It’s been a few years since we were thinking about what to pack for a spring-summer holiday in Europe, but the thinking caps are on again. Not for this year but in the next couple of years. In the meantime, I’ll happily scroll through your European holiday Instagram spam if you’re lucky enough to be going very soon.
It is such a long way for Australians to travel, so I know just how much thought and planning goes into a trip to Europe. I shared some of my planning tips in this post after last trip. I’m a planner, so for me that’s when the holiday fun starts. I love going down an Internet rabbit hole and getting lost in the possibilities of our planned destination.
About six months out, I’ll start thinking about what to pack. That might seem crazy but if you’re packing for a trip that will take you to the opposite season, it can be tricky. Leaving in an Australian winter for a European summer? You might not be able to fill any clothing gaps in store or online because our shops are only selling winter clothes.
What can make it an even trickier proposition is that even if you’re travelling at the very height of summer, one country’s version of summer can feel like your winter at home, especially if you live in the northern part of Australia. Europe is also big … if you’re travelling to a few different countries, you made need vastly different clothing pieces for each.
This is where my number one packing tip never lets me down. Become a weather nerd. It really does come down to checking out the average temperatures of where you’re headed and then following those temperatures more closely via your phone’s weather app as it gets closer to your departure date. Compare those projected temperatures with how that weather feels where you live and pack accordingly.
This is particularly the case if you’re travelling early spring in Europe. To give you an indication of temperatures in Europe in May, Paris has an average minimum of 11 degrees and maximum of 20 degrees; Barcelona 14 – 22 degrees; Rome 11 – 23 degrees; London 10 – 18 degrees. Yes, that’s a Queensland winter! Mild but nowhere near Australian summer temperatures.
My biggest packing challenge to date was our three-week trip to Europe in June/July 2015.
My luggage was limited to 20kg and the weather was Queensland-winter cool (UK) and hot (Italy). Therein lay the packing challenge I was faced with. I needed clothes I could layer up for the first week and then pare back for weeks two and three.
I kept to another one of my key packing tips – and that’s keeping the colour palette tight. This was purposeful, so most things could be worn back with pretty much everything in the suitcase. The thinking behind the tops, shirts and tees I chose to pack was that they would serve me under a jacket in the UK but could also be worn with shorts on their own or layered for sun protection in Italy. The jeans were for the UK leg and the lightweight pants served me in the UK as well as cooler evenings on the rest of the trip. I packed four dresses – including pieces that would double as swimsuit cover-ups.
Key extras and layering/accessorising pieces included a cardi, denim jacket, lightweight duster jacket, scarves, statement necklace, fold-up beach bag and hat. Shoe-wise, I took sneakers, flat sandals and two pairs of wedges. I had planned on taking a one-piece swimsuit but then I remembered where I was headed – Europe – where women have fewer issues about swimwear than we seem to. It’s much more practical to have a bikini on – you can throw anything over the top and be headed out to lunch in minutes.
If you’re travelling at the start of spring to the Northern Hemisphere, you will need more layering pieces and the addition of ankle boots to your travel capsule. It will still be quite cool/cold so having thin, warm layers that don’t take up much space but are there if needed are key. You may also need a warmer jacket than a leather one. A compact puffer jacket that can be rolled up when not in use is ideal. I’d also include long-sleeve tops and tees and at least one knit.
What to pack for a spring-summer holiday in Europe
The spring capsule I’ve created below works for spring and cooler regions in summer. Add or subtract heavier or lighter pieces to suit your destination/s and the timing of your travel.
If travelling in the height of summer, and only to warm countries, drop the boots, jeans, long pants, knit and jacket, and sub in sandals, extra shorts and an extra dress.
Both capsules represent the basics – and a minimum of clothing options – but depending on what you’re getting up to or what time you’re going, the below key extras will also help you build a travel wardrobe that works for you.
Key extras
- a cardi
- denim jacket
- puffer jacket
- lightweight duster jacket
- fold-up beach bag
- hat
- swimwear
- raincoat
- umbrella
So, tell me, who’s heading to Europe this spring-summer? Where are you going. Give me ALL the details.