What I’m Packing for Three Weeks in Europe This October
My suitcase beckons, and it’s time to quit dithering and finalize my travel wardrobe. I’ll be spending three weeks in Amsterdam, Paris, and London in October, so I need pieces that can handle everything from mild afternoons to chilly, rainy days. I think I’ve chosen a mix that will have me covered, whatever the weather brings.
How I’m Packing for Three Weeks in Europe
I’m traveling with a medium-sized checked bag, but still need to keep it light enough to carry and stow. I’ll be taking trains between cities, and experience has taught me to expect that I’ll have to navigate stairs at some point. Plus, I like to have room for the inevitable bit of shopping, so try to leave home with the suitcase only half full.
I’ve been obsessively checking my weather apps, and it looks like after a mild few days, it will turn cooler and wetter. So as usual, I’m relying on lightweight layers.
There are no fancy events on my itinerary, so I’m bringing versatile, comfortable pieces that can dress up to Smart Casual. I’ve based this wardrobe around a neutral palette of camel, brown, and navy, with pops of color provided by sweaters and scarves.
My Fall Europe Travel Wardrobe: What’s in the Suitcase
When planning a travel wardrobe, I start with the pieces that have worked reliably for past trips. I always look back over my previous recaps as a reminder of what worked or didn’t. And I make sure the pieces I’m considering will work together by trying them on in different combinations. So here’s what I’m packing…(some pieces are a few years old, so I’ve linked to similar items if no longer available).
Second row: ORANGE SWEATER | GREEN CARDIGAN (SIMILAR) | V-NECK (SIMILAR)
Third row: LEATHER JACKET (SIMILAR) | COLLARED CARDIGAN
Fourth row: MID-WASH JEANS |
Footwear: BOOTS (SIMILAR) | LOAFERS | SNEAKERS
(Or click on image to see all.)
Here’s the breakdown — what I chose and why.
Walking Shoes for Amsterdam, Paris, and London
I always start with the shoes when planning my travel wardrobes, as they’re the most important part to get right! They should be comfortable and supportive enough for a full day on your feet, and appropriate for your activities. I always have my cobbler add a rubber half-sole to any leather-soled styles for traction and moisture resistance.
- Boots. (Similar style) I’ve traveled with this pair multiple times, and just had the cobbler give them a refresh and extra waterproofing treatment. I’ll wear these on wet days — the shaft of the boot will keep my ankles dry.
- Sneakers. Perfect for daytime sightseeing and casual evenings. You will see sneakers worn everywhere and by almost everyone in Europe, so don’t worry about standing out if you bring them.
- Loafers. A comfortable and stylish option.
Jeans and Bottoms
Yes, I’m bringing three two pairs of jeans. They’re what I’m most comfortable in, and appropriate for my itinerary. (The dark wash pair can dress up if need be.)
- Ruti barrel jeans (both washes). These are the ones I wear most often at home, and always seem to work.
- Eileen Fisher wide-leg utility pants. My trouser alternative. (I later swapped these in for the pair of brown jeans pictured above.)
Tops, Sweaters, and Layers
- Two silk blouses: striped and leopard print. I’ve traveled with both of these styles before. They layer brilliantly and always make me feel polished and put-together.
- Layering tee. (Similar look.) The one shown here is several years old and may be on its last legs. But it’s a comfortable piece that layers well for travel days, and can go underneath sweaters for extra warmth if needed.
- Sweaters. I love cashmere for travel as it’s warm but lightweight. Avoid heavy, bulky sweaters, which will take up more room in your suitcase and be a pain to carry around when the day warms up. My rule is I have to be able to tie it over my shoulders or around my waist. For variety, I selected four different styles and included some color. Orange crewneck | green cardigan (similar) | lightweight v-neck (similar) | collared cardigan.
- Leather jacket. This one is unlined and very lightweight, so it can function either as a topper on cool-to-mild days, or a mid-layer underneath the raincoat if needed (see below).
Lightweight Outerwear and Bags
I’ve also learned to avoid heavy, bulky outerwear. It’s better to layer up underneath for warmth if needed. The leather jacket can function as outerwear, but I’m also bringing these:
- Rain Jacket. I picked up this one at Varley in London last year, and it truly is waterproof. Runs quite large, so I suggest sizing down.
- Puffer vest. This one from Uniqlo packs down to nothing, and adds a nice non-bulky insulating layer for those chilly mornings.
