When the weather doesn't cooperate

Hot chocolate in the land of chocolate should take away all the cold. Hope you enjoy your time there.

Frank; we were in Lucerne a few weeks ago there are several sporting goods stores including Jack Wolfskin, Sherpa Outdoor etc. When I was in the Sherpa store they appeared to carry a lot of different sizes in gear.

Frank 11,
Thank you for sharing your experience. It is a good reminder, and reaffirmation for those of us who are weather obsessed when packing....but, even then surprises happen.

It is amazing how one can sometimes "make do" in a pinch. On a trip to The Baltics, we experienced a sudden record low June temp period in St. Petersburg....how I wished I had packed gloves. What did I do? I wore a pair of black socks over my hands, and had fun holding up my "sock puppets" in a few photos, which will remind me of how darn cold it was years from now when we look at photos. Blankets can also be fashioned in reasonable ways for "travel survival."

I've often been told that if the feet, head and hands are warm, the body will feel warmer, so take extra care with them.

Layer on everything you own, and have fun................

And that is why I had to buy an overpriced fleece in Munich in September last year! Mild autumn had its early-winter face on. I take light gloves to the mountains even in July.

We do power on though, don’t we? Hope the weather turns out better than predicted!

Now I know what you are thinking.......they sell thermals in Lucerne.
I'm sure they do but I wear a larger size--I'm a big guy--and that is
not easy to find in Europe.

This is going to be fun.

Maybe a flask in your windbreaker pocket? Just an idea. :-)

I know you are resourceful and I know you won't let the weather put too big a damper on either your spirits or your sightseeing. Taking all that into account, I will just say that you are in the Alps and I'm at home at my computer.

ENJOY!

I’ve started traveling with a down coat compressed into a little pouch. It was very well used when we had snow in Bologna (in mid March) and Chicago (in late April).

That’s why I always travel with a sensible sized check in bag, so that I can hopefully cover all eventualities clothes-wise! Last Friday in the U.K. was 26 degrees in Kent and tomorrow is forecast to be 5.5 degrees daytime temperatures. Europe is experiencing strange weather this year. Be prepared for anything is the new norm.

Look for the
Saint Bernard with the brandy cask...

That's what happened to us one trip - it was mild in France (it was early Oct), but when we got to England - it was freezing. Hubby and I both bought a fleece pullover - and we still use them to this day, so that was OK. I rem we had to switch trains to get to London - nowhere inside to wait and dusk. We weren't fast enough changing trains and had to wait 45 min or so for the next one. I was so cold, I dug out that fleece that we had bought the day before in Portsmouth (thank God) and it still took me awhile to stop shivering.

Also reminds me of last year when we went to Amsterdam - arrival day was beautiful, then the temp dropped and the winds picked up. I'd only taken my light summer jacket (it was April) but luckily had packed the aforementioned fleece we bought years ago in the UK - but even with a tshirt, fleece and jacket I was still frozen a few days - especially at Kinderdijk. I was cursing not having packed some light gloves (and none to be found in April). By the time we got to Paris less than two weeks later, it was so warm there, I was out in my t-shirt and got a bit of a sunburn one day!

Yep, took out the long-sleeved shirt last year for my end of April visit to Paris in an effort to reduce my suitcase weight and it was 33F when we landed. Lesson learned. I only needed it for a couple of days but I would have been SO much more comfortable.

Next trip is mid-May and including the long sleeved shirt, light gloves and a buff.

Emma, apparently it is a brand of headwear........I had no idea, so I Googled:

http://www.buffwear.com/

Think "Survivor": "drop your buffs".

Follow Up......

Never trust your weather app.

For years, I have used Yahoo Weather. It has usually been right. It told me that when I get into the Alps.....Lauterbrunnen, Zermatt, etc......to expect temperatures in th e mid 30's and snow.

But when I got to Luzern, I was chatting with the person at my hotel's reception and told him my woes considering it was in the 70's there. He said that didn't sound right and looked it up. No, it should be mid 50's and rain.

So I checked two other apps and they concurred with the hotel.

I'm now in Lauterbrunnen. It was in the mid 50's today with a few drizzles. The mountains higher up have snow and the train ride was beautiful.

Yahoo weather you let me down. But then considering how the rest of Yahoo is doing I should have known.

Glad it didn't ruin your trip! Traveling in "shoulder season" is alway a challenge especially when you travel carry on only.
Since we prefer to travel in the spring and fall I always pack a few items regardless of what the weather reports say:
1. heattech leggings and camisole
2. a scarf
3. waterproof jacket
4. thin insulating jacket.
5. gloves.
6. 2 short sleeved t shirts,

All these items have, over time, more than earned their spot on my list!!!

Actually you can wear the Buff as a neck gaiter. I have them in summer weight for sun protection and winter weight for cold. I'll take the summer weight one but if it's chilly it will keep your neck warm or can be pulled up over your ears or face if it's really cold.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neck_gaiter

I always prefer to use the meteorological office of the country I am visiting, as I have found this to be more accurate than Yahoo, BBC weather (OK for the UK) or Wunderground etc. So in Spain, it’s Aemet, IPMA for Portugal and the Met Office for the UK.

It was too cold last May in Burgundy/Alsace/Champagne, so I decided to go to Southwest France in early June this year. I hope it's not too hot.

I always pack a good warm layer and a rain shell, if nothing else for the flight over. I check the forecast to decide whether I'll need a second warm layer. I also pack a knit cap, more for bad hair days than anything else. I usually wouldn't bring gloves or a scarf. If needed, I pick them up locally - same with an umbrella.

If you can find them, my favorite thermals are the silk ones. Very warm and take up no room/weight at all in your bag.