7 Musts When Packing For for International Travel

 

How To Guide of Packing for International Travel for American Girls. Two totally different European countries and all four seasons? Not a problem.

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7 Musts When Packing For for International Travel

When packing for international travel, the more I realize that some trips are more complicated to pack for than others. Here’s a How To Guide that provides 7 Musts when Packing for International Travel for American Girls. Traveling to two totally different European countries and all four seasons? Not a problem.

In a few days, I will be the second Project Motherhood writer or guest poster this summer to be heading for Europe, in my case Iceland and Scotland. (Check out Anna Julien’s terrific post, An American Girl Abroad {Part1} Stockholm.)

Like Anna, I am planning to report back to all of you about all the edgy style in Reykjavik (think Bjork, OMG), the fashion in the Scottish Highlands (um, men in kilts!), and trends in Edinburgh (big city cosmopolitan, I’m told). But first, I need to pack!  Style, culture, weather, political situation, urban or rural, types of activities I plan to do…these are factors that I must consider before filling my suitcase for an international trip.

Tips for packing for international travel

That said, this is my personal “user needs assessment” for this trip…

Weather: possible winter/spring/summer or fall in any given day

Place:  small yet edgy/arty scene in capital of Iceland; rugged outdoor wilds of both Iceland and Scotland; big city dressing in Edinburgh, slightly warmer too, frequent rain.

Culture/politics:  Not anticipating much difficulty here, though the Scots will probably be highly involved in their upcoming vote for or against leaving the United Kingdom. But, rule number one is “always be prepared” (as we Mamas all know, right?)

So to follow my mindset, this piece will emphasize packing for whenever you happen to be leaving your comfort zone and need to plan a little more than usual.

What to think about when packing for international travel

1. Adjust your Style for the Culture you visit. I honestly believe that you’ll have more fun if you make some small adjustments to your personal style when visiting another country. The polished clothes, hair style and make-up you’d wear to a Designer’s Private Preview Night in NYC doesn’t exactly translate to a tropical Isles and reggae dancing at beach bars. Yet that same sundress that looks so perfect in Jamaica would prevent your admittance into the magnificent churches of Italy, where shoulders must be respectfully covered even in the blaring heat of summer, and attire outside of the city centers is more modest.   You need to know when and why you should adjust your style in each culture. Here’s one of our #momstyle favorites!

2. Research Before You Go. Know how the locals dress and what they consider to be no-no’s in their world of fashion.  I googled Icelandic Style and Scottish Highland Style , and I have to say I LOVED their flair for style, albeit far different from Reykjavik to Edinburgh . Once you understand the local style AND culture of where you’re going, identify the look you want for yourself, and then pour through your wardrobe.  I like to start with a base of workhorse types of pants, tops, and dresses, and then add or change layers or accessories to convert the look of outfits I’ll use more than once.  I LOVE black as my building block for packing since it can pass as classic, hip, casual, or sophisticated.

3. Standing out isn’t always good. Safety-wise, in an ever more complicated world, it’s sometimes necessary to tone down one’s clothing to avoid attracting attention. Try to give a nod to quietly stylish clothing. Whether it hurts your ego or not, sometimes screaming “AMERICAN TOURIST” is not as well received abroad as you might expect (though there’s a lot of love to be found out there for us, too.)  That said, if the local ladies in the White Towns of Spain wear skirts no shorter than their knees, you’d be wise to leave the short shorts and high platform sandals at your hotel when heading out for the local crafts market.  If you’re not sure how to dress, just tell yourself, “When in Rome”…  And double this advice if you are a woman traveling on your own. There are indeed counter stories to Eat, Pray, Love, and trust me it’s best to avoid them! Here’s a wonderful, casual style option – great for year round with layers!

4. Leave the Expensive Jewelry at Home. Theft is no fun when you are at home, and even less fun while trying to cope with foreign laws and foreign police.  Be fully aware in areas known for robberies.  You can look just as cute with an inexpensive necklace from Forever 21, and you won’t be attracting thieves like you would when wearing your Grandma’s precious turquoise and silver statement piece.  And always hold your inconspicuous but functional purse or satchel tight into your body.

5. Fashion Meets Function. Decide in advance what activities you want to do. Clearly, hiking up volcanic rocky slopes will require specific shoes (see our post on packing shoes)  and a retractable walking stick in my suitcase. But do not fear whether you can find stylish outdoor looks!  I just visited the amazingly helpful REI store in Pittsburgh and found a plethora of clothing items that are wind resistant, water resistant, and even bug resistant, all stylishly cute enough to mesh into my overall packing plan, whether for rural or urban outings. Yoga clothing also handles style, comfort, and function, and can be ramped up or down in terms of dressiness. (See Project Motherhood’s advice on yoga wear.)

6. Research the Climate and the Weather. This trip will require me to follow the rules for transition dressing, which basically means taking pieces from late summer/early fall and adding some wintery aspects into it.  The number one rule for transition dressing is, of course, layering. In order to do this, you should have a bag/large purse with you at all times to either grab or stash your warmer or rainy day layers.

7. Plan to Shop. For this particular trip, I will not pack a heavy sweater, since I am planning to grab a quintessentially Icelandic wool sweater when I’m there.  Likewise, I am saving room in my suitcase to accommodate something Tartan that I plan to buy in Scotland.

Ok, Fashionista Mamas, not too bad, right? Please note I have not included length of trip as one of the factors for this post. That is because, in my experience, the same things are needed for every trip, regardless of how short or long.  After all, I am packing for 18 days, but I certainly do NOT want to pack up everything I would wear at home in two and a half weeks! And if this trip were only 5 days, I would still need to cover all seasons and all varieties of dressiness and casual attire. (You can adjust the number of panties, if you like !)

Looking for more style ideas? Here’s Some of Our Favorites:

• Packing Tips For Travel With Kids
• Transitional Style
• Simple Style Secrets
• How to Find Your Own Style
• Wardrobe Staples For Every Women
• The Best Stroller For Travel
• #MomStyleMonday – Styling a White Dress

So, yes, 7 Musts when packing for International Travel for us American Girls. And exactly what I need to be doing, NOW!

Do you have any packing tips to add, my lovely American Mamas?

Fashionably yours,

Deborah