When to Start Packing for a Trip to Europe
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So much of the advice out there about packing promises to show you how to pack.
But packing for an international trip has never been a problem for me.
I know how to mix-and-match outfits so that I pack less, and I know which essentials need to be packed for a trip to Europe.
NO, MY PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS REVOLVED AROUND MY GENERAL PROCRASTINATION.
I don’t love packing, and so I put it off… and then, well, the consequences of that procrastination threaten to derail my trip before it’s even gotten started. 😱
Dramatic much?
If you’re wondering when you should start packing before a trip, or how far in advance you can start packing, I’ve got you covered.
Over the past couple years, I’ve developed a Europe packing timeline that breaks down this overwhelming and anxiety-inducing ordeal into small, easy to complete tasks spaced several weeks apart.
It will show you when to start packing for a trip abroad, and how to conquer packing, week by week.
Some might consider these pre-trip packing tips, but I think of this as a comprehensive packing strategy for European travel.
Because the best time to pack for vacation is never the night before you leave!
When to Start Packing for a Trip to Europe
5-6 Weeks Before Departure: Brainstorm Your Vacation Wardrobe
Yay!
Your trip is *almost* one month away, - and I bet the excitement is killing you (in a good way!)
AT THIS STAGE, YOUR ANTICIPATION IS MORE COMPRISED OF EXCITEMENT RATHER THAN ANXIETY.
Take advantage of those vibes to brainstorm key outfits for your trip, as well as other items you might need based on the destination, time of year, etc.
Examples of this would be an umbrella for autumn in London, or a handheld fan for summer in Rome.
In addition to the weather forecast, consider your itinerary and the type of activities you’ll be doing on your trip.
(This is also a great time to assess whether or not you need to book those last minute tours, tickets, and experiences - if you need help figuring out what to do and when, then check out my Europe Experience Planner here.)
In this first step, let your fashion imagination run wild.
While thinking about your key outfits for the trip, start considering any clothing purchases you might need to make for incomplete outfit formulas or to replace old, unpresentable pieces.
I like to scroll through Pinterest at this stage, searching for outfit formulas that I hadn’t considered before.
This stage is all about envisioning the clothes and items necessary to make your dream vacation a reality - what you’ll wear, where and when you’ll wear it, and what accessories you might need to take along.
4 Weeks Before Departure: Plan Outfits for Each Day of Your Trip
The previous week’s focus was brainstorming a dream vacation wardrobe and thinking about what to wear when.
This week is all about planning specific outfits.
Go beyond thinking about your outfits by pulling pieces from your closet and assembling outfits on your bed.
You’ll be surprised how many pieces of clothing that hypothetically go together actually don’t in real life.
Things like color clashing and mismatched proportions will become apparent in this stage.
You’ll also begin to see some repeated pieces among outfits. Removing these repeats is a great way to reduce the number of items you pack.
For example, I may be packing two outfits that I wear with two separate, unique black tops when I’m at home. By arranging these two outfits side-by-side on my bed, I’m able to see that one of the black tops coordinates with both outfits.
This is how you build mix-and-match outfits that require fewer items of clothing.
Thank me later for your lighter suitcase. 😉
You should pull wardrobe pieces from your closet and begin assembling outfits to be sure individual pieces coordinate.
Another tactic to use at this stage: the wild weather test.
Evaluate each outfit individually based on how it would wear in three types of temperatures: a very comfortable, mild day, an overly hot day, and a surprisingly cold day.
Thinking through these diverse weather scenarios for each outfit will push you to pack the right kind of layering items, like cardigans, rain jackets, or my favorite (especially chic in Europe) an oversized blazer.
The second thing you should do with each individual outfit: scrutinize the footwear.
The shoes you pair with certain outfits at home will likely be different that the shoes you pair with those same outfits while traveling.
Personally, I find myself rocking a lot more sneakers-with-sundresses kind of outfits when I’m traveling.
When I’m traveling, I’ll be walking something like 25,000 steps a day.
That requires a very different kind of shoe than the very cute, very thinly soled sandals that work when I’m at home.
The final step during this week is to formally write out your packing list:
Now that you know which outfits you’ll be taking, you can jot them down to make sure you don’t forget anything when it finally comes time to pack.
I’VE PUT TOGETHER A SIMPLE ⬇️ PACKING CHECKLIST ⬇️ THAT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD BELOW!
It helps you plan what you’ll pack, and then keeps you organized as you cross things off once they’ve been packed.
3 Weeks Before Departure: Dry Cleaning, Tailoring, and Repairs
We often tend to travel to places that experience different weather than our home climate.
Like going to the beach when we don’t live on the coast, or traveling to a warm destination when it’s still shoulder season weather at home.
FOR THIS REASON, THE CLOTHING WE WANT TO PACK WILL PROBABLY BE THINGS WE HAVEN’T WORN IN A WHILE.
This is another reason why it’s really important to pull things out of your closet several weeks before it’s time to pack them.
In addition to thinking like a stylist and building a fashionable vacation wardrobe, you also need to inspect each piece to ensure it is properly laundered, there are no holes or loose hems, and the piece doesn’t require any tailoring for it to fit.
If some of your wardrobe pieces do require a little bit of TLC, take things to the dry cleaner to be cleaned or to the tailor for mending or adjusting.
Three weeks before departure is enough time for last-minute dry cleaning or tailoring.
With three weeks left until departure, you’ll have enough time to wait for:
the customary 2 to 3 weeks it can take for things to come back from a tailor,
or the usual five days to a week and a half that it can sometimes take to get things back from the dry cleaner.
