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Heading to Switzerland this summer? Wondering what you will need to pack? Will it be hot? Will it be cold? Will it be both? Obviously, depending on where in Switzerland you are going, the temps will vary. Therefore, you might need different types of clothing. I did and here’s my packing list for Switzerland in summer!Trip Details
For reference, I spent 16 days in Switzerland in the month of August and visited Geneva, Zürich, Lucerne, Zermatt and Montreux/Vevey. For the most part, this was a luxury sightseeing trip. There was no backpacking, but there was adventure such as skiing in the Swiss Alps and paragliding with the Matterhorn.
My Luggage
For most of my (nonspecialty) type trips, I travel with 3 things:
Inside My Checked Bag
is all of this which doesn’t look like much right?
That’s because everything is neatly packed into my packing cubes which I highly recommend! I bought mine based on sizing I needed so I have these and also use this set too which includes a laundry bag!
What I love about packing cubes is that they keep everything organized and from winding up in a heap on one side of my suitcase. This means I don’t have to iron! 🙌
That gray object up top is the hanging bag that fits in the top of my suitcase. I chose to upgrade to the new built-in model, but I sometimes still take this one. It is holding all of…
this! As you can see, it holds quite a bit!
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CLOTHES
Tops
- 1 t-shirt
- 4 lightweight 3/4 sleeve tunics
- 1 sweatshirt tunic
- 1 lightweight sweater tunic
Packed in their cube!
Dresses
- 4 sleeveless tunic dresses
- 3 short sleeve tunic dresses
- 3 maxi dresses
*I took out 2 of these items after the photos were taken resulting in the totals above
Outerwear
- 1 rain jacket/windbreaker
- 1 lightweight wraparound cardigan (mainly used on flights)
I love the Charles River rain jacket. It goes on EVERY trip with me. It’s light enough that I can use it as a rain jacket in just about any climate but somehow it’s enough to keep me warm in most cool (not cold) climates. That’s why it was perfect for the cool Swiss nights!
You see it has my monogram on it. That’s a Southern thing. And a “me” thing. I usually have my monogram on me somewhere. It’s just my signature. My husband says I would monogram the toilet paper if there was such a thing. Imagine his face when I told him that exists (but no, I’m not *that* bad)! 😳🤣
Jacket goes in the hanging bag and the cardigan ties around my cross-body purse
Pants
- 1 pair of lightweight regular leggings
- 1 pair of lightweight crop leggings
- 1 pair of fleece leggings
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair of capri jeggings
*I took out 3 of these items after the photos were taken resulting in the totals above. Also, I know you are wondering where the shorts are. I much prefer dresses or crop leggings to shorts. Personally, I’m more comfortable. If you prefer shorts, just substitute them right on in.
All packed up!
Shoes
- 1 pair flip flops
- 1 pair Toms
- 1 pair flats
- 1 pair hiking shoes
These four pairs of shoes turned out to be exactly what I needed. Although, now I do have a couple of different brands I like better. These are the hiking shoes in the photo. They are waterproof and great for summer.
However, I need more ankle support and these Vasques are the ones I currently wear. They are also waterproof and I recently did 9 miles in them in 14″ of snow. Maybe I should mention that was also the first day I wore them?!!
Miscellaneous
- 1 set of pajamas
- 1 pair of underwear for every day
- 4 regular bras, 2 sports bras
- 3 pairs of socks
- 1 swimsuit
- toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor, face wash, sunscreen, etc)
- toothbrush (love this one because it’s compact)
- makeup
- travel umbrella (has a waterproof case)
- travel hair dryer
- microfiber hair towel
In My Carry-On Backpack
- 13″ MacBook Pro
- Canon SX730 HS travel camera then (now Canon 80D DSLR)
- travel camera cross body strap (keeps my hands free and camera at the ready when not in use and keeps the camera secured to my person)
- 2 extra lenses
- GoPro
- external hard drive (highly recommend my Transcend as it is military drop tested)
- extra batteries for camera, GoPro
- chargers for cameras, computer cord, cables
- European adapters
- mini, flexible tripod
- GoPro hand attachment
- sunglasses and case
- medicine case with meds (I take out the plastic pill case)
- glasses/case, contact case and an extra pair of contacts
- jewelry pouch
- extra pair of underwear
- travel power strip
- travel luggage scale
- manila envelope with extra copies of passport (I explain this here)
- waterproof lightweight day trip backpack
In My Travel Purse
- passport
- wallet (I can’t go on a trip without this travel wallet!)
- extra copy of passport
- Kindle
- Canon SX730 HS travel camera with extra battery
- my iPhone
- earbuds
- adapter for earbuds
- my mini pocket spotlight (similar to this as mine has been discontinued)
- charging cable
- portable phone charger
- anti-bacterial hand sanitizer
- facial oil absorbing blotting sheets like these
- some type of candy such as lifesavers
You Might Be Wondering
where my ski clothes are for this trip? I did ski did get on skis in the Swiss Alps (I’m not very experienced). Since this only took up a half-day of our trip, we decided to rent pants along with the boots and skis. But, I do own ski pants!
PIN IT!
And there you have it! Everything I took for a summer trip to Switzerland. For the most part, it was warm but the nights can get cool and when it’s rainy that always drops the temps. Speaking of rain, I was definitely glad I had both my umbrella and my rain jacket for the downpour we had one day in Zürich.
Hope this helps make your packing experience easier! Do you have anything to add to my list?
‘Til next time…
Trimm Travels,
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