My husband and I will be traveling Mid May to Mid June to Zurich, Lake Como, Milan, Verona, Venice, and back to Switzerland to Grindelwald and Murren. I feel like I need to pack for two seasons! It can be warm in Venice and cold in the Alps. We're doing the Alps at the end, doing Italy in the beginning. I really want to pack as light as possible. We are staying with friends in Zurich, so could leave clothes there and just take what I need to Italy. We'll be gone a month. Advice?
Posted by
San Diego, California
7108 posts
Layers, including (the favorite here) 32 Degrees base layer tops (Costco), and a packable down jacket, package knee-length raincoat, and waterproof a pair of shoes.
My advice- enjoy all of these wonderful places! Safe travels!
Posted by
the great P-NW
606 posts
In a similar situation, I put my puffer jacket in a vacuum seal-type bag, to help with packing small.
Posted by
6855 posts
You have a perfect solution to leave a bag with friends--were you definitely going to come back through Zurich?
I would pack two bags, one with the warmer stuff to leave with friends, and your regular size carry-on for Italy. While you may need a light jacket/cardigans in evenings in Italy, I would definitely not want to drag my wool base layers around.
Posted by
Washington DC
30614 posts
Thanks to a suggestion on this forum, I now rely heavily on 96% (or similar) nylon slacks from companies like PrAna, Eddie Bauer and Columbia. They are not waterproof, but they do a good job of shedding water--especially important since I normally travel with just a waterproof rain jacket rather than a full-length coat. When it's going to be chilly, I wear a merino-wool underlayer, which helps keep me comfortable. I regretted not having worn the merino long john bottoms last September when I went up to the Alpe di Siusi. The nylon pants, alone, don't provide great wind protection. Eddie Bauer sells a fleece-lined version of the nylon pants; they're nice to have in chillier weather, but regular pants with a separate underlayer are a lot more versatile and a better option for a multi-climate trip.
My usual warm layer is rather lightweight fleece jacket. On some trips I toss a packable down jacket into my suitcase. It only rarely gets warm, but it doesn't weigh much. I am cold-natured and hate even the idea of being cold.