Updated June 23, 2020.

It’s What I Wore Wednesday, friends! This week it’s all about packing lightly but warmly–I’m off to Switzerland and Liechtenstein for some wintry fun! Packing for cold weather destinations is often daunting. How will you ever fit all those layers and heavy gear into a carry-on?! Well, here’s how I did it, and how you can make it happen for your own trip!

On the Plane

When planning my travel wardrobe, I always figure out what I’ll be wearing on my travel day before I tackle anything else. I need comfort and versatility! This is what I came up with:

• Pink sweater
• Green, sparkly scarf
• Black, fleece-lined leggings
• Winter boots–a strategy for light packing is to wear your heaviest items, and this time that includes snow boots!

All about that Base (Layer)

If you’ve read much of my blog, you know I’m a warm weather kind of girl! But how could I possibly pass up a chance to see beautiful Switzerland and Liechtenstein as winter wonderlands? I couldn’t! So layering up is my best option. The pants below are from Cuddl Duds, and the yellow shirt is a warm running shirt I sometimes wear under sweaters as a base layer. I should be warm enough!

The Essentials

How many pairs of socks and undies do you bring on a trip? I bring one for each day. Except in winter, when I also bring some warmer socks to wear over my regular socks!

Everyday Wear

I’m not a clotheshorse by any means, but when I find something I like, I really like it! And I really like these sweaters! The one in the middle is soft and unbelievably warm. The green one is so comfortable and flattering, and the red one on the other side is cozy and warm. The gray pants below will go with all three, and they are fleece-lined snow pants!

Keeping Warm

And speaking of snow pants, we plan to do some snow hiking while we’re in these two beautiful countries! And that means I’ll need more than an effective base layer. These are some of my favorite keep-warm pieces!

• Puffy coat that packs into its pocket
• Blue knit scarf (hand made by my Swiss friend Bianca)
• Black running scarf
• Beige earbags
• Blue and yellow knit hat
• Black head ring (to keep ears warm while running or hiking in the cold)
• Black and green running gloves
• Yellow glove liners
• Black heavy gloves

I know that looks like a lot, but I’m fairly confident I’ll be using it all, much of it at the same time!

Working Out

Two of our hotels will have a gym, the third one will not. So I have two sets of indoor workout gear and one set of cold weather running gear:

I hope this helps you prepare for your own winter time trip! Check out my Switzerland Page and my Liechtenstein Page for all out tips and recommendations!

Want more about how and what to pack? Check out my dedicated Packing Page!

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