For two consecutive summers, I backpacked around Europe. I stayed in hostels, traveled by train and bus, and yes, carried everything I had with me on my back.
On my first trip, I traveled for 8 weeks across 11 different countries in Eastern, Central, and Northern Europe. On my second trip, I traveled for nearly 3 months in Western and Central Europe.
Below you can see everything I took with me, and learn what I needed and what I could have done without!
What to pack for backpacking around Europe (in summer)
In my backpack
The bag: On my first backpacking trip, I traveled with a 60L full-zip REI backpack. For my second trip, I decided to go a little smaller and used a 44L Kelty Redwing, which is made specifically to fit women. I really loved this backpack, and highly recommend it for backpacking in Europe!
You'll see in the below photos that I'm a big fan of packing cubes; they really help to organize your bag!
Clothing
I'm admittedly not a minimalist packer – I generally tend to pack enough clothing to last at least 7-10 days, and then do laundry along the way. Here's what I recommend for a summer in Europe:
- 3 pairs of shorts
- 2 skirts
- 2 dresses
- 1 pair of leggings
- 1 pair of jeans
- 3 t-shirts
- 5 tank tops
- 1 light sweater
- 1 set of sleepwear
- 1 swim suit
- 4 pairs of socks
- 3 bras
- A week's worth of underwear (I love these ExOfficio ones!)
- 1 scarf (this Speakeasy scarf served double duty, as it also has a hidden pocket!)
If you'll be visiting the UK or Scandinavia on your trip, I also recommend packing a raincoat! (This Columbia Arcadia one is my favorite.)
Shoes
- Lightweight sneakers
- My Teva Verra walking sandals
- Flip-flops
Everything else
- 1 fast-dry travel towel (a MUST if you're staying in hostels!)
- Toiletries (including sunscreen, shampoo, sanitary products, etc.)
- Travel hair dryer (this dual-voltage one is perfect for travel)
- 8 weeks worth of contacts
- Medicine/mini first aid kit
- Small umbrella
Sound like a lot? I actually still had some wiggle room!
I know you might be curious why I recommend taking jeans, a sweater, leggings, and a scarf. Well, even though much of Europe is hot during the summer months, not all of it is! Places like the UK and Norway and anywhere up in the mountains can get chilly even in the summer months.
The leggings and scarf are also handy for instances where you may be visiting churches, monasteries and mosques where you'll have to cover up knees, shoulders, and perhaps even hair for modesty's sake.
Like a Boy Scout, I like to live by a “be prepared” motto. (Also, I don't really like to have to buy anything abroad!)
In my carry-on
I'm a big fan of efficiency when it comes to my carry-on bag. For these specific trips, I wanted something small since the double-turtle look (i.e. when you wear one backpack on your back, and another on your front) is easier with small bags, and I wanted something that would keep my valuables like my laptop and camera safe on travel days.
I went with a small backpack from Pacsafe, who make great theft-proof bags. The bag I had on these Europe backpacking trips was the Pacsafe Citysafe CS350, which is a great small bag. It has a slash-proof exterior and secure zipper clips. It also holds an astonishing amount for its size, yet is still comfortable to carry.
Other theft-proof backpacks to check out include:
Here's what was inside this bag:
- My 11″ Macbook Air (*NOTE* this bag will not fit larger laptops)
- My Kindle
- Electronics chargers and outlet adapters for Europe
- A small planner/journal
- Extra camera lens
- Headphones
- My small make-up bag (which has everything from my toothbrush to earrings in it)
- My glasses
- My Camelbak water bottle
- Some business cards (because you never know who you'll meet!)
- Change purse with back-up funds/credit cards
In my purse
Since I don't always like to use my daypack as my handbag, I almost always carry a purse with me, too. On my Europe backpacking trips, I had a bag similar to the Travelon Bucket Bag, which is a cross-body, anti-theft handbag.
Inside I had:
- My wallet
- My iPhone
- My camera (learn about my camera gear here)
- My action video camera
- Extra camera battery/lens cloth
- Sunglasses
- Mini brush
- Chapstick
What was I glad to have?
My Teva sandals – I'm not the kind of person who can wear flip-flops nonstop (I really only packed them to wear in hostel showers), so I was super glad to have my Teva walking sandals with me. They still let my feet breathe in hot locations like Croatia and Greece, but also gave my feet enough support for a full day of walking.
A reusable water bottle – I went through a LOT of water in several destinations, and it was nice to not have to buy wasteful bottled water everywhere. Tap water is generally safe to drink in Europe, and many European cities have fountains for filling up water bottles – so there's really no excuse not to travel with one! I love my Camelbak Chute.
Dresses – I would live exclusively in dresses if I could! And they're perfect for most cities in Europe – especially in the summer because they tend to be breathable! IF, however, you're worried about chafing (I'm not nearly as skinny as I was in these photos, and chub rub is REAL, people), I recommend picking up some moisture-wicking Skimmies by Jockey, which help prevent chafing.
What else do you need to backpack Europe?
