Best warm clothes for Winter

Layering is key. Start with a good warm, breathable, and moisture wicking base layer. Then, add a warm mid layer and finally a thick outer layer. REI is a good place to look.

I love to wear sweater vests as part of layering. I have several of them, but one of my favorites I got from L.L. Bean. They’re great because they keep you warm but also give you more movement than a jacket would if it’s not too cold out.

This is the one that I have that I love. I have the blue one and it goes with a lot. You can also find warm vests at Orvis.

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/120876?page=womens-sweater-vests&feat=Women%27s%20Sweater%20Vests-OPT

Thanks, Barkinpark & Mardee for your tips. Thanks, Mardee, for the link. I'll definitely check everything out! :)

Cheers!
- Ronda

For base layer consider a Capilene long sleeve.

Hi, Ronda, I was in Scotland last October- I wore my wind and waterproof hooded jacket almost every day. A fleece vest under worked well. I was on a hiking trip so I needed the good boots- not sure if your trip is a mix of both? The wind can be very, very strong, rendering an umbrella useless.
I have some leather Chelsea style boots for city streets- not waterproof but just try to avoid big puddles!
Good socks, along with the hat and gloves and I also love my cashmere "snood" style "scarf". I have a lightweight and heavier weight and can pull them up over my ears and even as a hat substitute under the hood.
Since you aren't traveling til fall you can also take advantage of sales in the US (online) when they start discounting winter clothing. Personally I think a good warm coat (wear on the plane) is going to be your most important item and likely you'll have more time and more affordable options than shopping when in Europe.
(I was surprised in Patagonia's outdoor stores to see- Patagonia clothing! As well as North Face and other familiar brands.)

As mentioned layering is key.

Base layer + usual top & bottoms + merino or cashmere sweater/fleece + puffer vest/jacket + waterproof raincoat/jacket.

Wear whichever combo of the above fits the situation. Add gloves, cap and scarf when needed. And wool blend socks.

Uniqlo currently has their packable puffer jackets and vests on sale. They also carry several options of base layers in their Heattech line. I just picked up a couple of merino sweaters on clearance this week for $14.99.

I assume living in Florida you don't want to invest in items you may not wear at home. Sierra is a TJ Maxx brand company. You'll find brands like Columbia, Smartwool, 32 Degrees and Helly Hansen. Like TJ Maxx stores, you need to check back often because the inventory is always changing. My local store currently has more Eddie Bauer waterproof raincoats/jackets in stock than the Eddie Bauer website.

Thank you, BonVoyage!, for the advice and your time! Good to know about the windy conditions!!

Thanks again!
Cheers!
- Ronda

Thank you, JeanM and Claudia, for the advice. Claudia, fantastic tips!

Appreciate your time!

Cheers!
- Ronda

I have several of these long sleeve Smartwool shirts from REI. They're excellent quality, make a great base layer or on their own in mild weather.

https://www.rei.com/product/217943/smartwool-classic-all-season-merino-long-sleeve-base-layer-top-womens?color=PACIFIC%2520BLUE

Thanks for sharing, Rachel! Such great colors, too.

Cheers!
- Ronda

It kind of depends. Will you be going into museums, etc.? The layering works if all of your time is outside, but if you are going inside buildings, you will sweat a lot. I prefer a long, at least knee length coat. Something I can easily remove.
Boots with thicker soles will help keep your feet warm and protect them on the many cobblestone streets. Mine are Gore-tex and I never have wet, nor cold feet in the winter.

Consider going to some thrift stores, if you are only buying this stuff for one trip.

For base layers, I suggest the inexpensive tops and bottoms from 32 Degrees brand. They sell them at Costco but probably not in your area. They have a direct website. Sign up for emails and you’ll be notified of sales which might work for the end of winter clearance. In most winters I wear the bottoms under my jeans daily but this year we’ve had no cold so haven’t needed to.

I haven’t worn capilene is years as it didn’t work for me…held in smell but worked for others.

For gloves I like Smartwool glove liners. These work for me for most winter activities unless it’s bitter cold and windy.

Did anyone mention a hat? If not, bring one. It can be a beanie, a toque, wool, fleece, with ear flaps or without. You’ll just be warmer with one. Also, avoid cotton. Cotton clothes, be it shirts, jeans or sweaters will make you colder if it gets wet.

I dont get involved in women's clothing decisions. Never comes out well for me. But layers is the obvious answer.

October is a beautiful time of year in Central Europe. Of course, early October is more so than late October.

