What I’m Packing for 12 Days in Europe: Carry-On Only

Here’s what I did: twelve days across five countries, with a carry-on suitcase only.

Belgium. Luxembourg. Germany. France. Switzerland. One bag. No checked luggage, no checked fees, no waiting at baggage claim after an overnight transatlantic flight when I landed in the morning and desperately wanted to get to the hotel and lie down.

I’ve been working toward carry-on only travel for a while now. The packing cubes made it feel possible. The right bag made it feel achievable. This trip was the real test: longer than I’d done carry-on before, more weather variability than a short weekend, and enough moving between cities that I couldn’t afford to be dragging an overweight bag through cobblestone streets in July heat.

This is what I actually packed, why it earned its spot, and what I left at home on purpose — plus the one packing curveball I didn’t see coming. Full post-trip verdict below.

---

🗺️ The Trip

Twelve days, five countries, all in summer — a mix of big cities, small towns, and one mountain day, moving every few days rather than living out of a suitcase in one spot. That pacing helps a lot with carry-on only, because you’re not fully unpacking and repacking at every stop.

The full day-by-day itinerary — where we went, in what order, and how we got between stops — is getting its own post. This one’s just about what went in the bag.

---

🎒 The Bag Situation

I ended up sticking with the same BAGSMART 35L Travel Backpack I used for Oregon, instead of upgrading to something new — and I’m glad I did. It held everything I needed for twelve days across five countries, the pockets made grabbing quick-need items (passport, phone, chargers) genuinely easy, and it was simple to manage moving between cities. It did get a little warm against my back at one point, but nothing dramatic — and I run hot regardless of what I’m wearing, so I wouldn’t hold that against the bag.

Inside the bag: the same BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes I’ve used on every trip since I found them. Compression cubes are genuinely the single biggest reason carry-on only was achievable for a trip this long — not because they create space from nothing, but because they forced me to be intentional about what went in, and they kept everything from becoming one large tangled pile. The BAGSMART Large Hanging Toiletry Bag handled everything in the bathroom, hung from any hook, and meant I never had a shampoo bottle loose in my bag.

---

👚 What I Actually Packed

July in this part of Europe was warm — high 70s to low 80s — with enough afternoon rain that waterproofing mattered. The activities were almost entirely city walking, which meant cobblestones, uneven surfaces, and a lot of standing. One mountain (Rigi), which added a layer consideration for elevation. No beach. No formal events.

Clothing

Here’s the actual list, no rounding down: 4 pairs of shorts, 1 long skirt, 1 short skirt, 2 pairs of flowy pants (black and tan), 6 t-shirts (2 black, 2 white, 1 grey, 1 maroon), 1 tank top, 4 bras, 6 pairs of socks, 1 pair of pajamas, and 14 pairs of underwear — yes, fourteen. We do what we must. I did one load of laundry mid-trip, Tide packets in the sink, mainly to refresh the t-shirts.

All of that still left room on the way back for souvenirs — I bought two shirts and packed them straight into the backpack — plus my French pharmacy haul (its own post, coming soon) and a stash of chocolate. Everything fit without a fight.

Shoes

Shoes are the hardest part of packing for Europe, and the cobblestone streets will destroy anything without proper support. I packed two pairs and wore a third: the Skechers GO Walk Flex slip-in sandals and the REEF Neptune went in the bag, and the New Balance 1080 v15 went on my feet to the airport. Wearing a pair on the plane instead of packing it is still non-negotiable with carry-on only travel.

The split wasn’t quite what I expected, though. The sandals did more work than either sneaker — they were simply more comfortable for the sheer amount of walking, and they’re a cute enough open-toed shoe that I never felt underdressed in them. The sneakers came out on cooler days and for the mountain. Worth remembering for next time: pack the shoe you’ll actually reach for, not just the one that photographs best.

Day Bag

The Baggallini Securtex Anti-Theft Daytripper Sling came everywhere as my day-use bag — same as it did in Seattle. It held what I actually needed for a day of city walking: phone, wallet, passport holder, earbuds, lip balm, one snack. Didn’t require thinking about. Didn’t pull on one shoulder. Fit under a seat on a train without blocking the aisle.

Rain

The SY COMPACT Travel Umbrella came along, and it earned its space — European summer weather was genuinely unpredictable, and I wasn’t caught out without one this time.

---

🛩️ The Flight Kit

Transatlantic overnight flight. I do not sleep well on planes. I wore a sweater, a t-shirt, and joggers for the flight over — comfortable enough to sleep in, and easy to wash and re-wear for the flight home. Here’s what else was in my personal item for the flight specifically:

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — the single best investment I’ve made for long-haul travel. Active noise cancellation changes everything about a plane cabin.
• SARISUN Airplane Head Strap Pillow — I cannot sleep sitting upright without something holding my head. This is that thing. Worth every bit of the space it takes.
• Albatross Sleep Eye Mask — for blocking the light when the person next to me turns on their overhead at 3am.
• COOLOVER Compression Socks — mandatory for anything over four hours. Non-negotiable.
• Bonine Motion Sickness Relief — I take this before any flight over two hours. It works, it doesn’t make me groggy, and I’ve never regretted having it.
• Allclair Nausea Relief Inhaler and Chimes Ginger Chews — backup options that earn their place every time.

---

📊 Documents + Security

Five countries meant five opportunities to need my passport in a hurry. Everything document-related traveled in the Coco Rossi RFID Passport Holder, which fit into the Baggallini sling and meant I always knew exactly where it was. Anikathy Luggage Tags on the bag, Life360 Tile Slim inside it. The bag never got lost — carry-on only makes that substantially less likely — but I would have had a way to find it.

---

📝 What I Actually Left at Home

This is the part of carry-on only packing that nobody talks about honestly enough — and all of it held up.

• The “just in case” outfit. I packed for the trip I was taking, not for an imaginary nicer version of it. No specific occasion on the itinerary meant no outfit for it — and I didn’t miss it once.
• Full-size anything. Every toiletry was travel-size or solid-form. The hanging toiletry bag never got heavy enough to strain the hook.
• The second pair of pajamas. One set was genuinely enough — I shower before bed, so I never needed a backup. Though in hindsight, I could have fit a second pair, or done a laundry run first thing in the morning if I’d wanted the option.
• Books. Kindle app exists. I didn’t carry three paperbacks across Switzerland just in case I wanted options.
• Anything I could buy there. Forgot something? If it cost less than the airline’s checked bag fee, I bought it at a pharmacy instead — more on that haul soon.

---

---

Related Reading

• Packing Cubes Worth Buying — the system I use
• Scotland Trip Guide — my first international carry-on attempt
• All Destination Guides
• New here? Start Here.