I went to Europe with my family to celebrate my mom’s birthday, Christmas, AND New Year’s. Being able to see Paris, London, and Rome, Italy was absolutely amazing. I loved being able to enjoy each city’s unique liveliness, the experiences, everything! However, there were a BUNCH of things that I learnt while we were there that can help you in the long run!
Now, some of these tips are going to be because we went in the winter, since Christmas and New Year’s is around that time. So, if you’re going to Europe in the spring or summer, then some of these tips may not be applicable. But, the rest of them will FOR SURE help you. Without further ado, let’s get into these tips!
Tip 1 – Pack lightly
With this tip, this will help you no matter what time of year you go to Europe. Pack lightly! When we were traveling from one country to another, I would see people have the smallest suitcases. At first, I didn’t understand why and was very confused. However, once we were in Paris, I understood completely why everyone packed so lightly. It’s too much to bring around when you’re traveling!
I had brought a HUGE suitcase, and so did the rest of my family. In fact, I believe that my sister even brought two suitcases with her. And as the trip went on, we added another suitcase so we could store all of the souvenirs we wanted to bring home. Some were for us while the rest were for family. But when I tell you that it added up, it ADDED UP. You have to carry all of this luggage around with you, and it was a trek. I definitely got my cardio and weights in carrying those suitcases.
Also, with having large suitcases, when you’re using Uber, a sedan isn’t going to cut it. I’m pretty sure that every single time we arrived in a new city, we would order a big SUV so we could fit all of the luggage. We would sometimes have to help the poor Uber driver to fit the luggage. So, heed my warning when I say pack lightly. It’ll just be less of a headache, of a workout, and less money coming out of ya pockets.
You may be asking what to pack then. Well, honestly, pack a couple of shirts, maybe 1-3 pants, jeans, or shorts, if it’s the season for them (or you’re warm-blooded). Depending on your stay, a couple of socks, 2-3 shoes, and underwear (obviously, unless you like going commando). Other than bodycare, skincare stuff, that’s pretty much it! When it comes to the clothing, if you’re going to multiple destinations, it’s not going to matter that much because you’ll be in a new environment.
People aren’t going to stare at you and just know that you wore that same shirt in Barcelona two days ago. Also, you can just clean your clothes at a laundromat, if your hotel has one, or if you can locate one nearby. Honestly, even though I packed a bunch of shirts, I only really wore maybe 5 out of the, maybe, 15 shirts that I had. And, I want to make a side note of this: people in London dress fashionably. It was 30 degrees outside and girls were dressed to impress!
Regardless, you’ll be okay if you wear the same shirt or pants on one trip.
Tip 2 – If in winter, wear a full length winter coat
Now, I’m from the East Coast in the U.S. So, the winters here aren’t that brutal. But man, the winters in Paris and London are crazy! And that wasn’t even the coldest it could have gotten when we were there. If you’re from a more humid and hot area, or if you get cold easily, I would recommend that you get a FULL LENGTH winter coat. I had a regular winter coat, and that thing didn’t help me at ALL. In fact, I’m sure it made me even colder.
I remember before we left my sister and I went shopping to find her a full length winter coat. Once we found hers, she asked me if I wanted to purchase one because she had a feeling that it would become cold. I told her that I’m fine because I already have a nice jacket that keeps me warm. She asked me if I was sure and I said I was. And when we got there, I was NOT. I was so cold that I became a shivering Chihuahua. We had to end the day early just because I was so cold. I felt so bad that the day had to end early because I was so cold, but I got a positive experience from it: shopping!
The next day, I was able to go to some of the shops there and find myself a nice winter coat. I even went to one that I had never heard of in the U.S. It was called UNIQLO, and I honestly would love it if there were more locations in the U.S. But when I was in London, I bought a winter coat from there and I love it! I bought a couple of other items from them and I’m keeping those for when winter comes. Those items, especially that winter coat, was a blessing for the rest of the trip. It kept me so warm and that has now become a winter’s staple.
So, if you can, I would HIGHLY recommend you purchase a full-length winter coat. And I mean a coat that goes from the top of your head to your kneecaps. That’s what I got, and I’m telling you… I felt like I was snuggled up in a blanket. But, I know that I get a bit cold more easily, so take this advice as you will. Either way, if you don’t wear a full-length winter coat, then at least bring one. Bring a winter coat, if not that, then at least bring a jacket. I’m telling you, their winters are quite cold. So, if you’re from the South or are just used to warm temperatures, I would follow my advice.
If you’re from the North or are used to having below freezing temperatures, you’ll be fine! We met some people who were from Chicago, New York, all of the states in the Northeast and they were doing just fine. In fact, pretty much all of them said that this sort of temperature wasn’t as bad as it was back home. I found that to be bewildering, but I had to take their word for it.
Tip 3 – Stay for more than 2-3 days, if you can
When my mom booked the trips for us, she got a bundle. As I stated earlier, we went to London, UK, Paris, France, and Rome, Italy. When we looked at the bundle, we would have 3 days in London and 2 days in Paris and Rome. To us, it seemed as if it was a pretty good amount of time to do the things we wanted to do for each city. We didn’t really have everything planned out, but we had a few things on the itinerary. Looking back, we probably should have planned out some things a bit further.
When we went to London, it was pretty fun and we were able to have a day off to chill and just explore the places around the hotel. But for Paris and Rome, it felt as if it was a marathon. We were just running and running to do everything while we were there so we could have fun. However, when we were doing that, we were running on 0-3 hours of sleep. We still had fun, but we knew that we could have a bit more fun if we had a bit more time. That especially was the case for Paris and Rome.
So, if you’re going to any place in Europe, I would suggest going there at least for 4-8 days. That’s especially the case if you’re going to multiple places like we did. If you’re not and you just want to go to one place, if you want to have a scheduled itinerary, then I make sure to plan it out in advance. See what interests you, what would be available during that season, and see if you’d be able to make that work. I know, for sure, that there were so many places that I wanted to try out AFTER we got home.
My TikTok was flooded with all of these amazing places to go, and I thought that it was really funny but a bit ill-timed since I had landed back in the U.S of A. Regardless, learn from me and plan a bit ahead. See what’s around your hotel before you book it, even if it’s for a couple of minutes (and not before you’re about to arrive there either). I have a couple of more tips, but let me know if you’d want to hear them! 🙂
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