How I Pack Light for Autumn in Europe

Everyone always seems to have the same advice when they hear that we are about to embark on a trip from our tiny island here in Hawaii to far away Europe. Pack light! Make sure you fit everything in a carry-on. Tiny hotel rooms! Lots of stairs! It did seem pretty daunting while preparing for our first vacation abroad, but I forged ahead the best I could, learning by trial and error on how to pack light. And now I’m pretty comfortable that I have it down pat. Well at least what has worked beautifully for me (as well as packing for kids, though that is another story in itself) that is. Okay, so here it is! A few of my tried and true tips to pack light for a trip abroad (particularly autumn or fall in Italy).

Tip #1:

This one might be controversial, but it works for me, so here goes. I always choose to stay at a hotel that has the option for laundry service or a villa that has a washer (often it’s a washer/dryer combo) available. Having stayed at several different places, we’ve found that it’s really not that difficult to find a place where your clothes can be laundered during your trip. Laundering your clothing half-way through your trip? Now you can pack half the amount of clothes (more room for those gorgeous souvenirs and gourmet finds!). And believe me, you’ll be super happy you did pack light (or your husband will be) when you’re lugging that suitcase up the stairs on the Ponte della Costituzione in Venice.

Tip #2:

I try to pack basic neutrals, then mix it up with a pop of color or print with a scarf, a layering sweater or cardigan, or some jewelry. On my last trip to France and Italy, I found the pure silk tanks from Quince to be a perfect option. As they are so thin and light, black, navy, and white were good staples in my effort to pack light. In addition, I brought along a cashmere cardigan (also from Quince actually) in black and a black Cole Haan trench-style rain jacket. A pair of dark Madewell Stovepipe jeans, lightweight Banana Republic trousers in black, striped linen pants from J Crew, a white with black patterned linen maxi skirt and matching cropped top, a couple of striped sweaters to layer with, and a black satin slip dress made up my unique capsule wardrobe for this trip. Throw in some favorite jewelry pieces and a big, brightly patterned Missoni scarf (doubling as a nice wrap on the plane), and I was set.

It sounds like a lot of clothes, but the pieces were thin fabrics that I built into layers when needed, so all fit with room to spare in my carry-on. Of course, everyone’s taste in clothing and their idea of comfort is very different, but this particular combination worked super well for me during the weeks away. As it was autumn (or fall-which do you call it?), temperatures ranged from the low 50’s (F) at night to the mid 70’s (F) during the day. We had a couple of days of rain (that rain jacket saved me!) but overall the weather was quite comfortable and perfect for layers to take off and put on.

Tip #3:

Do a little research on shops and stores near to where you’ll be staying. A travel friend of mine had in the past needed some warmer options than what she had packed. Being in the Firenze or Florence area of Italy, we happily discovered that locally made clothing was readily available at many of the open markets that we happened upon. Not only were they nice quality pieces made there in Italy, but the prices were great-much less than we would have paid at your average store here at Ala Moana Center. We ended up getting a few new pieces which we had fun wearing during that trip and then brought home as practical souvenirs to add to our closets.

Similarly in Japan, we found several Uniqlo stores and lots of other small clothing shops just in the train stations as we traveled around the cities. Maybe you’re sticking to travel within the US? Take a peek at what’s around your hotel or attractions you may be spending time at. As an example, both Disneyworld and Disneyland have great outlet malls super close by along with retail shops in the Downtown Disney and Disney Springs areas. If all else fails, there’s often a Target nearby (we use the drive-up or delivery option when traveling within the US all the time) or Amazon Prime.

To pack light while still creating cute and comfortable outfits for your travels (and all of those great pictures!) is very doable even if it takes a bit of creativity. But enough about me. I’m always picking up the best tips from others. So tell me! What are your tips or tricks for packing light?

Sunshine and aloha!

Hawaii Girl Life🌺☀️