How to Pack for Any Season in Switzerland | Free Packing List

You’re coming to Switzerland, but have no idea what to pack. We have traveled around Switzerland for more than two years. We are finally able to call this stunning nation home. So, we’re going to open up our suitcases and show you exactly what we pack for a Swiss vacation in every season of the year!

Before we show you what’s inside our closet on Wheels. Let’s talk about what you really need to buy. because going on a Swiss vacation is already expensive enough. So what’s really worth lurching on before your trip?

1. A Good Suitcase – Free Packing List

Invest in a good suitcase. not just so it won’t fall apart on you. Because you’re going to be hauling that suitcase on and off of a lot of trains and buses. The majority of visitors to Switzerland will use the public transit system.

You will have to heft your bag up all the steps, slap it onto a luggage rack, slide it in between seats, and then haul it off again at the next stop because, regrettably, there are no porters to load your bags for you. so, a sturdy suitcase is essential.

if you want to see how to ride a train with luggage, we’ve both used and recommended the away carryon since 2020 because it’s compact enough for all the major airlines but it can fit all of our important Necessities.

2.Packing Cubes – Free Packing List

Buy packing cubes. I’m honestly not even sure how we ever traveled without them! They’re just these little zippered bags that keep your clothes organized. But to me, they feel like a merry Poppins bag because they can hold way more than you think. The method is pretty simple: partially unzip the packing cube, roll your clothes, stuff inside, zip up a little more, roll a little more stuff inside, and rinse and repeat until full.

For context, I wear an extra small and can fit about 10 of my shirts in one packing Cube. And Brett wears a medium and he can fit six to eight in his. We’ve used ebags slim packing cubes since 2016 and love how they perfectly nest in our carryon suitcase plus. They have a lifetime guarantee which is super nice.

3.Laundry Detergent Sheets

Bring laundry detergent sheets. They fit neatly inside our suitcase and don’t weigh a thing. plus they eliminate the need to convert measurements or translate instructions—something we always value while visiting other countries. Simply place one sheet in the washer along with your clothing. or if you need to hand wash, you simply tear off small piece and dissolve it in the sink or rub it straight onto wet clothes.

By the way, you may use the links in our free Switzerland packing list to shop for them and anything else we’re about to suggest. okay, so in our opinion, a sturdy suitcase, packing cubes, and La detergent sheets are items you must lurge on before your swiss vacation. but what do you think?

Summer Trips – Free Packing List

Now it’s time to get Free Packing List. here is exactly what I would pack for summer vacation in Switzerland. two pairs of pants, one of which I’m wearing. I prefer one blue jean and one athletic pair. two pairs of shorts. I also prefer one pair of blue jean and one athletic pair. one skirt and one dress. now these are not essential, but I just really like to get dressed up when we go into the city or we go out for dinner.

Instead of a dress, I pack one nicer collared shirt. two undershirts, four tank tops, two short sleeve shirts, and two long sleeve shirts, including this one that I’m wearing right now. now, I personally prefer tank tops, but you could easily swap those out and just bring all T-shirts if you prefer. my undershirts are Marino wool, which means they can be worn multiple times before washing.

Because they’re the closest layer to my body, that means I can also wear my outer layers like my tank tops and t-shirts multiple times as well before needing to be washed. unless you get really sweaty of course. plus, undershirts and long sleeve shirts are perfect for layering on cold and damp days. and one of my long sleeve shirts also has built-in UV protection.

It’s super important to note that all of my shirts match all of my bottoms and all of my layers. that way I truly have endless outfits to wear. that’s right. don’t wear black with brown and don’t pack a pair of pants if it won’t work with each of your shirts. there, you heard it from me.

One cardigan, one sweatshirt, and one jean jacket. the sweatshirt is essential for cold mornings out on the trail, where the cardigan and jean jacket are great for when I’m out in the city, and can even be layered together if it happens to be extra cold. but I know what you’re thinking. a blue jeene jacket. really? that’s so bulky. I know,

I know. But it’s one of my favorite items and I honestly wear it all the time. So here’s your permission to pack that one Splurge item just because you love it. I just keep it simple with one sweatshirt. One lightweight down jacket and one buff. Yes, it might be summer, but trust me, you still need a jacket. for context, Jungfraujoch hovers around freezing all year long, and you can ski 365 days a year at matter horn Glacier Paradise.

