What to Put in Your Backpack for Europe
Having decided to travel to Europe and
backpack around all those countries you have been dying to see
you must make sure that you have what you need when you first
pack up your backpack but no more than that.
Start with your toiletries. Take only the bare minimums that
you need. While the brands may not all be the same, many will
be, and there is nothing that you cannot find in Europe. They
sell soaps, sanitary products, shampoos, toothpastes etc. at a
variety of stores. Putting your toiletries in a toiletries
organizer will help to keep things neat, easily accessible and
less likely to spill.
A towel is very necessary as hostels do not provide towels
and without one you cannot get clean. While you can take
your favorite beach towel with you will find that getting it
dry in time to repack can be a problem. Not so with the special
micro fiber towels that are both lightweight and fast drying.
They cost about thirty dollars and are an investment worth
making.
Be sure to bring your camera and a few rolls of film. Film
can be bought all over Europe so you need not bring too much
with. Instead of carrying around the finished rolls mail them
home. Then you can develop them when you return. This saves
space and prevents the chance of losing any of your photos. If
you bring a digital camera instead film will not be an issue
but you may find that the memory cards do fill up. You may want
to have an extra one or bring a very large one in your
camera.
A first aid kit is essential. No one anticipates an injury
and even if it's a small one you want to be able to clean and
treat it. If you use a medication that you require daily
you should take with you as much as you will need for your
entire trip as it is unlikely that a prescription from an
American doctor will be honored at a European pharmacy.
Take with a paperback book that you do not mind returning
without. You will meet many people who will do the same.
Trading books allows many travelers to read a variety of things
without having to carry more than one book. This has
become a recognized practice among backpackers.
When traveling in Europe you want to make sure you have the
proper identification on you. You must have your passport for
starters. It is always a good idea to make a copy of your
passport and leave one at home with family members plus have
one on you. This can be helpful if you lose your passport or it
is stolen. There are many other things you need to take with
you including a sleeping sheet or sleeping bag, a money belt,
debit card, money, luggage locks for your backpack, guide
books, a sink stopper, sunglasses and a travel alarm to name a
few more essentials.
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