This article is a part of CNN Underscored’s Summer Travel Week, a weeklong focus on how to travel smarter and save money during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.
Whether you’re heading to France, Lisbon, Sicily or Spain, you’ll want to be intentional and thoughtful when it comes to packing for your trip. Not only will you be traveling a long enough distance that you’ll want some creature comforts for the journey itself, but you’ll also need to pack a few pieces of travel gear that are specifically designed for trips to Europe.
For example, your Europe packing list should include an international plug adapter that lets you charge your devices, as well as a travel wallet that keeps your cash and documents safe when you’re moving through popular tourist areas.
Plus, you’ll also want to pack comfortable clothes that can fare well in Europe’s infamous lack of air conditioning and high summer temperatures. Think of things like sweat-wicking shirts and undergarments.
To help you pack for your vacation abroad, we curated this list of must-pack items that can work for a European vacation to Budapest, London, Rome and everywhere in between.
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The wall outlets in Europe are different from the ones you have at home in the US. This makes bringing an international travel adapter along on your trip a requirement if you want to charge your phone, laptop, power bank and other devices. This power adapter from Foval is small, which makes it ideal for packing away in your carry-on bag. It has three AC outlets, four USB-A ports and a USB-C port, so you can charge all your devices.
Once you’ve got your Apple AirTags, if you want to stay hyper-organized, don’t just throw them loosely in your bag. Instead, you can use an AirTag accessory to securely fasten your tracking devices where you want them. This AirStrip accessory lets you store your AirTags on your luggage itself or around uniquely shaped items you’re packing for your trip. They are not only resizeable but also reusable, so you can use them over and over again for every vacation to come.
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This universal phone mount is a must-have for long flights, especially those across the pond. With it, you can insert your phone and then seamlessly mount the device on the back of the airplane seat in front of you. While in our experience, we used it to hook our phone to the tray table in-flight, you can also clip it to your armrest or any other secure item nearby.
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Twelve South AirFly Duo
Your flight across the pond is going to be a long one, but this device makes it go by quickly. The Twelve South AirFly Duo lets you wirelessly transmit audio from in-flight entertainment systems to your favorite set of Bluetooth headphones with ease. It has a 20+ hour battery life and conveniently recharges with an included USB-C cable.
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If you want to hit the ground running and see as much as you can every day of your European getaway, you’ll want a way to charge your devices on the go. This slim power bank from Iniu is a great pick, since it’s small enough to fit in a travel belt or a small bag but packs a powerful enough punch to charge multiple devices.
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Whether you’re planning to snorkel off the coast of Croatia or the Greek Islands, or your European trip includes hiking the Swiss Alps or the Italian Dolomites, you’ll want to bring the GoPro Hero 12 Black to capture every moment. This action camera shoots in high-definition 5.3K and has built-in image stabilization, and there are dozens of mounts available so you can capture footage hands-free. Even better, it doubles as a webcam when you’re not traveling.
This shirt from Mountain Khakis might look like any other checkered button-up, but that’s far from the truth. It’s made from the brand’s signature “brrr°” fabric that regulates heat and dries quickly, making it great for long walks in the European summer heat.
Packing men’s formal clothing can be a chore since items can wrinkle during storage and transport. But in our experience, the Gramercy Blazer stays wrinkle-free even without a garment bag. This travel blazer is also moisture-wicking, and it has 10 different pockets to securely store cash, a passport, keys and more. It’s also machine-washable, so you can wear it in the European summer heat and quickly wash it to wear over and over again.
Comfort is key when you’re planning long travel days, and that’s even more true when you’re sightseeing in the summer heat. This pair of men’s boxer briefs is made for hot European summers due to its moisture-wicking and cooling properties and overall lack of compression. Built-in CloudSoft technology aims to keep you cool and fresh all day and night no matter where your travel day takes you, and UnderGents come in six different sizes and 12 different colors and designs.
A sweat-wicking T-shirt is essential for staying comfortable on any summer trip. This merino wool shirt from Allbirds is a great pick since it’s breathable and has a classic crewneck fit that pairs well with any pair of shorts, jeans or leggings. It comes in men’s sizes too.
These spandex slip shorts are essential for summer trips when you might want to wear a skirt or a dress. Not only do they prevent chafing as you walk an endless number of steps each day, but they keep your thighs sweat-free and help you avoid panty lines along the way. Throw a few pairs of slip shorts in your luggage this summer and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
These performance-fit hiking socks are ideal for a range of activities during a European getaway, whether your plans include hiking the Alps, climbing up the Sherpa stairs of Norway or taking scenic walks through a German forest. Made of merino wool and spandex, these socks naturally stay cool and dry while remaining lightweight and breathable throughout the day. They’re available for men, too.
