3 Most Useful Things For Your Europe Packing List

A couple weeks before I was set to leave for London and Paris, I thought a lot about what was most important to include on my Europe packing list. The obvious things that came to mind were a universal charger, my passport, and an umbrella.

To my complete shock, it only rained one of the days I was in London, so I only used my umbrella one or two times in the more than two weeks I was in Europe. But beyond the obvious rain gear, there are three other things that I think everyone should include on their Europe packing list, especially if you are headed to a big city like London or Paris.

Cute and Comfortable Sneakers

When I say cute and comfortable sneakers, I’m not talking about your running shoes. I’m talking about sneakers specifically designed for style, while also being comfortable. In both London and Paris, I was mesmerized by all the cute sneakers I saw. I was actually quite surprised just how many people wear stylish sneakers, but also classic sneakers like all-stars, superstars, and air max.

I saw a lot of people wearing sneakers just as you’d expect with jeans and a top, but I also saw a few stylish girls rocking white sneakers with dresses and skirt, which I think it super cute for summer. I’m actually on the hunt for a pair of great sneaker to bring with me to Italy (we leave in two weeks!) so I can wear them with all the dresses I plan to bring.

If you’re searching for cute and comfortable sneakers for an upcoming trip I would suggest the possibility of bringing two pair. One pair would be neutral, like white, black, gray or brown, and the other pair would be something more fun – maybe a pattern or a bright color. For my trip to London, I brought these wedge sneakers and a pair of air max that looked similar to these. Having two pair of sneakers means you can mix up your looks and just in case one pair end up hurting your feet, you have a backup option.

Leather Cross Body Bag

In advance of my recent trip, I spent probably two months searching for the perfect cross-body bag. There are two major reasons every girl should have a cross-body bag when she travels to a big city like London. First, it means you’re hands-free, so you can take photos, access your metro card, or read your tube map without having a purse on your shoulder or arm. Second, cross-body bags allow you to keep your things directly in front of you to keep your things safe and avoid potential pick-pockets.

I chose to bring a neutral gray cross-body bag (similar) with gold accents because it goes with everything. Choosing gray means it goes with black, brown or navy, no problem, and even works with the bright pink sneakers I wore most of the trip.

When choosing the right cross-body bag, you need to know how many things you want to carry with you. I personally opted for a medium-sized bag. I didn’t want it to be too large that I would feel weighed down, but I wanted it to be large enough so I could carry my big camera and even a water bottle.

Zip-Up Sweatshirt for Layering

Probably one of the favorite things I brought with on my recent trip to London and Paris was a hooded zip-up sweatshirt in a bold color. In hind-sight, I probably should have brought a more neutral color to be a bit more versatile, but the bright color did come in handy when my group was searching for me.

The benefit of bringing a zip-up sweatshirt is that I was able to take it on and off depending on the weather. The hood came in handy when it was super chilly in Paris. Even better than that, the hoodie I bought had two really cool features that were super helpful to battle London weather. First, it had the thumb holes to allow me to cover a larger portion of my hand when it felt chilly outside. Second, it had a hidden zipper compartment on the left forearm that was perfect for my cell phone or my metro card.

I also brought two other zip-up jackets, but those ones didn’t have hoods (here and similar). The benefit of those jackets was the fact that they had zipper pockets, which was perfect for holding my passport and headphones while traveling, and my cell phone and metro card while in the cities. All were super handy for traveling, but still look put together – you know, the whole athleisure look.

These three items absolutely made my trip comfortable, stylish and a breeze. No matter which city is next for my passport, I know I will always bring them with me. These three items you should include on your Europe packing list to make your time in big cities like London or Paris so much easier.

What are your go-to travel items?