Deciding what to bring on vacation is agonizing; it’s easier to bring everything just in case, but you end up wearing the same few things. The trick is figuring out which few things! Are you trying to pack for Switzerland? This is what I learned!
About Our Trip
We flew in and out of Gevena and were in Switzerland for three weeks. We were touring smaller cities, Lausanne, Lugano, Bern, and Luzern, but there were five days in the middle to spend hiking in the Jungfrau Region of the Swiss Alps and one day in Zermatt. The higher elevations and the hiking required different clothes, so I listed them separately so you can adjust the list to match your trip.
Check the Weather
Before the trip, I looked up the weather on AccuWeather for every city that we were to visit in Switzerland and noted the average temperatures and rainfall for the month. I learned that it could be warm during the day but would cool off at night and that in the higher altitudes, it might even snow!! So, be prepared for hot weather, rain, and snow – no problem!
As it turned out, there was a heat wave for half of our trip, and it was 20 degrees hotter than expected; I was prepared for warm days, but I had to do more laundry than expected, and I had an unneeded turtleneck. Before we left, I rechecked the weather, so I knew that it was unseasonably warm, but I didn’t expect it to last as long as it did. Predicting the weather is hard, so versatility and flexibility in clothing choices is critical when packing for Switzerland, or anyplace else.
Luggage
While packing for Switzerland, I knew we would be traveling by train, so I needed to get my bags around easily! I simply put the little bag on top of the bigger bag, threw the tote over my shoulder, and set off.
My Checked Bag
Traveling through Europe without checking a bag is possible, but I need to carry on my camera gear. My suitcase, which I love, is a medium (26 x 18 x 12 inches), hard-sided case I bought about six years ago and is covered with stickers to distinguish it from other bags and memorialize its journeys. It’s been all over the world and is still in great shape!
Why do I love it? It’s the perfect size, not too big to manage, and opens from the top. Many hard-sided cases open from the middle, like library books, which doesn’t work well with a luggage rack.
What do I wish I had in my bag? An AirTag!! Do you see that yellow priority handling sticker? That didn’t help me; my bag was gone for three days.
What I Carry Aboard
I have a small rolling bag with my camera gear and other items I don’t want to check; this bag goes in the overhead bin, and I don’t need it for the flight. It is heavy but small, so it gets through when the flight attendants check bags at the gate. It has a strap and rests on top of my checked bag when I have to move everything from baggage claim to the ground transportation area.
Then I have a lightweight zippered tote with everything I need for the flight that I store under the seat for easy access. It has a large and small pouch to keep things organized. I bought a belt bag/cross-body bag for this trip, and it was great for easy access to my phone and travel documents. it fits in the tote to consolidate into two items for boarding. The tote and the belt bag were used for touring, so they have double duty.
This is what I will need on a long flight, so I keep the bag at my feet.
in the tote ...
- Tech Case with phone & iPod/laptop chargers and cords; a watch charger; extra earbuds; & adapters for Switzerland
- Large Pouch with pill box; face washing cloths; comb, toothbrush, and toothpaste; saline solution and an extra pair of contact lenses and a case; Visine; moisturizer, floss, etc.
- Small Pouch with ear plugs, hair ties, and Splenda packages
- Cross Body/Belt Bag with passport, boarding card, global entry card, two credit cards, a debit card for the ATM, and some cash. I also saw many bags on the streets of Switzerland that were slightly bigger with a guitar strap that would work, too.
- Cashmere wrap, socks, and an eye mask
- Glasses
- Noise-canceling headphones
in the rolling bag ...
- Document Envelope with the items from my wallet that I won’t need on the trip = like my driver’s license, checkbooks, etc.
- Jewelry Roll with some pieces to jazz things up, but nothing expensive
- Clothes – a clean shirt, two pairs of underwear and a jacket
- Laptop
- Camera, extra lens, batteries, chargers, memory cards, etc.
- Sunglasses and computer glasses
- Snacks
I don’t expect to need anything from this bag on the flight, so it goes in the overhead bin
What to Wear on the Plane
If only I had known how important this decision was when packing! I haven’t had a bag go missing in years, so I was complacent about the possibility. Further, I thought it would appear quickly, but that didn’t happen, so I was stuck in the same clothes for the flight and the first three days of the trip.
I opted for a pretty classic look: jeans and a white tee shirt with tennis shoes.
This is me on the second day of the trip, in a clean shirt that I had in my carry-on bag, but it was the third day for everything else.
What to Bring
How to pack for Switzerland? There is a system, a formula, if you will.
Staying Organized
My bag has three pockets on the lid, so I use those and compression packing cubes to keep everything organized: underwear, tops, bottoms, dressier items, and hiking clothes. I use the plastic laundry bags provided by the hotel to store my dirty clothes and shoes.
Laundry
We were gone for three weeks, so we would have to do laundry along the way, and wash-and-wear was essential. In Zermatt, we dropped the laundry off and picked it up at the end of the day; in Lauterbrunnen, there was a laundromat. After that, we had enough clothes left. You will need small bills and 5 CHF coins to do laundry, so save them as you go. There aren’t a lot of change machines. In addition to laundry, having small amounts of cash is handy. Tipping is not a big thing in Switzerland, like in the US, but you will want to leave a little something for the maids and bellmen, so try to accumulate small denominations.
My Pack List for Switzerland
This is not what I actually brought because, if I were to go again tomorrow, there are some things I now know, and you can benefit by traveling lighter. Even though we had unseasonably warm weather, I would still pack for the averages. I used the following number of items and ensured everything worked together. Pick a color palette – I chose chambray blue and stone with navy.
Layering Pieces (3)
- Denim Jacket
- Beige Mesh Kimono Sweater
- Cashmere Wrap
Sweaters and Tops (5 + tees)
- Black Turtleneck
- Navy Pullover w/Collar
- Black Short Sleeved Blouse
- Navy Print Shirt
- Oversized White Shirt
- 5 Assorted Tees
Bottoms (5 – 2 dressier)
- Cropped Blue Jeans
- Camel Faux Suede Skinny Jeans
- Black Athleta Trousers
- Stone Athleta Trousers
- Navy Slip Skirt
Dresses (3 – 2 casual)
- Midi Summer Dress
- Beige Cotton Tank Dress
- Printed Casual Cotton Dress
Outer Wear Layers
- Black Puffer Jacket
- Raincoat/Shell Windbreaker
Hats
- Straw Sun Hat
- Gray Ball Cap
Shoes (3)
- Blue Slip-on Tulip Shoes by Ilse Jacobsen
- Tennis Shoes
- Slide Sandals
Underwear (7 days)
- 10 pairs of underwear
- 6 bras, 2 of them sports bras
- 2 camis
- 2 pairs of warm socks, 6 pairs of summer socks
Activity Clothing
- bathing suit
- hiking pants
- hiking shorts
- 2 sun shirts
- tank top
- backpack – Joe used this as his carryon, so I didn’t actually pack it
Toiletries
- Mesh shower bag with soaps and shampoos, etc
- Cosmetic Bag
- Hair Straightener
- Laundry Detergent
- First Aid Supplies
- Wash Cloth – none of the hotels have small hand towels; I wished I brought one, or several and just left them behind
I hope this helps you pack for your trip to Switzerland!
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