Things I Don't Regret Packing for 10 Days in Europe

What to Know When Packing for Europe

Packing for Europe is best done in advance, well researched, and weather informed. But sometimes, that is just not how we do things. I went to Europe for 10 days for my birthday in February and packed for the entire trip the night before in an effort to get my sleep schedule on European time. When you're packing for Europe at 3am, you are bound to forget things, pack unnecessary things or even just fall asleep. Seeing as I did all three, I feel confident in my ability to lay out the top five things I don't regret bringing on a 10 day, rainy, northern European trip.

1. A Rain Coat

Rain followed us everywhere we went it seemed. It started in Paris, followed us to London and Edinburgh as well. It was honestly a life saver because my hands were able to remain open to carry any bags i acquired while out and it was perfectly oversized to be fashionable and effective because I could layer underneath it while also keeping my purse dry. The hood was perfectly spacious as well to keep my very naturally curly hair somewhat styled. I'm taking a rain jacket over having to carry around an umbrella all day, every day. Once you put the umbrella away, then it gets all of your things wet, whereas in Europe, everywhere you go, there is a coat check. Very convenient all around!

If you want to get the one that I purchased, Here is the link:

2. IPhone Tripod

Before you laugh! Let me tell you about this. Genuinely, one of our favorite things we took on this trip. it was so fast to set up and take down it was like it never happened. One of us would pair the bluetooth remote while the other would set it up. The time was approximately 20 seconds. The embarrassment of setting it up beat the embarrassment of having to ask people to take 289473 photos when you could just do it yourselves. And at the end of the day, who cares what a bunch of strangers think anyways! We were two girls on vacation wanting to take cute pictures together! It was super easy to carry around, light, small, perfect all around.

I'll link the one that I got here:

3. A Film Camera

I think anyone would be hard pressed to find someone that regrets bringing a film camera. Whether its one that you've been using forever, or a disposable from Walgreens. Film camera brought our Europe trip to life in a fun and different kind of way. Usually with your phone you're taking videos, selfies, group photos, Instagram content, etc. With a film you usually get to capture more scenery and the delayed satisfaction of not knowing what you truly captured until the photos are developed weeks later is so worth it. When you finally get to go through the photos, its like you're living it all over again. I'll link the film that I used for my photos below:

4. A Kindle

If you're a reader, bring a kindle. I know I know, it isn't the aesthetic of reading a real book on the train. That is a big sacrifice to make, but what makes this ideal is that it takes up way less space, is able to fit in your purse (depending on which one you get) and it is easy to pull out in any circumstance. I could read when I was on a plane, in my pod at our hostel, or even taking the bus across town. I love to have my kindle on me just in general, but I found that i especially loved having it while i was abroad.

Obsessed with the size of mine, I can take it anywhere!

5. Nicelond Makeup Bag with Light up Getting Ready Mirror

Was it heavy? Yes. Did it take up space? Also Yes. Was it really worth it? Yes again. Tiktok influenced me, yet again. This makeup bag is it though. The sections are adjustable, the mirror is backlit and big enough to see your entire face. We did a lot of staying in hostels, so having this and being able to do my makeup in bed, or when the mirrors were all occupied was such a nice convenience. I will never get over how nice this was. The light also had three different settings and straps to hold itself up!

These are items that I would bring to Europe over and over again and hopefully make your packing a little bit easier!