What to Pack for your European Christmas Market Trip!

December 2023 we decided to make one of our dream trips happen! We spent 3 weeks traveling through Germany and France while making stops in London, Switzerland, Copenhagen and Malmo. Our travel style has always been carryon only for ease of movement when visiting so many places. Winter is obviously the hardest to pack when using a backpack BUT it is possible! Here we'll go through all of our must pack items, things we'd leave behind, and things we wish we had.

If you're interested in the itinerary mentioned above, feel free to reach out and I can work on publishing that as well.

A Few Things To Consider...

While going stall to stall and seeing so many beautiful, handcrafted items, it's highly likely you are going to want to bring home some gifts... So you're definitely going to want to leave some room for that, so just keep that in mind before you decide to pack every cute Christmas outfit you own.

Another thing you're going to want to consider is how many bulky items you're packing, instead of packing several chunky sweaters that take up a lot of prime real estate in your bag, I would focus on layers and accessories. Visiting all the Christmas Markets you're going to be spending a lot of time outside! That means most if not all of your dream Christmas Market photos are going to be taken in whatever you pack for outerwear. Ultimate winter packing tip: always wear your bulkier items onto the plane, that's going to be your coat/sweater/jeans/shoes, etc.

If you do plan on using a rolling luggage, whether it be carry on or full size, I highly recommend that is has very durable wheels. Don't forget that Europe has plenty of very old cobblestone streets. Another bonus would be having the 4-wheel swivel for ease of movement.

Don't go crazy with the liquids in your bag. If you're flying carry on only and plan on doing any plane travel during your trip, there are many airports in Europe that are very strict about only filling the 1L bag with liquids!

Lastly, don't forget to check the forecast before you leave. We assumed cold weather and snow but we got rain as well! Luckily we were prepared because we checked!

Our Bag of Choice

We have been using the Osprey Porter 46 for years. This bag is very comfortable to wear and has both a sternum strap and waistbelt. One of the best features is the compression straps, no matter how much we seem to stuff in our packs it always fits and it has never given us as issue when trying to carry on. It fits size requirements for all airlines we've flown both in the US and Europe and we often fly budget [shout out to Ryanair!].

Outerwear & Shoes

Honestly, this is going to be the most important part. While the weather wasn't the coldest we've ever experienced, it was still pretty chilly. You're going to be spending most if not all of your day on your feet outside. So, for shoes make sure you pack something that is comfortable to walk in and does well in the winter weather. Additionally, for warmth and styling, add some winter weather accessories!

Jacket: Pack a warm jacket! We love Colombia brand for their omni heat feature, they have so many styles, from thin puffers to bulkier ski jackets, that all keep you so warm. I would highly recommend bringing something that it waterproof or resistant in case you encounter rain. If you have room a packable puffer coat or rain jacket

Shoes: We opted for our hiking boots and a pair of sneakers because we had some extra room in our bags. Honestly, we probably could have done without the sneakers...we only wore them once or twice. I would recommend no more than 2 pairs of shoes if traveling carryon only, 3 if you're using a checked bag. Pair these with some wool socks for extra warmth too!

Accessories: I packed 3 beanies, 2 scarves and a pair of gloves! I went with festive colors to brighten up all my pictures in black coats! This felt like the perfect amount to me, I probably could have done with just one scarf but I wore one on travel days and the other didn't take up much space. As a bonus these were great for wrapping up the Christmas Mugs we brought home!

Layers: Highly recommend investing in some base layers, whether wool or synthetic. These will keep you warm without adding much bulk. We packed two pairs of thermal bottoms each. If you plan on wearing dresses a great option are fleece lined tights, you can find several colors and styles on amazon.

Extra: Handwarmers. We're from Massachusetts and used to cold weather so we did not find these to be a necessity, however, if you are someone who is from warmer weather or prone to being cold then I would highly recommend them.