- Jacquard Funnel-neck Jacket. This one was a coup de foudre the minute I saw it on the mannequin. It’s both stylish and functional, lightweight enough for milder days, but roomy enough to wear over warm layers when it gets chilly. The jacquard fabric adds some chic to the sporty.
- Lo & Sons “Aoyama” bag. This lightweight and functional crossbody bag is what I’ll use for travel and casual days.
- Puzzle Bag. (Similar) To dial my outfit up a notch. I purchased this one last year in Paris. This budget-friendly option is very well-reviewed!
Scarves, Jewelry, and Base Layers
- Scarves. I always pack several scarves of varying sizes and weights, from my favorite travel wrap to silk and smaller square scarves. They take up almost no space in my luggage and can do a lot of heavy lifting to add color, pattern, and variety to my outfits.
- Jewelry. I usually bring just a few pieces, mostly costume and demi-fine. Leave your expensive jewelry at home…one less thing to worry about!
- Underpinnings. I always bring a few of these silk jersey tanks to wear as a base layer. (This budget-friendly cami is also good and comes in a bunch of colors.)
Before I Head to the Airport
I always do a last minute weather and “vibe” check, and may make a last-minute swap or add a Wild Card piece. And of course, I double-check to be sure I have the other essentials: passport, travel documents, medications, and device chargers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this wardrobe include what you’ll wear on the plane?
Yes. I usually wear the lighter wash jeans with the striped tee, a sweater, and jacket.
Will it fit in a carry-on?
While I do bring a slightly larger checked bag, I think a similar wardrobe would fit in a carry-on (though you may want to swap out one or more pairs of the jeans). In addition to what I’m wearing on the plane, I include a change of clothes in my cabin bag (just in case) and the rest fits into my medium-sized spinner with plenty of room to spare! I find compression packing cubes are a huge help too!
What about skirts and dresses?
I never wear them at home, so don’t travel with them. However, if they are a regular part of your wardrobe, by all means, do include them. For cooler climates, I’d suggest packing some warm tights.
Do you do laundry during your trip?
I’ll usually hand-wash underwear and my silk tanks once or twice (using hotel shampoo 😉), then let them dry overnight on a towel rack. One advantage of traveling with jeans is that I can wear them several times between washes. I’ll occasionally splurge on hotel laundry service, but most of the time a light spritz of diluted vodka is enough to freshen clothes between wears. (Just bring a small travel spray bottle and buy a mini bottle of inexpensive vodka after you arrive.)
That’s the plan, at least until my final weather check tempts me to make one more swap! I’ve packed for enough variety to feel like myself in all three cities, with layers I can adjust as the days get cooler or wetter. I’ll report back after the trip on what I wore most, what stayed in the suitcase, and whether I left enough room for the shopping.
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Do you plan to see Mary Cassatt exhibit in Paris or the Bayeux tapestry in London?
Look forward to reading yr trip postings. Safe travels.
Hi Cynthia, thanks and yes, I’m hoping to see Mary Cassatt, along with a few other exhibitions. We saw the tapestry in Bayeux a few years ago and it was amazing. Unfortunately, it’s completely sold out in London until the end of the year.
Great post. Saving this packing list for my next multi-week trip. Thank you!
Thanks, Claire!
Have a wonderful trip!
I love your travel wardrobe planning. It helps me be a disciplined packer.
However, I just returned from three weeks in France. It was unseasonably hot so I never wore my sweaters and did a lot of hand laundry.
Keep up the great work.
Thankks, Mary! Yes, sometimes the weather just throws a curve…
Can you show us the scarves and jewelry you take? And how do you handle socks which don’t dry fast? Using hotel shampoo to wash underwear is a great idea…I take a tube of travel detergent.
The key to drying hand wash overnight is to put the wet things on a towel, roll it up, and then step on the roll thoroughly. That gets them from wet to merely damp. Hang them up and they will be dry by morning. This is a well-known travelers’ hack, but I also use it when hand washing sweaters at home.
Great reminder. I do that at home but never remember to do that while traveling. Thank you!
Hi Lee, yes, I’ll share the scarves and accessories next week.
