What To Pack For A Winter City Break: Complete Packing List

Last updated on February 8th, 2025 at 08:14 pm

Are you planning a winter city break and wondering what to pack? In this guide, I’ll provide a complete breakdown of warm winter clothing and stylish accessories – that will fit within the confines of your carry-on bag!

Whether you’re travelling to Vienna or New York, figuring out what to pack for cold to freezing temperatures during the winter months can be tricky but, with this winter packing list, you’ll be warm, comfortable and stylish!

The Ultimate Winter City Packing Guide – clothing, accessories, skincare, winter outfits and pro packing tips!

In this complete guide, I’ll share the essential accessories you need to pack in winter, some of my favourite winter clothing brands, winter skincare and quick tips to reduce packing overwhelm!

Is looking good in winter possible?

On a winter city break, you will spend a fair amount of time outdoors, wandering between cosy cafes, restaurants and attractions, but you don’t have to wear ugly bulky ski gear to keep warm! All the details for what to include on your Winter City Break to be warm and stylish are listed below (see the visual)!

WINTER TRAVEL PACKING TIPS

Where to begin? Before you start putting things in your suitcase here are a few winter packing hacks to maximise your packing potential!

Invest in quality staples

The great news is winter clothes can be wearable from one year to the next – I suggest focusing on the main items that will keep you warm and dry such as a thick coat, wool jumper and lined leather boots – invest in quality and they will serve you for many future cold-weather trips!

Stay warm in wool

If you didn’t know, wool is the material to invest in to keep warm in cold weather. Wool (especially Marino Wool) clothes are a good insulator of heat – think hats, socks, scarves and jumpers. It traps the air between the fibres allowing heat to stay close to the body keeping you nice and warm!

Use packing cubes

Packing cubes and compression bags are amazing when it comes to squishing bulky items and accessories into small cases! Packing cubes allow you to maximise space in your winter city break bag and organise your belongings into neat compartments.

Wear layers

Proper layering is essential! One of the challenges you face is the drastic temperature changes, from freezing outside to sweltering next to a log fire the next – it’s easier to adjust to the temperature by taking off or adding a layer!

Stick to flattering neutrals

Opting for neutrals such as black, white, cream, greys and blue are easier to mix and match and create an effortless capsule wardrobe. A black turtleneck, indigo jeans and long black boots can look really chick with a long coat – add accessories to change the look.

Pack strategically

Utilise every inch of space, since winter clothing can be bulky, make sure to save space in every way possible. Stuff socks and small accessories like gloves into boots or trainers use packing cubes as mentioned above and wear all your heaviest items at the airport.

WINTER CLOTHING YOU’LL NEED FOR A WINTER CITY BREAK

When piecing outfits together for a winter city break, keep things simple with similar colours, statement accessories and layers – think capsule winter packing!

Here are my top 9 items of clothing to pack for a winter city break and where to find them!

1. THERMAL BASE LAYERS

Your thermal base layers are essential for your winter city break if you want to stay warm and dry without overheating. Look for super-soft materials and high-neck, long-sleeved thermal tops with matching leggings to feel cosy and comfortable.

Wool or synthetic materials are best due to their super insulation properties like this fleece thermal top and fleece thermal leggings set from Marks and Spencer, I wear them under most things!

2. JUMPER – MID-LAYER

For an extra barrier from the cold that won’t feel restrictive or bulky, opt for a mid-layer (your second layer) made from natural fibres like cashmere or wool to wear on top of your long-sleeved thermals.

Look for long tops that pass your hips for extra warmth, you can easily layer these fleece tops. I normally pack two including a versatile black turtleneck (which is great for evening wear) like this stylish cashmere roll neck jumper or this pretty cream cashmere jumper.

Hot Tip! You could also add a Borg Gilet over your posh jumper, which will keep you warm and fit easily beneath your winter coat (and is simple to take-off in nice restaurants etc!).

3. WOOLLY JUMPER

Lastly, I recommend an oversized woolly jumper! They are perfect to pack for a winter city break—the final warm layer in extra-cold countries—and great for pairing with black fleece leggings, long socks, and chunky boots.

Choose cable knits and rollnecks in neutral cream, blue, grey or black (whatever suits your colouring) to offset your accessories and streamline your outfits. I love this Ivory merino wool jumper, it goes with everything. One is plenty for a three-day break – I would wear it on travel days to save luggage space.

4. HIGH WAISTED JEANS

A good pair of jeans can elevate any outfit especially when paired with a belt – the wider the better so you can layer with thermal leggings. For winter I love darker shades of blue with a pinched-in high waist – think classic Victoria Beckham – this pair are pretty close!

As a final tip, wear your jeans through the airport as they take up a lot of space in your carry-on luggage. You can of course change out of them once you’re safely on board the aircraft and haven’t had to pay for the extra kilos – something I do on a lot of trips!

5. FLEECE LEGGINGS

Fleece leggings offer a great alternative to jeans and can be worn with thick calf-length socks, chunky chelsea boots, thermals and a cable-knit jumper for the ultimate cosy and effortless look!

