Must have travel essentials for exploring Europe

The best travel essentials for exploring Europe

So over the years, I have travelled to Europe many, many times. And every time I travel, it is a little bit different. Sometimes I go for a week, sometimes I go for a month or even 6 weeks. My preferences change from time to time depending on who I am going with. So I think I have a really good idea of the best travel essentials for Europe. Nowadays, I do not forget anything because I have just built this list up really well over time.

1. Suitable clothing for your Europe travel essentials

I usually go in the summer, so this is more aimed towards summer travel. You have to choose lightweight clothing that is breathable. Then you have casual clothing, but also smarter options for going out. You also have shoes, a hat and sunnies. And then for the cooler evenings, I always try to take at least one jacket.

2. My number one pick on travel essentials for Europe is a digital scale

I use it everywhere I go, and it has literally saved me thousands in penalties. Especially when I am only going for one week and I might just want to take a carry-on. I put all my items in my bag and then I just weigh at home instead of waiting until I get to the airport. This allows me to get on cheaper flights around Europe as I do not have to take hold luggage.

I also use it on business trips as well because I like to get to the airport quite late nowadays and also depart as soon as I get off the plane. Not having to wait for my suitcase. So having a lightweight digital scale is the best, and this one I found only weighs 90 grams. You can usually buy it on Amazon Prime because it has fast delivery. But I would buy this a couple of weeks out, just in case it does not arrive in time. It also allows you to prioritise the packing in your backpack.

3. Supportive footwear as essential travel items for europe

Investing in supportive footwear is one of the best things you can do. I chose a dark colour because it can fit with most of my outfits. So it does not look like traditional white trainers. They are darker and that means you can go hiking or running at the hotels too. Trainers are also very lightweight to pack in your suitcase. So I will wear my heavier, more comfortable shoes on the plane and then put the trainers in the backpack.

I myself buy Asics and Hoka Shoes because they have lots of cushioning and are lightweight. It is all about being lightweight when you are abroad. Many of them also have the Australian Podiatry Association (APodA) Seal of Acceptance.

4. Suncream

When you are going around Sicily and Rome or places in the middle like Agrigento you have to have suncream. Especially if you have light skin or even darker skin, because you want to prevent skin cancer. So I tend to bring two. You have got the squeezable option, but I also carry a large suncream in my suitcase, and I put it down in a plastic bag in case it explodes.

So I have got the big Banana Boat suncream and then the smaller squeezable one. And then for my face, I tend to find a non-greasy version. Especially if I am going out in the afternoon and going for dinner. I do not want to look a bit greasy, so the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion is a great option.

Another good suncream is the Hamilton Everyday Face 50+. I try to always go 50 plus as I have sensitive skin.

5. A First Aid Kit

I think the first aid kit is an absolute travel essential for Europe. You never know when you might get a blister, cut yourself or potentially get sick abroad. So having a medical kit is an absolute essential. Every time I go on holiday, I use the 98 piece first aid kit. It is small enough to fit in your backpack, but also in the suitcase if you want.

I also supplement it with some painkillers, vitamin C, Armaforce and other lozenges for the throat in case I do get sick abroad. Because when you go abroad, you may not know the language or you may not know what that kind of medicine is. So having your local medication is good. But you must check with the country's rules and regulations if there is something you are not actually allowed to bring in. So make sure to check that out when you are putting your first aid kit together as your travel essential.

6. A day backpack as one of your travel accessories for europe

I tend to carry a really lightweight backpack with lots of different compartments. I think an absolute essential for the backpack is a water holder on the side or even two. Because you can fill up your backpack when you are going away, and putting a huge water bottle inside just fills it up even more. So the lighter ones have an external water bottle holder. You can put all your travel documents inside, electronics and snacks. I also tend to attach my neck pillow to it.