So trust me, you’ll want to stash a jacket in your bag. To reduce their bulk, we store our down jackets in a stuff sack or bag designed to save space. and the buff is a great multi-use item that acts as a scarf, headband, hat, and sun shield. one rain jacket. if you prefer, you can pack an umbrella and L of a rain jacket, but we like to keep our stash in our day bag in case of rain.

But they also doubles as a windbreaker, a warmer layer, and even a picnic blanket. that also means that we can truly get out and enjoy Switzerland no matter the weather. and Brett made a great point. you never see the Swiss people hiking with umbrellas! one pair of sandals,

One pair of athletic shoes, and one pair of sneakers. Now, I know you’re thinking three pairs of shoes is a lot,but remember, you’re wearing one pair, so you only have to pack two in your suitcase. And if you really need the extra room, you could take out the pair of sandals.

Now, I love my cad sneakers. They’re just like the perfect, everyday shoe. My tacos are great because they’re stylish and supportive sandals. And then my Solomon Trail Runners are perfect for hiking and exercise.

And a little extra tip :

Wear your bulkiest items on your travel day, for example, your chunkiest pair of shoes. That way you have more room to pack in your suitcase. And five pairs of socks, a week’s worth of underwear, a few bras, a swimsuit, and pajamas. Just enough for me to do wash every 3 or 4 days and have time to let them dry.

Nearly all of our clothes fit on this one side of our suitcase. Although we’re showing you Jana’s bag, I pack almost the exact same items, but without the dresses and extra sweaters, of course. Remember that you may use our free Switzerland Free Packing List to pack just like us.  And before we flip to the other side of our suitcase, let’s talk about what we would change if we were coming in spring, fall, or winter.

Don’t trust your cell phone weather app. And it’s especially useful if you begin Free Packing List in advance of your trip.

Secondly, we have an entire film about the Interlaken weather by month that you can download for free.

Third, we might be YouTubers, but you won’t find any Tech stuff in our suitcase.

That’s because we have a separate Tech bag for that.

Winter Trips

Okay, if I was coming to Switzerland in spring or fall, I would take out my swimsuit. I’d  trade one pair of shorts for an extra pair of pants. I’d still bring one dress, but I’d leave out the skirt and swap two tank tops for two more long sleeve shirts.

Depending on the weather, i’ consider upgrading my sweatshirt for a warmer fleece or swapping my jean jacket for another sweatshirt. And I’d nix the sandals to just bring two pairs of shoes. I’d probably toss in a light beanie and a pair of gloves as well. And my packing strategy would be very different if I were traveling to Switzerland in the winter.

We recently hopped around to a bunch of different Swiss Christmas Market. So this Free Packing List is fresh on my mind. I’d bring two pairs of pants and two pairs of like to layer under my pants, and maybe even lined snow pants if I was planning to do any winter sports.

I bring two or three Bas layer shirts and make sure at least one of them was long sleeved. I’d bring five or six long sleeve shirts or sweaters, including. At least one fleece pullover as an extra layer when it’s really cold. I’ packed two thin wool socks and two extra fluffy warm ones.

I would still bring two pairs of shoes, except one would be an ankle boot. And the other would be a taller lined boot. Thankfully you can wear one of these so you’re only Free Packing List one pair hair in your suitcase. I’d wear a warm jacket. Sometimes that’d be my fleece lined snow jacket, and sometimes I’d wear both my down jacket and my peacoat.

It just depends on the activities I’d be doing. And of course, I’d wear a warm hat and mittens, and maybe a scarf  too. The the other side of our suitcase pretty much stays the same no matter what season of the year we’re traveling. Shoes, toiletries, make up for Jana, and vitamins.

By the way, to get the most of the space in your backpack, remember to stuff your shoes full of tiny objects like socks. We have the same supplies as everyone else when it comes to toiletries.
Hairbrush, contacts, toothbrush, etc. Jana always travels with her SPF cosmetics in her beauty bag.
I  don’t wear makeup, but my sensitive skin lives in sunscreen when we were in Switzerland.

In my suitcase, I also have a little first aid kit and sewing tools. Although I should probably keep this in our day backpack. I travel with these collapsible containers and Chip Clips because these are perfect for picnic food and for snack food.

We pretty much never travel without snacks, so we don’t get hangry. I also have some blink note cards because I love to write handwritten letters to our Airbnb host or just other Travelers we meet along the way. If you’re planning your first trip to Switzerland, we share 50 plus essential things to know before you go.