It’s best to choose black as they go with everything and are much more flattering, I haven’t worn anything other than black! I do sometimes wear them with coloured socks for a change!

6. WINTER COAT

You’ll only have room to bring one coat, so make sure it works for all occasions! A chic pure wool coat will keep you warm during the day but is smart enough to throw over your evening look. Opt for classic colours like camel, grey or black and for extra style and warmth invest in a full-length pure wool wrap coat, it will elevate your winter outfit.

If you’re heading to destinations with extreme temperatures like minus 4 degrees in New York, then go with a quality thick padded waterproof coat to protect against snow showers – most people will be wearing similar so you won’t stand out!

7. COMFY WATERPROOF BOOTS

A good pair of waterproof and properly insulated boots are a must! You need your feet to keep toasty with a fleece or faux fur lining. Winter boots with a thick sole and plenty of grip are much better for icy path conditions – you never know!

Chelsea ankle boots, whether in brown or black, will always go with jeans or fleece leggings, I also love longer calf-length socks over boots for a more chic look.

8. CROSSBODY BAG

A practical crossbody will keep your hands free and your belongings secure – I invested in a quality leather bag from Marks & Spencer and it’s lasted many winters.

The trick is to find one that will fit all your daytime essentials inside without being overly heavy and one with a long enough strap to fit over your layers!

9. WINTER ACCESSORIES – HAT, SCARF, GLOVES, SOCKS

You will not stay warm without a good selection of winter accessories! I always include a woolly hat – beanie, a blanket-like scarf (here’s the popular cable knit scarf) and a pair of lined black leather gloves to keep extra toasty!

If you have space pack a pair of slipper socks for your hotel room – for the ultimate comfort plus 2-3 calf-length thermal socks for walking. Ideally, they should rise above the boot and not expose any skin!

WINTER SKINCARE TO PACK FOR A WINTER CITY BREAK

As well as all of the usual toiletries, there are a few extra skincare items to pack in your case for a winter city break! Harsh winds and biting temperatures can really dry out your skin – it’s almost as bad as scorching temperatures! So to counter this you are going to need some heavy-duty moisturisers that are kind to the skin and I know just the one!

Here are my top skincare tips to pack for a winter city break!

HYDRATING FACE MOISTURISER

Curél for dry sensitive skin IS THE BEST, I always take a few items of this brand with me, especially the intensive face moisturiser! It’s kind to your skin, fragrance and colour-free and full of enriching ceramides for hydration. For a weekend away I often buy the Curél Travel Kit – it has everything you need and is a dream for your skin and very handy!

LIGHT-WEIGHT SPF 30-50

It goes without saying – even in winter I apply a minimum of SPF30 to my face, hands and neck on top of my moisturiser! I love La Roche-Posay SPF30 Anthelios it’s ultra light. fragrance free and you can even apply make-up on top.

HYDRATING LIP-BALM

A special mention goes to The Ordinary Lip Balm. It has Squalane and Amino Acids, which are the closest thing to your own skin. I’ve used it for months, day and night, it’s just incredible and hydrates your lips instantly!

HAND CREAM

You can’t beat Neutrogena Concentrate Norwegian formula for taking great care of your dry and chapped hands. It has a nice scent and the 50ml bottle will not take up too much room in your weekend winter city break carry-on!

TRAVEL HAIRDRYER

Yes, many hotels have them… but I haven’t found any to be much use. I’ve wasted hours drying my hair, embarrassingly blowing fuses and so on when I could be out enjoying my trip. So for that reason, I always make room for my small and lightweight multi-voltage travel hairdryer from Boots. It’s brilliant for USA and Europe low-voltage countries – hurrah!

Tip! Purchase this travel bottle set to decanter your favourite shampoo and conditioners! It’s a hair-saver!)

WINTER PACKING LIST

Here’s a quick example of what I would pack for a 3-day winter city break, feel free to adjust as needed!

• 1 x Big coat – caramel or black
• 1 x Blue jeans – high rise wide leg
• 2 x Wool Jumpers – neutrals
• 1 x Thin fleece jumper
• 1 x Fleece black long leggings
• 2 x Thermal tops
• 1 x Thermal leggings
• 1 x Winter hat
• 2 x Winter scarves
• 1 x Lined leather gloves
• 2 x Wool long socks
• 1 x Black Chelsea boots
• 1 x Stylish belt
• 1 x Chunky earings

WINTER PACKING EXTRA’S

Here’s a few more items in addition to winter clothing and winter skincare well worth making a little room for!

• Polarized sunglasses
• Small handbag-sized umbrella
• Handwarmers

FINAL THOUGHTS

That wraps up my winter city break packing list!

I hope you feel prepared for what to pack for a winter city break, cosy layers and good skin care are just non-negotiable for keeping warm, feeling great and enjoying your trip to the fullest! Winter city breaks can be so magical with cosy indoor settings, winter lights and festivities!

A winter city break to Bruges or New York, whichever you fancy, will be totally worth it!

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