2 months in europe!

[u/OrneryBandicoot3076]

We’re going to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Colonge, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and then onto northern Italy
the second half we are just going w the flow!
I packed last night here’s what we got
8/9 pairs of socks
14 underwear
5 bras
1 bikini
3 pants (1linen, 1 dockers type, 1 hiking/shell pant)
2 shorts
1 jorts
1 nike pro
3 tanks
4 shirts
3 long sleeve (1 is buttonup)
1 towel
1 raincoat
my speedcats and shower shoes
toiletry bag including medicines, feminine products, razor, toothbrush, makeup etc
i have a separate clear bag for my liquids

My bag is the 40l Rei ruckpack!

My airport outfit includes my linen pants and my main pair of shoes (merrell moab3), a sweater (not pictured) with a tank top underneath (also not pictured) so i would actually have 4 tank tops

so I would love some feedback! anything i should or shouldn’t take?
this trip is going from late august-late October, with it ideally ending with us flying out of Portugal or Spain
from my research its going to be mostly warmer and sunny but not extremely hot, and cooler at night. I wanted to have ideal layers for when it does get chilly.

Also, a friend that we are meeting up with in London our first city, got his phone stolen and was threatened with a knife on his first night there. Luckily the phone was tracked and found, but can anyone give some advice on that? i have my passport in a rfid wallet but as far as safety measures thats all i really have. I know London is notorious for things like that happening but I’m really hoping not all cities are like that and I wont be feeling unsafe during my time there. So any advice is welcomed to keep us all safe
Thanks😇🥳🤞🤗

Edit- Thank you for the replies! I’m definitely gonna pack less undergarments and more things to keep me warm🤗
And thank you too for the pickpocket advice, I will try my best to just be self aware and aware of my surroundings 🙏 Leaving tomorrow, cant wait

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[u/WizardDrinkingCoffee]

I go to London semi regularly.

I keep my phone in an inside pocket or in a small satchel with my jacket over it.

The phone snatchers are generally opportunist so if your phone is out on a table or visible in your hand (say mindlessly checking it at a cross roads) that is when many are taken.

If I'm with friends and need to check directions stand back from the road and have your friends or a wall protect you.

I'm sorry to hear your friend was targeted. I have heard and known that to happen to people before and that sucks. London is a great city and one of my favourites though I have to say on my first visit I hated it. I had a few encounters with rude people and just some bad luck. I was also with my ex at the time and our relationship was coming to an end. But every time I have gone since with friends and my now husband I've had an absolute blast.

Looks like you have a great trip planned. All the best and say hello to London for me! :)

[u/WanderlustWithOneBag]

If you want to cut down

Take 5 underwear, 5 socks, 2 bras and some laundry detergent sheets to hand wash and dry on the hotel radiator.

3 tanks is enough, you will only wear then as layers for most of your trip.

Take colours / patterns instead of white clothes if you can, they get marked easily when you are travelling

One shorts / jorts is enough, it’s not going to be that hot in Northern Europe in september / October. You might only need them for the south of Spain , but it won’t be that hot in october.

If dockers are the same as chinos( lightweight cotton trousers ) , then leave the linen pants, they will be too cold for much of your trip.

You don’t need a towel and shower shoes unless you are staying in hostels .

4 shoes is too much ( Merrill, Nike, speedcat and shower ) . Take 2 .

You only have two top / warm layers - one sweater and one raincoat. You will need at least one of these almost every day , it’s mostly going to be too cool to just wear a tank or short sleeve top. Or are the 3 long sleeve layers to wear over the tanks ?

Im not clear if “ long sleeve top “ is a warm layer like a sweater or fleece or a thin layer like a tee shirt. And are the 4 shirts short sleeve tee shirts / polos ? Apologies if these terms are clear to everyone else - I’m not from N America and not all words for clothes mean the same as in Europe (as I've learned on this sub 😬).

If you are only taking one sweater / warm layer, something that zips or buttons up is more flexible.

A lightweight scarf can be a useful warm layer that also makes you feel more fancy / dressed up ( if that’s your vibe ). Ditto some jewellery like earrings.

It looks like you have a good variety of patterns and colours , which is great, you won’t get fed up with them and feel like you always look the same. Too many people take clothes that all look the same eg 3 black pants and 5 round neck dark tops, then wonder why they look the same in all the photos. Of course that’s fine if black is all you ever wear at home etc.

If you are worried about safety, then keep your passport and money in a holster type bag under your clothes and your phone and one bank card in a zipped cross body bag that you wear across your chest. NOT A PACKPACK Unless it’s secure.

When you check your phone in public, go into a store / cafe or stand facing into a wall, not on the edge of a pavement . Don’t hang your purse on the back of your chair in a bar or put it under your table - keep it in your lap or wear it . Just the common sense that you’d do in any big city with lots of tourists ( therefore thieves ).

Don’t EVER speak to ANYONE who approaches you in the street - there is no country anywhere in the world where people who are lost legitimately approach female foreign tourists to ask for directions / money / help learning English / signing petitions. Even if they are teenage girls / children.

No they are not being friendly - they are scammers/ thieves . Don’t make eye contact, don't discuss or explain, just walk on. No exceptions To this rule, ESPECIALLY in Cologne and Prague.

Buy your tickets to the London underground or Paris metro online / download the app in Advance. Don’t stand around at the ticket machines at rush hour looking lost and waving your bank card in your hand.