Here are the temperatures compared for the locations and dates you described. You didn’t mention a city in Northwestern Germany, so I picked on at random; and you didn’t say where in Scotland. The graph gets a bit crowded but if you click on a date, you can see it clearly.

https://weatherspark.com/compare/m/11/61613~84771~87583~38026/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Bremen-Budapest-Warsaw-and-Edinburgh-in-November

Living in the mountains I have learned that you can turn any outfit in to a winter outfit with the right first layer. If it is cold outside I just wear merino long sleeved, long legged underwear. These don't take a lot of space, are very quick to wash and dry, and so usefull that I almost always take them with me on travels to places where the weather does what it does...
Very useful to when sailing at night, something I also do...

Once in a very great while all the stars align, there is a breeze from the north and you can hear cicadas in the distance. That is the moment when WengenK and I agree on something. Now is such a moment. /s
However, I am P.W.T. so mine are synthetic and come from BassPro, but here in Budapest from the first of January until mid-February they are what starts my day. People cover their upper body and their head (which is smart because of all the blood flow close to the surface of the skin) but forget their legs. Warm legs, warm heart. Oh, and I fought wearing a scarf for years, then I did one day. Now in the winter I don’t go out without one. Huge difference. Doesn’t have to be heavy, just to wrap the blood flow in the neck.

But I will add, for most of October, if the weather is "typical" or average then all you need in Budapest is a very light jacket.

If you were sticking to Central Europe in October or even early November; I would say the longjohns/janes and one medium weight sweater and one fairly light down jacket. Then if it becsome unexpectedly colder than average you have an excuse to go shopping and return home to the US with stylish European clothing.

I suggest shopping online in the US. My experience with global brands is that US prices are significantly less that full retail in Europe and UK. Also, why turn your vacation into a scramble to find suitable clothes?

Living in Florida shouldn't preclude you from buying decent winter clothing as you can simply purchase what you want online.

My number one advice is merino wool. It's a natural product, breathable, wicking, anti-microbial (you can wear it a number of times without it smelling) and great at keeping you warm and cool. My favourite item of clothing is an Arc'teryx technical merino long sleeved top which I wear every day during winter during my morning dog walk/hikes. Sometimes it's all I need to wear beneath a waterproof and windproof jacket. If it's really cold then I'll top it up with a thicker, thermal merino baselayer.

October - November shouldn't be that cold in Hungary and Poland.
NW Germany and Scotland are never really cold either, but they get windy and wet so feel colder than what the thermometer would imply.

Waterproof hiking boots are an excellent idea, and I would have a waterproof outer layer. When I travel in areas that don't get below -5C (as would be the case here), I like to layer a waterproof + windproof shell jacket (I use a Patagonia Torrentshell) on top of a thin puffer jacket, and I can wear anything below.
Legs are rarely a problem for me as long as my feet are dry, but long johns take very little space in case.

As for shirts, lots of good tips already. Merino is expensive but you need fewer than synthetics because you can wear the same merino shirt 2-3 days without problems. This said, Uniqlo Heattech shirts really get the job done at a fraction of the price, and I don't find them particularly smelly. The least warm version should suffice.

One tip from Minnesota to Florida: since restaurants, buses, trains, airplanes, airports, shops, museums, etc. can be over-heated in winter, try not to wear warm layers that you can't remove in public. I never wear long underwear, for instance, if I know I'll be both outdoors and indoors.

Also, avoid wearing socks that are so thick that they constrict your feet inside your shoes or boots.

We travel to colder climates with inexpensive Columbia rain jackets with zippered pockets. They keep us dry and pretty warm because they don't breathe much. They don't take up much room. We layer with sweatshirts and gloves/beanies when it's very cold.

I would wait and get the winter items when you need them.

Like Jo, I like a long, warm coat that I can take off instead of heavy layering. My layering is only a long sleeve shirt with a vest. I have many, and one is similar to the one Mardee posted. I use footless tights if I want to layer under pants.

As another Minnesotan, I agree with Nancy. Unless I am standing outside for a long time, I wear a mid-weight merino wool sock from Darn Tough. Wanderlust Moncton Mid Winter Boot are my newest boots. For me, warm feet are really important.

I've been looking at rechargeable hand warmers based on other people telling me they work well. We do use Hot Hand products when needed. I usually wear a fleece neck gaiter and, of course, a beanie and mittens.

balso, one of the reasons i say go with the longjohns and the light coat and buy more if you get cold is that most I think over pack for the cold. Its just not that bad. They end up dragging all that stuff that they didnt need for three weeks. But it depends on the holiday plans. The guy that wants to hit ever museum in Vienna need a lot less than the guy thats going to go hiking.

THANK YOU all so very much for your suggestions, tips, advice. WOW! You have impressed me with the information and your kindness. It’s going to be an even better trip due to your help! 😁😁🥰🥰

Cheers!
- Ronda

Well, in return for information, you know we are going to want a Trip Report to say what outer and base layers you wound up with and how they worked, lol!!

Absolutely, Pam! Will do! :)
That's a fair trade! :)

Cheers!
- Ronda