7. A Convenient Suitcase

So I used to start off with the larger suitcases, but what I realised is I used to pack all these suitcases with so much luggage and I would just never wear many of those items. So I always try every time I go away to live out of the smaller suitcase if I can. It just makes it so much more convenient.

If you are looking for lightweight, I usually opt for lightweight fabric suitcases so I can fit more inside. You can also have hard suitcases but they tend to be a bit bigger and heavier. Although as the years go on, technology is getting much lighter.

However, you never know when there is going to be moisture in your actual suitcase. You know when they are loading your suitcase onto a plane, and it is pouring down rain, it just gets soaked. So, what I have actually done on top of having a convenient suitcase is I also put all my clothes into sealable plastic bags. That way, they do not get wet, but also I can easily bring them out. I have got all my t-shirts in one, all my jumpers, jeans and so on. And I know I can just put them back in the same place. It just stays so much easier.

Also, when it comes to a suitcase, make sure it is a known brand. Some of those cheap suitcases you buy abroad will just die after one year. I remember I bought a suitcase and I lost 3 wheels on the cobblestones of Taormina, which was absolutely terrible. And then I had to take it all the way back so I could claim under the guarantee. That was an awful experience. Make sure to check out the Ultimate Suitcase Guide.

8. Travel adaptors

Make sure you actually research the plugs that are abroad, and bring 2 travel adaptors. I put one in my suitcase, and then I put another travel adaptor in my hand luggage. Again, do not cheap out on this. Try to pay money for your travel adaptors because you do not want them to break. I find that an EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter is best, so you can plug it into around 150 countries plus. It also has a USB, so you can charge up your phone as well. Without an adapter you have now power to your electronics and this is why its a must have for travel essentials for Europe.

9. SIM card and staying connected as part of your europe travel essentials

When it comes to SIM cards, I actually get an eSIM now. So instead of a physical SIM card, you can just load an eSIM and go that way. You can just load it up and top it up as you go, and it means you can stay connected. Roaming costs about $10 a day on your current plan. In Europe, you can pay between 20 and 40 euros for a whole month with an eSIM. And then I just use the Wi-Fi wherever I am to download apps. Most of the time the airports have free Wi-Fi, so you can sort out the eSIM there and then.

If you cannot work out the eSIM which can be hard for some people you can just go to a kiosk in the airport. They are usually doing good deals on physical SIM cards if you do want to use one.

Get a local SIM card on holiday for affordable and reliable connectivity. Visit local shops, ensure your phone is unlocked, and enjoy cost-effective communication while experiencing your destination authentically. Roaming can cost a lot of money, like $5-$10 a day on a plan or a lot more without a plan. In Europe, you can expect to pay around $20-$40 for a whole month. If you ever need to download European apps, some require you to have a local SIM number to activate and send messages to. The easiest way to get one is when you get off the plane; they usually have a range of kiosks before you leave the airport.

10. A camera

Now I know phones are just so good these days but I just love having those older-looking photos. So I actually always bring my disposable Canon camera with me and just get the photos done afterwards. I think you just appreciate them more as opposed to just snapping on your phone the whole time. Then you can put them in an album and enjoy them for years.

11. Passport and travel documents

Do not forget your passport and travel documents. And also, with your passport, make sure to have a passport holder. Because I have seen some people just stuff their passports into their pockets, and it just gets damaged that way. You can actually potentially not be allowed to fly or get through security if your passport is quite damaged.

Also make sure to check out the local country's traveller website to see if you need to get a visa. That is, unfortunately, something you always have to do when you are going away. Make sure you check out the visa restrictions. Do you have to pay? Do you have to get it a few days beforehand? That is an essential thing to sort out.

12. Toiletries and personal items

Now, if you are going to like 5-star hotels or some of the best hotels in Italy and Europe, you get a lot of toiletries when you are actually there. But I always bring some just in case because sometimes they want to be more eco so they do not give out items. So someone must have items like a toothbrush and toothpaste.

