What to pack for a winter city break, a complete guide for warm and stylish wear – that will fit within the confines of your carry-on bag. Whether it’s a romantic city break in Bruges or a cultural trip to Vienna, you will have everything you need for maximum comfort on a winter’s day in Europe.
Europe Winter Carry-on Packing List
In the winter months, Europe transforms into a majestic wonderland – the light draws in around 3.30pm and the temperature ranges from cold to freezing making packing and looking good a bit of an art form!
Living in England has given me the edge over what to wear for winter (a fine balance of comfort, layers and stylish accessories), packing everything into a small suitcase for a weekend break however, is another dilemma!
On a winter city break in Europe, you will spend a fair amount of time outdoors, wandering between museums, cosy cafes, restaurants and attractions and there are some amazingly versatile items you can pull together to keep both warm and stylish in all of these scenarios.
Looking good in winter?
While packing for a winter trip definitely requires more strategic planning than a trip to Tulum, Mexico, it doesn’t have to be rocket science. In this post, I’m sharing the essential items you need to pack in winter, some of my favourite winter clothing brands, and quick tips to reduce overwhelm and make your pre-trip packing a breeze.
Here’s my tried and tested winter city break packing list that has served me well and without the need to pay for an extra check-in bag!
Winter Travel Packing Tips
Where to start? What to pack and what to leave at home? 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 – after all, they only come out of the wardrobe a few times per year. For this reason, I suggest focusing on the main items that will keep you warm 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!
Plus you can alternate the accessories like hats, scarfs and bags to make everything feel brand new again.
KEEP WARM IN WOOL
If you didn’t know, wool is the material to invest in to keep warm in cold weather. Wool clothes are a good insulator of heat, it traps the air between the fibres allowing heat to stay close to the body keeping you nice and warm! Make sure your base layers such as hats, socks, scarves and oversized jumpers are made of good-quality wool.
USE PACKING CUBES & COMPRESSION BAGS
Packing cubes and compression bags can be life savers when it comes to squishing bulky items and accessories into small cases! Packing cubes allow you to maximise space in your suitcase as much as possible and organise your belongings into neat compartments.
For larger items like jackets and jumpers, compression bags work like miracles! They are designed to remove as much air as possible and flatten your clothing more than you ever could imagine. Here’s a great set of compression bags I highly recommend having in your winter packing arsenal!
WEAR LOTS OF LAYERS
Packing for a cold climate is all about wearing layers! Multiple thin and thermal layers keeps you warmer than one big jumper, plus they’re much easier to pack and wear. One of the challenges you face is the drastic changes in temperature, from freezing outside to sweltering next to a log fire the next – its easier to adjust to the temperature by taking off or adding a layer!
But knowing what to wear and what to layer including the colours and accessories will also make you look chic while staying cosy!
NEUTRAL FOR THE WIN
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.
If you want to add colour or statement pieces that’s fine but to pack well – incorporate a smaller accessory such as a red hat or orange bag for example, you want to keep things as minimal and versatile as possible.
PACK STRATIGICALLY
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 your jewellery – remember most of it will be covered up with the winter layers, but a nice pair of earrings will look great!
Tip! Invest in a suitcase with the maximum dimensions for hand luggage and wear your bulkiest jumper, accessories, thin layers and boots at the airport, you can always change on the aircraft to be more comfortable.
WHAT TO PACK FOR A WINTER CITY BREAK
When it comes to choosing outfits for a winter city break, I like to keep things simple. Two complete change of outfits and a few accessories such as a handbag, leather boots and jewellery for evening wear. I consistently wear three layers for warmth; thermal leggings, and two thermal tops – a vest and a long-sleeved top plus a woolly jumper and style with a woollen hat, gloves and long socks! Here’s a list of my staples and where to find them!
STYLISH WINTER CLOTHING
1. THERMAL BASE LAYERS
Long-sleeved thermal base layers are essential for your winter city break if you want to stay warm and dry without wearing bulky clothing. One of the best brands for base thermals to wear underneath outer jumpers and trousers/jeans is Mountain Warehouse, their long-sleeved tops with matching thermal base layer bottoms are perfect. If you want to stick to one pair of fleeced-lined, high-waisted and water-resistant leggings to wear alone then you cannot go wrong with Baleaf’s best-selling leggings!
2. THIN FLEECE JUMPER
For an extra barrier from the cold that won’t feel restrictive, opt for thin natural fibres like cashmere or wool to wear on top of your long-sleeved thermals. Choose long tops that pass your hips for extra warmth, companies like Woolovers specialise in wool and cashmere products. Alternatively, you can find stylish jumpers within these brands; Other Stories, Boden, Marks and Spencer, Mango.
3. WOOLLY JUMPER
Essential in the UK, over-sized woolly jumpers and chunky knits are also useful to pack for a winter city break – the third and final warm layer in extra-cold countries. Choose cable knits, and roll necks in neutral cream, grey or black to offset your bright accessories and streamline your outfits, for a three-day break one will be fine.
4. HIGH WAISTED JEANS
Take along a pair of high-waisted dark blue jeans – a classic blue straight leg will work with your layers during the day and can be dressed up for the evening. A wider leg will also allow room for a thermal base layer underneath for extra warmth – a final tip, wear jeans through the airport as they take up a lot of space in your carry-on luggage. An alternative to jeans are these smart thermal high waisted leggings.
5. WINTER OVERCOAT
You’ll only have room to bring one jacket, so make sure it works for all occasions. A chic full-length overcoat 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.
Note: if you’re heading to destinations with extreme temperatures then go with a quality thick padded coat with faux fur lining to protect against snow showers.
6. COMFY BOOTS
A pair of flat, comfy shoes are essential for all that sightseeing. Look for sheepskin or faux fur lining to keep your feet cosy, a thick rubber grip sole to stop the cold and slips on the melting ice and finally waterproof uppers to keep our feet nice and dry! Chelsea ankle boots, whether in brown or black, will always go with jeans but feel a little more put-together than trainers, I also love longer knee length boots over fleece leggings for a more dressy/chic look.
7. WARM WINTER SOCKS
Thermal socks are another must for keeping your feet warm. I travel in one pair and take another as a spare, my favourite types are ones made with a thermal liner or ski socks and knee length – or a suitable length that rises above your boot.
8. CROSSBODY BAG
A practical crossbody will keep your hands free and your belongings secure – I bought this one from Marks and Spencer in both black and brown, they are deceptively roomy and will fit all your daytime essentials inside.
9. WINTER ACCESSORIES – HAT, SCARF AND GLOVES
Winter style accessories must include a woolly hat, scarf and a pair of cashmere-lined black leather gloves this is your chance to add a pop of colour and keep extra toasty! I prefer matching neutrals and lined gloves and when it comes to scarves the more blanket-like the better!
STYLISH WINTER ACCESSORIES
EXTRA WINTER ITEMS
As well as all of the above items, there are a few extra’s to pack in your case for a winter city break, these are:
See my full Essential Accessories for Europe Packing Guide for other tech, comfort and beauty items worth making space for.
WINTER CITY BREAKS IN EUROPE QUICK TIPS
- Capsule wardrobe in neutrals & black
- Don’t forget your bikini for the spa!
- Packing cubes and compression bags
- Check the weather forecast
- Remember the shortened daylight hours
- Book key attractions in advance
- Layers, layers, layers!
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Related Posts:
- Carry-on Essentials Packing Guide
- Travel Beauty Essentials Packing guide
- Essential Travel Accessories Europe
- 10 Best European Winter City Breaks
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Great suggestions! I want everything on this page!
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Thank you!