“How I packed for 14 days in Europe, the Photographer’s tips and tricks for the photographer traveling abroad.”

When I started planning this trip to Paris with McKenzie I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but, I could not be more excited! We are only 13 days away from leaving the sunny state of Florida and heading to Paris, France. With this in mind I decided to start packing my carry-on early and see how much I would be able to cram into my bag. I decided to only pack a carry-on and my back pack, which would be a feat in itself because I am usually not a light packer. 14 days is going to be a pretty long time traipsing around the European countryside, and I wanted to make sure I would be completely prepared. So… I started packing today.

“The Photographer’s tips and tricks for the Photographer traveling abroad”

Tip 1: Make sure your bag meets the requirements of your airline for a carry-on.

For United Airlines the carry-on bag requirements are 9 x 14 x 22 in. There actually is no expressed weight limit on their site. However, once you get to Europe, the bag weight limit is 8kg for a Carry-On and 17kg for a checked bag. You can read more about United’s carry on limits here.

My carry-on is a Samsonite rolling bag that I purchased a year ago when I traveled to Utah. This bag fits the guidelines for a Carry-on to the inch. I love the amount of pockets that I can use and still have room for activities.

Tip 2 : Pack lightly but bring enough to be comfortable and warm.

We are traveling to France during their Winter. While we will be there the temperatures will be in the low 50’s during the day and possibly the 30’s at night. I needed to pack warm since I am a true “Florida Girl” and think it is cold when the temps are in the 60’s. In my carry-on is where the party is at.

The bottom pocket of my carry-on contain my Columbia Jacket, Head Wrap, and Gloves. The top pocket holds onto my quart sized baggy with my liquids. For this trip I am bringing shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant in my liquids bag.

When closed I was able to enclose 20lbs of stuff. Now, because I am traveling for 14 days, I knew I would need to bring a lot of staple items from my wardrobe. These outfits will match each other well and comfortably without me feeling out of place.

 Tip: Paris is the fashion capital of the world. Don’t dress like a tourist.

When you are adventuring through Paris, remember that you need to be SOMEWHAT stylish. Paris is the fashion capital of the world, and some Parisian’s may look as though they just stepped off of the runway. Make sure that you are comfortable for the cold weather, but still look presentable.

I thoroughly suggest purchasing packing cubes! With the help of a fellow photographer friend, Aislinn of Ais Portraits, I was able to find a great deal! She is on a weeklong backpacking trip to Ireland and shared her tips here.
My bag includes:
10  shirts
2 dresses
2 pairs of jeans
4 pairs of leggings
2 sleep shirts
14 pairs of Undies
1 pair of flats
A knit scarf
Laundry Bag
A box of Items for surprise
Extra Bra
Otter box for my Phone
Quart baggy of medicines and q-tips.

Tip 3: Make sure your personal item is full of the things you don’t want to forget!

I am carrying my backpack instead of a purse. I pulled the insert out of my everyday camera bag and put it inside my backpack for camera safety. The rest of the items are things I might want to have on hand when I land in Paris. I also packed an extra shirt and pants as a “Just In Case” for my sanity!

BIG TIP: Do NOT put your camera batteries in your checked bag. You will get in trouble! 

Lithium Ion batteries are not allowed to be stored in CHECKED baggage but can be put in your carry-on items. Keep your camera batteries in your carry-on. Just be sure to keep your camera batteries in your carry on and you should be fine! To play it extra safe, only bring 2 and store one inside your camera and the other inside the charger dock. For this trip I am bringing two batteries and the laptop I own.

Last, but not least! What will I wear to the airport!?

For this trip I am going to travel in style. Not really. I am going to wear my black leggings, short sleeved shirt, cream sweater, socks, and TOM’s active sneakers. Also, I decided that bringing my large scarf on the plane would be a great idea, as this scarf is the size of a small blanket when fully opened. I can use it as a blanket if need be, or even a pillow when I need to sleep!

The last item on my list of things to bring would be a heavy coat. I will either be bringing my boyfriends Hollister Cargo Jacket (pictured above), or my cousin’s large cold weather jacket. I do not want to be cold at all on this trip and a good jacket will be the best way to stay warm!

Here are the items I forgot to pack:
Toothbrush
External Hard drive
Jewelry

Other things to consider:

1. Keep a photo copy of your passport and drivers license on your phone & printed out. It’s awful to loose your passport, but having a photo copy of it can ease the process if it happens. Keep these backups of all your travel documents as well including flight tickets and all confirmations numbers.
2. Print an itinerary for your friends/family that will be keeping up with your travels in case of emergency. I love the peace of mind that they know where I should be.
3. Always stay hydrated. With all of the traveling we will be doing it is important to stay hydrated and healthy. I recommend bringing some lip balm as well for the chilly weather.
4. Keep a list of the items you will be bringing with you. I do this to make sure that I don’t forget anything when I am moving from location to location!
5. Check with your cell carrier to see the restrictions they have for using your phone over seas. Verizon has some great information on their services here!
6. Don’t bring too much gear. There are all kinds of regulations/fees/forms involved if you are working during your trip and making money in another country. Even though you aren’t working or being paid while you’re there, avoid being a red flag by bringing less. I recommend 1 body & 1-2 lenses.
7. Try out the free TripIt app! The free one does everything you should need! It will sync with your email address and store all your reservations for you automatically in a super convenient and easy format! And it even has a place for you to save copies of your ID’s.I hope that this post has helped anyone getting ready to go abroad and photograph the sites, I cannot wait to share my travels with you!

– Casie