Planning a trip to Europe can be stressful. I felt like I did a lot of research before going, but there are still some things I could have done better. These are my top 10 essentials and honorable mentions to pack for your next trip to Europe. I’ve linked my Amazon storefront (which I may earn a small commission from, at no extra cost to you!), but feel free to find different versions of what I have posted.

Shop my Europe Travel Essentials on Amazon!

Personal Item Backpack

​I have a few different options for a personal item, but I really don’t know how I did it before my current backpack! I was sent the Nordace Siena Pro 17 Smartbag in Aqua for free about 2 years ago. This is a total game-changer! I absolutely love my backpack and think the quality is amazing, though it is a little expensive. My backpack costs $130, and I do think it is worth it for someone that travels a lot. My mom was able to find a cheaper version of it, and has since gifted it to my sister and my husband as well. While their price is great, I don’t think the quality is as amazing as my one from Nordace.

I love that this backpack is comfortable, has hidden pockets, and can fit a lot in it without being bulky. I was able to use it as a personal item for multiple airlines; some of the under-seat storage spaces were small, but this still fit. I also love when a personal item has a luggage strap so it can fit securely on my carry-on. I cannot recommend this enough!

Crossbody Day Bag

​I had been searching for a while when I randomly found a Reebok bag on sale at Walmart, and it was perfect. I love that I can wear it as either a crossbody or as a backpack. It has double zippers, which makes locking it easy. It is the perfect size; I can fit a water bottle and all my essentials without it being too big. This one specifically has an almost hidden pouch in it that I used to hide our passports. In crowded tourist areas, I could wear this in front of me, or I could wear it as a backpack to stay comfortable during long day trips. I have thought about replacing this with a dressier option, but haven’t found one I love as much as this.

Sturdy Shoes

​I didn’t realize how tough walking on cobblestones was until I was wearing flats because I was only going a few blocks and didn’t feel like putting sneakers on. A lot of the sneakers I wear at home are lightweight. For Europe, you really need a sneaker with thick, sturdy soles. It was actually a little hard to find shoes that were sturdy and not “cloud-like”. This picture is actually from Disney, but I got the same style in an all-white version for Europe. These were so perfect, I was able to walk over 20,000 steps a day and my feet never hurt.

Power Converter

​I didn’t really understand the difference between an adapter and a converter before my trip. Mine ended up being a combination of both. In Europe, the outlets are usually 220 volts, which is much higher than what we are used to in the US. A converter changes the voltage coming out of the outlet and makes it safe for us to plug in our electronics. Mine also had multiple spots for American-style plugs, USB, and USB-C. It also came with many different wall adapters, which makes it convenient if you are visiting multiple countries. I personally used mine in Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Austria, and never had a problem.
​There is a chance you might not need a converter—a lot of my plugs do show a range of 110v–240v—but I still used it just in case!

Power Adapter

​While my converter had an adapter, I got another power adapter to use for day trips. I chose this one specifically because of the shape and size of the back. I had read somewhere that certain styles don’t fit well on the trains and they tend to fall out. Because the back of this adapter was so slim and low-profile, it stayed perfectly flush against the wall and didn’t get dragged down by the weight of my charging cords. I took four day trips throughout the Czech Republic and Germany and was able to use this on every train.

Portable Charger

​Even though I had my power adapter for the trains, I still sometimes needed to charge either my phone or GoPro batteries. This specific charger could power up multiple items and charged them quickly. It also was below the maximum airport restriction, which is around 100 watt-hours (or about 27,000 mAh). Be sure to check with your actual airline for specific restrictions and remember that they must go in your carry-on luggage, not checked bags!

Compression Packing Cubes

​When I travel internationally, my goal is to pack as light as possible. I only bring a backpack and a carry-on suitcase so that I don’t have to worry about long lines at baggage claim or lost luggage. Both times I traveled to Europe were in early spring, so I had to pack warmer clothing like sweaters. While compression bags don’t help with weight limits, they helped me pack multiple sweaters and still have room for souvenirs! Also, make sure you get compression bags that compress using a zipper and not a vacuum!

