Clothes (and weather ) tips for Bavaria in mid-late May

It varies year to year and depends on the elevation. Could be warm and sunny or cool and wet, or anything in between. Warm days to slightly cool evenings with some rain here and there are the most likely conditions. The Alps, the Alpine forelands, the Bayerischerwald and the Oberpfälzerwald tend to be slightly to significantly cooler than the rest of the state. Lower Bavaria (including Munich) and Lower Franconia (the NW part of the state) are generally the warmest regions, on average. A stray snow shower high in peaks of the Alps is not outside the realm of possibilities, but it will fall as rain at lower elevations.

The most accurate thing that can be said about Munich's weather is that it is changeable. I live in the Portland (Oregon) area, and find Munich's climate to be very similar.

Agreed - we were there first week of June last year and it was similar to San Francisco. Not warm, not cold, a little rainy. I wore capris and a light jacket most of the time.

Now I assume, like here, they also could have a heat wave... so I would dress in layers and be prepared for any weather.

We have been in Bavaria for a few days now and have had varied weather. It is 8am and drizzling, forecast to be cool. The last 2 days were warm with some clouds. Even when you are here the forecast may be wrong. We always pack layers where ever we go but we're sorry we did not pack our umbrellas on this trip. Plan for cool to warm, clouds to sun, dry to wet. That has been our experience. Is there any other weather left?

These clothing tips sure make it harder to pack light.

yes agreed on the packing! We are heading London, Scotland, Paris, and Amsterdam this August - need to plan on all kinds of weather.. so I think that is going to mean just one of each type of clothing! (one pants, one skirt, one light jacket, one rain jacket).... challenging! :)

Last Oct I had sunny upper 70's in Italy and cloudy, misty upper 50's & low 60's in Paris. I purposely wore my boots & heavier coat on the plane and stowed the coat in the overhead and added my light weight rain coat rolled up in my carry on satchel. It always a challenge to keep that wt. down in the suitcase.

Carol -- Are you sure you're not in Portland? :)

I pack a fleece sweatshirt and an insulated windbreaker-type jacket from Columbia Sportswear. They're both lightweight, and when worn together they can handle just about any foreseeable weather.

You can visit this site to view historical weather data on any date and most places/areas you'll be traveling. http://english.wunderground.com/ Very useful for seeing how much rain they've had the past few years on your dates of travel! From the info I've found on our trip to Bavaira in mid-June, there will be clouds and rain at some point most days.

From the info I've found on our trip to Bavaira in mid-June, there will be clouds and rain at some point most days.

Once again, let me emphasize... it varies greatly from year to year. Yearly averages tell you little unless you consider the standard deviation.

For May in Bayern be ready for 50F and cool rain to 80F and sun during the day. The Kalte Sophie or last freeze of the year is usually around mid May (time to plant the garden plants afterwards). I would recommend a sweater and a light rain jacket that can be worn over the sweater. Bring a short sleeve shirt and maybe shorts too. In May the weather can really swing. Two days 80F then cool 60Fs the rest of the week. Hard to predict what you will get.