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Amsterdam - need help with coat choice

I'll be in Amsterdam at the end of March/early April. Yes, I'm bringing layers, but which layers is what I'm grappling with. I'm going minimalist this time so everything has to be a necessity; I can't bring it "just in case".

I was all set to wear a soft shell jacket but it's been warmer than usual in my area and when looking at the temperatures in Amsterdam, I'm now concerned that a soft shell might be too hot. It has a light fleece texture on the inside. Normally I wear the soft shell when it's in the 40s. It's not warm enough for 30s but it's a bit too hot for the 50s. It's 56 in my area today with the sun shining and I had on a light jacket with a sweater underneath.

Could someone who's currently in that area comment on how the weather feels? Will I need a soft shell, or is it mild enough to wear a rain jacket with a sweater underneath?

I'm bringing other layers as well, but the outer jacket/coat is my main concern.

I don't have anything that's "in between" a soft shell jacket and a rain jacket.

Posted by
2972 posts

I would just bring the rain jacket. When we were there in February, we were in Iceland first and then Amsterdam, and I only took my rain jacket and did layers like usual.

Posted by
2822 posts

Hmmm, I thought I had decided what to bring on the Belgium & Netherlands tour in early April based on the RS documents that said blustery/chilly weather was likely.
I planned to bring a lined Eddie Bauer trench instead of an unlined rain shell.
Now I'm not sure. The EB trench was actually perfect in NYC last April.

Posted by
1743 posts

“ Could someone who's currently in that area comment on how the weather feels?”

The weather in the Netherlands changes every day and is very unpredictable. How it feels now, says nothing about how it will feel at the end of the month. Last weekend, it felt like spring or even summer. The sun was shining, it was nice and warm and everyone was sitting outside in the parks and on the outdoor terraces of cafes and restaurants. Today, just 3 days later, the temperature has dropped significantly and I’m back to wearing my thick winter coat and my gloves again.
Bottomline; check back again closer to your departure date and you get a better idea of what the weather might feel like.

Posted by
1165 posts

We did the RS Holland & Belgium last mid April. We had freezing windy weather, and then a perfect sunny warm spring day on our visit to Keukenhof Gardens! But on the day we were near Flanders Field in Belgium I've never been so cold; sleet/rain/wind. (I'm from SoCal so everything below 64 is really cold; but I'm not exaggerating.) I still marvel at our local guide's stamina and ability to speak to us and concentrate while we were outside freezing.