Should I give up the one bag dream? Euro summer incoming…

I’m going on an overseas budget backpacking trip from Australia to Europe for the whole summer. I really wanted to just take one carry-on bag (the 10kg overhead locker one- was thinking the Cotopaxi 42L Allpa or similar) along with my personal item (likely a sling bag that has room for waterbottle/book/bitsnbobs with a fold up tote or collapsible back pack inside for shopping)

Why one-bag? I want to challenge myself to be more minimalist, I’m super indecisive and I know having less choice will make me faster at getting ready and enjoying where I am. Plus it’s meant to be cheaper…

Where: Europe

When: end of April until mid-late September 2026

The plan:

May- in England chilling at my partners Mums house (if cold can thrift some clothes/borrow, have a wedding end of May so will rent the dress and shoes there)

June- 3 weeks Italy (including dolomites) with my parents, lots of sight-seeing, dinners out, wineries, beach, touristy things, then to Morocco

July- finish Morocco, then Portugal/spain - surfing, cheap hostels, walking everywhere, flying to Berlin at end of month

August- big cities-krakow, Prague, Budapest (sightseeing, clubbing, fancy dinners) via train, then Croatia & Bosnia across 2 weeks

September Albania (stop here to volunteer if the opportunity comes up), Greece to finish the last of our Schengen days

Then either going to Egypt/Jordan or Thailand on the way back to Australia.

It’s a big trip, covering lots of places, and a multitude of activities. I’m overwhelmed thinking about how to choose clothes and I think I will have to buy some things so that I have the right gear that can be worn across multiple scenarios. I love cute hiking/yoga clothes but when I dress up I’m more of a maximalist with bright colours, layers and lots of jewellery. Maybe my everyday clothes will need to just be more dressy to account for this?

My style is boho, grungy, mostly natural fibres, earthy tones or black.

Makeup and hair I’m super simple and toiletries will be minimal. However I’m a supplement girl and was thinking I should make space for all my probiotics and vitamins hehe

But I don’t want to lug around a huge bag. When I saw the cost of paying for carry-on backpack on budget airlines, it is literally almost the same cost to bring a 23kg checked luggage which is annoying!!! The only main difference will be the flight to and from Australia where the carry on is included so I will save several hundred bucks there if I bring less.

Thoughts? Is it possible? How would you approach this?

TLDR: can’t decide if it’s worth doing carry-on with one bag or traditional big backpacking backpack as checked luggage. Europe summer 5 months with cities, countryside, fancy meals, hiking, clubbing, beach hopping and touristy days, multiple budget airline flights, lots of walking, lots of trains.