Packing four months’ worth of clothes into one suitcase is extremely difficult, especially when you’re trying to get Instagram worthy photos in every country you go to. Don’t stress ladies, we are here to help! These tips will help ease your packing process and prepare you for your best semester yet!
1. Don’t bring every pair of pants you own
I know it’s very tempting to bring every pair of pants but I promise you don’t need them! My recommendation would be to bring the staples: a pair of black jeans, 1-2 pairs of regular wash denim, 2 pairs of shorts (weather depending), a denim skirt, and 2-4 pairs of comfy pants or leggings for travel and sleep. You will be bound to buy more pants and bottoms when you are abroad so no need to bring every pair you have at home.
2. Bring a travel adapter!!!
I cannot stress enough how important it is to bring a travel adapter with you from home! You could get stuck in a layover with a dead phone and your only option would be to buy the overpriced one at the airport. Even if you have one adapter and then purchase one when you get there it is important to have at least one for emergencies. Also, take into consideration different countries you plan to go to that don’t have the same outlets as your country that you are traveling to.
3. Layers will be your best friend!
Since you have minimal space to store clothing you need to make the most out of what you are packing, so layers will be your best friend. I recommend getting a long sleeve shirt, and short sleeve shirt in black, grey, and white. With those three colors, you can make endless amounts of outfits! Also bringing 2 scarfs and 1-2 neck scarfs can bring any boring outfit into a trendy and cute one!
4. Limit how many shoes you bring!
If you don’t wear the shoes on a regular basis then don’t bring them! I made the mistake of wasting space with heels that I never ended up wearing. Heels are a nightmare to walk in, especially in the cobble streets of Rome where I was. I would limit yourself to a pair of tennis shoes, a staple pair of booties that are comfortable to walk in, some sort of water resistant shoe, sturdy sandals, and a pair of rubber flip flops that you can wear in hostel showers. If you wanted to bring an extra shoe I would recommend another pair of booties or another sandal depending on the weather when you are abroad. Also, take into consideration if you plan on investing in a special pair of shoes when abroad. Some popular ones are handmade sandals in Greece or Birkenstocks in Germany.
5. Bring staple Jackets!
A denim jacket is the perfect accessory to practically any outfit, it can dress up a pair of leggings or make a dress seem more casual. Along with a denim jacket I would also recommend a bomber jacket or something cute that could be worn around or out going out. Lastly, depending on where you are studying, you’ll want a warmer weather jacket. From my experience I found that parts of Europe can grow quite chilly from December to sometimes the beginning of March and a denim jacket simply won’t cut it.
6. Don’t Bring Sentimental or Expensive Clothing or Accessories
I know we all want to bring that beautiful necklace or purse that we got as a gift to show off to the world but I would seriously advice you not to. When abroad I had many friends either leave coats at restaurants or on benches, as well as friends getting purses stolen off their body and necklaces taken off without noticing. So, it is extremely important to leave those sentimental or expensive pieces at home because it is not worth running the risk of having it stolen or misplaced.
Studying Abroad is a once in a lifetime chance so embrace it while you are there, just follow these tips so you have even more room for all the cool European things you buy! :)