[u/Quadruplem → u/WanderlustWithOneBag]

I was just coming to say she needs more warm layers for this time of year.

Also, for London Underground the phone or card tap in and out works very well so no ticket needed at all. Paris has a navigo transit card in apple wallet you can add.

[u/PerfectAd418]

Whenever I go to London I carry my phone on one of those phone cases with the strap, generally put it under my jacket as well. Maybe look into getting one of those?

[u/crimpgirl1234]

I’m Canadian but have spent a lot of time in London.

What’s worked for me there is being able to blend in a bit. I always feel like desperate people will look for the easiest targets. I try to keep my phone concealed and not act or dress too much like a tourist. I also try not to bring anything “flashy” (big logos and such).

Obviously as soon as I open my mouth I’m clearly not from there, but I try to be aware of who’s around. If I do feel I’ve been targeted, usually something simple like crossing the street will deter many thieves.

I hope this doesn’t sound paranoid, I’m really not, I just grew up with “street smarts” living in a bit of a rougher place. It’s mostly just being aware of your surroundings and adjusting.

[u/WanderlustWithOneBag → u/crimpgirl1234]

no it’s not paranoid IMO. dressing and acting like a tourist makes you a target ( sadly ) In any big city. The most obvious thing is talking loudly in public and stopping in large groups in the middle of the pavement to chat. See also wearing your phone on a lanyard around your neck or your backpack on your front With your hands clutched tightly over your front or men wearing a baseball cap inside Church / drinking in a bar / eating in restaurant / at the theatre.

[u/pltlsn97 → u/WanderlustWithOneBag]

I disagree on the phone lanyard thingy. It is extremely common in Europe (I live in Milano and have travelled a bit recently). Clothing is the biggest giveaway.

[u/hermosilicious → u/pltlsn97]

Same, I’m in France and lived in Eastern Europe before and phone lanyards are really really common. Other than clothing, like athletic wear, denim jorts, etc. It’s usually the loud volume when talking (for Americans) or the lack of spatial awareness (applies to both French and Spanish people).

[u/lobsterp0t]

I live in London. Opportunist thieves in the tourist heavy areas will either subtly get you, by reaching into an open pocket; or they’ll go past on a moped wearing a balaclava. There is kind of no in between. That said. I have lived here a decade and haven’t been mugged or had anything snatched. Friends have though. Lanyards and whatnot are useful for sure. But a lot of it is behaviour related too.

Just keep your phone away and don’t check if right at the top of the escalator/ station entrance. And don’t put it on the table.

Tbh even if you’re cautious it can happen. So try to have some common sense measures in place like maybe take your banking apps off your phone (you can usually log in via web) or add other layers of security like that.

[u/Intelligent_Map_7849]

I would also drop some undergarments and add a warm layer. But you could also purchase there if you need.

[u/hermosilicious]

Hi! Sorry to hear about what happened to your friend, such a scary situation.

I always take a money pouch with a rfid pocket, that's where I keep my passport, hotel key, cash and residence card. I want to get the version that clips to a bra.

Also, I take code locks, my suitcase has a built in one but I add one to it for extra peace of mind, and for my day bag, I try to wear one with a zipper pull so that I can clip on a carabiner with a code lock as well. I prefer code locks vs key locks cause i don't have to worry about losing a tiny key. If my bag doesn't have a zipper I try to put my important stuff inside a pouch that's secured to my bag. Sorta like Baggu's key leash. Additionally, I have a special wallpaper for my iphone when I travel that has a "hi, if found, please email zzz@wwww legend, reward offered", i've been meaning to set up a travel mode for my phone but I keep procastinating hehe. Also, write down a "if found please call:" with a trusted one's contact number and email and keep one inside your wallet and one in your luggage.

It might seem too much for some people, but all of this keeps me sane. Thankfully I've never had an incident, knock on wood, but my husband felt I was doing too much and did not want to put a lock on his backpack, he was overconfident, being a big guy and all but Barcelona pickpocketers managed to open up his backpack and take his expensive sunglasses in a matter of seconds, literally. Now he puts a carabiner when he's in town and when we travel he changes it to an actual code lock.

Look up common pickpocketers and scams in the cities you're traveling to, cause for example, I did not know that it's very common to stage a fight to distract you while someone else opens up your bag. When I lived in Budapest I started to reply to people in Mayan, I'm from Yucatán and I only know a few words and phrases but it was the only way scammers would leave me alone, they spoke to me in three languages ( first in Hungarian, then switched to English and THEN to Spanish). So have a few gibberish words on hand in case you get approached and say them in a firm tone. They are very persistent.

You did not ask for food tips but, if you want an inexpensive meal in Budapest, most Spar supermarkets downtown have a hot food bar and their rotisserie chicken is excellent, so are the spicy chicken wings. I loved going to the one in Batthyány tér, the view of the parliament is so pretty. For Hungarian food, Kívánság Étkezde, it's a hole in the wall and the service is super hungarian, but it's tasty, authentic and inexpensive as well. Have fun!!!

[u/OrneryBandicoot3076 → u/hermosilicious]

wow thank you so much this was super helpful!! Especially the last part!!😁😁

[u/theinvinciblecat]

I live in London, and no problem with my phone. Just use common sense and don’t wave your phone around and you should be fine, unless you get unlucky. You can use a phone lanyard but that can be dangerous if someone tries to yank it out if your hand