I did a European backpacking trip for 10 weeks and wanted to share what I brought with me (edit: I’ve since updated it with new opinions for what I ideally would have brought with me having the experiences I have now).
The Main Stuff
- Tortuga Setout Travel Backpack ($199)
Pretty much the greatest travel backpack I’ve seen. There are better reviews online, but a summary:- Easy to access clothing
- Doesn’t look too touristy
- Comfortable
- Sturdy, well made
- Lots of space
- Just the right amount of organizational pockets
- I also modified this backpack myself by sewing additional straps onto it for holding a sleeping bag and tent, allowing it to be used as an acceptable hiking backpack in a pinch.
- Make sure to do something to make your bag stand out (for easy identification, esp. at baggage claims), like tying a ribbon to it. I personally sewed some Ukrainian embroidery onto the front of mine.
- Packing Cubes ($23)
Offers much better organization for all your clothing than just throwing it in the bag. - Travel memory foam pillow ($25)
I like sleeping. Some people like the neck pillows better. I don’t. - Large 24×48″ microfiber towel ($12)
This dries quickly and is perfect for travel. Needs washing every 3-4 days. Many hostels have towel rentals for ~$5 and I ended up doing that most of the time because those towels are so much better, but this is an acceptable backup for hostels which don’t have them. - 2 large wet/dry bags ($11)
Use one for dirty clothing and one for moist things like bathing suits or towels. Be careful — the zippers will break if you over stuff them (maybe bring an extra just in case). - Larq Bottle ($118)
Self-cleaning water bottle which kills all the bacteria for you. Fill up right from your sketchy tap and don’t worry about regularly cleaning the water bottle. You won’t get sick (though it doesn’t filter, e.g., lead or chemicals). Insulated to keep it cold. Battery lasts about a month, and recharges by usb. The 17oz is a bit too small in my opinion (I bought it when it was the only option and later upgraded), I would go with the 25oz. - Assorted zip-lock bags
Seriously cannot recommend this enough. Just keep a bunch in your bag. You will use them. - Luggage Locks (2 for $15)
Great for locking your backpack zippers and for locking hostel lockers which don’t include a lock. - 3 Pens, Small Notebook
- Passport belt ($15)
Keep your passport, important papers, and extra money with you at all times, but well hidden and away from pickpockets. Make sure to also scan your important documents (especially passport), send them to family members, and store them securely online so you can access them if your documents are stolen and need to go to an embassy to be issued a new passport.
Laundry
Tons of travel blogs recommend laundry soap bars and sink stoppers and the like so you can wash clothes in the sink. Don’t do that – it’s a waste of backpack space and time, and drying your clothes by hanging them in a hostel is a nightmare. Every non-shitty hostel has self-serf laundry services for like $6. Just do that every few days.
When you do laundry at the hostel, do all your clothes together in one batch (yep, you can mix whites, colors, and reds!), just make sure to set the temperature to cold (30-40°C, 80-100°F) so the colors don’t bleed. If something is really dirty, wash it separately with warmer water.
Outfits
Pack outfits which can be mixed and matched very easily! I packed:
- 1 pair navy chinos
- 1 pair khaki shorts
- 1 pair dark blue jeans (the American Eagle stretch ones are well worth the investment)
- 1 pair basketball shorts
- 1 pair pajama pants
- 3 plain t-shirts
- 2 henleys
- 2 short sleeve button-downs
- 1 long sleeve button-down
- 1 hoodie
- 1 pair durable sneakers, preferably water-resistant
- 10 pairs of boxer briefs
- 1 travel rain jacket ($99)
REI has some nice ones. The key here is that you can pack it into a small bag in your day pack. Also make sure it’s actually waterproof — many of the travel “rain jackets” are just water resistant — they leak and are completely worthless crap. - Smartwool socks ($18 x 6 = $108)
“Holy shit so expensive”. Yeah but they’re extremely comfortable and if you air them out at night then you can get 3-4 days out of them between washing, which means less stuff you need to keep in your backpack. They also last forever.
Liquids
- Quart sized bag (2 for $13.99)
The maximum sized bag you are permitted to put liquids and creams in for your carry on. Unfortunately, many airports (e.g. Heathrow) don’t accept these bags so might not be able to actually use them for that purpose. However, they are nice for holding all your charging cables or small liquids containers. - Travel Bottles ($12.99)
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Face wash
- Body wash (do not use bar soap, it is a PITA to use in hostel showers and gets disgusting when you keep it wet in your bag)
- The caps do crack if you drop them so be careful. It’s worth keeping these in a ziplock so you don’t find yourself with a backpack full of shampoo.