I also bring a bar of soap, and the reason I do that is that I have quite sensitive skin. So I just bring one soap with me and that will last me about a month in Europe. I also bring a hair gel. You can also potentially bring a hair comb and deodorant. I tend to bring the roll on, and it is under 100 millilitres, so I can bring that in hand luggage as well. Especially if I am doing an international flight to Europe you want to get under that 100ml.

I also bring samples of perfume instead of bringing my actual perfume itself. These are not 100ml so they are fine for security. Also bring tissues. You never know when you need one. So having a pack of tissues and cotton buds for your ears and so on.

If you are in a cold country, bring some lip balm, as you don't want chapped dry lips, you might get a cold sore.

13. The laundry powder hack

Also, a great hack that my mum told me was to bring a bag of laundry powder. You can get your laundry done at most hotels, but it would be so expensive. So I always bring a bag of laundry powder. You have to mark it, though or you might get stopped. This has saved me so much money. Even when you go to the laundry places yourself, which is a lot cheaper than getting a hotel to do it they still charge you for laundry powder. So I fill up a small laundry powder bag and just bring it myself if I can.

14. Reusable water bottle as one of your essential travel items for europe

I find this so useful when I am at the airport. Water costs a lot more money at airports, and usually, airports have water fountains for free once you are past security. So this can save you so much money at the airport. But also, when you are going abroad, in some places in Europe, you cannot drink the tap water. So I tend to do it when I am staying there for a while or when I have a rental car, and I am travelling around, I get like a 1-litre or 5-litre bottle of water and then just refill my reusable water bottle. That way, I am not spending so much money on water while I am travelling. And then if there are places with good tap water, I can just refill it there and then.

If you are unsure whether you can drink the tap water, just do a quick Google on it. I would rather that than dealing with plastic microplastics from plastic water bottles, so I always use a reusable water bottle.

15. Sealable bags

I also carry some more sealable bags. I tend to put my toothpaste and toothbrush in there as well. That way, I can go through security with these sealable bags. They are just very lightweight and compact. So sometimes I do not even have to bring a whole toiletry bag, especially if I am going hand luggage only. I just bring sealable bags. I ordered this Waterproof Plastic Pouch Bag Organizer.

16. Travel card

Having a travel card is a must have as part of your travel essentials for Europe. So I used to just use my normal debit card abroad and get charged so much money at the ATMs and on transaction fees. I actually stumbled across the Wise card, which I have been using for probably about 10 years now. And this has a very, very minuscule transaction fee compared to the major banks. They have free withdrawals at some banks as well.

So having a travel card is just awesome, and with Wise, you can just have it electronically. But there are actually some countries that do not take phone wallet payments so having a physical card is actually good as well, and you can pay with one of those.

17. Travel insurance

I think travel insurance is essential for exploring Europe but also the world. I remember my friend was travelling in Europe and they actually had to go to the hospital for the first time in about 20 years. And they did not have travel insurance. They had never had it before. And it cost them almost $10,000 for a couple of hours in an emergency. If you have travel insurance, chances are you do not have to pay for that because the insurance covers it. So ever since that happened, I have been buying travel insurance myself. You just do not think about it, but it is actually very cheap.

A general tip on travel accessories for europe

And I think in terms of travel essentials for Europe, just in general, whatever you pick, just try and take one item. So if you have 5 t-shirts, try and get down to one t-shirt. If you have 2 pairs of jeans, do you really need that? Can you get one pair of jeans? Or if you have 4 pairs of shorts, can you do 3 pairs? Because I guarantee there is going to be stuff that you are not going to wear. I think that is a good hack.

18. Earplugs

I am going to add earplugs to my travel essentials for Europe because I am quite a light sleeper these days. So I bring enough earplugs so I can just have amazing sleep during the accommodations. Especially if I am staying right in the city or in the town, because it could be a little bit noisier. But also for aeroplanes, I make sure to put some in my hand luggage as well because I can hardly sleep on a plane. So earplugs for airlines are also really good.

