Packing For One Week In Europe, Summer & Winter

You’re sitting on your bed looking at your closet thinking, “packing for one week in Europe shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

While packing for one week sounds easy, we all know it’s not. Either you have too much you want to bring, or not enough and you need to go shopping. Your bag is too big or too small, you packed way too many pairs of underwear or not enough (ew), and nothing fits. 

Just kidding, it really doesn’t need to be that stressful to pack for one week in Europe. All you need is a plan and to remember that it’s one week. If you forgot something, Europe has, like, a ton of stores 😉 

Grab your suitcase and maybe some form of caffeine, and lets get a-packing for your one week in Europe!

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I’ll be upfront with you. I’m not a fashion icon. I know, shocking, hard to believe. But, I have actually spent 5 months traveling Europe so I’ve run into a few situations that taught me the ideal things to have. 

We’re going to look at what clothes to pack and how many of each item, what accessories you really need, and miscellaneous items that are very important to remember while packing for your trip to Europe. 

Because Europe does have all 4 seasons, this is not a one size fits all deal. Because of that, we’re going to do a Summer and Winter packing list, and if you’re visiting in Fall or Spring, well mix in a little bit of everything and you’ll be good!

I’m even including a free printable packing checklist because it will just make your life easier and that’s why I’m here in the first place!

What To Pack For One Week In Europe

The very first thing you should keep in mind while grabbing things from your closet as you pack is to bring the clothes you will actually wear.

You just don’t want to end up with a suitcase full of clothes that you hate wearing and don’t feel comfortable in. It’s important to find a balance between cute, trendy clothes and comfort. 

I’ve made a list of my absolute favorite pieces that I wear when I travel that are cute and comfortable that you might want to consider bringing with you on your next one week trip to Europe.

The second thing to consider is that depending on where you’ll be going, you will need to adjust your wardrobe accordingly. 

Most of Europe is fairly similar in climate, but of course it will vary. Be sure to do your research about the weather in your destination ahead of time.

If you’re heading to the coast, you’ll obviously want to pack more swimsuits than if you’re planning to spend your time in the mountains.

Lastly, the third thing you should consider while packing is that style in Europe is pretty different from the US, where I’m from, and many other places in the world.

At home, people wear athleisure all the time, and it’s not out of the ordinary to wear leggings or running shorts when you go out. 

However, Europeans do not wear athleisure like they do in America. You won’t see many Europeans dressing super casually when they’re out. 

So if you want to fit in a little and do it the European way, leave the leggings and t-shirts at home.

•10 Tips to Pack Efficiently in Your Carry-On
•10 Essential Items To Pack For A Trip to Europe

Here’s my packing list for one week in Europe…

Summer 

The summer time in Europe is warm, bordering on hot or very hot, in most places. Likely, you’ll be swimming, spending time outdoors, maybe even hiking or partaking in other activities. You’ll want to be prepared for lots of different scenarios, so it’s good to bring a variety of options.

• 8 tops (mix of tank tops and short sleeve shirts)
• 3 pairs of shorts
• 2 pairs of jeans or pants
• 1 skirt
• 1 dress
• 1 light sweater or pullover: it’s nice to have when you’re in a restaurant or if the temps drop at night
• 3 bathing suits
• 1 pair of sneakers
• 1 pair of comfortable sandals
• 1 pair of water friendly shoes
• 1 long sleeve shirt
• 5 pairs of socks
• Plenty of underwear 🙂 
• 1 tote to use as a beach bag: you can also use this in place of a purse
• 1 pair of sunglasses
• 1 beach hat
• 1 set of pajamas
• 1 Purse: make sure that whatever purse you decide to bring is a crossbody or something you can keep safe and close to your person like this Fjällräven one I wore our whole trip. 
• Jewelry and accessories (hair ties, jewelry, etc.)
• Makeup bag + toiletries bag: be a minimalist when it comes to toiletries because you can always buy what you need at the drugstore in Europe

Winter 

The key when packing for winter in Europe is to layer, layer, layer. And bring a good coat. It gets pretty cold!

• 4 sweaters
• 2 long sleeve tops
• 4 short sleeve tops: or tanks to layer
• 5 pair of jeans or pants
• 1 maxi skirt
• 1 light sweater or pullover
• 1-2 pairs of sneakers
• 1 pair of comfortable boots
• 1 winter coat: I really recommend you bring a good quality coat
• 8 pairs of socks
• 1 beanie or hat
• 1 scarf
• Plenty of underwear 🙂 
• 1 pair of sunglasses: Le Specs are my favorite
• 1 set of pajamas
• 1 Purse: make sure that whatever purse you decide to bring is a crossbody or something you can keep safe and close to your person like this Fjällräven one I wore our whole trip. 
• Jewelry and accessories (hair ties, jewelry, etc.)
• Makeup bag + toiletries bag: be a minimalist when it comes to toiletries because you can always buy what you need at the drugstore in Europe

Travel Necessities

Let’s talk about everything that’s not clothes that you should bring with you on a one week trip to Europe. 

I’ve written an entire post about the 10 things I always bring with me when I travel that keep me comfortable and organized. All ten items are meant to make your life easier and travel more enjoyable!

These are all the things you should put in your carry on bag or purse when you travel.

• Passport (and a photocopy as well)
• Travel insurance
• Headphones
• Chargers
• Plane pillow
• Refillable & collapsible water bottle
• Portable Sound machine
• Camera (could be your phone)
• Universal Travel Adapter
• Credit/Debit cards: bring your credit cards with you, but don’t bring American cash, it won’t help you. Bring your Charles Schwab Debit Card and get money from the ATM as soon as you land without paying for any fees. 

How To Make It All Fit In Your Suitcase

I look at this list of stuff and I think to myself, there is no way it will all fit in a suitcase, let alone a carry-on!

Well, you would be surprised how much you can fit in a suitcase if you just know how to pack it. 

In my post about how to pack efficiently in a carry-on, I go into detail about all the tips and tricks that are necessary to bring as much as you can in your suitcase.

Here are my tips for fitting all of your clothes in your suitcase for your one week trip to Europe.

• Roll all of your clothes.
• Use packing cubes: I’ve talked about packing cubes before and I’ll talk about them again because they are just life savers. You need them.
• Use a suitcase with compression straps, like this one. Or this carry-on sized one that I beat up on our 6 month trip and is still in amazing shape.
• Bring the travel size of anything you can, especially toiletries.
• Leave room for souvenirs.
• Bring a backpack or small carry on suitcase as well: on most international flights you’ll have 1 free checked bag and 1 free carry on bag.
• Wear your bulkiest items on the plane

So, here’s to hoping that this post has helped you in your journey of packing for one week in Europe. Don’t forget your printable packing list to help you stay organized while you pack to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

Safe travels,

Nikki