Announcement: I will be traveling to Europe for 5 weeks! I am beyond excited to experience all the culture, adventure and excitement that awaits me.

Trust me…I know… 5 weeks is a long time. I also know that it will be a pain visiting 14 different cities while carrying 5-weeks-worth of clothing, toiletries, and miscellaneous items.

When your itinerary consists of constant movement and travel, the last thing you want is a giant suitcase and multiple sets of baggage. Thankfully, I’ve invested my own time and organizing skills into packing the perfect amount of items into a carry-on suitcase and a backpack.

Sounds crazy? You better believe it. It took me an entire weekend to master the art of packing for my trip in an organized and smart manner. Enjoy my tips on how to pack for a 5-week trip. I hope it inspires anyone out there who wants to travel but doesn’t want to deal with the stress of checking bags!

1. Have a Plan

I started planning my adventure to Europe back in February, and being the crazy-organizer that I am, I began planning my outfits in advance. I made a condensed list of what I knew I wanted to bring beforehand. This made it easier while packing because I already knew what I wanted to bring along with me on my trip.

I knew ahead of time that I would not be bringing items that were not needed; such as that one fancy skirt that would look great with that one bedazzled top. Instead, I made sure to strategize and plan versatile, comfortable tops that could mix and match with easy-to-wear bottoms.

Because I made a strategy some months ahead, I was able to solidify what I was bringing within the first half hour of packing. This definitely alleviated a lot of stress and saved me a decent amount of time!

2. Pack Smart

After much deliberation, I made sure to ditch my favorite pair of heels and instead invested in a pair of walking shoes. The basics were easy, but even after scaling my items down, I still found it different to bring the “necessities.”

I settled on 4 dresses, a romper, 3 blouses, 2 t-shirts, 7 bottoms and 4 sleep wear items. This was probably still more than what a normal person would pack…but I knew I needed options! I made sure to roll all my clothing and lay everything flat along the bottom of my suitcase.

3. Get Creative with Space

After trying multiple failed attempts at packing my bulky cardigan, jean jacket, and rain coat into my suitcase; I knew I had to come up with a better strategy.

Thankfully, my airline allows us to bring a carry-on and one personal item, so I decided to fill up my backpack with as many items as possible. I layered the bottom of the backpack with my jean jacket and raincoat, books for the flight, and my makeup/toiletries bag. Using a backpack will also prevent me from digging through my carry-on suitcase for items that I may need during my 10-hour fight.

I planned to wear my bulkiest clothing on the plane, simply because I couldn’t fit it in my suitcase/backpack. I decided on wearing my heavy sweater, a knit cardigan, and my boots (Hey Madrid is going to be 90 degrees…but who cares!) This offers more space in my suitcase and will allow me to be comfy-cozy on my flight. I can even use the cardigan as a pillow if the flight gets warm.

To free up more space in my backpack, I decided against packing a lot of technology; I was going to leave my beloved iPad and MacBook at home. I knew that I wanted to cleanse myself from social media and the Internet and fully immerse myself in the adventure. This gave me more room to bring books, a journal, magazines and a water bottle.

Now, 3-days later…I am now successfully all packed for my trip! I have condensed 35-days’ worth of clothing, toiletries, and personal items into one carry-on suitcase and a backpack. Europe’s got nothing on this certified organizer!

Stay tuned for more articles on my trip and how you can stay organized while traveling for an extended period of time!

Me In Order is here to guide you in any way you need to start your organizing project. If you are interested in learning more about how to hire an expert organizer, check out our Ultimate Guide To Hiring An Expert Organizer , or contact us today!