I Recently Went to Europe for 10 Days: Here's How I Packed Everything in a Carry-On.

      March 26, 2026

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      Earlier this spring, I spent 10 days touring Greece with my husband to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. This trip was a dream come true, so we aimed to make the most of our visit by stopping in three different places: Athens, Santorini, and Naxos. Given the extensive travel involving planes, buses, ferries, and taxis, bringing bulky checked luggage would have created more hassle than it was worth. Therefore, I accomplished what I once thought impossible: packing everything I needed for 10 days into a single carry-on suitcase.

      I won't pretend it was easy, but learning to pack strategically into a carry-on significantly reduced the stress of my journey. Continue reading for the carry-on packing tips I used during my 10-day adventure in Greece.

      Looking for more travel guidance and inspiration? Check out The Everygirl’s Ultimate Travel Guide.

      1. Plan outfits in advance

      I’m someone who prefers to be well-organized while traveling. So when I say I planned my outfits ahead, I truly mean I created a list specifying what I would wear each day of the trip. Considering all the activities on our agenda, I prepared outfits for each beach day, dinner reservation, and sightseeing excursion, mixing and matching items to optimize packing space. While you don’t have to be as thorough in your planning, this approach helped me avoid packing numerous items that went unworn. Plus, it eliminated the guesswork from getting dressed since I already knew my daily outfits.

      2. Choose a cohesive color palette

      With limited packing room, it’s important to prioritize versatile pieces that can be worn multiple times throughout the journey. To make sure everything matches, a unified color scheme is essential. For my trip, I primarily opted for neutrals (white, black, and beige) with accents of blue and green. This made mixing and matching outfits easy. I could pair different tops with the same bottoms or add layers to create fresh looks with mostly the same pieces. It may be tempting to pack that standout piece you’ve been saving for vacation, but if it doesn’t coordinate with anything else, it's likely not worth the suitcase space.

      3. Limit yourself to three pairs of shoes—maximum

      Packing shoes can be tricky, as they tend to be bulky and take up significant space in your suitcase. That’s why I always aim to take only the essential number of shoes. When attempting to save space, I stick to a maximum of three pairs, including the ones I wear on the plane. For this trip, I brought comfortable sneakers for sightseeing, beach sandals that could also be dressed up for dinner, and a pair of athletic shoes for a planned hike. This didn’t provide many choices, but it was all I truly needed. I highly recommend adopting a minimalist approach when it comes to shoes—you'll save a lot of space for more clothing or souvenirs!

      4. Use packing cubes to organize

      Packing cubes are top of my list for travel necessities. They make staying organized much easier, both while packing and during my travels. Once I planned my outfits, I organized everything by category and divided them between packing cubes. I used two medium-sized cubes for dresses and tops, and packed bottoms and extras such as swimsuits, undergarments, and pajamas into two smaller cubes. With my clothes neatly sorted in the packing cubes, I still had ample space for other essentials like shoes and toiletries.

      5. Roll your clothes

      When trying to fit ten shirts into a 12-inch-wide packing cube, there’s simply no room for traditional folding. Rolling your clothes is definitely the way to go. It’s much more space-efficient and allows you to line up items side-by-side for easy visibility. For bulkier items like jackets or jeans, normal folding may be more effective, but items like T-shirts and shorts benefit significantly from rolling.

      6. Wear your largest clothing on the plane

      Traveling in late spring, I mainly needed warm-weather attire like shorts, tank tops, and dresses, which are easy to pack. However, I anticipated needing some warmer clothing for cool evenings. With my suitcase nearly full, I couldn’t fit an additional sweatshirt and jacket. My solution? Wear those bulkier layers on the plane. On my travel day, I donned joggers, a jean jacket, and a crewneck sweatshirt over a T-shirt. I shed a couple of layers during the flight, but upon arrival in Greece, I was glad to have warmer clothes for rooftop cocktails and breezy boat rides.

      7. Minimize toiletries

      When I pack a carry-on for a shorter trip, I usually fill my favorite hanging toiletry bag with my TSA-approved liquids and a variety of haircare tools and personal care items. However, for this