The Ultimate Carry-On Packing List for One Month in Europe
Planning your Europe trip with just a carry-on? Packing for a month in Europe might sound impossible, but with the right strategy (and a few must-have travel essentials), it’s so doable and even stylish, too! This guide covers the ultimate carry-on packing list for Europe, complete with personal recs and space-saving travel accessories. Whether you’re headed to Italy, Portugal, Greece, Croatia or a mix of countries, you’ll find smart, minimalist travel tips and links to my favorite items below!
Bags & STorage
Let’s talk bags (and no, I am not talking about the ones under your eyes after this trip). From carry-ons to totes to crossbodies, the bags you bring can make or break your travel experience. Here are the tried-and-true staples I used (and loved) for my one-month carry-on-only adventure through Europe.
Tote Bag
It’s a beach bag. It’s a personal item. It’s a purse. It’s a reusable grocery bag! 1-2 packable tote bags just make life so much easier and are so cheap! Plus, they can still be used once your trip ends which is always a plus.
Cross Body
GET A CROSS BODY BAG!!! I cannot recommend the Uniqlo crossbody bag enough. It deceivingly fits so much and comes in so many colors. This bag is great for ensuring your things stay safe as it is so close to the body and can be adjusted to be worn as a crossbody or as a typical shoulder bag.
Packing Cubes
Yes, these are so worth the hype and yes they absolutely save space in your luggage. The trick is, you must get COMPRESSIBLE ones. This means they have 2 zippers: one to close the cube and one to suck all of the air out.
Toiletry Bag
This hanging toiletry bag from Amazon is such a great investment as it can hold so many products and can easily hang in your hotel, hostel, or airbnb bathroom. However, it is not clear which may be a problem for some TSA agents. Additionally, it is very hard to fit in a roller carry-on and therefore, I would only really recommend if using a backpack to travel Europe for a month.
Luggage
If using a standard roller carry-on, be sure you purchase one that follows the standard European sizing because yes, it is much smaller than the carry-ons that are typically allowed in the US. I opted for a backpack (CLICK HERE to learn more about the best backpack for carry-on travel in Europe: the Cotopaxi Allpa 42L, and how I packed it for my one month trip to Europe)
Jewelry Organizer
I used to store all of my jewelry in a zip lock bag and literally just hope and pray that my necklaces wouldn’t get tangled beyond saving. That was before this 5 DOLLAR Amazon organizer came into my life! It can fit all of the jelwery you need (and all the jewelry you’ll inevitably buy) so effortlessly!
Shop these essentials below!
Baggu DUPE
The BEST crossbody
ABSOLUTE NEED
Holds EVERYTHING (and then some)
Keeps jewelry SO organized
My favorite carry-on backpack
Plane, Train, Bus & FerrY Essentials
I honestly didn’t expect how much time is truly spent in transit while Traveling Europe. It felt like every other day we were hopping on a plane or a ferry or a bus to get somewhere in the cheapest way possible. What I have learned however, is that you don’t always have to sacrifice comfort when choosing transport options that are more budget friendly. I highly suggest investing in products that make travel a bit more comfy and are carry-on friendly. Below you’ll find some of my personal faves that I bring on nearly every single trip, carry-on or not!
🛍 Shop these essentials below!
The only way I can sleep on planes
TRUST! Especially if you have shorter legs
Beach Reads ✅
Duh!
Toiletries & Personal Care
These are my go-to carry-on travel toiletry essentials—especially for a month in Europe when space and comfort are limited
– Electrolytes & Emergen-C: Not only will you probably experience some form of dehydration, there’s a high possibility that with all the fun you’ll be having, you may fall sick. Catch it before it halts your fun!
– Sunscreen: SO EXPENSIVE THERE! BUY IN ADVANCE!
– A good moisturizer: duh.
– Blister Bandaids: Self-explanatory 😛
– Nip Covers: #freethenip (sometimes)
– Mini Razor: I love this guy — it stays sharp FOREVER.
– Dry Shampoo: An actual lifesaver for long travel days or in-between washes.
– Essential Medications: Don’t forget your important meds, contacts/glasses, and birth control if applicable.
– Nail Polish: I don’t know about you but I just feel so much more put together when my nails are painted. My friends and I all brought 1–2 nail polishes each so we could mix and match throughout the month.
Shop these essentials below!
No dehydration ’round here!
The easiest Sunscreen
Trust me on this one
As seen on your Tik-Tok (probably)
My favorite travel razor
Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
Capsule Wardrobes
Seriously, think about mixing and matching. Its the ONLY way you will survive with just a carry on. Oh and with your compressible packing cubes of course.