One thing I didn't pack that I should have was a sunhat – I ended up spending way too much money on one in Greece. Sunglasses and sunscreen are good, but they won't protect your scalp from burning! I like this packable sunhat.
You also should definitely pick a good travel insurance policy! That way everything from lost luggage to a bad accident is covered – because you just never know! I recommend World Nomads for basic (and really affordable) travel insurance perfect for backpackers.
What do you think of my list? Is there anything else you'd take to Europe, or anything listed here you'd leave behind?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I’m sitting here in a hotel room in tulsa on the first night of a five week trip and reading over your list made me realize I left one very important thing at home – a travel towel! Not a big deal in the hotels for work, but the hostels in Nicaragua won’t be as forgiving!
Oh no! Perhaps you can pick one up somewhere? Mine has already come in handy!
I was sure you wouldn’t be able to get all of the first picture in your backpack but you sure did! I don’t think I over pack but compared to you, I guess I do. Although if I was going for 8 weeks I’d pack very differently than for 2 weeks. Have a great trip!
Haha, I had my doubts about fitting it all in, too! But it works, and my pack isn’t stuffed to the point of bursting, which is good!
By the way, you forgot a power adapter! 😉
Oops, nmd! I found it in your Pacsafe Slingsafe bag 🙂
Yup, can’t forget those adapters!
Good one! Just reminded me about umbrella and business cards 🙂 Thanks!
Having scarves is a must! They do so many things from keeping you warm to sprucing up your outfits for a night out! Have a good trip!!
I agree! Scarves are fantastic things to take along. And the best part is that they don’t take up much space at all!
Like your list – looks like you have all the essentials. I would ditch the umbrella and buy a PDF version of the Lonely Planet Guidebook – looking forward to your comments at the end of your trip on how it all works out !
My umbrella has actually already come in handy, as I don’t have a waterproof coat with me! I would not have had nearly as much fun exploring Eger in the rain yesterday without my little travel umbrella! 🙂
Ooops I thought ‘windbreaker’ on your list was a waterproof !!
It’s slightly water-resistant, but definitely not waterproof!
You’re gonna be traveling for 8 weeks, wow! Can’t go travel without my gadgets! Have a safe trip and enjoy!
Yeah, those gadgets are almost essential these days, aren’t they?
I’m changing it up a bit as well this Europe trip. <3 Let me know how everything works out. I'm a little freaked out at the thought of trying to fit winter clothes into a 40L backpack.
Haha, yeah, winter clothes are no fun! Though, I did go to Iceland for a week and managed to fit a winter coat AND boots into my 60L backpack, along with everything else I took. It just takes a bit of creative packing! 😉
I’d throw in a pair of those cheap fold up black flats you can get at Walgreens. I like being able to dress up an outfit. Otherwise good choices! I’m going to come back to this post when I’m packing for Portugal, Austria and Germany for a month in September.
I considered flats… but didn’t really want to add another pair of shoes that I might only wear once or twice. We’ll see if I regret that later!
I have gotten really good at packing very little when I leave. I left with 7kg this time. But my backpack is a sneaky one – and on my return it is weighing in at 10kg. I cannot fathom where this extra 3kg came from as I have not purchased anything. It is a mystery! Packing is a personal thing though – I just realized I’m lazy and never want to carry around more than I can carry up 4 flights of stairs without being tired. So I keep it below 8kg always with my carry-on weighing 3kg. Hopefully you’ll do a review when you’re done to determine what you used, didnt use, wish you’d brought, wish you’d left at home, etc!
Yes, I think I’ll definitely do a follow-up eventually, and assess what I really didn’t use. So far, though, I’ve been using mostly everything!
It seems like a little too much but if you did not fill up the big bag then it is probably not too heavy. I use a 45L and a separate daypack for most of my trips.
One great way to save weight now is to load electronic guide books onto you kindle or phone.
Yeah, I can still comfortably lug the bag around, so I suppose I did alright! 🙂
And yes, ebooks and e-guidebooks are amazing! I have a few on my Kindle and/or Macbook.
Ditch the hairdryer 🙂
Haha. I’m sure a lot of people will suggest that. But it’s only little! And I hate going out with wet hair, especially if it’s chilly. It’s really my only vanity item that I packed.
wow that is quite a long trip…for sure you will have fun! let me know if you happen to be in bavaria, germany…have a safe trip!
Yup, long trip but I’m sure it will be a blast. I’m sadly not making it to Germany on this trip, however.
A really great collection of essentials! How much does the whole package weight? The MacBook Air must have been the best choice for a long travel like yours, because of its small weight.
I think my bag weighed under 20 pounds, though I can’t remember the exact number. It’s light enough for me to lug around on my back, though, so I suppose that’s all that matters, right? 😉
And yes, my Macbook Air has been a GREAT purchase so far!
Business cards are the BEST! I found them super helpful in group travel that instead of having to write down your details a million times, just hand people a card. Plus, most people are super impressed! Love it.
Have a great time!
Yup, I don’t travel anywhere without them now! Any time I tell people I’m a travel blogger, they want to know what my site is. So I just hand over a card! SO much easier.