The Ultimate Europe Weekend Packing List

Weekend Europe trips are the bread and butter for travellers living in the UK. These trips are one of the main reasons why the UK is a great place to live. Although these trips are short they can be a lot of fun and they won’t use up any of your annual leave.

To make the most of these trips you will need to learn how to travel lightly. This allows you to travel quickly and cheaply to your chosen European destination. The less time spent travelling, the more time you have to do things on your weekend away. Your trip will also be so much more enjoyable if you are not breaking your back carrying a heavy bag everywhere. Trust me even one kilo of extra weight on your back will make a big difference. This is why packing the right way is very important for weekend trips.

The single most important step to help you travel lightly is to only pack one carry-on travel backpack. This means fast transit times through the airport without waiting to collect checked in baggage. It also means cheaper transport with no need to pay for checked in luggage. The next step is to pack only what you need and nothing more….

The Ultimate Europe Weekend Packing List

After many weekend trips to Europe and a lot of trial and error I have created the Ultimate Europe Weekend Packing List. I have included all the essential items you will need to have a great trip in Europe.

1. Travel Backpack

Choose a backpack which fits airline specifications for carry-on baggage. I highly recommend the Osprey Farpoint 40L backpack. It was one of my best buys. It comes in two sizes: small/medium (53x35x23cm) and medium/large (54x35x23cm).

Do not buy a suitcase as these are harder to lift upstairs and you will be more likely asked to check in your baggage on flights.

2. Day bag

Get an el cheapo like Decathlon’s 10L Quechua backpack.

3. Passport and Biometric Residence Permit

Make sure you keep photocopies of both documents in a different spot in your backpack.

4. Driving licence and International Driving Permit

If you intend to rent a car or quad bike.

5. Revolut, Monzo, Starling and/or Wise card

Do not forget to take the right cards! I like taking two as these cards have free ATM withdrawal limits so once you reach one move on to the next card.

6. Mobile phone, phone power bank/recharger, mobile phone recharging cable

Keep a close eye on all of these at hostels. Other people like borrowing them permanently.

7. Clothes

3 undies, 4 socks, 2 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of chinos/dress, 1 pair of shorts, pyjamas or another mix of the above depending on what you like to wear.

8. Eye mask

Critical in hostels when other people in your dorm room need to turn on the lights at the crack of dawn or randomly in the middle of the night. They are also useful during flights.

9. Ear plugs

An absolute must if you are staying in a hostel and sleeping in a room with a lot of people. It’s the worst when you cannot sleep while snorers are making all kinds of noises you didn’t think were humanly possible or the drunk one night stand a few beds down sounds like honking hippos.

10. Packing cubes

These are optional. The very organised or the very disorganised will love compression packing cubes. If you do want to get them, get some good ones like the Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Isolate cubes.

11. Toiletries

Toothbrush, small toothpaste tube, dental floss, comb, shampoo in small 100mL clear, plastic bottles (anything bigger won’t make it through customs), moisturiser, hand sanitiser, one packet of tissues, cordless shaver, paracetamol, bandaids and a clear plastic toiletry bag

12. Prescription medications

13. EU Power adapter with usb charging ports

This is hot property at hostels so do not leave it lying around. The usb charging ports are really handy.

14. Ear phones

Do not take expensive, bulky ones like Beats. Air pods or some other cheap alternative you don’t mind losing are best.

15. Camera and camera charger

16. Thongs/Sandals

Thongs are great for the summer and mandatory for hostel showers. Foot warts are gross so never go barefoot into hostel showers.

17. Vitamin C

I think colds and flu are inevitable while travelling but daily vitamin C will help keep them to a minimum.

18. EPIRB

If you like the outdoors and exploring remote places you should invest in one of these emergency beacons. Many places will have mobile reception but you should always take an EPIRB just in case. I highly recommend the Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1 which I take on all my outdoor trips. Although pricey, it’s still a lot more affordable than some of the others and it’s tiny so it won’t take up much luggage space.

19. Condoms

You just never know….

20. Important documents

Short itinerary notes including flight times and hostel addresses and directions are helpful. If you can, print your flight tickets/boarding passes and take them to the airport. Ryanair is especially notorious for charging you extra if you do not have a printed boarding pass.

21. Plastic bags

As you use all your clothes try to keep all your dirty stinking clothes separate from the clean stuff. Plastic bags are also good for keeping your thongs or other shoes in. If you are more into saving the planet then a designated packing cube or a laundry bag would also work.

22. Small amount of cash

Most places accept credit or debit cards but every so often you will likely come across someone who only takes cash.