19. Luggage tag

Also having a luggage tag that is a little bit different to everyone else. So if you are a frequent flyer they all kind of look the same. Something I learned from my parents is that they used to get old socks or colourful old socks and put them on the handle. That is how you can differentiate your luggage from someone else's.

20. A travel wallet

So I tend to have my more expensive leather wallet at home. But you can pick up a cheap travel wallet and I just put in my Wise card and a bit of extra cash. Because you do not want your expensive one to get stolen. Obviously if something does happen you have to call the local police but having a cheap travel wallet is much better.

21. A pen

Having a pen is just super useful and that is one of your travel essentials for Europe. You never know when you might need to write something down or when you are coming in and out of Europe some countries make you write in their incoming passenger card. Now it is slowly turning electronic for a lot of places but there are still countries making you do it.

22. Pack a spare outfit in your hand luggage

Pack some shorts, a t-shirt, underwear and socks in case of emergency in your hand luggage when you are flying into Europe. Because sometimes there are showers at the lounges at the airport so you can be nice and clean and relaxed before you get on the flight.

23. A portable beach umbrella

This was a must have travel essential because the prices of some beach lounges these days are going up to like 50 euros a day for some places. If you do not have it included in your hotel. This happened to me in a hotel in Taormina once. It cost 50 euros for the actual lounger because the hotel did not have free lounges near the beach. So I actually found this portable lightweight umbrella that weighed about 2 kilos. Yes it is 2 kilos but it is a portable umbrella and it has saved me thousands over the years. So I bring it every time I go to Europe in summer.

If it is rainy just bring a normal umbrella. Again you are going to save money trying to find one when you are away. Having just a lightweight travel umbrella is also useful and you can potentially pop it into your hand luggage too.

24. Nail clippers and tweezers

Other items that you might not think of are nail clippers and potentially tweezers. I do not like my nails getting too long so I like to have a small pair of nail clippers when I am abroad. Especially if I am away for a month in Europe.

25. Reusable shopping bag

I also like to have a reusable shopping bag or a tote bag with me because you never know when you just want to go shopping. You do not want to pay for extra bags when you are abroad. And I found this really small bag that actually just fits into your handbag. I find this super useful for going away and it is reusable.

26. A towel

If you are going to stay at a bed and breakfast, chances are they do not have towels, so I bring a very lightweight towel with me if I am going to Europe in the summer.

Travel essentials for Europe printable checklist

I have also made this travel essentials for Europe checklist that is printable, so you can tick everything off when you're packing your suitcase.

So I hope you like my guide on the best travel essentials for Europe. If you can think of anything else, please put a comment below so I can add more value to my readers.

Travel essentials for Europe FAQ's

What are the best European travel essentials as a gift?

So if you are looking for a gift for someone and you know they are going away, I think the luggage scales are an absolute essential gift. Because, as I mentioned earlier, I was saving so much money not having to add extra weight or extra suitcases because I just knew how much I was packing, and I could coordinate how much stuff was in my luggage. I have since bought that as a gift for other people and they have really liked it.

What are the travel essentials for europe men?

I think everything that I have said before but also maybe some hair gel. You do tend to have hair after all. Also a razor and some shaving foam. And you can get small shaving foams that you can put in your carry-on so you do not need to bring a big one. Just a small little shaving foam.

If traveling with young kids, is there anything that is a must have?

When traveling with young kids a good idea is to bring some print out dinosaur colouring in pages. Grab some crayons and it will keep them entertained for hours.

Is an international driving license necessary as part of travel essentials for Europe?

It can be, Italy, for instance, allows you to explore destinations by car, but you must have an international driving license as a legal requirement if you are based outside of an EU country; however, they didn't actually ask for it at the rental kiosk. Check local regulations for driving requirements. Here's Italy.