- American Crew Forming Creme ($18 x 4 = $72)
- Toothpaste
Other Toiletries
- All Purpose Gillette Styler ($20)
It’s not what I use at home (that honor goes to the Philips Norelco Series 5100) but this is so tiny, just needs a AAA battery, and does a very good job with maintaining my stubble. It just takes a little bit longer and doesn’t have super fine-grained length settings. - Immodium ($14)
Because when you get the shits in the middle of a hiking trip in the Alps, you’re gonna really wish you’d brought these. It’s one of the few medications where you can’t just tough it out for a couple of hours until you can get to a pharmacy. Keep it in your day pack. Seriously, do not omit this. - Shower wipes ($10)
In case you can’t get to a shower. Yes, I actually used them on my trip. About 4 times. - Deodorant
- Portable tissues
- Toothbrush
Phone Service
You have a few options for getting phone service abroad.
Google Fi ($20/month for 0GB, $80/month for 15GB data, lower fees the less data you use)
I can’t recommend Google Fi enough. You transfer your regular number to it, and the plan just works in ~170 countries. If you don’t want to transfer your number and just want to use Fi for your trip, then you can order service with a new number and just cancel it at the end of your trip. I switched from Verizon to Fi completely and haven’t looked back. The service in the US is slightly worse than Verizon, especially in more rural areas, but Fi is so much better in every other way that it makes up for it.
You have to pay about $0.10/minute for calls, but if you call over data using the Google Hangouts app then they’re free! The major downside is that it only works on a handful of phones (get the Google Pixel 3 or 4). You can even add another SIM card to a Pixel at the same time and flip back and forth in the settings – I use this in Ukraine because locals have exorbitant fees when calling American numbers. If you don’t expect to be calling local numbers much then don’t worry about that.
Update: Fi is now available for iPhones, though it needs some manual setup, and the voicemail app doesn’t work correctly (though you can still use voicemail).
I really recommend this route for most people because it’s so nice to just walk off the plane and have service, without worrying about exorbitant fees or sketchy local phone companies you know nothing about.
Local SIM (About $40 extra/month)
Buy a phone plan in the country you land in. Any plan purchased in the EU will work in any other EU country (but keep in mind that all European countries are not in the EU!) There are often expensive fees for international calls, so it’s best to use Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or similar to avoid these. Make sure your phone is unlocked before you leave your home country, otherwise it will not accept international SIM cards. Get in touch with your phone company to find out. You will also not have service when you first land, so combine this with “Pay international fees” for emergencies.
Pay international fees (About $10 extra/day – $310 extra/month)
Most companies charge about $10/day for each day you use your plan abroad. This is great for emergencies or short trips, but will cost an absurd amount for long trips. Make sure in advance that your phone plan supports this. Also be aware that if data doesn’t work when you land, you may need to turn data roaming on in your settings.
Some people also just leave their phone on airplane mode with wifi, and only use their phone plan in emergencies. This is a great way to save money, but it can make life difficult sometimes without maps, uber, etc. Wifi can also be super spotty outside of big cities. I don’t recommend doing this.
Electronics
- Huge portable battery ($40)
You won’t always have an outlet. This is a lifesaver. You can charge your phone about 4 times with it before it needs to be recharged. - Universal adapter kit ($9)
Converts any plug to any other plug. Note that THESE DO NOT CONVERT VOLTAGE. Most phone and laptop chargers accept multiple voltages (they’ll say that they accept a range of something like 100-240V on them). Hair straighteners, blow dryers, and the like usually do not accept multiple voltages and would need a voltage transformer, not just a plug adapter, or you will fry them. It’s typically much easier to just buy or rent compatible appliances in Europe than to lug around a voltage transformer with you, as they are quite heavy and large.
Note that the British Isles and the rest of the Europe use different plugs. All of Europe uses 220V electricity. North America uses 110V. - USB Charger ($36)
Provides 3 USB ports and 1 USB-C port. Convenient cord length and can charge the new MacBooks over USB-C too (although a bit more slowly than the official charger). - MacBook Pro ≥2016 ($$$)
I thought about getting a shit laptop for the trip, but ended up deciding to bring my nice one because, well, I didn’t pay for it to sit in a closet, and it’s really nice to have a decent laptop for when you’re planning your trip and excursions. For some peace of mind, I just bought an insurance policy for it which covers most types of damage and theft. - Glass Phone Screen Protector ($8)
Getting a glass phone screen protector is a great way to prevent your screen from cracking on your trip, while not feeling like one of those crappy cheap plastic ones. The last thing you want is to be dealing with a cracked phone screen while travelling. I like the brand amFilm.
