Packing for a Month in Europe? My Real-Life, 23-Pound Packing List
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Planning a big European trip? You’re in the right place, especially if you’re facing the “how in the world do I pack for three climates in one trip?” dilemma. That was me. And I figured it out.
This post walks you through exactly how I planned and packed for a month-long adventure across Italy (hot), Norway (cold), and England (somewhere in between). If you’re hoping to travel light without sacrificing style or comfort, I’ve got you.
✨ Don’t Miss These:
What Worked (and What I Wish I’d Left at Home)
FREE Packing Checklist — What I Actually Used
My Must-Have Travel Gear for Packing Light in Europe
Want to make your packing as easy as mine? These are the exact items I used (and loved) on my month-long trip through three climates:
✅ Compression Packing Cubes – Total game changer. Helped me fit everything in one suitcase without sacrificing space or style.
✅ Pashmina Scarf – Doubled as a blanket on the plane and a stylish layer for chilly evenings.
✅ My Favorite Sandals – Comfy, cute, and cobblestone-approved
✅ Luggage Scale – No airport surprises. My bag came in under 23 lbs!
✅ Wide-Brim Travel Hat – Packs flat and keeps the sun off in Italy or England.
**Want the exact 30-day packing list I used? Grab it here free ➡️ [Download Now]**
Planning for Weather (Without Guessing)
The usual Europe packing list tips always suggest bringing items to layer and checking the weather forecast, both good ideas, so that was my plan. Since the weather forecasts don’t extend out over a month, I checked the average temperatures for each of the places I will be visiting. You can find average temperatures for each date of the year on this website.
Be sure to check for the historic amount of rainfall to figure out if it will be worth it for you to pack a raincoat and/or umbrella. I didn’t bring an umbrella on this trip, and just bought a cheap one in Rome during an unexpected downpour. Then I just left that umbrella at my VRBO, instead of carrying it around the rest of the trip.
**Curious how this actually worked out? I did a full review here → [My Post-Trip Results]**
Outfit Building: What Actually Matched
To try to get a clear overview of what I should bring, I laid out all of the possibilities and made sure everything still fits me! Then I whittled them down.
Tip: Don’t pack a fleece—buy one locally for a warm memory + useful item. I plan to buy a new sweatshirt or fleece zip-up jacket in Italy to keep me warm in Norway (and possibly England), so I am not packing anything like that.
Next, I set out each bottom with the tops it/they would go with. I made the cutthroat decision to leave behind a cute floral top that only matched one pair of jeans. Harsh, but fair.
Next, I figured out what to wear on the plane. A pair of sneakers and a pair of jeans since they are the bulkiest; a t-shirt and cardigan and pashmina scarf so I can add or remove based on how cold or hot I am.
I decided to only bring the four pairs of shoes in the picture on the right below (plus flip flops for the beach). All are worn in a bit, super comfortable and go with many outfits I’m bringing. I did bring 2 pairs of the same style sandal in different colors just because I know how comfortable they are from previous trips.
I am not going to deal with heels! Life is too short to wobble around on cobblestones in high heels!
**Want my full check-off packing list? Grab it here free ➡️ [Download Now]**
Final Packing & Weigh-In
This is my first time trying out compression packing cubes. Usually, I roll my clothes and place them in regular packing cubes. With the compression packing cubes, I decided to try the “stack and fold” method (ie. laying all the similar items on top of each other and then just folding them all together to try to reduce wrinkles.)
I closed up the suitcase and weighed it, and happily, it was only about 22.5 lbs (10.2 kg), well within weight limits. Now I just need to add the toiletries, a hat and travel gear like an adapter, clothesline, etc.
Want to Copy My Packing Strategy?
💼 Here’s my complete packing list (free)
📌 What I’d do differently next time
🧡 My Travel Must-Haves — gear I swear by
Have tips for packing light in multiple climates? I’d love to hear them, drop a comment below!
Great post! I love reading other poeple´s packing list cause I always learn something new! I love that you only bring comfy shoes that have already been worn a bit!
Great packing tips! I’m traveling soon on a trip with multiple climates, so these tips are really helpful.
Compression packing cubes are so handy. If only that you don’t need to search for things in your suitcase. On tripos longer than a week, I always wash clothes, so that I can bring less. Packing in layers is indeed a great idea for a vacation in Europe, weatherwise.
Having purchased a few clothes specific to travel, I do find that I need to update every so often. It pretty much looks as though I wear the same outfits on all of my travels!
yes, thats for sure! Great idea to check pictures from my last trip to try to avoid looking totally the same! 🙂
I can see it all with VPN! Great! I will take your advice and pack just as you did! Thanks Sue.
Wow! Fantastic! Glad I could solve all of your packing questions! 😄