It looks like you are taking a wonderful wardrobe ! I’m wear Fall palette so I could almost take what you are packing! I follow Jo Lynn Shane and she just got back from a Europe and London trip and she did comment that she saw a lot of women wearing pants instead of jeans, so maybe throw in a pair of pants ( slacks) too. You always take such cute shoes….I have big bunions and flat feet so shoes are always an issue for me! Have a great trip!, I’ll be following you along! 🧡🍂🍁
Thanks, Gay! Yes, since I put this together yesterday, I’ve already made one swap: these Eileen Fisher pants https://go.shopmy.us/p-90302232 for the brown jeans.
Have a fantastic trip! Your packing guide always helps me when I am traveling. I am looking forward to all your upcoming blogs and insights into what they are wearing in Paris, Amsterdam, and London. Enjoy!
Thanks so much, Lila!
I love the vibrant colors in your travel wardrobe. It inspires me to avoid the usual neutrals I pack to make sure everything works together. You show us we can have both.
Thanks! The neutrals make everything cohesive, and the colors add interest and vibrance.
I have never heard of the diluted vodka trick to freshen up clothes! I will have to try that next trip.
I don’t even dilute the vodka, I spray full strength. Haven’t had a problem yet and the smell goes away. I do this at home now to get more wearings out of things. Washing and drying your clothes wears them out more quickly.
It’s apparently something the opera and stage costumers do. I only recently learned it myself. 😉
The weather has got to improve! I don’t want you in my country in yet another holiday with rain. You don’t deserve that. Tomorrow it will be sunny and 29 degrees!! You should have been here this week. Oh well, enjoy London. It’s supposed to be very good weather there (rats).
Greetje
That’s OK…I’m prepared for rain. We’ll have fun no matter what the weather decides to do.
Simple and effective!
I have a question: I see you buying short jackets often, could you at some point, make a list of 19-20” long jackets? I’m finding 22” too long, I wear 4/6 petite and regular xs/s depending on the cut, and yes the sleeves are often too long on both sizes. I’m 5’4” with a small upper body / 32B chest.
Thanks so much for all your hard work, enjoy Paris!!!
Hi Eileen, thanks! Yes, I’ll keep my eyes open for those and share what I find.
I pack very carefully & use packing cubes. But I’m still hesitant to bring silk or cotton (or linen!) blouses, because I feel they will come out wrinkled no matter what I do. I have traveled with a small steamer in the past, but I’m always trying to reduce the weight of my suitcase! How do you address this? Is the spray vodka sufficient?
Hi Jill Ann, I use a packing folder (like this one https://link.amazon/B00KoUVrS ) for my blouses & shirts, and find that keeps wrinkles minimal. I’ve also found that just dampening with a spray, smoothing with my hands and then hanging for a few hours usually takes care of the most obvious creases. (One of the reasons I pack patterned silk tops is that they wrinkle much less, and pattern makes the wrinkles less apparent.)
Jill Ann, I’ve had this same Eagle Creek packing folder for a number of years and use it on all of my trips. It does keep wrinkling to a minimum! I agree with Susan and highly recommend!
Hi, Jill Ann, here’s a 1930s packing hack I learned from my grandmother: Button a silk or cotton shirt over a sweater, pulling the sweater sleeves down inside the shirt sleeves. Then fold the shirt-sweater combo around a tee or PJs (they act like the board in Susan’s folder) and wrap the whole thing in a scarf to discourage shifting.
I have to remember this when I travel. I tend to bring everything and only wear some of it. I just packed for an 8 day trip and I know I’m taking too much. It’s too late to repack so I think I will be mindful of what I wear and what sits in the suitcase.
Have a wonderful trip!
Hi Paula, have a great trip! One thing that’s helped me a lot is to review my travel wardrobes as soon as I get home: what got worn, what didn’t, and what I wished I’d brought. I refer back to these recaps when it’s time to pack again.
I’m just back from a week in Paris and I’d recommend the Eva Gonzales exhibition at the Petit Palais. It was wonderful!
Thanks for the tip! I’m adding that one to my list.
I know you’ve covered this before, but it’s been a while. What sort of luggage do you use? What I’m currently using seems rather heavy a lot of the time. Please enlighten me!
Thanks
Hi Christine, for my main suitcase (checked), I use this one from Lipault: https://go.shopmy.us/p-81990895. I use this one from MZ Wallace as a cabin bag: https://go.shopmy.us/p-90631842
Perfect timing! I’m planning a two-week trip to Amsterdam and London in October, and I’ve been struggling with what to pack—especially since I’m hoping to travel with just a carry-on. Are you planning to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit at Tate Modern? I have a few nice dinners planned, too, so I’m thinking a silk skirt might earn its place in my suitcase. What do you think?Your travel posts are always helpful!
