Beyond preprinting bordering passes and being organized (again I am an anxious traveler), I was so THANKFUL for traveling light. I hate having to carry a ton of stuff and honestly would much rather do laundry in the sink with Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap than lug more stuff with me on my back.

Here’s a breakdown of what we packed:

1. Day pack or larger purse – I purchased the Pacsafe Metrosafe LS 200 Shoulder Bag. We used this to cart around our lunches for the day, souvenirs, etc. and it was large enough to keep misc. things that we wanted during train/plance travel close to us while our travel packs were in the overhead compartment.
   1. If you think you may buy more souvenirs there than just have digital photos for memorabilia, bring a collapsible day pack for luggage overflow.
2. Nalgene Water Bottle 400ml – it is small but enough to carry in my Pacsafe and not too much water to really weight me down.
3. Rain jacket
4. Beanie
5. Gloves – honestly I didn’t use them much……you decide. I have Raynaud’s Disease so I brought them but I was OK.
6. Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap – a.k.a. laundry detergent and body wash
7. Kindle – so thankful for this on the plane
8. USB Cable – all our planes and trains had USB capable charging stations (still bring electric plug adapters as hotels and one of our trains did not have the USB port).
9. Headphones – yup, planes no longer supply them = now for purchase 😉 And they were nice to have for audio tours = hands-free listening.
10. Medications – We were most thankful for TUMS and Advil PM (take just 1 for jetlag to help you sleep and awake without the hangover/groggy effect). I also brought 5 coughdrops, and Tylenol. But you decide on what you want to take. REI has a lot of little individual packets you can get, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target all have good travel sections.
11. 2 packing cubes
12. 5 smartwool socks
13. 5 synthetic underwear
14. 2 (black/nude) Patagonia Barely Sports Bra – instead a regular bra and a sports bra. Super easy to wash in the sink!
15. 2 tank tops – using one for sleeping (make sure, both can work with you bra in case want to wear that one out)
16. 2 short sleeve shirts
17. 2 long sleeve shirts – I took a flannel shirt and a thin lightweight sweater (I would also possible bring a cardigan next time instead of the flannel shirt to mix and match more and have something a little nicer)
18. 1 Prana Halle pants
19. 1 Jeggings
20. 1 pair of Jeans – these were too thick for me and honestly they take too long to dry. I would not bring them again for travel. INSTEAD, I would have brought a pair of leggings.
21. 1 Pair of boots – make sure you can walk MILES IN THEM!! One day in Paris, we walked 14.2 miles. I wore Baretraps insulated boots and they were too hot as the weather was all over.

Things I wish I brought:

1. Leggings – as mentioned above
2. I wish I brought a pair of ballet flats OR black Nikes – I know these two pairs are a vast contrast but after a while, I just wanted something different than my boots to wear and change up. (side note: packing was easier but…..)
3. Scarf/Shall – something that you can use to accessorize and then just stuff in your purse when not in use. The weather change quickly through the days we were there in September.
4. Granola Bars!!! – between arriving into towns as odd hours or due to jetlag, I wish I brought more individual granola bars. Especially because in Paris and the Iceland airport have expensive food options that sometimes you just want a snack but don’t want to pay, “How MUCH?!” for something tiny OR all the options are chocolate and you want something healthier.
5. Bring a plastic bag or compressible tote – many groceries stores do not have plastic bags and some will charge for plastic bags. We purchased one while in London and kept it with us for the remainder of our trip. To go to the market/store.

Things I am SO THANKFUL WE BROUGHT!

1. Osprey Farpoint 40 – this bag was so great! It switched from a backpack to a duffel/briefcase style with should strap so quickly on the go I never had to worrying about if I had time to switch. Since my pack, had an internal frame and compression straps, we used my pack to make sure our Ocktoberfest steins made it home safely.
2. Small water bottle – Nalgene 400ml. I filled this up whenever I got a change instead of paying for water.
3. Fenix 3 Garmin Watch – having the compass on my husband’s watch and telling us the distance, etc., made navigating in Paris possible. I got so confused with all the Etoiles in Paris (i.e. roundabouts, where some had 7 roads branching off of them).
4. Playing cards – to pass the time
5. Tums and Advil PM
6. Headphones
7. Print out of documents for when you don’t have internet access
8. Hotels and grocery stores – it was nice having 3 out of 4 hotels close to a convenient store or a grocery store. Breakfast we either had fruit or something small with coffee and for lunch, either made a picnic or ate out at a restaurant. For Dinner, we enjoyed going to the store and getting what we wanted and bring it back to the room to enjoy and just relax from a long day out. Not to mention, eating lunch out was much cheaper than dinner.
9. LASTLY, purchasing small souvenirs – i.e. fridge magnetics, keychains, playing cards, pens, and Christmas ornaments are my favorite as every year you can enjoy the memory again, but it doesn’t add to clutter in the household.