Luggage, bags and backpacks for your next Europe trip
This budget-friendly travel backpack has been a CNN Underscored team favorite for a while now. It can act as a carry-on luggage replacement for short trips thanks to its large interior compartment that makes it easy to pack a few days’ worth of clothes. It also has a laptop compartment and organization pockets to keep chargers and other travel essentials organized.
You’ll want to have durable bags to carry all your belongings when you’re getting in and out of trains and taxis. If you’re looking for a duffel bag, this 60-liter option from Yeti is a great pick. It comes with a structured wall that keeps it from collapsing, as well as hidden interior pockets and divider panels that help you pack your clothing and other items in an organized way. And since it’s a duffel bag, you can avoid the pains of rolling a wheeled suitcase down Europe’s famed cobbled roads.
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If you’d rather bring a traditional carry-on bag on your European adventure, the Samsonite Freeform Spinner is an excellent choice. We like this bag because of its sleek design, smooth-rolling wheels and budget-friendly price. Plus, it’s backed by Samsonite’s 10-year global warranty if any defects pop up.
A toiletry bag helps to neatly organize your soaps, shampoos, makeup and other personal care items so you can securely store them together in your bag. This hanging toiletry bag makes keeping your stuff together even easier from there since you can unzip it at the front and hang it in your hotel or vacation rental bathroom for easy access.
Having a travel wallet can make trips through the airport and train stations a breeze, and that’s especially true if you’re bringing several people along on your overseas getaway. This travel organizer from Heouvo has RFID-blocking technology that keeps your personal information safe, and it has plenty of room for five or six passports, vaccine cards, cash, credit cards, boarding passes and more.
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The Amazon Basics packing cubes all contain a handle
Packing cubes help you pack more in your bags while helping to keep your items organized and wrinkle-free. This set from Amazon Basics is inexpensive and remarkably functional, with a mesh top panel that makes it easy to see what’s inside each cube. You can rest assured they’re a solid pick with a 4.7-star rating from over 39,000 Amazon reviews.
Weather can be unpredictable, which is why you should carry a small, portable travel umbrella with you at all times. This compact travel umbrella from Gorilla Grip is ideal for international trips since it’s lightweight and folds down to 11.5 inches to easily fit in a travel backpack. This particular travel umbrella is also made to withstand wind gusts of 23 miles per hour, and it also protects against harmful UV rays up to 20 UPF on sunny European days.
You’re in luck if your European vacation rental has a washer, but it’s incredibly unlikely you’ll find a rental with a dryer. Either way, you can keep your clothing fresh and pack fewer items overall by bringing a portable clothesline with you. This ensures you always have room to dry your shirts, pants and undergarments, whether they got a full machine wash or you had to hand-wash your clothes in the sink.
When you’re traveling with rolling luggage, backpacks and totes from place to place, you’ll want to keep your bags secured while preventing theft at the same time. This travel belt from Cincha lets you securely attach a tote bag or backpack to the top of your rolling luggage so it doesn’t fall off or get stolen while you move through airports, town centers and train stations. Not only is the travel belt adjustable, but it offers an extra snug fit and a quick-release buckle to remove it with ease when needed.
Some European hotspots are also hot areas for pickpocketing and other types of theft, so you’ll want to have a plan to keep your cash and documents safe and out of sight. A money belt does exactly that by providing space to store your cash, hotel room key and passport conveniently around your waist. This money belt from Lanney also features RFID-blocking technology that prevents thieves from stealing your credit card numbers and other sensitive information.
If you’re worried about all the surfaces you’ll touch on airplanes, trains, buses and other transit, it never hurts to bring your own hand sanitizer along. This hydrating hand sanitizer from Touchland comes in a travel-friendly size packed with 500 sprays per bottle, and it comes in 13 fresh scents. The formula used for this sanitizer makes it smooth and not sticky, and the ethyl alcohol kills 99.99% of the most common disease-causing germs.
When you’re planning to check a bag on an international trip, you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping your liquid toiletry items secure and separate from clothing and other belongings. These bottle covers do exactly that by creating a waterproof barrier that fits tightly over your haircare and skincare items, bottles of sunscreen and more.
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