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
Laptop Compartment
- Chromebook
- Notebook/Paperwork/Pen
Pack it Up
Sling
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!