Female Packing List for Backpacking in Europe for 3 Weeks

Leading up to my trip across the Atlantic, I was a nut about checking packing lists. The furthest I'd travelled before this trip was Chicago (and that was on a 4 day school trip) so I really needed some help on how to survive for a long time in a foreign destination. Some I found were incredibly helpful, while others were a bit adventurous for what my needs were. So, here's my packing list with some tips and tricks and some things I would do differently next time. *Now, I just took my NorthFace Jester backpack I used in College (University) since we were flying RyanAir everywhere and you're only allowed a carryon and then a small purse (my cross-body) unless you want to pay £30 extra. So, this packing list is just geared towards those taking as little as possible and not using a big utility backpacker's backpack.

Summer Clothes:

1 pair comfortable sneakers (I brought my Converse)
2 pairs sandals (1 might break along the way.. personal experience)
1 pair shower shoes
1 lightweight cardigan
1 long-sleeve cover up (oversize jean shirt or plaid shirt)
2 neutral tank tops
1 color tank top
3 solid v-necks 
3 plain shirts
1 pair dark jeans
1 pair leggings
1 maxi skirt
1 pair colored pants
1 pair of shorts or a shorter skirt
14 pairs of underwear (we didn't know how often we'd be able to do laundry)
2 bras
1 sports bra
1 pair sleep shorts (Nike shorts)
1 t-shirt (an oversize one with a pocket is great/ a "frocket")
1 or 2 casual dresses
6 pairs of socks
1 bathing suit (optional)
1 scarf
1 lightweight raincoat
Simple jewelry - (I brought studs, one pair of colored dangles, 4 long pendant necklaces and two briolette necklaces to change up my outfits)

Tech Items:

Converter/Adapter
iPad (if you have it, it made checking into flights a lot easier)
iPhone
iPhone charger (make sure it's the right one, I ended up bringing the wrong one..)
Earphones - if you're like me and prefer music on flights over movies

Wash/Hygiene Items:

Travel size shampoo and conditioner (you'll run out)
Travel size body wash (or just use your shampoo in a pinch)
3 disposable razors
Tweezers
Deodorant (regular stick size)
Febreeze travel size (trust me, it was wonderful)
Toothbrush and cover
Travel toothpaste
2 travel contact solution bottles (*I ran out on our last day in Scotland and wore my glasses on travel days, if you're going longer than 3 weeks then you'll definitely need 3 bottles)
2 contact cases
Comb
Lotion
Nail clippers
Chapstick
Travel size dry shampoo
Quick-dry compact towel (L.L. Bean ones are great)
Makeup wipes
2-3 individual laundry soap packets
2-3 tampons/pads (you can always buy them when traveling as needed)

Extras:

Makeup - only bring essentials, I just had foundation, concealer, eyeliner and mascara
Glasses
Sunglasses
1 book
Hairbands
Bobby pins
Tissue packs (These come in handy)
Any medications you need (I brought ibuprofen, allergy meds, and my albuterol inhaler)
Compact mirror
Coin purse (I brought a wallet without a zip-up coin section and I paid for it the whole trip, Europeans use a lot more coins than in the US)
Lots of bandaids
Plastic bags (come in use)
Collapsible water bottle (found mine at Eddie Bauer)
Journal and a pen (you think you'll remember everything that happens, but you won't. Having a journal was one of the smartest things I brought)
Cloth elastic headbands
1 Gallon size ziploc bag to keep all your paper souvenirs together (playbills, tickets, programs, postcards, etc.)
Undershirt neck passport holder (helped me feel more at ease when at airports, especially when sleeping there- I got mine from L.L. Bean)
Tide to Go pen
Cross-body bag for everyday use


What I had in my 3-1-1 bag:
*You want to make sure this is packed correctly so you won't have any issues going through airport security

Travel shampoo and conditioner
Contact solution bottles
Dry shampoo
Febreeze
Toothpaste
Foundation
Concealer
Mascara
Laundry soap packets
Tide to Go pen


Things I Wish I'd Brought:

More pairs of socks- I only brought 4 thin pairs and had holes in them in a couple of days
1 additional warmer cardigan/coat
Extra t-shirt to sleep in
The right iPhone/iPad charger...
Eye mask (sleeping in the bright airport with a cardigan sleeve wrapped around your head isn't ideal)
More ibuprofen (10 pills would have been better than 5)
A larger cross-body bag that I could have fit a book in. There were a few times I had to carry around a plastic bag in addition because I couldn't fit one in my purse (and the one time I did try to fit it in, I broke the zipper..)


Things I Could Have Done Without:

The shorter skirt I brought- never wore it, it was just too cool for it in most places
Shorts - I only wore them once in Barcelona and though they were nice, they weren't absolutely essential
Test tube of perfume - the Febreeze was fine enough, you're not really super concerned about smelling like a flower when you're traveling, just clean.
De-frizz serum - I have super frizzy wavy hair, but braiding my hair usually kept it under control well enough


What I'd Do Differently Next Time:

Traveling is exhausting, and though you feel like you "can't live without this piece of clothing," you NEED to pack light. Even though I wore every piece of clothing minus that one shorter skirt, next time I would only bring my maxi, jeans, leggings, and 5 lightweight t-shirts to lighten the load. You can hand wash throughout the trip and many hostels have machines you can pay to use as well. It would have been nicer to have a little more room in the backpack for souvenirs. 

Packing Tips:

1. Roll your clothing!
2. Put all your clothes in ziploc bags to get the air out
3. Pack your iPad and liquids bag at the top of your bag for ease in airport security
4. Place a few dryer sheets in your bag to keep it smelling fresh
5. Wear your sneakers and bulkiest clothes when traveling so you have more room to pack your backpack
6. Utilize the side drink pockets of your backpack (I put my shower shoes, water bottle, book, and notebook in them to save room
7. Don't even bother with a hairdryer or straightener, they're just too bulky. (This coming from a girl who has to have her hair straightened if I'm wearing it down) Having your hair up and natural for 3 weeks isn't all that bad!
8. Go for neutrals and a color scheme. Essentially you should be able to blindly pick a top and bottom and they should be able to go together. It's way too complicated to have tons of different colors and have to dig through your backpack to find something that matches.

There you go! I'm sure I've probably forgotten some tips so I'll probably periodically go back and fix/add some things, but this is a pretty general guide to how I survived! The key is to make sure you don't overpack (start the packing process at least a week before you leave) and make sure you can carry the backpack for long periods of time without it hurting. Just keep it to the essentials, it's pretty liberating only living out of a small pack!