Gear and packing lists for Eastern Europe
What should you pack for Eastern Europe? A practical list per trip type: camping, mountains, winter, family and road trip.
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We travel by car with our sons of 7 and 9, so we know how quickly a bag fills up. This is what we pack for each type of trip, with the official source where there is one.
You do not need to buy everything: you probably own much of it already. Each list says what is different in Eastern Europe, such as rules in national parks, cold mountain nights and the type of gas.
Compiled and checked by Arjan (Zuidlaren) · sources are given with the text · updated 31 October 2026 · About us
Choose your trip type
| Trip type | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Summer camping | Tent or camper, on a campsite or a quiet spot |
| Mountain hiking | Day hikes and huts in the Tatras and the Julian Alps |
| Winter sports and winter trips | Ski areas, snow and wintry roads |
| With kids | Families with young children |
| Road trip by car | Long driving days through several countries |
Summer camping
By car you can bring a lot, but not everything has to come. This is what we always pack for a summer trip. The long checklist is on the packing list camping with kids, and you can read more about tents, light and mosquitoes at camping gear.
| Sleeping | A tent with a roomy porch, a groundsheet, a mat per person and a sleeping bag that suits the coldest night you expect. Choose by the comfort temperature, not the limit. |
|---|---|
| Cooking | A stove with the right gas connection, a lighter, a pan and a cool box. More on gas below. |
| Light and power | A headlamp or camping lamp and a power bank for the phone. |
| Water and hygiene | A jerrycan or foldable water container, washing-up things, quick-dry towels and a tick remover. |
| Mosquitoes and ticks | Mosquito spray, and check yourself and the kids for ticks after every walk. More at health, water and ticks. |
Gas by country: refill or exchange?
A DIN cylinder can be refilled; exchange cylinders are usually more expensive. How it works per country, according to ANWB Camping (based on ADAC, 9 May 2024; rules change, so check shortly before you leave). (Source: ANWB Camping)
| Country | Refill or exchange |
|---|---|
| Slovenia | Dutch gas cylinders and tanks are refilled without problems. |
| Croatia | Cylinders with an inspection no more than 5 years old are refilled; the number of filling stations has dropped a lot and Dutch cylinders are sometimes refused. |
| Czechia | Cylinders and tanks can be refilled. |
| Hungary | The same grey cylinders with the same connection as in Germany. |
| Poland and Austria | The same cylinders and rules as in Germany; Dutch cylinders are not refilled there, and you usually need an adapter. |
Campingaz: the blue cylinders (R904, R907) can be exchanged in all EU countries except Finland and Sweden; you cannot refill them yourself. It is butane, so not suitable for cold. (Source: ANWB)
For a small stove, buy a cartridge that fits the connection: a Campingaz CV cartridge (Easy Clic) only fits stoves with an Easy Clic connection, and a stove with a thread needs a screw-on cartridge. (Source: Campingaz) We could not reliably establish where to buy which cartridge in Czechia or Poland: if in doubt, bring a spare from home. Everything about gas is at gas for your stove.
Where you can and cannot sleep
- High Tatras (TANAP): outside built-up areas, camping or bivouacking is not allowed anywhere in the park. The only exception is Táborisko pod Vysokou, only as part of a multi-day ski or climbing tour and only on wooden tent platforms. For a family with a car and a tent that is not an option. (Source: TANAP)
- Triglav National Park: tenting and sleeping outside the designated areas is not allowed; there are enough beds in the mountain huts. (Source: TNP)
- Fines and rules per country, with sources, are at rules and fines by country.
Mountain hiking: Tatras and Julian Alps
In the mountains the weather changes faster than in the valley, and higher up it can be cold and windy even in summer. Routes and rules per park are at hiking in Eastern Europe.
| Shoes | Sturdy hiking shoes with a good sole. Bring light shoes or sandals for inside the mountain hut. (Source: Zakopane.pl) |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Layers: a warm layer, a rain jacket, a hat and thin gloves, even in summer. Preferably no cotton (our tip). |
| Backpack | A well-fitting backpack with sunglasses, sun cream, a lamp, enough water and something to eat. Trekking poles help on the way down. (Source: Zakopane.pl) |
| Navigation | A charged phone with an offline map and a power bank. Read the weather forecast shortly before you leave (for the Polish Tatras on topr.pl and tpn.pl). Signal can drop out on the way. (Source: Zakopane.pl) |
| Safety | A headlamp, a first-aid kit with an elastic bandage, plasters and a space blanket, and a tick remover. Mountain thunderstorms are dangerous: do not hike then. (Source: Zakopane.pl) |
| Emergency numbers | 112 works across Europe. Slovak mountain rescue HZS: 18 300 (Source: HZS). Polish Tatras, TOPR: 985 or +48 601 100 300 (Source: TPN (TOPR)). Slovenia: 112 (Source: GRZS). |
Good to know
- Slovak Tatras: from 1 November, higher trails, saddles and peaks are closed. According to Visit Tatry this lasts until 31 May; other sources give a slightly different end date, so check TANAP for the current dates. (Source: Visit Tatry)
- Rescue costs: anyone rescued in Slovak mountain terrain has to pay the cost of the operation (children do not). The European Health Insurance Card does not cover this, so check that your travel insurance covers mountain rescue. (Source: Gov.pl)
- Triglav: drones are banned in the park and swimming in the high mountain lakes and streams is not allowed. (Source: TNP)
Winter sports and winter trips
In winter you need different things than in summer, and in Slovenia most mountain huts are closed then: bring more warm drink and food. (Source: TNP) You can compare ski areas and prices at winter in Eastern Europe.
