without worrying about carrying cash or dealing with foreign currency. Before your trip, make sure that you are comfortable using Apple Pay and set it up on your phone for easy and hassle-free Visa, MasterCard, and American Express payments.
RELATED POST: My Guide to Points & Miles
Also, do some advanced research, determine which of your credit cards do not charge foreign transaction fees, and always use those. And when given a choice, always process the transaction in the local currency rather than USD to save a little on conversion costs.
We do make sure to bring some foreign currency along with us, and we like to order it in advance through our bank, Bank of America. It is delivered in a day or two, and the conversion rates are usually the best you’ll get.
#7 Packable Jacket For Travel
Unless you are 100% certain you will not need one, a packable, lightweight puffer jacket is a smart buy. I personally love the kind that roll up into a little pouch for easy storage when you are traveling or don’t need it. And, they double up as good airplane pillows!
I have the Pack it Down jacket from Lululemon, but we have also bought the Amazon Essentials coats, which is what you see Matt wearing here.
We use these on all of our trips to Europe, even in warm-weather destinations. They came in handy on a few chilly Spring days in Malta. Make sure to buy one with a hood for rainy days!
#8 Comfortable Tennis Shoes
Many of you are shocked when I mention on social media that we only use carry-ons when we travel! One of the secrets to doing this boils down to shoes. Having a great pair of tennis shoes for day-to-day wear and a cute pair of neutral flat sandals for everything else would be best.
I always bring a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of my favorite big-buckle Birkenstocks, and one pair of flip-flops (for summer travel).
Packing bulky shoes like wedges and boots not only consumes quite a bit of your luggage space, but you will likely not even end up wearing them.
Plus, Europe is known for its charming cobblestone streets and extensive walking tours. We walked over 20,000 steps most days on our recent trip!
And if you are looking for affordable walking shoes for Europe, I have a new blog post featuring some great options that are a third of the price of similar name-brand shoes. One not-so-glamorous thing to point out is that the streets can be very dirty in these big cities, especially after some rain. So, that may be a reason to leave the fancy shoes at home.
READ: Budget-Friendly Walking Shoes for Europe Trips
#9 Packing Cubes for Europe
This is one of those “once you know, you know” things. Color-coded packing cubes make packing and unpacking easy while on the go in Europe.
We use these exact packing cubes on Amazon, and everyone gets a color. This allows me to combine suitcases along the way yet still keep everyone’s clothing organized. If you have been following us for awhile, you know that we rarely stay in just one city!
We love using the train systems in Europe and visiting multiple cities in one trip. The summer before last, we spent almost three weeks taking trains from Antibes, France, to Monaco to Camogli, Italy, to Cinque Terre, on to Rome, and then finished in Venice, Italy, at the Hyatt Centric Murano!
I have recently tried these compression packing cubes and also like them. However, I think the basic thin ones we use are my favorite. They add a lot less weight and bulk to your luggage. We only travel with carry-on bags, so this is very important to us!
#10 Laundry Bags
I always travel with two portable laundry bags. The ones linked are my favorites and very durable. If you want a closer look, check out this Instagram Reel I made that has a close-up of my favorite travel laundry bags.
Having a dedicated travel laundry bag helps keep dirty clothes separate from clean ones and makes it easy to transport items to a laundromat if you want to do a mid-trip load. As we moved from city to city on our last trip, we packed our clean clothes into fewer suitcases while stuffing our dirty laundry bags into the others. Or, sometimes we just carry out dirty laundry bags onto the trains!
TIP: One of my best travel packing tips is to pack a few laundry detergent sheets instead of liquids or pods. Not only can they get through security, but they won’t explode in your bag!
More Europe Travel Essentials
While the abovementioned Europe travel essentials cover the basic needs for a trip to Europe, every traveler has unique requirements. And, we have several other items that I like to bring on all of our European trips!
Depending on where your travels take you, consider packing a few extra items such as a compact umbrella, a versatile scarf, a universal travel adapter, my favorite Dock and Bay beach towels, a reusable water bottle to save money with tap water, and a small first aid kit.
