Every year or two, my family and I embark on an unforgettable European adventure—often by ship. Over the years, we’ve explored nearly every corner of Europe, from road-tripping through the rolling hills of Scotland and Ireland to cruising along the coasts of Spain, Portugal, and France. In 2014, we swapped ocean waters for the calm charm of a European river cruise, beginning in Rome and weaving our way south to the Amalfi Coast, around Italy’s boot, and through the Adriatic to Greece, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia.

Each trip taught me something new about what to pack for a river cruise in Europe—how to balance comfort and style, prepare for changing climates, and pack efficiently for days spent exploring cobblestoned towns and evenings dining on deck.

In 2015, my sister decided to get married, so we put our annual vacation on hold and decided to plot an even bigger, better one for 2016. This year, our trip plans for three weeks abroad in August are well underway. Instead of hitting up some of the more well-known spots, we’re going off the beaten path this time, way down into the belly of Southeastern Europe.

We’ll be starting in Budapest—one of my all-time favorite cities—then hopping a river cruise down through the Danube, making our way through former Yugoslavia and the Iron Gates, ending our journey in Istanbul.

I can’t wait to soak in the baths of Hungary, marvel at the mosques of Turkey, explore Serbia, a new-to-me country, and revisit the Transylvania Mountains of Romania, where SVV and I spent our first Christmas together 11 years ago. It’s going to be magical.

I’m a bit of a hybrid packer, walking the line between casual and dressy: i.e. you won’t find me wearing jeans—sundresses all the way, baby—but you also won’t find a pair of heels in my suitcase (it’s flip-flops and sandals for this well-traveled gal). Here’s what my bag holds—so far:

• Eight sundresses
• One cardigan
• One light jacket
• Three bathing suits
• A cute beach cover-up
• Two pairs of sunglasses
• Two pairs of flip-flops
• One pair of nice sandals
• One pair of Tieks
• One set of workout clothes and running shoes
• Underwear and bras
• An emergency kit of medical supplies
• My Kindle, pre-loaded with several vacation reads
• My laptop, a charger and a converter
• A carry-on holding all of my camera gear

In the meantime, while you do the hard work for me, I’ll be over here creating spreadsheet after spreadsheet in preparation for my own Euro trip this summer.

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