Ultimate packing list: everything you need to study, work abroad, etc.

Niina

28/04/2024

Hi all!
Is it truly a travel blog if there is no packing list? I don’t think so.
Without further introductions, here is my ultimate packing list!

Attention: This is a list of packing for studying, working, or doing something else for a longer period abroad. If you are looking for a packing list for shorter trips, some things in this list may not be relevant for you.

Before some tips on what to pack, I will list things to consider when planning your packing. The stuff you need (and can pack) will depend on these things:

  • In what kind of bags will you pack your stuff? The size and type of your bags will determine how much stuff you can bring. The big factor in choosing the bags is the luggage regulations of the airplanes. They are pretty strict. This means the air company basically chooses the luggage size for you! When you start packing, you should first check these guidelines.
  • Where you go? What kind of climate there is? You need different stuff for warm and cold climates.
  • How long are you going to be there? Will the season change during that time? For example, if you spend three months in Germany in summer, you can wear the same clothes all the time. If you are instead in France from January to June, you will need different clothes for winter, spring and summer.
  • What will you do there? Are you going to spend a lot of time outside? Is there going to be something special that you need to bring?
  • What will you not do? When you are abroad, you probably do stuff you do not do that much at home (traveling and adventuring, perhaps?). This means you may not have the time to do all the things you normally do (or at least not as much). These things might – unfortunately – be something like hobbies or sports. You should not abandon those for your time abroad, but if your hobbies require a lot of equipment, you should consider limiting the amount of the stuff. For example, I like reading but when I was three months in Germany, I did not have time to read Simone de Beauvoir’s gigantic The Second Sex as I had planned to do (silly me!). That was quite a waste of space in my suitcase. 
  • Where are you going to stay? Do you need to bring something special for your housing? Bed sheets? Or a router?
  • What can you buy at the destination? Do not waste your limited space on that kind of stuff!
  • Can you get some of your stuff without bringing them with you? For example, will any of your friends or family members visit you at your destination? Can they bring you some of your stuff? (When I was in Austria, my dad brought me my winter clothes, which was super nice! Made my packing easier!)
  • Souvenirs!! You are probably going to buy something (and a lot of something) which you want to bring with you back home. It would be a good idea to leave a bit of space for them. Also, if you are leaving in winter wearing bulky winter clothes and coming back in summer wearing less bulky summer clothes, you will have more stuff to fit in your suitcase even if you do not buy anything.
Souvenirs from a Christmas market in Vienna

Okay, now after thinking about these points we can start packing! I will begin with the bulkiest stuff, which takes the most space, and then end with the more adjustable things. Let’s go!kk

Bedsheets and towels

Will you need these things? Towels most likely, yes, but depending on your accommodation, they may offer you bedsheets. I have got bedsheets every time I have been abroad, but I have still brought my own a couple of times. It is a nice and easy way to make your place more homelike by having a coziest bed. Especially if the bedsheets happen to be Moomin-themed as mine were (of course). On the negative side, they take a lot of space and can be something to leave out. (Also, if you do not get them at your accommodation, you can easily buy them at your destination.)

For towels, two things. First, there exist towels that go into a small space. If you do not have a lot of space to pack, having this kind of towel could be a way to save some. That said, if you will be away for a long time, you may need to consider if this kind of towel is the best option. Second, I would recommend bringing a small hand towel (is this a word in English?) in addition to a big one. It is nice to have something like this to dry your hands.

Kitchen stuff

Does your accommodation include a fully equipped kitchen with all the pots and pans and mugs? If not (or if you are not sure), you can think about bringing something. I have never brought anything and bought everything I needed in the country. (Can you guess how many cutting boards I have bought abroad?) But maybe in the future, if I know I will find myself in an empty apartment, I will bring something small. However, you can easily leave them out if you do not have enough space!

Shoes!

Shoes are bulky.

And because of that, you may not want to pack many of them.

I think three pairs are enough:

  1. Your favorite shoes you can walk all day every day everywhere. When traveling, you will probably walk until your feet start hurting. This is common at least in European cities. For this reason, you need comfortable walking shoes. Since these are your best walking shoes and you cannot bring many options, it would be best if you could use these shoes in different places such as museums and hiking paths. My pick is Converse All Stars shoes which I have trusted for years! They are so comfy and I can wear them everywhere. (Attention, when you leave, these shoes should not be new shoes!)
  2. Flip-flops or something else you can easily slip on: I mean, you should always have shoes you can easily just step your feet in. Maybe your accommodation includes something like a laundry room in a common basement or you are planning to stay in a dorm with a shared bathroom, these kinds of shoes are super convenient when leaving your room for a second. Also, in hostels, it is good to have flip-flops for shared showers.
  3. Third shoes depending on the place/climate you go: in France between January and June, I had my winter/spring boots. In Germany in summer, I had running shoes (even if I do not run). In England, where I was au-pairing for a summer, I had my small wellingtons. So yeah, it depends on the context of your traveling.
Summer 2020 waiting my luggages at Heathrow

Of course, you may need to pack more shoes if the context requires. For example, when I was in Austria for nine months, I had more shoes because of the changing seasons. But yeah, shoes are bulky and I would recommend thinking about them carefully. Even if it would be nice to have a lot of options.