I also like to use the Lisen retractable multi-charging cables on every trip. And you always want to use Apple AirTags when you travel (read how here)!
And, one final item that I really have come to appreciate is these security-sized, durable bags for liquids. They make going through security in an unfamiliar airport easy because while some European countries no longer require you to remove liquids, others are very strict about everything fitting into these bags!
I have a few ways you can shop my travel favorites. Just use these easy links:
I also put a small roll of 3-4 trash bags in my bag. I typically use these for wet swimsuits between stops and for dirty shoes between cities. Considering and packing some of these extras can enhance your travel experience and prepare you for unexpected situations.
Below, I made a printable checklist for you with a couple of extra slots for these items!
What Shouldn’t You Bring On Your Trip to Europe
It can be tempting to pack everything under the sun, but remember that you can buy many things while overseas, such as toiletries, especially when visiting big cities.
What is Not a Europe Travel Essential?
When embarking on a trip to Europe, it’s important to pack smart and avoid carrying unnecessary items that could weigh you down or hinder your travel experience. Here are a few things you should consider leaving off your travel abroad packing list. Stick to my basic packing essentials list, and you will be good!
Don’t Bring Bulky Guidebooks: While guidebooks can be informative, carrying heavy guidebooks can become burdensome. Instead, opt for digital travel resources or lightweight, pocket-sized guides that provide essential information.
Leave Excessive Valuables at Home: Avoid bringing expensive jewelry, unnecessary electronics, or flashy accessories that may attract unwanted attention. It’s best to leave valuable items at home to minimize the risk of loss or theft.
You Don’t Need Numerous Pairs of Shoes: While comfortable shoes are essential, packing too many pairs can take up precious space in your luggage. Stick to versatile, comfortable shoes suitable for a range of activities and occasions. Two or three pairs are enough!
Ditch the Full-Sized Toiletries: Travel-sized toiletries are your best friends for saving space and complying with airport security regulations. Leave behind full-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries, and opt for travel-sized alternatives or purchase them upon arrival. Plus, the European drug stores have the best brands and they are so much less expensive than in the US!
Skip the Bulky Towels and Blankets: Most European accommodations provide towels for guests, so there’s no need to pack large, bulky towels. Instead, carry a lightweight, quick-drying microfiber towel like these towels from Dock and Bay that takes up minimal space in your luggage. And, on pretty much every long-haul flight, the airline provides guests with a small pillow and blanket to use.
Avoid Packing Excessive Clothing: Resist the urge to overpack. Europe offers numerous laundry facilities and services, allowing you to refresh your wardrobe during your trip. Pack versatile clothing items that can be mixed and matched to create different outfits, minimizing the number of clothes you need to bring.
Remember, traveling light and efficiently can enhance mobility and enjoyment of your European adventure. Focus on essentials and prioritize comfort, flexibility, and convenience when deciding what to bring along.
Grab These Europe Travel Essentials and Enjoy Your Trip
Don’t overthink, and don’t stress while preparing for your trip to Europe! But by packing these Europe travel essentials, you’ll be well-equipped to make the most of your journey and avoid any unexpected surprises in European countries.
And make sure to read my European travel blog posts! In the past several years, we have visited France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Malta, Norway, England, and even Monaco. My favorite recent European travel destinations were Camogli, Italy, Cassis, France, and Antibes, France.
I hope you have a great trip to Europe! And, you can read all of my Europe travel guides here.
Or, use the links below to browse our Europe content by country:
- France Travel Guides
- Italy Travel Guides
- Malta Travel Guides
- Austria Travel Guides
- Spain Travel Guides
- Portugal Travel Guides
- Greece Travel Guides
- England Travel Guides
- Netherlands Travel Guides
- Germany Travel Guides
- Belgium Travel Guides
Bon voyage, and enjoy the trip of a lifetime! And, make sure to follow us on social media for photos and videos of our Europe trips!
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CLICK HERE to read about our European Travels: https://ourlittlelifestyle.com/category/travel/europe/