Here are packing tips for our June Europe trip:
PACKING
I overpacked on jackets. I didn’t use any jackets except for my rain jacket. It just doesn’t get that cool at night.
On a related note, bring a rain jacket! But if you forget (and you’re in a major city like Rome or Florence,) no worries, because the moment the first drop falls, vendors peddling umbrellas and ponchos will suddenly and mysteriously appear.
I have long, thick hair that can ill-tempered in humidity. So I packed a dual voltage hair straightener, since most U.S. straighteners won’t work in Europe with just an adapter plug. There are many on Amazon and I found a perfect one for $30.
Earplugs – the kind you buy on Amazon, not the ones the airlines give you. I spent as much on my earplugs as on my hair straightener. This was a lifesaver. I wrote in an earlier post about the earsplitting, all-night, raucous festivities outside our apartment in Rome. With my earplugs, I was able to muffle (most of) the noise.
I wish I had packed: clothespins! f your lodging has laundry facilities, most likely this means washing machines but not dryers. I didn’t realize beforehand that not a single place would have a dryer. If your place has no laundry facilities, they’ll likely still have a clothesline outside, so you can sink wash and place outside to dry with clothespins.
Compression bags were a lifesaver! I packed a lot of clothes into a little suitcase and my clothes weren’t wrinkled as long as I took them out for a day before use.
Shoes – I didn’t bring any heels due to the prevalence of cobblestone streets and cautionary tales – courtesy of this group – about vacation-spoiling ankle injuries. In addition to sneakers, I brought Chocos sandals or white Sketchers that I had bought at Target. Both worked well with dresses.
For the buggy areas, I wore a mosquito repellant bracelet because I hate bug spray. I was hesitant due to some mixed reviews but it worked great – even in Florence, where mosquitos have previously been drawn to me like heat-seeking missiles.