Around Europe in 30 days #3: A rookie’s packing (mistakes)

In 2008, when I was 21, I came up with the idea of booking an Interrail ticket and touring Europe for a month. I decided travel to Paris, Madrid, Granada, Barcelona, Venice, Rome, Athens, Istanbul and Vienna. And I felt the strong urge to do this tour alone.

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Before I set out on my tour around Europe, I had not really traveled before, let alone taken a backpacking trip. I had either visited relatives or gone on club holiday with my parents. Both of these involved some sort of suitcase.

I don’t know where I picked up the idea to take a travel backpack, but it seemed natural once the idea was planted in my head. Luckily, my family owned one, even though it was a little big for me with my 1.67 cm (5.6 ft) and not fitted properly.

My struggle during the planning phase was how to figure out what to take and what to leave behind. After all, I would have to carry all of my belongings for a good portion of the trip. And every unnecessary kilo hurts eventually. Still, out of fear to not have everything during my trip, I ended up with about 14kg (30.7 lb) aka way to much for my 57 kg (125 lb).

For better or worse, I don’t remember my concluding packing list, but I remember a couple of highlights, a couple of mistakes… and some items that I definitely forgot to bring and had to purchase along the way.

Highlights: Things that turned out to be nice-to-haves

• Travel cutlery consisting of a fork, knife and spoon at minimum
  I prefer metal, but if I travel with only carry-on, plastic is a good alternative.
• Fast drying and light travel towel
  The material takes a little getting used to since it is a little rough compared to a classic fluffy towel. Nevertheless, it is such a relief to not have to worry about packing a heavy and bulky towel that may soak the rest of your luggage.
• Light travel sleeping bag
  This is something my mom picked out at the store for me and initially I found it ridiculous. There would be linens at the youth hostels, so why would I need this? It turns out that it is great in many situations: Whether the air conditioning on the plane, train or bus is blasting at full power or you just want an extra layer at your accommodation… I don’t travel without my travel sleeping bag anymore.
• Train time table (digital or printed out)
  If your are traveling across Europe (or actually any continent), make sure to check (and maybe even plan) your route ahead of time to not have any rude awakenings. Some routes only operate every couple of days, so you want to make sure not miss your connection and waste any precious travel time.
• Paper notebook and pen(s)
  Personally, I love to be able to jot down random thoughts, impressions or even just doodle while on on the road. An A5 notebook (Medium or half letter) is my favorite size for taking along.

Things that turned out to be unnecessary

• Too many clothes
  I ended up packing clothes for 14 days and doing laundry twice along the way. In hindsight, half of that would have been sufficient, especially since most youth hostels offer laundry facilities. I might have been able to travel a couple of kilos lighter.
• Full-sized personal care products
  For some reason, I never thought of packing travel-sized toothpaste, shampoo etc. I did not take all of the possible options from my bathroom, but I definitely overestimated how much product I would use along the way. Nowadays, I refill my small travel containers with my favorite and essential personal care products. Bonus tip: Some places offer sets that already include a clear, reusable and TSA-approved plastic bag that you can use for your carry-on liquids on the plane.

Rookie Mistakes: Things that I regretted not taking

• Good and comfortable shoes
  Admittedly, at 21 I valued cuteness over functionality. I did pack a decent pair of sneakers but did not account for the prize I would pay for my 5€-bast-fibre-lined H&M flip flops. By the time I reached Athens and after miles of running around Madrid, Granada, Venice and Rome, they were run down and cut into the soles of my feet. Every step hurt and no band-aid could help cushion the pain. I have the scars to remind me ’til today.
• After Sun Lotion
  Since Germany is not that sunny, I underestimated (during a couple of trips) how badly my skin burns in Southern Europe, no matter what time of the year. And coming by After Sun can be tricky once you’re out of the tourist zones.
• Travel neck pillow
  On the road, there are always opportunities to catch some (extra) sleep, but it can be hard to get comfortable and not get a stiff neck. A travel pillow is definitely helpful in those situations and personally, I like the one from Trtl. Even though it is more of frame than an actual pillow, it does the job of getting you comfortable, not taking up much room and being super lightweight.
• Travel-sized contact lens solution
  Okay, don’t judge me. I was young and naive. I seriously did not think of buying a travel size and was mortified of carrying the full 380 ml (12 oz) of contact lens solution around since I would only need a fraction. So I decided to be “smart” and only take the contact lens container with full compartments. Big mistake. I did not realize that you lose a little bit of liquid every time you take your contacts out of the container. And of course you keep adding dirt and bacteria when you pop them in at night. Paired with a “nice” draft on one of the trains, I had a “neat” little eye inflammation by the time I reached Istanbul. And let me tell you, a “Matschauge” (mud eye as I like to call it) is a very unnecessary nuisance. Luckily, I was able to treat it with regular eye drops and bought myself a bottle of contact lens solution along the way. Not making that mistake again. Ever!

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How about you?
What have become your travel essentials and what have been some of your rookie packing mistakes?

Cover picture was taken in Berlin (Germany) in Dec 2017

Missing the beginning of this story?
Around Europe in 30 days #1: Forming a plan