3 Weeks in Italy and more - Trip Report
This post is a long time coming but considering folks are likely trying to plan their own packing for a summer Euro trip, I thought I'd share my capsule wardrobe from my 22 day solo trip to Europe end of May to mid June, 2024.
I had a month off in between ending a job and beginning a new one, so I spontaneously booked a direct flight (travelling from Canada) to and from Rome. I only had my accommodations booked for Rome and Venice and a rough plan when I left, but I ended up visiting the Vatican, Ljubljana, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest as well. I took mostly trains, some buses, and one flight (from Budapest back to Rome to fly home). I booked as I went and never had any issues finding nice hotels or doing and seeing everything I wanted to, including things people warn you must pre-book far in advance for (ex. Vatican). Experiences may vary as I believe tourism in Western Europe is much busier than even 2 years ago.
I'm a dedicated onebagger, and used my trusty 35L Cotopaxi, but knew I wanted to look put together with a small but functional and versatile wardrobe. I settled on a capsule wardrobe of black, cream, white and denim. These are all clothes I already owned and were part of my regular summer wardrobe. Pic 1 is my base clothing, pics 2, 3 and 4 are some examples of how put outfits together. (I looked through my pictures to remember some outfits)
Picture 1:
Tops:
- black/white crochet top - thrifted
- black/white striped vneck sweater vest/tank - Simons
- white cropped ribbed tank (built in bra) - Uniqlo
- black vneck cropped tank (tech material, built in bra) - Uniqlo
- white square neck tank - Old Navy
- black boxy tee (quick dry) - Old Navy
- black/white stripped boxy tee - ?
- cream short sleeve linen blouse - Simons
Bottoms:
- denim square neck midi dress - Old Navy
- cream/oatmeal linen pants - Banana Republic
- black/cream patterned midi skirt - Simons
- black kick flare yoga pants - ?
- black flowy trousers (quick dry very airy) - ?
Layers:
- denim jacket - ?
- black fine merino vneck cardigan - Banana Republic
- cream ribbed cropped cardigan - Uniqlo
Shoes:
- black leather sandals (with sneaker-like sole) - from a boutique store but I think they are Ateliers
- white low profile leather sneakers - OluKia (these are technically golf shoes but great for walking)
Lounge/PJs:
- black merino cami - Icebreaker
- grey yoga/lounge pants - Lole (very thin and quick dry)
- purple round mini should bag - Uniqlo
Other: (not shown)
- 2 silk scarves: one bigger, one smaller. I used these in my hair as a headband or kerchief, as a neck tie, a shawl in the evenings etc
- jewelry! I wear earrings everyday (several piercings) and love bracelets. They really bring a simple outfit together
- black baseball hat (shown in running outfits)
- bathing suit
- sunglasses
- foldable tote
- mini travel umbrella
- undies (icebreaker merino thongs, one sports bra, one wireless bra, a couple no-show merino socks)
- tech: adapter, kobo, ipad, airpods, various chargers
- toiletries: I decanted all my regular skincare, use solid shampoo and minimized my makeup routine. I have curly hair but when I travel I wear it mostly up so I can bring less product
- First aid/meds: I have a teeny tiny zip pouch to bring some nice to have items like latex-free bandaids (allergy), gravol for motion sickness, a couple tablets of over-the-counter meds (tummy stuff, pain relivers etc) that can hold me over before finding a pharmacy
I did sink laundry frequently with my fastest drying items and went to the laundromat once (maybe twice, I can't recall clearly) to wash everything. I left a dedicated raincoat at home in favour of an small umbrella. There were items that did double duty such as the black boxy tee and black vneck tank (for runs/workouts and daily wear) that were very valuable. Disclaimer: The light colours were not an issue. I find my clothes don't get stained or messy easily, sink washing works well for me as does airing out/using a clothing spray as I'm not a very sweaty person, even in summer.
Overall, I was very satisfied with what I packed - I used everything and didn't feel like anything was missing. I wasn't too hot or too cold and was pleased with the overall aesthetic. Bratislava was a little rainy and cooler, but layering kept me comfortable and the umbrella kept me dry. Heros were the black flowy pants because they were extremely light weight but look like more elevated trousers, the linen blouse as a great layering piece, any double duty items, and the black leather sandals that look like dressier shoes but felt like clouds. If I were planning another similar trip, I wouldn't hesitate to pack almost exactly what I have here, expect for maybe swapping out one white tank for a denim shell tank, a looser silhouette denim jacket and a black/white gingham Uniqlo bag for the purple. But as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!