THIS ALSO GOES FOR SHOES THAT NEED A VISIT TO THE COBBLER.
Perhaps you have a pair of shoes that need to be resoled, or a pair of heels that need new taps.
Take them in no less than three weeks before you plan to leave.
One important tip to manage the workflow of your dry cleaner, tailor, or cobbler:
Let them know that these items are for vacation, and clearly specify the latest possible pick-up date that works with your schedule.
Keep in mind that this pick-up date should be a couple days before your departure, as you’ll likely be running around with pre-departure errands.
2 Weeks Before Departure: Buy or Replace Essential Items
Now that you’ve sent out those outfit staples that need just a little TLC, let’s turn our attention to the items that are unsalvageable.
Unfortunately, it’s likely that a few things pulled from your closet will be in much worse condition.
“Why did I ever put this back into my closet?” you’ll think.
This could be due to their condition or due to changing tastes and trends.
Either way, in some situations it’s better to simply replace items by buying something new.
BUT BUYING NEW CLOTHES BEFORE VACATION CAN LEAD TO A LOT OF HEADACHES.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever made a last-minute online purchase that doesn’t arrive in time for your vacation?
::: raises hand :::
Ok, so not just me?
This is the situation you want to avoid at all costs.
Realizing too late that you need an outfit piece or accessory to complete your vacation wardrobe can result in multiple headaches:
For one, the item may not arrive in time for you to take it on vacation.
Or, it does arrive, but it’s not the right size, and there is no time for in-store exchanges.
And the absolute worst case scenario: the piece arrives, but you’re on an extended vacation, so you either a.) miss the package pick-up window and the package is returned to the retailer or b.) you’re away for so long that by the time you return home the return period for the item has already passed.
If this packing timeline has any value, it is in helping you to avoid the above scenario. 🙏
One caveat - I would avoid making a big purchase two weeks out from a vacation departure.
The pressure of an impending trip cloud your judgment.
No one wants to be in that space right before buying an investment piece.
Instead, take advantage of high street retailers like Zara or H&M. These stores have a good reputation for fashion forward pieces that won’t break the bank.
If you’re still itching for that investment piece after your vacation, then buy it when you get home, or buy it while you’re in Europe.
If you need to do last-minute shopping for an outfit piece or accessory, be sure to do it two weeks prior to departure, which gives you time for delivery of online purchase or in-store returns.
One important tip if you’re going to be buying a new pair of shoes:
Be sure to wear new shoes a few times before your trip to break them in.
THIS IS ALSO THE WEEK TO START THINKING ABOUT TRAVEL TOILETRIES.
Establish space on your vanity and start organizing the personal care and beauty products that you’ll pack - a.k.a. those that are less than 100 mL.
Then, observe your morning and evening routines to determine which products you *have to have* on vacation.
The current trend across most hotels in Europe is to offer complimentary hair & body wash, conditioner, and body lotion.
I stay at a ton of European hotels each year, and this is the most common in-room product array I see.
In my experience, these products are just OK.
I don’t love a combo of body wash and shampoo, and I find that the conditioners are never as rich and moisturizing as I’d prefer.
I’m not super picky about body wash so I find the body wash product always kind of works for me, and same for the body lotion.
All of this to say - I think it’s a good idea to pack a travel-sized shampoo and conditioner.
(Of course, if you’re staying in an AirBnB or VRBO, you’ll need to be a lot more thorough and bring all of your personal care products.)
One important tip - this week, confirm that you have all of the international travel essentials - things like plug converters and battery power banks.
Be sure to order these items two weeks before departure - they’re not often sold in stores, so you’ll likely have to buy them online and wait for delivery.
1 Week Before Departure: Begin Packing - For Real
Your trip is only a week away!
Aaaaghh!!
THAT PRE-TRIP EXCITEMENT MIGHT SLOWLY BEGIN TO TURN INTO ANXIETY.
But don’t get distracted - be sure to finish strong! 💪
If you ignore this step, you’ll lose your momentum.
And nobody wants to be left packing the night before their departure!
So exactly one week before your departure date, open up your suitcase in a corner of your bedroom or on an unused chair in your living room.
If you begin packing a week before your departure, you’ll be able to get ahead of all of those mini-light bulbs (“Wait, did I remember my toothbrush?!” that usually go off in your brain while you’re en route to the airport).
Make sure this dedicated packing space does not interfere with your day-to-day, which might cause anxiety before your trip.
Start setting aside items on your packing checklist.
Don’t forget!
I created this downloadable ⬇️ Packing Checklist ⬇️ that you can snag right now.
It helps you plan what you’ll pack, and then keeps you organized as you cross things off once they’ve been packed.
Be sure to check the weather forecast at your destination.
This will influence any last-minute decisions about packing an umbrella or rain jacket.
(☂️ P.S. I suggest you do pack an umbrella. I own a small collection of cheap black umbrellas because I never pack them, and then it inevitably starts raining wherever I am. Do better than me pack an umbrella. ☂️)
Seasoned travelers are familiar with the sensation of realizing - like a mini-light bulb going off in your brain - that you forgot something.
It often happens while en route to the airport.
“Oh my God, I didn’t pack my toothbrush!”
You get the idea.
When you start to pack a week before your departure, you have an entire week to anticipate those realizations and pack the item in question.
That certainty, that everything you need is properly packed, will put you in a calme headspace in the 24 hours before your departure.
Happy Packing 😊
xx, Angela
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