I’ve done quite a bit of travel in my time and have been lucky enough to see a large amount of Europe. While visiting those beautiful countries and experiencing new cultures, I’ve found that a certain few items that can make a big difference while on my travels. This is my personal short list of items which I will always take with me whenever I have the opportunity to travel the continent.
Good quality shoes
This is probably the single most important thing you will pack. Forget your cute summer sandals or trendy high heeled boots – comfortable, good-quality walking shoes will save your life. In Europe, walking is the most common form of getting around and if, like me, you live in a place where driving is the main form of transport then your feet will not be used to the amount of walking you’re about to do.
Get a pair of sturdy running shoes/hiking boots and make sure you break them in to avoid blisters and sore feet. Choose function over fashion for this one. You don’t have to leave your pretty sandals or high heels at home, but save them for the beach or a dinner out and keep your walking shoes for your sightseeing and exploring.
Eye mask/travel pillow
This particularly applies if your holiday includes staying in a shared living space (i.e. hostels) or traveling on buses or coaches. Although you may feel that you look a bit like a pampered princess, this will ensure you get a decent night’s sleep particularly if sharing a sleeping space.
I had the privilege of sharing a hostel room with a girl who woke up at 3am local time, turned on all the lights, straightened her hair and went back to bed. (I’m still trying to figure out the logic there.) Luckily, I remembered I had an eye mask in my bag, quickly pulled it on and managed to get a few hours of sleep before setting off on my travels.
Similarly goes for a travel pillow. Most hostels provide pillows but some can leave something to be desired and a travel pillow can be the differences in your quality of sleep. It also comes in handy when trying to catch a nap while traveling on a coach.
Headphones/earphones
This is one of the best ways to ward off boredom, or to give you some personal space if you’re the person next to you on the coach is particularly chatty. Listen to music or watch videos to pass travel time and they come in handy on those city bus tours as you’ll have a better-quality pair than the ones they give out.
Don’t let your headphones cut you off from being social and making new friends on your trip. But for a way to chill out and relax or get some much needed me-time, this is one of the easiest and most effective way to get some.
Portable charger
In the age of technology, most manufacturers still haven’t managed to make a phone battery that last longer than a few hours. For those of us who use their phone as their camera and/or map, your battery life last about as long as a £5 note in a London pub.
Packing a portable charger means you can charge your phone (or other devices) on the go, meaning you won’t miss that epic shot or take the wrong turn getting to your destination because of a dead phone.
Offline map
I’ve spoken about this before in my "How to travel alone – and love it" article (https://steemit.com/travel/@juliabain/how-to-travel-on-your-own-and-love-it) but I can’t recommend this little travel hack enough.
We all have smart phones and almost all of us are familiar with Google Maps. The app allows you to download maps of entire cities and navigate them, all while being offline. And if you’re like me and refuse to buy a European sim or pay for roaming, then this little trick will save you a lot of money and time.