Whether you’re heading to Italy for a romantic get away with the love or your life, or heading to Belgium to indulge in some beers with your mates, you’ll want to look and feel great. Organizing what you will take with you on your travels in advance will save you a lot of time and hassle when you’re getting everything ready before you head out the door. Here’s a list of the essential items you should bring along with you if you’re heading to Europe.
Photo Credit: Abiball by karsten.planz on Flickr
1) A Nice Formal Shirt or Two
Men in Europe dress differently – those those in America, Australia, Canada and even the UK. It is not surprising to see men in suits when frequently restaurants. Younger men will happily wear a dress shirt with a pair of dress, even on the weekends. The standard of dress is simply a bit higher, so prepare yourself and invest in a few great men’s formal shirts to take with you.
2) A Scarf
Unless it’s the middle of summer, you’ll find most European adorning a scarf if the weather’s a bit chilly. This is both for practical reasons and for fashion. If you want to blend in with the European man, a scarf is essential.
3) Some Comfortable T-Shirts
T-shirts are essential for those days you want to be casual and comfortable. Avoid T-shirts with slogans and pictures, in Europe plain t-shirts in colours that bring out your natural features such as eyes are most widely respected.
4) Bring Multiple Pairs of Underwear and Socks
This goes without saying, but bring enough pairs of underwear and socks. There’s nothing worse than being too busy to use laundry facilities and stuck with a few dirty pairs of underwear. Think ahead, bring extras.
5) Two Pairs of Shoes
One pair of comfortable shoes for walking and exploring the sites, and another for dressing up nicely and going to respectable restaurants.
Photo credit: Pants by Ted & Dani on Flickr
6) Three Pairs of Pants
While jeans are commonly worn throughout Europe, due to their weight and difficulty drying, we suggest you only bring one pair with you and bring two pairs of slightly lighter pants. Shorts are not that popular in most parts of Western Europe, so we’d suggest bringing only bathing shorts and a pair of lightweight pants as a substitute.
7) A Warm Jersey or Jumper
Even if you head to Europe in the midst of summer, you’ll certainly be caught out with some unsurprisingly cold weather – even if it’s just on the plane. Taking a warm jersey, jumper or cardigan that is smart casual, this way you can wear it to any occasion.
If you are brave enough to head to Europe in the middle of winter, you’ll have to add some heavier weather clothes, but this acts as a perfect baseline for Spring, Autumn and Summer.
What item of clothing do you always take with you when you go traveling? Did we miss anything important from the list? Let us know in the comments below.
Still feeling confused? Check out these packing tips for some more suggestions on what to take with you.
