*Scroll down for my specific packing list.*

A lot of preparation goes into studying abroad. For me, one of the biggest issues was planning what I was going to pack. Before I left, I spent the entire month of winter break laying clothes out in my room, switching shirts, making sure patterns matched, and looking at as many blog posts I could find. I also started a packing list weeks before I left.

Factors to Consider

When traveling for six months, there are a lot of factors to consider, and you want to be as prepared as possible. While it is always possible to buy clothes when needed, it was nice to know all the money I had saved up could go towards more trips and experiences. Here are the top factors you need to keep in consideration when packing.

Weather

A six month trip means weather of all kind. In Vigo, where I studied, winters are miserably rainy and cold, while the summer is the perfect beach weather. Visiting my friend in Switzerland meant I found snow, while traveling in Morocco and Southern Spain brought heat. With no set itinerary for the majority of my travels, I had to be prepared for all types of weather.

Culture

One of the most important aspects of traveling is to respect the people in the countries that you’re visiting and their culture. In Morocco, I had to wear clothes that covered the majority of my body, while a lot of cathedrals in Europe expected us to be covered if we wanted to enter. That meant pants or long skits, and having a sweater or scarf ready to quickly throw over my shoulders, even in the hot summer heat.

Versatility

My clothes also had to be versatile enough for countless activities. Appropriate for university, fancy enough for an evening out, hike up a mountain, tour the Palace of Versailles, and lounge around my apartment. I made sure all my clothes could serve more than one purpose. I also made sure each top and bottom could be paired with multiple other pieces of clothing, soI could stretch my closet as far as possible. This is easier when you use a lot of neutral colored, solid clothing, with a few standout pieces.

Space/Weight Limit

Of course your luggage and the airlines also put a limit on you, unless you want to pay over-priced fees. Weigh your luggage at home before leaving for the airport. I bought a hand scale from amazon before leaving and brought it with me. It’s small and compact, and now I never have to worry about over-packing.

Transportation

Other countries don’t rely on cars the way that the United States does. This means, upon arrival, you might need to hop on a train, grab the metro, catch a bus, or walk. It’s vital that you’re able to easily take care of all your own luggage. My roommate had an immense amount of luggage, which required my help to move once we arrived at our apartment. Make sure you can lift your luggage above your head in case you need to put it on a train rack, you can walk and run with it easily, and you don’t require anyone else’s assistance, because you might not always have someone. The best advice is to try to limit the amount of luggage you need, and the size of your luggage.

Luggage

This brings me to the luggage that I used on my trip. I was determined to limit the amount of luggage I needed. Previously on international trips, I relied on a normal sized suitcase as my checked luggage. But I knew I didn’t want that as an option this time. I had three pieces of luggage when I left: my checked suitcase, my carry-on, and my personal item.

Checked Luggage

I ended up using a carry-on sized suitcase for my checked luggage. I didn’t tell anyone this goal, because I knew I would be teased endlessly if I wasn’t able to do it. My parents were immensely surprised when I walked out of my room, ready to head to the airport with a small sized suitcase. But size doesn’t necessarily mean anything. When weighing in my bag at the airport, it weighed over 48 lbs. I had made it weigh just as much as a normal suitcase is allowed to weigh for flights, and I ended up shocking my parents for a second time.

Carry-on and Personal Item

For Christmas, (just a few week before I left), I received the Osprey Farpoint 55 in black. This bag fit perfectly into the overhead bins, and on one occasion, even fit under the seat on a plane. The bag has an attachable smaller day bag, which I used as my personal item. I never walked around with the day bag attached to the main bag. Normally I just carried it over one shoulder, or in front of my body. The main body opens completely, so it is easy to pack and unpack, or find objects without the need to entirely unpack. No more digging around in the bottom of your bag.

Sometimes I felt like my bags were too bulky, or annoying to carry. Compared to many of my friends though, I actually had a pretty easy time. The Osprey bag came with weight-bearing straps that displaced most of the weight of my bag onto the frame, and not on me. This is not a bag with an outside frame, so it wouldn’t be very useful for hardcore hiking or outdoors backpacking. But for traveling, it was perfect.

Feel free to personalize this list to your taste! I compared multiple lists to figure out what was best for me. Dresses and skirts are my preference, but bring more pants if that’s what you prefer. I didn’t bring pajamas because I wear athletic clothes while sleeping.

What I Picked Up

Throughout my trip, I threw items away as they became worn out and didn’t fit. This allowed for exchanging items on my packing list with souvenirs or new items. Leaving Spain, I also left my blanket and towel behind in my apartment for the next students living there to use. I added a dress and desert pants from Morocco, sweatshirt of my university in Spain and new shirts I got in Barcelona. I bought a hat that I then accidentally left under a hostel bed. I also bought a towel while in Scotland. It was smaller than the one I originally brought with me, this was the one I traveled with near the end of my trips. I spent about the last 7-8 weeks of my trip just traveling from one spot to another. I just had my backpack with me during those weeks.

What I Would Do Different

You can only do so much preparation. For a longterm trip, there’s always things you’ll wish you did differently. Two of the dresses I never wore. I also would have brought a warmer coat.

I realize this list is quite extensive. If I had headed over to Europe for the same amount of time but was just backpacking, I would have limited my luggage even more. But, having an apartment in Vigo to act as a base, I had a bit more freedom to bring more options. This was especially nice because I did go to university. So if you are planning on going abroad just for travel, no matter the amount of time, limit your wardrobe even further. You don’t want to deal with having so much luggage!

Pin this post!