Hi Jacky, yes, that exhibition is on my London list!
Thank you so much for this post. I am traveling to Nice and Paris this Thursday and worry so about being cold as I’m usually dressed in long sleeves winter and summer. I have pulled the clothes I’d like to bring but keep eliminating something as I stress over my checked bag, carry-on, and small backpack. So far I have a couple of cashmere and merino wool tops, as well as cotton long sleeve tees along with corduroy pants, ponte knit pants, and jeans. I probably should just go with the jeans and some casual pants.
Hi Celia, it sounds like you have a good mix for the climate. Have a wonderful trip!
For whatever it’s worth, I was in Amsterdam mid December last year and temps were around 50 but I only needed my bigger coat one day. I enjoyed wearing my layers on that trip that included London since we barely have cool enough weather in So Ca to wear them. Have a great trip!
Thanks very much, Karen!
Susan,
Off topic but….. is the color “dark chocolate” in the recent Talbots collection good for an autumn ?
Thanks
Hi Nancy, yes it looks pretty close to dark brown in the Autumn and Spring palettes.
I could never go three weeks with that limited wardrobe, especially only 3 pairs of pants/jeans! I guess I’m messier than you!
The great thing about jeans (especially darker washes) is that they don’t need to be laundered very frequently. I bring a few small items for spot-cleaning, and that’s usually enough.
When I first began following your blog, you had a lot of black in your wardrobe. I think you looked really nice in it. I know you went all in on color season analysis and it definitely looks great on you, but I wonder if you would ever consider adding in a little more black (like in your pants, shoes, a black top under a bright jacket?). You look like a Bright Spring and they do look very good in black (Bright Spring and Winter have some overlap, after all). All the brown is nice but starts to look muddy after awhile. The black is higher contrast and somehow more interesting. Hope you have safe travels.
Susan, as usual, I love all your choices! Here’s a new travel related topic: after having checked luggage delayed and delivered to my hotel; delayed and delivered to my home and twice mistakenly taken at baggage claim by another traveler (both times retrieved by airline personnel), I think long and hard about packing. I use unusually colored luggage, noticeable luggage tags and locks, have my mobile number on the luggage tag and hotel information inside the bag. Most importantly, I don’t take any pieces that I have an emotional attachment to, nor any splurge items that cost more than I usually spend. I know the airlines will reimburse passengers whose luggage is never retrieved, but I wonder if there are additional provisions available for reimbursement in the case of loss?
Thanks, Marilyn.
Hi Dian, thanks for the feedback. I no longer have any black in my wardrobe and really don’t miss it. (Except when something I otherwise love is only offered in that color). I’ve always loved wearing brown, even as a child, and am glad there’s a good selection available now. Regarding higher contrast combinations, I find that too much contrast (on me) feels a bit stark and overpowering, though it looks great on people with higher natural contrast.
Great selections and tips for travelling abroad! Have an amazing trip, Susan!
Thanks, Amelia!
Just curious- sounds like you prefer Ruti jeans for plane travel over the knit denim from rag and bone or Eileen Fisher. Any particular reason?
Hi Vicki, I have a general rule that I don’t choose to wear something on the flight that I won’t wear (much) at my destination. The rag & bone jeans are great, but the lighter wash feels more summery/casual than what I want for European cities. I toyed with the Eileen Fisher “lantern” pair, but thought I’d wear the Ruti style more.
What size do you wear in the long Varley rain jacket?
XXS. It runs large.
Your posts are so helpful in getting my travel wardrobe into some focus out of the chaos of clothing options strewn all over my bed.
The way you display them for us is very clever and helps reinforce the sense of coordination around key colors.
I always struggle with the perfect carryon bag, too small doesn’t work, and too large tempts me to take too much and it gets too heavy. I love that MWallace bag in the chocolate brown. I’ve found their very small bags wonderful for simple bags to carry to the theater or our dining.
It was great fun reading these posts and interesting observations.
curious on your take on the aoyama. It looks very large. I have the pearl and live it. They are offering the aoyama in a dark chocolate now that is very tempting, but I cannot stand large bags anymore. they get too heavy.
Hi Phoebe, I don’t find the Aoyama to be too large for daily use, and it’s an incredibly lightweight bag. You can see how it looks worn crossbody HERE. (I’m 5’1″ for reference.)