How I Pack for a Month in Europe Using Only a Carry-On
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This summer my family and I have the opportunity to go on our second study abroad trip - this time we’re headed to London!
Several of my colleagues also teach abroad during the summer and last week, I received a text that made me laugh.
A few of my colleagues were trying to figure out how in the world I manage to pack for an entire study abroad trip in a carry-on suitcase. For context, these trips are typically four to six weeks long, and my entire family travels this way. We’ve done six weeks in Sydney, two weeks in France, and now are gearing up for four weeks in London.
One coworker even admitted that she had assumed I was “more high maintenance than that.” And honestly, I was flattered.
Because I do care about looking polished, feminine, and elegant. I love beautiful dresses. I love putting together outfits that feel thoughtful and classic. But the funny thing is that my approach to clothing is actually very simple.
Most of my wardrobe is either thrifted or from Amazon. I repeat outfits constantly. I wear the same shoes over and over. I just try to be intentional about what I buy and how I style it. And I take that same philosophy with me when it comes time to pack a suitcase. As I’ve been planning for our upcoming trip to London this summer, I realized that I don’t start with a packing list. I start with a vision.
I picture the woman I want to be while I’m there. I picture myself strolling through London in a beautiful sundress, stopping somewhere lovely for tea and scones, wandering through a museum, sitting in the park with my family, heading to the theater in the evening.
There’s a part of me that wants to channel my inner Princess Kate, or at the very least live out my Parent Trap dreams from childhood. You know the scene - Hallie Parker arriving in London for the first time, seeing the city through a London town car window, about to meet her mother for the first time. And her mother, of course, was a wedding gown designer, which feels very on brand for a trip where I’m thinking carefully about what to wear and how I want to look. If that scene didn’t make you want to book a flight to London and dress beautifully while you’re there, I don’t know what to tell you.
Of course, I want to be comfortable. But I also want to feel beautiful. Because for me, clothing shapes the experience. A beautiful dress changes the way I move through the day. It makes me feel more feminine, more present, more appreciative of the experience itself. And when I look back at the photos years from now, I know I’ll be glad I took a few extra minutes to dress in a way that reflected how I wanted to remember the experience. Not because appearances are everything. But because beauty matters.
The good news is that this does not require overpacking. In fact, I think the women who pack the most often end up with the least cohesive wardrobes while traveling. Instead, I approach travel packing the same way I approach life in general: keep it simple and intentional. So if you’ve ever wondered how to create a beautiful capsule wardrobe for travel, here’s exactly how I do it.
Step 1: Envision the trip before you pack
Before I pull a single item from my closet, I spend time thinking about the actual experience of the trip.
Where are we going? What will we realistically be doing each day? What do I want the trip to feel like?
For London, I know we’ll be walking constantly. I know the weather will likely be cooler than a Texas summer. I know we’ll visit parks, cafés, museums, bookstores, and theaters.
That vision helps me narrow down what actually belongs in my suitcase. Instead of packing for every possible scenario, I pack for the life I realistically plan to live while I’m there.
Step 2: Choose a simple color palette
This is probably the biggest reason I can travel with a carry-on. Everything matches.
I tend to stick to neutral colors (i.e., navy, beige, and white) and of course, a soft pink, so that almost every piece works with the others. That means I can create multiple outfits from a very small number of pieces.
I don’t pack five cardigans. I pack one cardigan that works with almost everything. I don’t pack several pairs of pants. I usually bring one pair of black or navy slacks that can be reworn throughout the trip.
The goal is not variety for variety’s sake. The goal is a beautifully curated wardrobe.
Step 3: Build around a few key pieces
Once I have the vision and color palette figured out, I start building around a few anchor pieces.
For me, those are usually:
one cardigan
one pair of slacks
2-3 sundresses
one slightly dressier outfit for dinners or theater nights
a few tops that mix with the slacks
simple jewelry that works with everything
That’s really it.
A key thing to keep in mind when choosing these pieces is that they should be pieces that you absolutely love. You’ll be wearing these clothes over and over again, so you want them to be pieces that fit you beautifully and make you feel your best!
Finally, I remind myself that I will have access to laundry and that no one in London is tracking how many times I wear the same outfit.
Step 4: Be realistic about shoes
One area where I think a lot of women tend to overpack is shoes. You really do not need six different pairs for a trip.
For most study abroad trips, I bring:
one pair of Rothy’s ballet flats
one pair of tennis shoes
sometimes a pair of flip flops if I know I’ll actually use them
The key is choosing shoes that are comfortable enough for long walking days but still feel polished and versatile enough to wear with multiple outfits. My Rothy’s have become my favorite travel shoe because they work with dresses, slacks, and more casual looks while still being comfortable enough to walk around a city all day.
And then the tennis shoes are there for practicality. As cute and comfy as Rothy’s can be, they’re miserable in rainy, wet conditions. It’s been a year since our trip to France and my daughter still talks about how awful it was walking around Mont St. Michel in wet Rothy’s. With a pair of tennis shoes, you have a back up option for warm, dry feet!
Step 5: Bring a few things that make packing light actually work
There are a handful of items I always bring that do a lot of heavy lifting, and I think they’re worth mentioning because packing a carry-on only works when the things inside it are doing double or triple duty.
My Seint Makeup Palette. Everything is streamlined into one compact palette, which means I’m not digging through a bulging makeup bag or making hard decisions about what to leave behind. Foundation, blush, eyeshadow, all of it in one place. And because it’s TSA approved, there’s no wrestling with a clear zip-loc bag at security. You just pack it and go. It’s one of those things I didn’t know I needed until I had it. You can get a color-match HERE.
My Cordina Hair Heatless Curler. Hair tools and international travel do not mix well. Adapters are unreliable, and the last thing I want is to blow a fuse in the dorms while trying to use a curling iron. The heatless curler solves all of that. I sleep in it, wake up with beautiful waves, and move on with my morning.
Scarves. This might be my favorite packing secret. Scarves take up almost no space, but they can completely change an outfit. I tie one around my neck for a polished look, use it as a headband or a bow in my hair, tie it onto my bag for a little personality, or wear it as a belt. One scarf, five different looks. That’s the kind of versatility that makes a carry-on actually work.
Step 6: Pack for the woman you want to be
I think many women pack from fear.
"What if I need this?" "What if I want that?" "What if I change my mind?"
But I want to encourage you to pack from intention instead. Before you open your suitcase, ask yourself: How do I want to feel on this trip? What version of myself do I want to show up as? Let those answers guide what makes it into your bag - and what stays home.
Whether you're headed to London or the lake house, whether it's four weeks or four days, the same principle applies. You don't need more options. You need the right ones.
If you want to go even deeper on the practical side of packing light - the actual list, the week-based clothing strategy, all of it - I wrote a post a few years ago that walks through exactly how I approach a long trip from a logistics standpoint. You can find that HERE. The two posts go hand in hand, and together I hope they give you everything you need to pack confidently for whatever adventure is next.
I'd love to know where you're headed this summer. Drop it in the comments - and if you've found your own version of a carry-on capsule wardrobe, I want to hear about that too!
Have a beautiful, joy-filled week friend!
As I’ve been planning for our upcoming trip to London this summer, I realized that I don’t start with a packing list. I start with a vision.
I picture the woman I want to be while I’m there. I picture myself strolling through London in a beautiful sundress, stopping somewhere lovely for tea and scones, wandering through a museum, sitting in the park with my family, heading to the theater in the evening.