Life On Virginia Street

DIY . Home Decor . Travel . Style . Life

Packing Light

Fashion and Beauty, Travel

As I alluded to here, in a few short weeks, we will embark on a two week tour of Europe. The first week is a business trip/vacation {for my husband’s job} and the second half will be pure vacation with my brother and sister-in-law {my husband and brother work for the same company}. I’ve tried not to think about the trip too much {or the passing days seem to go that much more slowly} but we are down to the last few weeks and it’s time I get prepared. Issue #1: what to pack.

I am known to be an excessive packer {hey, I’d rather be prepared}! If it fits, I’ll usually take it. But given that the second half of our trip will be more road-trip style, we are limited to one suitcase a piece. For two weeks of travel. Which will prove to be a very difficult task for me.

Places we’ll visit:
Killarney, Ireland
London, England
Paris, France
Munich, Germany
Salzburg, Austria
Heiligenblut, Austria
Venice, Italy
We get that this is entirely too many places to visit in a one week period. But we want to squeeze as much as we can into the trip while we’re over there! The cities are all so diverse, again complicating the packing situation.
 
Some good advice I’ve read so far on how to pack light. Keep everything to basic neutrals and then add in color with accessories. This way pieces can be mixed and matched. I tend to dress in bold colors so I’m rounding up a few basics in neutral colors to make packing a little easier. I like the examples below I’ve found in my Pinterest searches. One of my Instagram followers also recommended I check out How To Pack Like a Ninja video, which is also full of great tips! 
How to pack and travel light
{via}
Following is another great neutral clothing round-up:
10 Days of Style - How to Pack Light
{via}

Following is a great way to infuse some color into the outfits. Simply pick your favorite color and run with it! I’m also thinking this can easily be accomplished with lightweight knit scarves.

How to Pack Light for Travel
{via}
Some more helpful tips:
How to Pack Light for International Travel
{via}
One of the issues becomes shoes. Especially since I have to pack for everything from golf to a cocktail reception to comfortable touring shoes, etc. Really the whole spectrum of shoe types. It’s also a tricky time of year because it could be anywhere from cold and rainy to sunny and warm. I’m trying to think of the best way to add neutral layers to accommodate to varying weather.
 
What advice do you have on how to pack light? Any advice on what not to miss in the cities we are visiting? I’m looking for the highlight reels since we are only in some of the cities for one day. And, rest assured, I have an amazing line-up of guest bloggers on the docket while we’re out of town and I also plan to have an amazing feed on my Instagram those two weeks!

Needless to say, we have an exciting month ahead of us. Travel is one of our true passions in life and brings us so much joy. I’m excited to check out some new countries and cultures and to share our journey with you!

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Comments

  1. Kylie Helm says

    I’m SO eager to see how you do it, girl! We’re going to Europe for 2 weeks for our honeymoon the first week of June, and I can’t even wrap my head around it i’m so stressed about ONE SUITCASE! and shoes too. Since it’s so much walking, but I still want to look cute, shoes are stressing me out 😉

    xo,
    K

    Reply

  3. Chrissy @ Adventures in DIY says

    When I went to Italy with a couple of friends, my friend packed way too many shoes. She ended up having 2 bags because of it and it made it difficult to travel between destinations (especially with train travel – there’s not much space for bags – especially big ones!).
    Your trip sounds so amazing and exhausting! lol Have a great time!

    Reply

  4. Leslie B. says

    Don’t pack too many shoes or needless accessories. Pack just enough for a good variety but also pick jewelry, scarves, etc that will match multiple things.

    Reply

  5. Natalie says

    I would pack one pair of super comfortable walking shoes (for touring), a pair of closed shoes in case it rains, and a pair of shoes for evening. So wear one and pack two. It’s hard to decide, but also think about what photographs well and doesn’t wrinkle- you want to look nice in your pictures.

    Reply

  6. angi474 says

    I don’t have any advice from personal experience, but check out “oufitposts.com”
    She has a One Suitcase Series and totally rocks it! I’m sure you will too. Have a wonderful and safe trip!

    Reply

  7. stephy213 says

    You will LOVE Europe. I had the please of going in 2010. We packed in a whole lot places in our 2 weeks. I was in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. There was so much about each place that I loved! I loved the Eiffel Tower. It had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to be able to see it. I fell in love to say the least. Venice was amazing. I was there during the Carnivale so everyone had on their masks. Way cool! Germany had some of the best food while I was there and I loved seeing castles all over the place. I can’t wait to see pictures from your many travels!!!

    Reply