23. Travel locks

Let’s face it these locks won’t stop someone with a bit of grit but it does stop the silent pick pocket from stealing things from your backpack without you knowing. It also deters curious people from accessing your dorm locker.

24. Money belt or neck wallet

Many cities have talented pickpockets so it’s worth keeping all the important things close to you. I used a neck wallet pouch and I only kept a few light things in there like my BRP, Wise and Revolut cards, driving licence and occasionally my passport.

Do not take Towels

They take up too much space and stink after use. Just hire one at the hostel for a Euro. If you must take one then take a small microfibre travel towel.

Seasonal Packing List Changes

This packing list will change depending on the season, the weather forecast and what you are planning to do on your trip away. Here are some extra things you should pack if it’s Summer or Winter:

Europe Summer Weekend Packing List

• Hat
• Sun glasses
• Sun cream
• Swim suit
• Insect repellent

Europe Winter Weekend Packing List

• Beanie
• Waterproof winter jacket (wear it onto the flight and then store it in the overhead locker)
• Gloves
• Scarf or neck warmer
• Thermals
• Thick woollen socks
• Boots (wear them onto the plane and take them off during the flight so you don’t sweat in them)

Europe Carry-on Baggage Limits

It is important your carry-on baggage is below the size and weight specifications for each airline. Airlines have no mercy when they charge excess baggage fines and they are expensive! The airlines in Europe have also caught on to us and now many of them only allow you to take a tiny carry-on bag onto the flight with an option to upgrade to a normal sized carry-on bag. This upgrade is annoying but at the same time worth getting. Remember to factor this in when you are comparing flight costs.

Here are the carry-on baggage specifications of some of the most popular aircrafts in Europe as of 24th August 2024:
Ryanair: One small personal bag (40x20x25cm). This is tiny so you will need to pay the extra £6-38 for “Priority and 2 Cabin Bags” which allows you to be in the priority queue and carry both one small personal bag (40x20x25cm) and a 10kg bag (55x40x20cm).

EasyJet: One bag (45x36x20cm, maximum 15kg) which must fit under your seat. You will need to pay from £5.99 to carry a larger bag (56x45x25cm, maximum 15kg) which you can put in the overhead locker.

Wizz Air: One bag (40x30x20cm, maximum 10kg) which must fit under your seat. You will need to pay €13-55.80 for Wizz Priority to carry a larger bag (55x40x23cm, maximum 10kg) which you can put in the overhead locker.

KLM: One bag (55x35x25cm) and one small bag (40x30x15cm) with a combined total weight under 12kg.

Lufthansa: One bag (55x40x23cm, maximum 8kg) and one small bag/laptop case (40x30x10cm)

Vueling: One bag (40x20x30cm) which fits under your seat. To carry on a larger 10kg bag (55x40x20cm) in the overhead locker you will need to pay an additional fee or carry certain types of plane tickets (Optima, Family, TimeFlex)

TAP Air Portugal: One bag (55x40x25cm, maximum 10kg) and one small bag/laptop case (40x30x15cm, maximum 2kg)

Iberia: One bag (56x40x25cm) and one small bag (40x30x15cm) with a combined total weight under 10kg.

Norwegian airlines: One bag (30x20x38cm, maximum 10kg) which must fit under your seat. You need at least a Low Fare Plus ticket to also carry a larger bag (55x40x23cm) which you can put in the overhead locker but the combined maximum weight of the two bags is still 10kg. You are also allowed one airport shopping bag.

Europe Weekend Packing Tips

• Roll your clothes to pack efficiently. Do not fold.
• Use packing cubes to pack even more efficiently.
• Wear bulky clothes onto the flight. You can put any big, bulky jackets into the overhead lockers. Just make sure you get on the plane early so there is space.
• Wear bulky boots onto the flight and then take them off during the flight so your feet do not sweat.
• Remember many hostels have laundry services and towel hire so check ahead of time as this is usually worth paying to avoid a heavy backpack.
• Pack all your liquids in clear 100mL bottles and have them already in a clear toiletry bag or one of the plastic bags the airport provides. Make sure they are easily accessible so you can speed through customs. You can buy these 100mL bottle cheaply from Asda or one of the other supermarkets.
• Grab a bunch of the clear plastic bags some airports provide just prior to entering customs to use on later trips for your liquids.
• Do not take a hair dryer or any other expensive electrical appliances. Most hostels will have hair dryers. They will not have anything else but the different power plugs in Europe could damage your electricals even if you have a power adapter so it is not worth the risk.
• Not a packing tip but if flight attendants ask you to check in your backpack as you line up to board a plane tell them you have your laptop in your bag and they will be more likely to leave you alone.