I traveled with just a backpack on a 5-day trip to Europe. Here are 4 things I'm glad I did, and 1 mistake I made.

Sama Ansari PourApr 15, 2023, 16:11 IST

The author at the airport gate in London with her backpack.Sama Ansari Pour

Earlier this month I traveled on a Ryanair flight from London to Riga, Latvia, for a five-day trip.
I didn't want to pay extra for luggage so I decided to bring a backpack, which was more than enough.

I recently flew with Ryanair from London to Riga, Latvia, an Eastern European country bordering Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, and Estonia.

I traveled with Ryanair (L) to Latvia, where I only brought a backpack that I filled halfway (R).Sama Ansari Pour.

I brought two dresses, one pair of jeans, a skirt, and a sweater. The two dresses made separate outfits, and I made two more outfits by pairing the sweater with either a skirt or a pair of jeans.

I folded one black dress, a skirt, and one gold dress into my backpack. I wore my jeans and sweater while traveling.Sama Ansari Pour.

I brought two dresses, one pair of jeans, a skirt, and a sweater. The two dresses made separate outfits, and I made two more outfits by pairing the sweater with either a skirt or a pair of jeans.

Since I packed my clothes strategically, I was able to combine them into several different looks during my trip.

My four outfits. I wore jeans and a sweater when traveling back to LondonSama Ansari Pour.

I wore my bulkiest outfit on my travel day.

My travel-day outfit.Sama Ansari Pour

I kept toiletries and liquids to a minimum.

I brought moisturizer, makeup remover, blush, concealer, deodorant, mascara, eyebrow products, eyeliner, highlighter, and contact lenses.Sama Ansari Pour

One mistake I made was relying on everything going exactly as planned and not packing for hypothetical scenarios.

My bag just about fitted under the seat on my Ryanair flight.Sama Ansari Pour.

Overall, I think I packed well for my five-day trip even though I traveled light, but next time I'll bring some extras.

The author outside Riga Central Market in Latvia.Sama Ansari Pour.

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I traveled with just a backpack on a 5-day trip to Europe. Here are 4 things I'm glad I did, and 1 mistake I made.

I recently flew with Ryanair from London to Riga, Latvia, an Eastern European country bordering Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, and Estonia.

I brought two dresses, one pair of jeans, a skirt, and a sweater. The two dresses made separate outfits, and I made two more outfits by pairing the sweater with either a skirt or a pair of jeans.

Since I packed my clothes strategically, I was able to combine them into several different looks during my trip.

I wore my bulkiest outfit on my travel day.

I kept toiletries and liquids to a minimum.

One mistake I made was relying on everything going exactly as planned and not packing for hypothetical scenarios.

Overall, I think I packed well for my five-day trip even though I traveled light, but next time I'll bring some extras.