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What to Pack for a Winter Trip to Switzerland

Wear, WanderAlyssa PonticelloStyle, EuropeComment
What to Pack for a Winter Trip to Switzerland
 

WHAT TO PACK FOR A WINTER TRIP TO SWITZERLAND

 

We visited two very different areas of Switzerland while we were there in December.

Yes, both were very cold (Toto, we’re not in warm winter SoCal anymore! Ha!). And yes, both required the obvious winter gear (jacket, hats, sweaters, you know, the usual things one would expect to wear in Switzerland in December/January). However, one place was a city (Lucerne) and one was a luxury ski town without cars (Zermatt), so, outside of the base layers, each spot required a few different pieces. Aka this isn’t a trip you can expect to pack light for! I’ll be doing full posts on each city sharing more details on what we did, where we stayed, where we ate and more, but for the sake of this post, let’s chat a little about the specifics of my Switzerland packing list, what I brought with me, items I found most useful and some helpful tips for each place (i.e. how you get around, what you do, dress codes, etc.) so you can easily make the most informed packing decision. So, let’s dive into it, shall we? Here’s what you need to know to help you pack properly for winter in Switzerland-

PACKING FOR LUCERNE

Lucerne has all the urban city vibes. For the most part, you’ll be walking around the town to get to all your activities, so be sure to have comfortable shoes and lots of warm layers (Oh, to visit in June/July when just a few less layers are required! Ha!). An over-the-shoulder bag is good to keep your hands free to document your trip with a camera, or to just keep them tucked away in your coat pockets for extra warmth. And definitely don’t forget gloves, preferably the ones with the touch screen ability because trust me when I say you will not want your hands glove-free for more than .2 seconds. While you’re more likely to go out for drinks than you are dinner In Lucerne (at least in our experience), you don’t need anything overly dressy (a nice sweater, jeans and boots/booties work just fine). The focus for Lucerne is definitely on layers, warmth, ease, comfort and convenience.

PACKING FOR ZERMATT

Zermatt, on the other hand, feels very much like the glam ski town you’d expect it to feel like. There are no cars so you’ll still be doing lots of walking, just in more snow (though they do do a good job of keeping the roads and pathways clear). There are definitely a lot more opportunities to go out for both dinner and drinks than I noticed in Lucerne, and while you may want to be a bit trendier/fashion-forward, I would still say nothing overly fancy is needed. If you go to après ski, literally everyone will be in ski gear (and I do mean everyone). If you go to the top of the mountain/go skiing, you will, obviously, want all the layers. As for the glam, where I really noticed it was in the jackets (fur or Moncler), the boots (Moon Boots), the accessories and the ski gear. You certainly aren’t frowned upon or looked down on if you’re walking around in anything but designer, but it’s just something I took note of (but, ya know, if you happen to have some Moon Boots or a Moncler hanging out in your closet I would say you maybe might want to definitely pack it and bring it to Zermatt with you).

Outside of all the standard things that come with me on any trip (things like my black tote bag, reusable water bottle, skincare line-up, jewelry, underwear, etc.), you can see everything I packed for visiting Switzerland, listed out below. I’ve linked exact items where possible, or included similar pieces for things no longer available. And, of course, if you have any specific packing questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask, or let me know in the comments (below).

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WHAT TO PACK FOR A WINTER TRIP TO SWITZERLAND

 
 

a few notes

  • While this was a winter trip, this was NOT a skiing trip. Hence why you will find plenty of cold weather winter wear on my packing list, but nothing specifically for skiing. Of course, if we had planned to go skiing, I would have included a few more things specifically for that, which I know seems obvious, but I just wanted to give a heads up and fair warning for anyone using this packing list who is planning to ski.

  • Anything with an asterisk is a piece I found especially helpful/was really glad I brought and, more often than not, wore on repeat throughout the trip.

 
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CLOTHES

If it’s warm and cozy, you’ll want it! Trust me, there’s no such thing as too many warm clothes for wintertime in Switzerland!

ACCESSORIES

BEAUTY

The air is harsh, cold + dry, so when it comes to packing up your beauty bag, you need all the extreme moisturizing things you can get!

WHAT I WISH I HAD PACKED

  • A cardigan (I only brought pull-over sweaters and I feel like a cardigan would have been a nice layer piece for places like the train or when out to dinner, since I would get warmer inside)

  • White booties (just personal preference based mostly on the fact that I kept saying out loud “This outfit would look so much better, if only I had white booties!” Haha)

  • White jeans (see above, because basically I wished I had had white jeans for the same reason I wish I had had white booties with me)

  • More sweaters (no such thing as too many and also because I quickly got bored of the ones I did bring since that was basically all I wore)

  • A long puffer coat (a lesson learned the cold, hard way; the coats I brought were all on the shorter side and it definitely would have been nice to have a little extra length keeping me toasty and warm, especially for things like going up the mountain in Zermatt)

 

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