Oh, and at least if you are traveling in Europe: leave your high heels at home.

Jackets and other outdoor clothes

These also depend on the context and the climate. If you need proper winter clothes, they can be bulky and take a lot of space. I would recommend taking jackets you can use in as many different situations as possible, so you do not need to take that many variants. Also, think, if you can layer your outwits with lighter jackets into warmer ones.
In Europe, wherever you go, a rainproof jacket is a must! And an umbrella, too.

Clothes needed in France in February

Pro-tip! Big scarves which you can use as blankets! They are lovely and warm when traveling on a plane, a night train, or a night bus. Or if it is a bit chilly in your accommodation. A big scarf can be bulky and take some space, but I still always bring one.

Electronics

I believe, we all know, that laptops are surprisingly heavy. Other electronics are not light either, so you do not want to bring too many of them. I only pack my laptop and phone. That has been enough, but you take what you need.

An important thing about electronics is, of course, the plugs. When packing, you should check if you need to bring an adapter. Another thing you may need at the destination is a router if your accommodation does not provide you with one. You can buy a router at the destination, but an adapter is nice to have on the first second, so you do not need to worry about charging your phone.

Toiletries and stuff like that

My biggest recommendation: do not pack big bottles of soap, shampoo, or other similar things. They are super easy to buy at the destination and would just take up too much space in your suitcase. Instead, get small, travel-size bottles. They are enough to survive the first night in the new country. The only other bottle I pack is my cleanser because I always use the same brand. I buy all the others at the local stores.

But what else do I back at my toiletries bag? Basic stuff like toothbrush, medication, band aides, hair ties, basic makeup, etc.
And a thermometer. Trust me. I have needed it more than once!

List of random things to pack which are easy to forget (in random order):

Papers (Do you need some official papers for traveling?)
Sunglasses
Passport
Crossbody bag
Wallet
Phone charger
Laptop charger
Hairbrush
Umbrella
Banking stuff (like the codes for online banking etc.)
Cash
Chocolate!! (or something else to cure homesickness)
European Health Insurance Card (if EU-citizen, other insurance documents if you have something)
Headphones
Empty water bottle
Hand sanitizer

Diary
Pencil case
A paperback book to read in an airplane (my favorite is Maze Runner)
Guide book?
Sleeping mask?
(During pandemic face masks!)

Finally the clothes

The stuffs so far are things you need to get with you. When you have filled your bags with them, you see how much space you have for your clothes. Leaving them last on the list does not mean I would consider them less important than other things. I just think the amount of clothes is a bit more adjustable compared to the other things.

I do not make a complete list of how many pairs of jeans you will need. In my opinion, that depends on the context of your travels and your personality. You should pack as many jeans as you use in your everyday life. If you do not like to wear jeans in your home country, it is unlikely you will magically start using them abroad, even if I would say that jeans are super convenient because you can use them everywhere. Tips about how to choose your clothes wisely can be given, but honestly, you should take the clothes you like and wear every day at home. You do not have space for clothes you do not like!

But what if those clothes are very different than what people use in the destination? No worries, people don’t care about that. You are a foreigner and you can do things differently. Bring the clothes you like to use!

But what if you don’t want to look like a foreigner? If you would rather blend in? Well, the best way to know how people dress in a country is by going there and buying the clothes in the country. No point in stressing about this beforehand.

All this said, will I give you some extra tips about how to pack wisely? Yes, I will.

  • Firstly, layers, layers, layers! Especially if you are going to a place where seasons change. You can wear the same T-shirt as such when it is warm or with a blazer when it is cold.
  • Secondly, blazers and thin cardigans take up less space than bulky sweaters and hoodies. They are good layers too.
  • Thirdly, to layer different clothes, it would be convenient if they fit together. So take clothes you can match with various others to have many options. Try to avoid stuff you can only wear with something particular.
  • Fourthly, woolly socks! Wherever you go, they are nice to have.
  • Fifhty, if you like hats, put your hat on top of the things you have packed in your suitcase and place delicate items such as sunglasses in the hat. When you close your suitcase, they will be safe inside the hat. I know this explanation may sound slightly unclear, but you can see how it works in the picture below.

I think that is all the tips I can give you about packing. Of course, these are guidelines, and you should pack the stuff you need and want to have with you. There are shops in the destination, so even if you pack completely wrong things, it is not the end of the world! That said you do not want to use your money and limited space to bring useless stuff! Hope my list can help you to make the best decisions.

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Hi all! Welcome to my blog!

I’m Niina, I come from Finland (out of all places in the world) and I really like travelling. I’ve been lucky to do all sort of cool things in many different countries.

Now I would like to share those experiences to inspire you to go your own adventure. So go explore the stuff I’ve written for you!

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