When doing the research necessary to pack for pack for a month in Europe came across the term “capsule wardrobe” and upon doing more research, it seriously is the smartest way to pack (and honestly even shop) when balling with budget and space constraints.
In a nutshell, the main principle of a capsule wardrobe is that each item of clothing you bring should be able to match at least 3 other items you have brought. For example, your one shirt should be wearable with at least 3 of your bottoms and 1 of your bottoms should be wearable with at least 3 of your tops. This is why I suggest more neutral staples that can be mix-and-matched in a variety of ways to keep your outfits interesting throughout your entire trip. This approach saved space and made mixing outfits on my Europe carry-on trip so much easier
The same rule applies for shoes and accessories! Not only should your shoes be comfy, but each pair should be basic enough to match most of your outfits. I suggest a pair of running shoes (i LOVED the Dr. Scholl’s Time Off Sneaker), a pair of slip ons (Birkenstock Arizonas were my choice for this), and a nice(ish) pair of sandals. I was, and honestly still am, obsessed with Steve Madden’s Jovial Sandal.
What I brought
I brought 2 skirts, 2 shorts (one linen, and one jean), 7 tops, 4 bathing suits, a sweater, 2 pairs of linen pants, 4 dresses, 2 linen button ups, and 2 pairs of pjs. I also brought 14 pairs of underwear and 7 pairs of socks. Jeez that sounds like a lot! But trust me, it was perfect. If you want to see how I packed this all in my carry on (which was literally a BACKPACK), click here!
An important reminder for when you’re packing: MAKE SURE YOU STILL HAVE SOME SPACE!!!!! You’ll stumble upon the most charming little shops all across Europe where you’ll find the sweetest accessories and clothing pieces. As hard as it is, try not to pack too much so that you can still treat yourself while you’re there- I mean you are on vacation after all!
Shop some of my faves below!
The cutest sun hat!
My Favorite Sandals!
The perfect cover up or dinner fit!
Literally match everything
MOST comfy shoe ever
Extra, Extra! REad All about it!
There are seriously so many overlooked Europe packing list items you don’t think about needing until you’re abroad without easy access to Amazon Prime. These are the items that make travel life so much easier, especially when you’re on a budget and not exactly living the luxury travel life.
Microfiber towel
I don’t even know how many times to say this but GET THIS!!!! Oh my gosh is it the biggest life-saver. Not all airbnbs/hotels/hostels have towels you can take to the beach which can become problematic very fast. These towels are perfectly packable, typically come with carabiners, and are so cute! What isn’t there to love! Seriously, if you plan on beaching while on your trip, this towel is totally worth the 15 bucks. I literally still use mine a year later.
Wrinkle remover
Packing linens? Get this. No need to steam or iron with this handy dandy wrinkle remover! Easy to use and carry-on friendly!
Pilly-Pal
This pill organizer actually saved me. European pharmacies can sometimes be a bit confusing, especially when you have a headache from being in the sun all day and just want a tylenol. I suggest buying those mini travel packs of meds like Dramamine for ferry rides, tylenol, melatonin, allergy medications, dayquil, and TUMS, just to keep yourself prepared.
Tide Pods/ Tide Sticks
If you’re planning on doing laundry like we were, don’t forget your tide pods! I brought 2 in a ziploc bag which ended up being perfect for me and the massive load of laundry that I had to do half way through our trip.Tide sticks are a lifesaver for getting out small stains, letting you rewear your clothes way more than you normally could. It would seriously suck to have your white linen pants out of commission over a tiny pizza sauce mishap! I also brought 2 tide sticks, keeping one in my purse at all times!
Adaptors
Adaptors adaptors! Get one that is 1) universal and 2) has plug points as well as points in which cords can directly plug in. This saves you so much space and allows you to charge more than one of your devices at a time
Portable Charger
BRING A PORTABLE CHARGER!!!! The million photos you will inevitably be taking will absolutely DRAIN your battery!
Collapsible Water Bottle
Not only is it so easy to carry around (I would literally clip it to my purse) but it is so easy to get dehydrated. Luckily in Europe there are so many drinking fountains that it becomes very beneficial to carry a bottle on you at all times!
🛍 Shop some of my faves below!
A NEED if any body of water is on your itinerary
True lifesaver for linens
The easiest way to organize medications
Increases the longevity of your clothes 10 fold
DON’T FORGET!
I swear phones die faster in Europe
Collapsible AND cute!
Printable PAcking list
Sneak peek of the one-page checklist you can print or screenshot for your trip!
Never forget your socks again! Download my printable carry-on packing list by clicking the button below!