Booking Hostels
Use hostelworld.com to find a nice hostel. Then, check the hostel’s website to see if they offer a better price (they often do)! Also, this is not the time to try to save 5 quid. Spend a little bit extra and it will pay for itself. A nice hostel makes or breaks your experience – you’ll sleep more comfortably, get a nice bathroom, have laundry facilities, be close to the city centre, etc. Skimp out and you’ll find yourself with wobbly beds, bugs, cold showers, and a $20 uber into town each day. It’s not worth it. I usually aim for at least 8.7 stars or so. Expect to pay in the ballpark of $30-40/night, though prices vary considerably by location.
Tours and Activities
I recommend planning the countries and cities yourself, but within a country tours are a great way to see some of the more obscure sights over the course of a few days! Some people like doing tours which bring you from country to country too – I can’t speak from experience here, but from what I’ve heard the experience tends to be more cursory, and you have fewer opportunities to meet new people or do random things on your own!
Other Apps
- TripAdvisor
Use this to find great restaurants in your area - Skiplagged and KAYAK
Compare flights - Rome2rio
Find transportation - Flixbus
Private bussing company with nice busses - Visit a City
Find great itineraries for popular attractions - Google Photos
Take tons of photos, back them up online, and delete them off your phone to save storage - Google Maps
It has an offline mode now! Learn how to use it before you leave! - Google Translate
You can take photos to translate! Learn how to use it! - Uber
- Airbnb
If travelling with multiple people this can be cheaper than a hostel. - Booking.com
If you also want to look at hotels - Where is Public Toilet
Exactly what it sounds like
Couchsurfing?
I didn’t have a super positive experience with it. You meet plenty of people in hostels and don’t get stuck with some weirdo for the weekend that way. But maybe you’ll have better luck! I know some people who like it.
Cash
Keep a couple hundred USD in your passport pouch which can be converted in an emergency. Use cash machines in big cities. Don’t expect cards to be accepted in rural areas, and don’t expect cash machines to work in rural areas. Most cash machines will charge you a small fee.
Keep in mind that most European public toilets require about 1€ cash to enter. Many don’t accept bills. So, seriously, keep a few coins in your pouch for emergencies. Get these before you leave.
Credit
Get a credit card without international fees. I’m a big fan of the Amazon prime credit card — 5% cash back on all Amazon purchases, 1% on everything else, and no international fees. Canadians, I know this card isn’t available to you so I can’t make a recommendation – just check Google :).
Trains, Planes, and Automobiles
Planes
With airplanes there is a serious chance of lost luggage, and if you’re backpacking that can be an absolute nightmare to get resolved. Pay extra for a decent airline if you’re going to be checking your luggage – skytraxratings.com/airlines is a good place to check. Also be aware of the maximum carry-on luggage weight, because it’s usually less than you think. If you absolutely must check your luggage, make sure to pack your day pack with at least the bare minimum (phone charger, underwear, socks, toothbrush, deodorant)
Anecdote: LOT lost my luggage twice on one trip – both on my outgoing and return flight. My luggage had my suit in it as well as ski equipment, and replacing everything cost me about $900 and an enormous hassle. They refunded me $76.34 because most of my purchases weren’t necessities. Fuck LOT.
Trains
Trains are a great way to travel around and see Europe, plus the views can be amazing! They’re also often much cheaper than airplanes, so much more comfortable, and they won’t lose your luggage. You generally want to look up the national website for the trains in whatever country you’re trip will be starting in. Also buy tickets at least a week or two in advance, as the prices often skyrocket right before your trip (I ended up paying like $250 for a last minute Paris-Milan ticket because I forgot to book it sooner).
Busses
FlixBus is popular in Europe, especially in Central Europe. It’s a private company and the busses are often nicer than trains, although the routes might not be as scenic and they don’t have dining on the bus, unlike long-haul trains. Many cities also don’t have great train routes between them and need like 4 transfers – FlixBus can be faster than trains in these situations.
Travel Passes
- Eurail Global Pass ($1300 for 3 months, unlimited travel)
Gets you free travel on most trains and ferries in the EU (except in Great Britain), and discounted on almost all the other ones. See all the benefits. It’s often not worth it — do the math for your trip. I bought it but ended up spending more on the pass than I would have had I just bought tickets, especially since many trains require you to purchase a seat reservation separately from the ticket. Also, many of the benefits are a hassle to claim, like discounted ferry tickets which I could only claim in person rather than buying online, which meant I couldn’t reserve my seat in advance since I wasn’t going to travel to the docks a week in advance just to buy a ticket. I ended up just paying the full price online for that ticket.
