Carryon Packing List for Italy

Last week, I took a spur of the moment trip to Milan, Italy to meet my husband on one of his business trips. I took my first trip to Europe last year so though I'm by no means an overseas travel pro, I definitely implemented lessons learned from packing for that trip into planning for this trip.

I spent a full week in Italy and was able to pack everything I needed in a carryon suitcase and a big purse. And this is for WINTER, so I imagine if you plan to travel to Europe in the summer, you should have even more extra space (read: no bulky layers to pack) so that you can shop and bring things back with you! Here's a peek into my carryon purse that I kept with me at my seat for easy access to all my necessities. My goal for this trip was to pack only what I NEEDED and not a bunch of random things that would take up space and never get used.

The List:
Noise-canceling headphones
Passport
Moleskine & pen
Kind Bars
Warm fuzzy socks
iPad
Lip balm
Cord organizers
Tissues
Camera
Scarf & hat

Luggage-wise, one of the best pieces of advice for packing in a carryon is to pack clothing in the same or complementary color family so it is easy to mix and match a few basics. This also makes it easier to pack only 1 or 2 pairs of shoes because you won't have to worry about needing shoes to match that one super cute floral blouse, for example.


Travel Day

Shopping Day

Date Night

Nine West boots (similar here) // Zella leggings // J. Crew pants (similar here, on sale) // Thread & Supply peacoat (on SALE!)

As you can see, black riding boots, black tights/pants, and my black peacoat were STAPLES on this trip. I switched out my tops/accessories but for the most part this was my uniform. I was not only comfortable and worry-free, but I found that I actually fit in with the locals pretty well. The Zella leggings were my favorite and I wore them nearly every day--highly recommend these!

Stay tuned for pictures from my trip and some recommendations of places to go in Milan!