Packing in a Carry On: Summer in the French Riviera

July 2024

Packing in a Carry On: Summer in the French Riviera

After two summers of packing in a personal item, having a full carry on bag for our summer trip to the French Riviera was a piece of cake! We used a similar formula that allowed us to pack super light here are some core principles to evaluate if you are thinking about the limiting your packing:

• One activity only – French Rivera in summer is for beaches so fortunately wearing bathing suits all day was very easy to pack for. The catch was in the evenings, Europeans dress nicely so the goal was to find items that could work in both scenarios.
• One pair of shoes – Or two in this case cause our Xero sandals weigh nothing and are completely flat. The nicer pair of shoes I brought were a small bulky heel to dress up outfits for dinner and I wore them on the plane to save space in the bag.
• Laundry is a must – Look for accommodations with a washer, and if you are lucky a dryer. Europe does not routinely have dryers and it is really not necessary when you can hang your clothes outside to dry. We love Airbnb for this reason since having a washer in Europe Airbnbs is quite common.
• As always, use packing cubes!
• Mostly, we found ourselves needed to grab another piece of clothing or two to elevate our wardrobe a bit. All our European trips have been in the fall and winter so our “nice” looking summer gear needed some help. I picked up a dress and romper, Kevin bought a few new shirts, and we hoped for the best. I would say it worked out very nicely!
• Do not waste space packing sunscreen – Europe truly has the best sunscreens and just purchase it when you get there.

The bag: EBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible

Packing cubes (Amazon or Ebags) size small, medium and large

Walker Family Goods Toiletry Bag

• Medications (Ibupofen, Meclizine, Tums)
• Deodorant
• Bar of solid soap
• Contacts
• Solid sunscreen
• Lush solid shampoo
• Toothbrush with sanitizer pod / floss
• Hair Brush
• Razor / Spare razor head
• Band-Aids / first-aid and Q-tips
• Hair accessory bag (headband, hair ties, hair clips)
• Lip balm

Quart Bag for 3 Ounce Liquids

• Reusable bag
• Tooth paste
• Travel size body lotion
• Travel size conditioner
• Travel size face wash
• Face moisturizer in repurposed container
• Aquaphor
• Hand sanitizer
• Contact solution

Medium Packing Cube: Small Clothing Items

• Two bathing suits (Albion Fit)
• Bras / underwear
• T-shirt and athletic shorts

Large Packing Cube: Clothes

• Bathing Suit cover up
• Dress (1) Dress (2)
• Two rompers (white and green)

Electronics Bag and Camera Bag

• Phone power bank charger
• Various chargers
• Outlet adapters

Front Compartment

• Travel umbrella
• Electronic Bag
• Sunglasses
• Day bag
• Glasses and case
• Toiletries bag

Laptop Compartment

• Chromebook
• Notebook/Paperwork/Pen

Pack it Up

Sling

• Passport
• Phone
• Phone chargers
• Wallet
• Eye mask
• Lip balm

What I wore on plane

• Sandals
• Jean jacket
• Dress

Bag weigh in

And it worked like a charm. Everything fit nicely, the bag was not too heavy, the bag fit under the seat in front of us, and worked so well for hiking. Laundry was timed perfectly and we had plenty of clothing!

Check out all my packing tips and tricks here!

Continue reading about our trip in Nice here!

Read all blog posts for French Riviera here!

See our complete itinerary here!

Planning your own trip? Read the Perfect Itinerary for French Riviera here!