Zipper Locks

​I got quite a few warnings about pickpocketing in Europe, and these double-sided lobster clasp zipper locks helped me feel safe. These don’t completely lock your bag, but they definitely make it harder for people to get into it. I actually had someone put their hand in my coat pocket while in a souvenir store in Prague! I am so glad I had these and I wonder if they would have tried for my backpack if I didn’t have these locks.

Collapsible Water Bottle

​I bring my collapsible water bottle for every flight. It folds up so small, making it easy to go through security empty and then fill up after security. In Europe, finding free tap water was really hard. This bottle fit perfectly in my day bag and it was the perfect way to stay hydrated. It also saved me from buying bottled water throughout the day or water at restaurants!

Travel Laundry Detergent

​When you are traveling light, it means you don’t necessarily have room to pack extras of things. I only brought one hoodie and ended up spilling something on it. Because I brought travel detergent, I was able to wash it in the sink and then use the towel warmers to dry it. I do not travel without these because they are so helpful!

Honorable Mentions

Pharmacy Pouch

​Bring a pouch with all the over-the-counter medicine you think you could maybe need. I thought I couldn’t find my ibuprofen or Advil when I had a headache, and was shocked that I’d have to wait until morning when the pharmacy opened or find a 24-hour one. In the US, I could go to any grocery store or gas station and get it. Depending on where you are going in Europe, there also might be a language barrier. When my husband went to the pharmacy and asked for cough drops, they gave him something that was a liquid with a dropper top. We did finally find the right product (I know I prefer European cough drops over what we have in the US), but this might not always be the case. My pharmacy pouch usually includes ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), Pepto-Bismol, Tums, Dramamine, ginger chews, and cough drops.

Facial Mist

​This is an honorable mention because while it was a necessity for me, I know it is not for everyone. In general, my skin is dry and eczema-prone. I went in March, and it was still pretty cold out and my skin was constantly so dry. It is also an 8+ hour journey for me, so I love to use this to moisturize throughout the flight. If dry skin isn’t something you struggle with, then you can definitely skip this one! On my last flight from New York to Zurich, they even had lotion and facial mist in the bathroom which I definitely took advantage of!

Luggage Scale

​I love souvenirs. I love finding things that I can use to decorate my apartment so I can look at them and remember the trip. I went during the Easter markets this year and brought home so many decorations. While I’ve personally never had my carry-on weighed for a domestic flight, every European flight I took had strict weight restrictions for my carry-on bag. Swiss Airlines is 8 kg or about 17.5 pounds, which adds up quickly. I have noticed that not all airports really check, but I did have a flight attendant pick up my bag to see if it was overweight before a flight from Zurich to Prague.

Travel Security and Documents

​Before every trip, I print out all my confirmation letters. I also like to get a physical ticket for my flight. While it may seem excessive, I like to have physical proof in case something happens to my phone. We didn’t do this for our trip to Mexico, and it was hard going back through emails when an issue came up.
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Before any international trip, I purchase trip insurance. During my first cruise, there was an incident where someone had to be medically evacuated by helicopter, and I remember someone telling me that it was going to cost the person/their family “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” It sounds extreme and we all think it won’t happen, but we were lucky to have insurance when my mom tripped and scraped her foot badly while in the Bahamas because she was seen immediately and everything was covered.
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I also enroll in the STEP program in the US. They then alert you when something happens nearby during or around your trip. Before my March 2025 trip, I was warned of a mass stabbing in Austria and then warned of protests in Prague during my March 2026 trip to the Czech Republic.
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In my confirmation folder, I have copies of hotel confirmations, flight confirmations, transportation confirmations, trip insurance info and confirmation, a copy of my passport, a copy of my license, and important embassy numbers.

Tech Pouch

While I absolutely love traveling, airport security makes me nervous and I try to do everything to make it as easy as possible. In my personal item, I keep my ID/passport, liquids bag, and tech pouch together so it is easy and quick to grab for security. Some places are more strict, but I put every electronic larger than a cell phone in one area so it is easy to find to put in a bin for security. Out of every airport I have been to, Zurich has been the least stressful and easiest. We left for a few hours to explore the town and it was so easy. I plan to use Zurich as a hub for exploring Europe as often as possible for this reason!

You can find all these essentials and honorable mentions on my Jenna’s Magical Adventures Amazon Storefront!

Do you agree with this or is one of your European Essentials missing from this list?