Switzerland: Packing Guide for Springtime

Before traveling to Switzerland, I scoured the internet to find blogs and listicles to decide what I wanted to pack for our anniversary trip to the mountainous and majestic country. If you want to see how I packed two weeks of diverse outfits into my 55 liter backpack, continue reading!

The most important consideration when packing for a trip is what we are planning to do while we're there. What good would it be to have a suitcase full of cocktail dresses if you were planning on hiking? Or a boatload of bikinis while you're sledding in Colorado? You get my point. After deciding what we plan to do (and what categories those activities fall into -- formal, casual, fitness, etc), I then focus on reducing the total number of pieces I need to fill out my outfits.For Switzerland, we were planning a mixture of touristy things in cities and hiking the Alps, so my packing list needed to include "normal" clothes and "active" clothes. 

Of course, you also need to know the potential weather conditions during your travels. We traveled throughout Switzerland from August 31st to September 15th, so that meant the weather could be downright sunny and hot (as it was for our day trip to Lichtenstein), comfortable (as it was most days), or completely frigid (up in the mountains). 

No matter how you slice it, packing for a trip where weather could range from sunny and hot to snowy and freezing presents quite the packing challenge. We really needed to cover all contingencies, while packing the fewest possible number of items. Here's how I did it.

Recommendations for Switzerland in the Springtime

Layers are going to be your best friend. Some days were comfortable down in the cities but then freezing up in the mountains. Having multiple layers meant I could stay comfortable throughout the day. I used a combination of sleeveless tops, tees, and long sleeve shirts as base layers, and then pretty much lived in my black zip up hoodie and a combination of my vest and packable puffer coat if I needed extra warmth.

I bought that puffer coat specifically for our Switzerland trip because it was "packable" (squished down into its own stuff sack and took up very little room). It was the literal best piece of clothing I packed and was the real MVP of my backpack. 

Avoid packing "wants" and only pack "needs" in your bag. Would it be nice to have multiple cardigans, sweaters, and outerwear for every day? Sure! But it's unnecessary. Pick one (okay, maybe two) options that work with the majority of your outfits and stick with those. You're bag will be lighter and you can leave that extra room in your bag for souvenirs. 

Don't forget gloves and earmuffs. If you plan on climbing mountains you will thank me! It can get really cold the higher up you go!

 

What I Packed for Two Weeks in Switzerland

CLOTHES

Two pairs of jeans

Two pairs of black leggings (active wear)

One pair of black pants

Three long sleeve athletic tops

Four thick strapped tank tops (some athletic some normal)

Three pairs hiking socks and five pairs low rise socks

One black tee shirt dress (from Old Navy)

Six tops (ranging from cotton three quarter length sleeve shirts to a short sleeve button up)

One black vest
One black zip up cardigan
One packable puffy coat
My super thin North Face rain coat (fits anywhere and saved the day when it poured on me in Paris a few years ago. Now I never travel without it!)

Undergarments -- of course. 

FOOTWEAR

I always try to limit my footwear as much as possible. But for this trip I had three pairs. And I could have easily eliminated one.

I had my Salomon hiking sneakers and a pair of Toms slides. I didn't want to commit to the weight of full on hiking boots because we weren't doing super strenuous hiking and the sneakers worked out perfectly. I also packed a pair of black Jack Rogers sandals (they didn't take much room at all and I wanted a "warm weather" option) but I wore them maybe once. Most of the time my hiking sneakers were hung on the back of my bag and the Toms were on my feet.

Overall, I think I nailed packing for Switzerland. I had everything I needed to be warm enough when we were climbing mountains and comfortable while exploring cities. Were my outfits overly fashionable? No, of course not! But when I'm traveling I want ease, convenience, and comfort all the way! Fashion can wait until I get home and have access to a full closet.

Have you traveled to Switzerland? 

Are you a pack rat or a minimalist when it comes to packing?

Is there anything you would add to or subtract from this list?