When I’m traveling I want to spend as much time doing and seeing what I came to do and see. I don’t want to spend hours at night hunting for items, packing and repacking. I’d rather spend that extra hour or so out and about or kicking my feet back. The lighter I pack the easier my trip goes. With that in mind, I want to be very purposeful about what I do bring. Here’s what worked the best for our trip to Europe. Next trip, these items will be in my suitcase, for sure!
Top 3 Clothing Picks:
1. Comfortable Shoes
I was sitting on a bullet train traveling from Paris to London and struck up a conversation with another American. As we talked about our travels she commented that her number one travel tip was was to buy Sketcher Go Walk 2 shoes. Her number two tip was a good waterproof jacket. I couldn’t agree more with her on the Sketcher Go Walk 2. Having a good, comfortable pair of shoes was a high priority for me when I thought of traveling Europe. I knew we would be doing a lot of walking and having foot or back pain would really put a crinkle in my day.
I had invested some time in researching what others found as the best travel shoes. Originally I settled on the Sketcher Go Walk 
3’s. After they arrived, I quickly returned them because they slipped in the heel. I then got a pair of Go Walk 2’s and was thrilled with the feel. They felt like you were wearing your bedroom slippers. Because of the return, I only had a couple of days before the trip to break them in and I was a bit nervous – but I shouldn’t have been. They were so comfortable. I remember thinking how crazy it was to have such happy feet after 10 miles of walking one day! There was no break-in period. If you watch for a sale, you can get them reasonably. I used a 30% off coupon at Kohls and had $15 Kohls cash so I snagged them for $26.
I wanted a seco
nd pair of shoes that would be comfortable – something dressier than tennis shoes. I settled on sandals since I was going in May. There are a lot of great brands of tennis shoes and I weighted my options carefully. I searched Amazon looking for a deal and I found these Teva Sandals. My feet are narrow in the heel and wide in the front. These adjust in three places which I fell in love with. It was also useful when my feet would swell by the end of the day. Most of the sandals were just under $100, but I found this one in grey for just under $36. Score!
2. Comfortable Travel Clothes
No way do I want to sit on a plane for 10 hours in skinny jeans and heels. Nor do I want to look like a frumpy mom.With all the train rides between countries, I knew I’d be spending long days traveling. So, I went on a search for comfy clothes. The criteria was low to no wrinkles, comfortable, cute and multipurpose – I could wear it when I wasn’t on the airplane or train. Boston Proper had some cute travel pants, but in the end I settled on Eddie Bauer. I bought a couple pieces from the Travex line. I liked the material, it didn’t wrinkle easy and traveled and wore well. These were my two favorite pieces:
1. Cropped Pants – Oh my word – I LOVE these pants. They were super comfortable, like sweatpants – only cuter. They were a thinner material than sweatpants and not at all clingy.
2. Daisy Wrap – I got this in grey. I was hesitant at first and almost returned it, except it was so comfortable. Are you catching a theme? Comfort, comfort, comfort – without sacrificing style! It is lightweight – it won’t really keep you warm on a cold day. But it is perfect is so many settings. You can dress up an outfit, throw it on when the plane gets chilly, stuff it in a backpack when you don’t want to wear it – because it takes up barely any space and doesn’t really wrinkle. Just a perfect little travel piece.
3. Waterproof Rain Jacket
As far as the waterproof rain jacket – I wish I had brought one! I did bring this cute, little Umbrella which was a dream to pack in my backpack when I was out for the day. It came in handy in rainy London – but even dressed in layers I was cold with the wind and rain. Next time I plan to bring a rain jacket with a hood.
Top Gear Pick:
Roo Sport – I didn’t go anywhere without my Roo. I kept a variety of things in there: money, credit card, driver’s license, medication, train tickets, gum/mints, and phone. It has a strong magnet that attaches to your waistband and the pouch lays up against your body. No way was someone going to get that without me knowing! I carried a small backpack with food, water and other things I wouldn’t have been to upset about if I would have gotten pick-pocketed. The items that were valuable to me, I kept in my Roo and I felt confident they were safe and secure.
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