About 70 percent of my subscribers have asked how I plan my travels and what I pack when traveling to Europe. I am excited to go over my travel 101 plans including how and what I pack for various climates. Traveling by car is much easier. I can take as much as possible. We all are too familiar with the restrictions when traveling by air unless you are prepared to pay for excess baggage. Frankly speaking, I’d rather save my coin for adventures and shopping during my travels. There is an exception when one is traveling for destination weddings or have various medical supplies that are required for daily health.
Planning for my trips will depend on where I’m traveling to and the time of the year. Below is a summary of how I prepare for travels to Europe in the Summer and Winter months:
Europe
When traveling to Europe, I check my passport prior to booking my ticket to make sure it is valid for up to six months after you return home. Most European countries will not grant entry visas if your passport is about to expire or has less than six months to expiration date. Before traveling, it is advisable to look up your destination at the link below and write the address and phone number of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country you are visiting.
Resources to check out for updated travel policies to Europe:
It can be daunting trying to figure out what to take on your week or two week long vacation. What I pack will depend on the weather. During the summer visits, I take a lot of summer dresses and flats/sandals to prepare for walking. In Europe, there is increased travel by train and bus to visit tourist locations and various cities. Taking items you can mix and match has been one of my ultimate packing methods. I also take a light sweater/cardigan for those cold evenings. I enjoy fine dining or attending formal events, theaters etc., therefore, my bags will have a formal wear or two. I purchase all travel size toiletries, sun block, and perfumes to avoid excess baggage. Ladies, we like our stuff, but remember, basic toiletries are everywhere for sale, so don’t hesitate to leave behind your travel size shampoo & conditioner. Let’s be practical. While travel size items are small in size, they could be the difference in weight when you are faced with an airline agent at check in who is demanding you remove 2.5 pounds excess from your baggage. Annoying! My favorite wide brim straw hat goes along in the summer. It’s easily foldable, adding one/two sarong wraps and a swimsuit. You can’t leave those sunglasses behind. Sometimes we may want to wear multiple while on a long trip.
In the winter months, especially over Christmas, my bags are loaded with sweaters. I sometimes have to purchase thicker sweaters for the icy cold winters in England. My baggage can easily go overweight due to heavier clothing items so packing gets tricky and sometimes stressful to maintain the required baggage weight. I wear my boots while traveling, less weight in my baggage, and I might pack another pair of boots or tennis shoes with good traction/grips in case it snows. I have on my winter coat. I add pairs of thick socks, a few pairs of jeans, long sleeve tops for layering and thermal PJ’s for those winter cold nights.
I have always purchased Samsonite luggage. They are durable and comes in various colors. Purchase TSA locks to lock your case so your items are not easily accessible. Baggage handlers may be instructed to open your case with their master TSA lock keys but they should leave a note in your baggage, informing you your baggage was opened for inspection. For travel size perfumes, I order from scentbird.com. Scentbird also allows me to try a perfume before purchasing a larger size.
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Bon Voyage!