Packing Light for Europe: Pack Carry-On Only

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Pack carry-on only and travel light! Since it can sometimes take me three flights and a train ride to get to a European destination, I travel carry-on only! And I have done an obsessive amount of research, so I can keep everything as lightweight and as small as possible. Read on, and let my Virgo analytical-ness assist you. I’ve done all the weighing and measuring for you. Down to the last centimeter and half-ounce.

Here are the best carry-on bags, personal items, and organizers to help you pack for carry-on only travel!

Best Carry-On Luggage for Europe

I have found that the best carry-on luggage for Europe is a small, lightweight rolling bag. They are easy to pack, hold more without weighing you down, and are a snap to get around with.

Size restrictions for connecting flights within Europe are smaller than those for flights from the US to Europe. Be sure to check your connecting carrier’s website to verify the size of both the rolling bag, and the size of the personal item you can bring onto the plane.

I have the Delsey Cruise Lite 19″ International Carry-On. Delsey is a European brand, so that makes finding the proper size carry-on for European flights a little easier.

It’s made of a durable, but lightweight plastic and has double spinner wheels so it moves in all directions easily. I really like the way it opens, the 90/10 zipper top lifts up so you can pack it like a soft-sided case, instead of packing in two halves like with other hard-sides. The telescoping handle sits flush with the top of the case, and the additional handle on the side of the bag is very flat so it doesn’t add extra inches. I love this platinum color. It’s stylish and goes with everything.

Best Personal Item Carry-On Bag for Europe

I prefer a shoulder/crossbody bag that attaches to my rolling bag in terms of a personal item that fits under the seat. I’ve tried a backpack and had a really cute one, but I personally have to have my passport in a place where I can put my hand on it at all times, or I will get very paranoid. If it’s strapped to my back, I have to keep stopping every once in a while and take off my backpack and look at it. I’m serious…

I am addicted to Baggalini bags for travel, and for my personal item to carry onto the plane, I love the Baggalini Avenue Tote bag.

This bag has a detachable cross-body strap, an outside zipper pocket for your phone, and another small outside pouch that is perfect for a pack of tissues/sanitizer wipes/granola bar, etc. It’s wide and flat at the bottom which makes packing it full much easier. There’s a padded laptop pocket, too. The rear outside pocket unzips at the bottom so you can slide the bag over your suitcase handle. I have it in black, but it comes in a variety of colors to suit your style.

If you prefer a backpack:

This is the cute OGIO International Soho Pack that I used to travel with.

It’s a great bag with room for just about everything, and fits under the seat of a plane easily. It fit my small laptop, has two roomy center pockets, and the front panel unzips to reveal smaller zipper pockets and organizers for pens, etc.

Best Travel Accessories

It’s important to keep things lightweight, small, and organized inside the bags, too. I mean, I have looked at everything down to the size and the weight of the case for my soap, people! Every half ounce adds up! Here are some of the best travel accessories.

Slim wallet:

You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) travel with all of your credit cards, and you’ll want to have a zipper pocket for all those 1 Euro coins. I have a wallet like this one:

Loufayee Women’s Slim Leather Wallet

I love it because it’s very slim and takes up virtually no space in my bag. It keeps cash flat and organized, the zipper pocket is great for coins. Because the credit cards, hotel keys, subway passes, etc. are along the side, I can easily access them without even removing the wallet from my bag. This draws less attention, and makes me feel safer if I’m in an area like a train or subway station where pickpockets tend to be lurking.

TSA approved liquids bag:

I love these Stasher bags. The clear, sandwich-sized bag is TSA approved.

Stasher Reusable Silicone Bag, clear, sandwich size

This Stasher bag weighs less than three ounces. I like the shape, because it allows for expansion, but since it’s made of silicone, it doesn’t have hard corners that limit your options for where it fits inside your bag. And I love that it has multiple uses. You can use it once you arrive at your destination for a purse organizer, to keep your phone dry at the beach, etc. I can also throw this in the dishwasher when I get home, and use it in the kitchen until the next time I travel.

Travel liquid bottles:

 Are you really going to use 3 oz of moisturizer, hair product, zit cream and the like on a two-week vacation? In most cases, no. So why carry those larger travel bottles? I like these:

1 oz Nalgene HDPE Wide Mouth Round Containers

These are Nalgene, so you know that they are leak proof and durable. You’d be surprised how much 1 oz of your favorite product really is. I challenge you to take a look at what you use and how fast you actually use it. My whole bottle of moisturizer is 4 oz and it takes me months to use it. Take less! Lighten your load!

Makeup bag:

Here’s the deal. You are not going to NEED five different eye shadows and four different lipsticks. Pick one or two favorite shades that you love the most. For makeup, toothbrush, jewelry and other small toiletries, I like small bags like these.

Shuxy 3 Piece Mesh Zipper Storage Bags

These are super lightweight and small enough that you can move them around in your bag so everything fits easily.

Pill box case:

For my medicines I use this magnetic foldable pill box case.

This has 7 compartments, it’s BPA-free, and has magnetic closures. The three-fold design makes it easier to fit into my bag than those long pill cases. It weighs less than two ounces.

Soap dish:

News flash: Are you going to use a whole bar of soap on vacation? Me neither. So get a smaller soap container and only take half a bar. I use this cute little one. It’s only about 3 inches square, and weighs 1.44 ounces:

Inovat Small Size Plastic Soap Case

Neck pillow:

One more thing. I have to have a neck pillow. And no, this doesn’t fit inside my bag. I secure it to the shoulder strap on the outside of my Baggalini bag and that works just fine.

I have the Travelrest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

 

I’m REALLY picky about neck pillows. I’m a short, small lady, so lots of times, neck pillows just push my head forward and make me more uncomfortable. This pillow is made so that it sits flat against the seat back, and has an anti-slip material. So you can lean back naturally and not slide down when you doze off. The memory foam molds perfectly to my neck, and it’s thermo sensitive, so I don’t get hot while I’m using it. I love  that it comes with a bag, I get so grossed out by my neck pillow touching everything in the airport. It fits easily back into the bag which has an additional velcro strap on the outside, so you can make the whole package even smaller.

Tips for choosing carry-on luggage for Europe

Size:

• Pay attention to the measurements. The measurements given are often the inside of the bag, not the outside including wheels and handle.
• Measure the bag in centimeters and inches, sometimes they aren’t converted correctly. Go by the centimeters for intra-European flights.
• Size restrictions for connecting flights within Europe are smaller than those for flights from the US to Europe. Check your connecting carrier’s website to verify the size of the rolling bag, and the the personal item you can bring onto the plane.

For example, we booked a flight with Delta and flew from Atlanta to Amsterdam to Berlin. The Amsterdam to Berlin leg was operated by KLM. Their max carry-on measurements are 55 x 35 x 25 cm  (21.5 x 13.5 x 10 in), smaller than Delta’s allowance.

Weight:

Make sure your rolling bag, personal item, and all the travel accessories you choose are as light as possible when empty. This gives you a head start on weight limits once you actually start putting things in the bag.

Tips for what to pack when traveling carry-on only

• Take your favorite clothes so you won’t mind wearing items more than once.
• Stay where they provide shampoo and hair dryers. Less liquid = less weight, no hairdryer = more space for clothes and souvenirs!
• Narrow down your makeup and jewelry to your favorite staples
• Take one pair of walking shoes and one pair of ‘dressier’ shoes
• Layers, layers, layers!
• Wear your bulkiest items on the plane

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.