How To Pack For 3 Weeks In Europe With Just Carry On Luggage

For those of you who have been following my blog for some time, you'll know that I absolutely love traveling but hate the hassle that comes along with lugging around, checking and waiting on a huge luggage.  Since the very first trip that I traveled using carry-on luggage only, I haven't looked back and am still amazed at how much time and frustration you save when packing lightly and only bringing carry-on.

If you've been following along on Instagram, you will have seen that we just got back from a 3 week whirlwind trip through Europe.  Our travels took us from Paris to Brussels, from Milan to Florence, and then Amsterdam home to Toronto. With a trip consisting of 5 cities, 4 countries, 2 train rides and 4 flights the amount of time saved using just a carry on luggage is invaluable - especially when you only have a precious few days in certain cities!

Take a look at what I packed to get me from Paris to Amsterdam in the springtime. I wanted to be ultra-prepared, since traveling through Europe in the spring can leave to a variety of different temperatures.  Luckily for us we had mostly sunny skies and mild weather, with a few rainy periods. As you'll see I stuck to a very light, neutral colour palette for mix-and-match ease.

5 Dresses

To me, dresses are some of the easiest things to pack, and can actually be quite versatile - especially in changing weather conditions.  I was able to wear each dress on its own during warmer days, and layered over some black tights and with a jacket for when the weather cooled down. Depending on how heavy the fabric is, dresses can also substitute as a shirt when layered under pants or a skirt; the chambray dress on the far right was used as a top with jeans!

4 Shirts

Well, technically 5 shirts if you count a grey t-shirt that I ended up using as a sleeping shirt. I tried to keep my palette very neutral so that everything could be mixed and matched, and the shirts were no exception.  Each shirt could be - and were - paired with each of the bottoms for a simple, no-fuss outfit. I like to pack very lightweight shirts to save space in the carry-on, plus they're great for layering since the weather can go from freezing cold to very warm in the course of a day (especially in Paris!)
**Not Shown: One large sweater

2 Bottoms

I know that you're thinking - white jeans, are you crazy?!  In my defence, I wanted to stick to a light-coloured neutral palette for my clothing so white denim were an obvious choice for me. To be honest, I didn't find having light-coloured jeans and more maintenance than dark jeans, especially since I knew that they would be going straight into the laundry as soon as I got home.  A black shirt was an obvious choice for me as well, since it paired well with each top as well as tights, and was a good length without being too short.
**Not Shown: a pair of black, opaque tights,  those were thrown out at the end of the trip.

2 Jackets

Packing jackets while traveling can be a bummer, but are absolutely essential when traveling through Europe in the spring.  For this trip I brought along two options: a lighter, oversized blazer that was great for layering and a heavier black trench coat for when the weather really cooled down.  I honestly used the lighter blazer for the majority of the time, but was glad to have the trench coat - especially at night! Before leaving I went back and fourth between the trench coat and a leather jacket and, although I settled on the trench, I think that either would have been appropriate and practical.

Accessories

Here's the make-or-break category when packing using only a carry on.  You accessories are essential to mixing-and-matching your clothing pieces to create new outfits and can be extremely practical as well!  The blanket scarf that I packed was often a substitute for a jacket, a pillow on the train and even served as a picnic blanket when sipping wine under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. A silk neck scarf added some interest to otherwise very boring outfits, and I never travel without a hat (Tip - I wear my hat on every airplane and train to avoid it from becoming crushed in my carry on.)  I only took one purse this time, but made sure that it was extremely practical and went with every outfit.

Shoes

Though I don't have a flat-lay of my shoes since they're currently in desperate need of a wash and/or polish, I did end up bringing one pair of flat black boots (you can see them in my last packing post), a pair of taupe, sleek running shoes and some nude flats.

The Outfits

For all outfits, as well as some travel photos, follow the hashtag #LPNtravels on Instagram.

Take a look at my last Italian packing post for some helpful hints, as well as how I pack my toiletries for carry on travel.  I also have a post on what to pack and wear in Paris to avoid looking like a tourist.

What do you guys think?  Are you a carry on convert?  What are some of your best packing tips?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle