What To Pack for a Trip to Europe

I have been meaning to do this post for, oh, about a year! As we are starting to plan another trip to Europe I have been thinking about what I packed last year and I cannot stress enough that it's all about the basics - you want to be able to mix and match with a few basics that you will be able to stretch over the amount of time that you will be traveling.  So here are my 5 packing tips for a trip to Europe (scroll down for the basic items you need to pack). 

1) Stick with basic neutral colors- not only do you want to be able to mix and match, but you also don't want to stick out like a sore thumb to pick pockets.  

2) Only pack comfy shoes- I made the mistake last year of packing about 10 unnecessary pairs of shoes that never got worn because I ended up wearing my Birkenstocks the entire time.  

3) Bring layering pieces-  I can't stress this enough.  The weather can be freezing one minute and hot the next.  Plus if you're going to museums you may get cold indoors.  I took about 5 scarves and wore each one plenty of times. 

4) Take one cross body bag- as you can see from all of these pics, I carried the same bag the entire two weeks that we were in Europe.  Ideally, I should have taken one with a zip top, but I always wore it on the front of my body so I didn't feel like it was super exposed to pick pockets.  Bags are so hard to pack so just make it easy on yourself and take one bag you can use in all situations.  

5) Pack a hat- I took one straw hat with me and ended up buying another one from a street market in Paris.  You will be walking around SO much and it's important to shield your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.  Plus it was so windy when we were there- it was a simple solution for a bad hair day! If you don't want to pack one I can promise you that you will be able to buy a cheap one at a street market.  

Now let's take a look at some of the things that I wore when we were in France and The Netherlands last summer ... 

I ended up getting this J.Crew dress in three colors for the trip.  I was able to mix and match with different vests and jackets.  

I think that one piece that I wore more than anything was this denim jacket from J.Crew.  I would pair it with different t-shirts and jeans and always wore my Birkenstocks.  

I loved the idea of wearing Chuck Taylors but these were not comfortable at all and actually left huge blisters on the heels of my feet.  The reason why I wore my Birkenstocks the entire time was for that reason exactly- you don't have your heel rubbing against the back of a shoe.  

Another great item to take is a military or utility jacket.  I ended up wearing this one over dresses.  

And here it is again with a black cotton skirt, t-shirt, and a striped scarf.  

And here it is again with a different scarf, black jeans, and Stan Smiths (which were also horribly uncomfortable).  

This is the same J.Crew dress but in the gingham version.  

And this is what I mean by layering!  I think when we set out that morning it was freezing outside, but as the day went on it got really hot and I ended up having to take off my jacket.  

Madewell Denim Dress | J.Crew Popover Dress | Madewell Catskills Jackets | J.Crew Denim Jacket | Karen Walker Sunglasses | J.Crew Bucket Bag | Love Quotes Scarves | Birkenstock Arizona Sandals | White Pocket Tee | Black Distressed Jeans 

I plan on doing another one of these for the colder months later this fall.  I hope you all enjoyed :)