I packed a carry-on for over 3 weeks in Italy—here's how • The Dapper Dahlia

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There was a time in my life when I’d scoff at the idea of packing only a carry-on suitcase for a trip that lasted more than three days. It simply couldn’t be done. What of my hair tools, my jewelry case, my option B outfits, my five pairs of shoes? But with the threat of lost luggage looming over my first cross-Atlantic trip, I decided to attempt the impossible. Along the way, I learned some very valuable packing tips for carry-on luggage.

In the fall 2023, my husband and I spent three and a half amazing weeks traveling through central and northern Italy. This was our first trip to Europe and we were terrified of losing our luggage on the way. We’d be making a stop in Chicago then in Switzerland before arriving at our final destination of Florence. That was one too many chances to lose a suitcase!

To save ourselves some stress, we decided to make the trip with a carry-on suitcase and a personal item each.

When we tell our friends this, they’re often amazed. I’m still surprised that I did it. I’m a chronic overpacker. I’ve been known to stuff my largest suitcase to max capacity for a weekend trip—and have to reconfigure items when it was inevitably over the 50-lb limit.

Plus, we were traveling through northern Italy in mid-October through early November, so it’s not like I could get away with little tank tops and sun dresses.

Thanks to the helpful packing advice from my Instagram community, I managed to fit everything I needed for nearly a month in a small suitcase and tote bag.

Here are my best packing tips for carry-on luggage for long trips:

Plan your outfits around a color palette

Woman sitting on a stone ledge with a landscape of rolling hills and trees behind her. — *Admiring the views in San Gimignano, Italy*

When you’re planning outfits for the trip, pack tops and bottoms that you can mix and match rather than pieces that only go with one other piece of clothing. This will enable you to create multiple outfits.

Make this easy by sticking to a color palette. Choose four colors in your closet that all go together and only pack clothing in those colors. You can go with all neutrals or a color combination you like.

For example, I packed light brown pants, navy culottes and my favorite black shorts; my tops were ivory, navy and black. I wore white sneakers on the plane—and almost every day after that—and packed brown loafers and black heels.

To prevent outfit fatigue, and looking the same in every photo, mix it up with accessories like printed silk scarves and chic beret hats which pack flat. They can add a pop of color if you’re going with a neutral color palette.

For more photos of my outfits in Italy and vlogs about our trip, join my Patreon. Your support helps me share useful travel advice I’ve learned from experience like this. (Thank you to my Inside Scoop members!)

Wear layers in the fall

Rather than trying to pack bulky sweaters, choose more lightweight tops that you can layer with basic tees and camisoles. Cashmere sweaters and flannel shirts are thinner than chunky knits yet still provide warmth.

As for outerwear, a leather jacket or packable down jacket will block wind and add warmth but won’t feel too bulky as you’re walking through museums and other indoor stops.

A cashmere scarf is another great layering piece; wear it as a wrap over dresses or as a scarf with jackets. It also makes a good plane blanket.

Pack an extra bag

Packing tips for carry-on luggage - persona holding a black hand luggage

I really tried to leave space in my suitcase for clothing purchases I’d inevitably make in Italy, but hey, it was a carry-on! It got to a point where we accumulated too many things to fit in our luggage.

About one week into our trip, we visited a travel accessories store and bought an inexpensive bag to hold whatever didn’t fit in our suitcases. We checked our suitcases on the way back home and used this bag as a carry-on.

The Reisenthel Adult Hand Luggage is a decent size and packs completely flat when it’s empty. This means we can pack it in our carry-ons for the next trip we take, and check it on the way back when it’s filled with souvenirs.

Black hand luggage bag laying flat on a floor.

You may already have a bag like this or an extra backpack you can pack in the bottom of your suitcase.

And if you bring an extra tote bag or backpack, it will come in handy when you…

Wash your clothes

I usually wouldn’t repeat outfits on vacation, but with a trip this long, it was a must. Washing our clothes allowed us to wear the same pieces again instead of packing a different top for every day of the trip.

You might be thinking, “I’m on vacation, I’m not doing laundry on vacation.” I get that. However, we were there for almost a month, and there were days we didn’t want to spend hours walking around the city. Some days we preferred to do nothing and give our feet a break. On those days we’d use the free time to go to a laundromat.

Here’s my 5-step guide to doing laundry in Italy:

Step 1: Find a laundromat

As soon as we checked into our Air bnb or hotel, we’d look on Google Maps and bookmark the nearest laundromat. We were always able to find one within a 15 minute walk.

Make sure you pack a travel umbrella! Italy can be rainy during fall and you don’t want to get soaked because you ran out of clean underwear and had to go to the laundromat. That’s another tip—always pack more underwear than you think you need.

Step 2: Collect your clothing

About once a week or so we’d collect our dirty clothing. I suggest packing an extra large tote bag (or a bag like the one above) to make carrying your dirty clothing easy. My suitcase came with a small bag for dirty laundry but there are no straps, so it isn’t practical for walking through the city.

Step 3: Get coins

The laundromats have a machine to insert paper money and exchange for coins to use in the washers and dryers. You can end up with a lot of change, so you may want to pack a little coin purse or keep them together in a pocket in your purse. You can save the coins for your next laundry stop or use them on espresso!

Step 4: Use laundry sheets

Package of laundry detergent sheets on a suitcase.

The best purchase I made in preparation for this trip? Lazy Coconuts Eco-Friendly Laundry Strips. These detergent strips dissolve in water. They’re fantastic because the package is flat and takes up little space in your suitcase. You also don’t have to worry about liquid or powder detergent spilling.

Not only are they easy to pack, but they work great. And if you have something delicate you don’t want to put in the machine, or you can’t make it to the laundromat, you can use them in the sink instead.

Keep them in the bag you use for dirty clothing so you don’t forget them when you head to the laundromat. If you do forget, don’t worry, you might be able to buy a little bottle of liquid detergent from a vending machine at the laundromat.

Step 5: Wash & relax!

After starting the washing machine, we’d set a timer on our phone for how long the cycle would take. Then we’d pop into a nearby cafe for coffee and a snack—even better if you can find a bookstore-coffee shop combination.

When the washing cycle was close to being done, we’d go back and move our clothes to the dryer. We’d set another timer and either wait there or visit nearby shops. I recommend bringing a book and a phone charger to use if you plan to wait there.

Once our clothing was dry, we folded it, packed it in our bag and went back to our room to put it away. I suggest going in the morning or early afternoon so you have the evening free to continue relaxing or get ready for dinner.