Weekend Getaways: What to Pack

While studying abroad, there are many opportunities to travel within Europe on the weekends. Everything is so close and airlines such as FlyBe or RyanAir make it possible to getaway for a few days on an international student budget! Before moving here I was never a light packer- what do you mean just a carry-on?! It was quite a learning curve. Now I can proudly say that I can bring a backpack for any weekend trip with ease.

Heading to Edinburgh, Scotland!

Packing can be overwhelming, especially if you have different activities and excursions planned or if the weather is playing games. Below is a list of clothing/item essentials catered towards trips during the fall/winter seasons. Obviously this can be different depending on your destination and the time of year, but these are the items that I found I wore the most.

I also found it to be most efficient to carry a fanny-pack along with my backpack because it's safer to carry that a purse (watch out for pick-pockets!) and it allows me to keep all my valuables handy at all times. Here is a list of what I typically bring along on a weekend adventure:

The Essentials: Backpack

• socks, underwear (just stating the obvious!)

• pyjamas (1)

• jeans/trousers (2)

• t-shirts (3)

• sweater (1)

• jacket (1)

• hat (1)

• running shoes (1)

• boots (1)

• water bottle (make sure it's empty before you arrive at the airport!)

• shampoo (under 100ml)

• conditioner (under 100ml)

• deodorant

• mini hairbrush/hair elastics

• makeup/makeup remover (100ml)

• ibuprofen/whatever medication you may need

• toothbrush/toothpaste (100ml)

• travel plug adapter

• travel journal

The Essentials: Fanny-Pack

• passport

• boarding pass

• small wallet/cash

• hand sanitizer

• hand cream

• phone + charger

• portable phone charger

• sunglasses

And that's it! Another little trick of mine is to wear as many layers as you can on the plane. I tend to wear a t-shirt, sweater, jacket and hat to make more room in my bag. I'm still baffled that many people can travel the world for months with solely a backpack, but hey, one step at a time.

Hope this helps you get organized for a weekend getaway!

-Laura