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Pack light! Don't take anything you can't carry on your back for over an hour at a time. Pack multitaskers. For instance, I pack Dove soap when I travel because it works as a soap, a face wash, and shaving cream (it lathers up better than most soaps and is very moisturizing). I also pack a 2-in-1 shampoo. Skip the hair dryer if at all possible. They take up a lot of room and more often than not you won't have time to use it. Pack all of your toiletries in ziplocs (to protect your stuff from leakage/burstage).
Also, keep in mind that people on the continent dress a lot more nicely than people do here. If you're wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, you will give yourself away as an American. Furthermore, their climate is cooler than here. When I visited in late June/early July I was wearing sweaters constantly because it was 60-65 out and I was used to 75-80.
And don't forget to leave room in your backpack for stuff you'll purchase there and want to bring home. Extra batteries for your digital camera are a must, and any extra memory cards you have.
The biggest advice I can give you is to make a checklist of what you are going to pack and pack it. See if it all fits. If it doesn't, take out what you don't need. Revise the checklist and keep a copy of it with you when you travel. Also, get yourself a little travel wallet you can wear. I had one that had a long strap that I could wear across my body. Under a sweater you couldn't tell that I was wearing it. Keep all of your important documents in here and ON YOU at all times. Don't ever leave your passport unattended, and keep it somewhere locked at night. If you're staying in hostels at all, don't forget to pack a lock. A lock for your backpack isn't a bad idea either.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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