Rick Steves' Clothing Color Advice For Packing Light When Traveling To Europe

There are a lot of reasons to pack light when you're embarking on a trip, no matter the destination. Perhaps you don't want to lug a heavy suitcase up multiple flights of stairs, on cobblestone streets, or across different countries and destinations. Or perhaps you want to leave some room to bring home souvenirs (or do some serious shopping). Maybe having fewer personal items to worry about helps your trip be a little less stressful. Whatever your reason might be, packing light is the best way to go. Just ask travel guide author and TV personality Rick Steves, who literally offers training exercises on how to pack. There are a lot of ways to achieve a lighter load — layering your favorite basics, wearing your bulkiest pieces on the plane, or any of these top packing tricks used by flight attendants – but one of the simplest ways, according to Steves, is to choose neutral colors.

The secret to slimming down your suitcase lies in your ability to pack things that can be worn multiple ways. The easiest way to achieve that, you ask? Creating a capsule wardrobe in neutral tones. While piling in your favorite statement pieces or playing with prints might sound appealing, especially on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, coordinating via colors will make things a lot less stressful. Black, white, navy, and nude hues are easy to dress up or down, says Steves. Plus, they look put-together no matter how you pair them — so you can worry less about what you're wearing, and more about the important things, like trying to check off stops on your itinerary.

The thing about neutrals is that they go with pretty much anything. To get the most out of what you pack, though, we recommend you opt for elevated basics in tones that fit your destination. For example, if you're going to a notoriously hot location (think Italy or Greece in the summer), wearing all black might be unbearable — so you're going to want to pack a lighter palette (such as whites or shades of beige and khaki) to keep things cool. For a city like London, where the weather can be a little less predictable, keep things chic with darker hues like black and navy. And don't be afraid of wearing the same thing twice. As Rick Steves writes, "No one knows you're wearing the same outfit every third day...except your travel partner, and they're doing the same thing."

In addition to colors, you're going to want to also think about fabrics when packing with intention. According to Steves, "Choose fabrics that resist wrinkling or look good wrinkled." To extend the wear of your wardrobe, plan on washing your clothing halfway through your trip. Find a local laundry service, or hand-wash a few key pieces, but make sure to opt for lightweight fabrics (like linen and cotton) that can dry easily in a hotel room. It can be a daunting task to make sure not to overpack, but with a little planning (and color coordination), you'll be an expert in no time.