Clothes We Packed

On the plane I wore my heavy winter jacket, jeans, shirt, hiking boots and one scarf & beanie. He wore his heavy jacket, fleece lined pants, long sleeve, flannel, hiking boots and beanie. When packing one of our biggest tips is to pick out items that can make multiple outfits, this is one of the easiest ways to pack light while still having plenty of options.

Women:

Shirts: I packed one Red Long Sleeve, One Green Long Sleeve, One White Turtleneck, a Red Christmas Sweater, and a Thinner White Sweater.

Bottoms: REI Black Leggings, REI Green Leggings, Green Skirt and 2 pairs Fleece Lined Tights.

Pajamas: Long sleeve & flannel shorts

Hats: Black Beanie w/ Puffball, Green Beanie, Grey Beanie, Grey Knit Headband.

Scarves: Red & Green and Black & Grey

Jacket: Eddie Bauer Packable Puffer

Belt Bag: CalPak Luka in Green

Men:

Shirts: White Long Sleeve Waffle Knit, Beige Long Sleeve Waffle Knit, Maroon Long Sleeve, Green Plaid Flannel, White Plaid Flannel, Grey T-Shirt

Bottoms: Khaki outdoor pants, Black Jeans

Hats: Black Beanie, Grey Beanie... he could have done without a second hat.

Jacket: REI Packable Rain Jacket.

Accessory: Packable Day Pack

Accessories & Miscellaneous Items

There are a few things I absolutely never leave behind when traveling. Some things are a life saver and some most people wouldn't need, again all goes back to your travel style.

- Packable umbrella, I found the cutest little umbrella at TJ Maxx years ago that is so light and packs up so small. I leave it packed in my bag always. This was a LIFE SAVER with the amount of days we had rain!

- Scrubba Wash Bag and Detergent Strips. We tend to only pack the Scrubba for trips longer than a week, the detergent strips are in such a small package that they stay in the toiletry bag always. You never know when you might need to wash something while away, especially living out of a backpack for weeks on end, it allows us to pack much less than if we needed a new outfit for everyday. 

- Belt bag (or Cross Body). I have always preferred the belt bag style bags but I recommend any type of bag that zips and you can wear securely. While most places are very safe, when traveling there is always a risk for theft or pick-pockets. This keeps your hands free and all of your belongings secure. 

-Packable Day Pack or Tote: The guys usually carry a packable day pack which is great for our camera gear when we're out or if we stop at the store. These don't take up much space in your bag and then 

- Camera, GoPro, Gorilla Grip Tripod, Bluetooth Remote. Again, not necessities for everyone's travels just our preference. For this trip I could have gone without the GoPro, but it also takes up almost no space. One things I would recommend to even those that just use their phone as a camera is a Gorilla Grip- style tripod, it's great when you need stabilization, if there's no one around to snap a picture for you, can be used as a short selfie stick and it's pretty small in size! The Bluetooth Remote is also a great option if you don't feel like dealing with the self timer on your phone, and there are plenty of inexpensive options, too!

To keep our phones working between countries without having to worry about Verizon's expensive travel plan or stopping everywhere for sim cards, we used an eSIM from Airalo. We were able to purchase the Eurolink, their regional SIM, which worked for every country we popped into! Use my link below if you'd like to try it for your next trip!

Eurolink eSIM

airalo.tp.st

While to some it may seem crazy how little we packed for three weeks, I actually felt a bit over packed because I wanted all of the cute Christmas Market photos. Because we had a wash bag and detergent we were able to pack enough for one week or less and just do the occasional wash. Also, keep in mind when traveling in Europe there is a good chance that the bathroom will have a heated towel rack which makes drying your clothes so much quicker! That's something we always look for in the pictures of Airbnb's or hotels, it's not a necessity but it does come in handy on our trips that we may not be in the same place for more than a couple days.

Hope you found this guide helpful! In the future I will be looking to set up a full packing guide and tutorial. Feel free to reach out with any questions, via email or find us at @thetimedtravelers on Instagram & Threads.