Recently updated on September 4th, 2025 at 12:24 pm
With over a decade of experience as a Travel Director and hundreds of tours under her belt, Fiona has led tours across the world from Asia to Scotland, first working for our sister brand Contiki for seven years before moving to Trafalgar where she’s been sharing her expertise for the last three years. Who better than Fiona to answer your burning packing questions? Here’s everything you need to know before getting your suitcase out ahead of your Trafalgar trip.
How many pairs of shoes should I bring?
“Three pairs of shoes is enough for most tours: one pair of trainers for comfort during the day, one pair of sandals for sunny days if you’re traveling in the summer, and one pair of nice shoes if you want to dress up in the evenings. In the winter, you might want to swap the sandals for waterproof or warm boots!”
Should I bring more dressy/formal outfits for evenings?
“It’s up to you! Most venues on our trips will not have dress codes, however it can be nice to bring one or two dressier outfits for the evening dinner activities.”
What are the must-bring items?
“A waterproof jacket for Europe’s changing weather, a USB cable to charge your phone or camera on the coach during drives for days when you’re taking lots of photos, and a reusable water bottle to fill up at the hotels – this doesn’t just save on plastic but will make sure you keep hydrated throughout your adventures.”
What kind of bag do you recommend for day-to-day use?
“A small, lightweight backpack is perfect for day-to-day use. It doesn’t want to be excessively big, but large enough to fit your reusable water bottle, your phone, camera and a lightweight waterproof jacket.”
What’s the thing your guests forget to bring most often?
“An adaptor for their phone, and a photocopy of their passport. It can come in so handy to have a hard copy of your passport when traveling just in case anything happens!”
Can I bring a small suitcase for my carry-on?
“This is one of the most common packing questions, and my advice is to keep your carry-on nice and simple! A small day bag or backpack is perfect for the coach and makes it easy to grab your essentials during the day. Your larger suitcase will be safely stored with the group luggage, but a carry-on suitcase is unnecessary and with limited space on the coach, we want our guests to be as comfortable as possible.”
What electrical plugs/adapters do I need?
“Having one adapter that fits the country you’re visiting, that can fit several usb cables is ideal. Alternatively, bringing an extension cable with one adapter can work well, as you’ll have more sockets to use. Some hotels will not have sockets near the bed so this can make it easier for charging phones or things like CPAP machines.”
Do I need to bring my own hairdryer?
“No, you don’t need to carry a hairdryer as all the hotels supply them in the rooms. Save that suitcase space for other things!”
Tips for packing meds or medical supplies?
“Keep medication in your hand luggage for easy access when traveling. If you have medication that needs to be kept cool, you can order cool pack bags to store it while you’re in transit.”
Can I do laundry during the trip to pack lighter?
“Yes, but check with your Travel Director as they’ll be able to know which stop is best to do laundry for convenience and value for money. Most hotels will charge per piece for laundry, but your Travel Director will know which places will charge per bag so you don’t overpay.”
If you could only give one piece of packing advice to guests with packing questions, what would it be?
“The best suitcases are hard shell cases with 4 wheels, which make it much easier to move around when traveling while also keeping your belongings from being damaged inside. Another packing tip is to roll your clothes when packing instead of folding, as you can fit more and they wrinkle less!”
If you’ve been on tour and have any more packing tips for our guests, then let us know in the comments!