| Clothing | A ski jacket and trousers or a warm winter layer, thermal underwear, ski socks, hat and gloves. Winter hikers bring good winter boots and gaiters against snow in the shoes, plus spare clothes. (Source: TNP) |
|---|---|
| Head and eyes | A ski helmet (for the kids too), goggles and lip balm with sun protection (our tip). |
| Off the piste | Only with full winter equipment: avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, ice axe, crampons and a helmet. Choose easier tours, or take a guide for harder ones. (Source: TNP) |
| Food and drink | A thermos with a warm drink and extra food, because huts may be closed. |
| Car | Winter tyres or snow chains; see the table below. An ice scraper and gloves in the car, and a full tank before you drive up a mountain pass. |
Winter tyres by country
| Country | What applies |
|---|---|
| Slovenia | Mandatory from 15 November to 15 March, and outside that period in wintry conditions. |
| Croatia | Mandatory on many main roads from 15 November to 15 April, regardless of the weather. |
| Czechia | Mandatory in wintry conditions, from 1 November to 31 March. |
| Slovakia | Mandatory in wintry conditions; minimum tread depth 3 mm. |
| Poland and Hungary | Not mandatory, but recommended. |
Source: ANWB, worked out per country at winter tyres and mountain passes by country. The Vršič Pass can be closed by snow in winter.
With kids
We travel with two sons of 7 and 9. That decides what comes along: rather an extra set of dry clothes than an extra gadget. The full list for camping with kids is on the packing list camping with kids.
| Clothing | A rain jacket or rain suit, an extra set of dry clothes, a hat and a cap. |
|---|---|
| Shoes and backpack | Hiking shoes that fit well and a small backpack of their own with a drink bottle. Keep the stages short and plan a break at a hut or picnic spot (our tip). |
| Sleeping | A children’s sleeping bag and a good mat: nights can be chilly even in summer, and a very thin sleeping bag is not enough for cold mountain nights. |
| On the way | Books, a card game, outdoor toys, snacks and drinking cups, plus a tablet with downloaded films for long stretches. |
| Health | A first-aid kit, tick remover and sun cream. Check yourself and the kids for ticks after every walk. More at health, water and ticks. |
| In the car | A child seat according to the rules of the country you drive in: see children in the car. |
Road trip by car
Long driving days come with Eastern Europe. What is mandatory differs per country, so check it shortly before you leave at traffic rules by country.
| Mandatory in the car | Different per country, for example a warning triangle, a high-visibility vest and a first-aid kit. The list per country (according to ANWB) is on the packing list camping with kids. |
|---|---|
| Breakdown | A repair kit or spare wheel with a jack, a tow rope and spare bulbs. Emergency numbers and breakdown per country: emergency numbers and breakdown by country. |
| Navigation and power | Offline maps, a phone holder, a car charger and a power bank. |
| Papers | ID, driving licence, car papers, green card and the European Health Insurance Card. |
| Luggage | A roof box gives you more room, but the car handles differently: do not drive faster than 130 km/h or faster than the maximum of the box itself. (Source: ANWB) |
| Winter | Winter tyres and snow chains: see the table under winter sports. |
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What is already covered on this site
Everything above is also worked out per subject:
- Packing list camping with kids (printable)
- Camping gear: tent, gas, light and mosquitoes
- Gas for your stove
- Winter tyres and mountain passes by country
- Children in the car
- Traffic rules by country
- Rules and fines by country
- Health, water and ticks
- Emergency numbers and breakdown by country
- Hiking in Eastern Europe
- Winter in Eastern Europe
- Slovakia
- Poland
- Slovenia
Sources
- ANWB Camping: gas supply while camping
- ANWB: using a roof box
- ANWB: gas cylinders
- Campingaz: CV 470 Plus
- Gov.pl: Information for travellers to the Slovak Tatras
- GRZS: emergency call
- HZS: contacts
- TANAP: camping
- Visit Tatry: Winter trail closure
- TNP: code of conduct
- TNP: winter sports
- TPN: TOPR emergency number
- Zakopane.pl: Summer in the Tatra Mountains
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