Packing advice for our Christmas Market trip

You are packing heavier than we do under similar situations. With the long underwear, we find that our exterior clothing does not get as "dirty" as it would in the summer time when we are sweating more. Second, my wife has ditched her long, heavy, coat as not needed. With the long underwear, lined pants, etc., the lower half never gets cold. The long, bulky coat was a pain to deal with when not wearing it or inside. She now uses a waist length, light weight jacket over either a heavy or medium weight fleece vest as needed. More flexible. Of course, a good stocking cap, scarf, and gloves are critical. We have reduced the number of outfit changes to three from four or five for summer travel. We don't have as many changes in the winter. One pair of a good, water-proof, shoe with good wool socks. Just assume you will be walking in snow everyday. Tennis shoes are out.

IMHO you’ve forgotten lightweight turtlenecks.

When I travel in the UK in Fall and December I’m grateful for my SmartWool ones. Also wear SmartWool socks.

I also love the puffer vest I got on Amazon. 2 interior pockets are perfect to carry iPhone, travel wallet and eye glass case. There are 2 exterior pockets for keys and Kleenex packets.

Forgot to mention the puffer vest rolls up and fits into it’s own bag.

I'm no fashion plate when I travel, but these are the "fashion notes" I took in 2022 at Frankfurt area Christmas Markets, where I noticed the gals wearing "leggings with warm boots, knit headbands to keep your ears warm, hair in a ponytail."

Saw it everywhere!

These are my notes about my own clothes: "I'm very glad I brought my good ski gloves: the cheap gloves are no match. Thank heavens for leggings and millions of layers. I could use my warmer ski hat. The cute color coordinated one is just barely sufficient." (ya' think? LOL) I also noted that I should bring my warmest scarf on future trips.

The temps that trip were in the low 30's to low 40's. My notes say that "the tiny bit of precipitation is cold raindrops instead of light snow, which might be preferable." It became a thick slush near the curbs. And I was very glad to have 2 pairs of boots so that one pair could dry out (inside or out) while I wore the other pair.

Please keep in mind that these comments are from a now-California girl who grew up in Ohio and Colorado but is no longer used to the cold. You can bet I'm bringing the warm ski gear this trip!

From Idaho, I'm sure you'll be much better prepared, Jean!

Vienna weather isn't any different than where I live, so ..... I do spend half the day outside, its a pedestrian city so you sort of have to. Tge cold here just isn't that bad. If the temperature drops below 45F which between 9am and 10pm which isnt often before mid January, I wear light long-john's, tops and bottoms and a medium weight sweater or even just a shirt. My coat is a midweight down jacket. I have something heavier, but never need it. The key to me staying warm is a scarf and cap.

My feet always get cold indoors in the winter, and I don’t like wearing dirty boots or shoes indoors. So maybe a warm pair of slipper socks? Or lightweight foldup slippers? I never travel without something warm for my feet indoors.

Also, those chemical hot packs for inside mittens and under socks can make a huge difference on a cold wet day. Speaking of, I much prefer mittens to gloves, my hands stay much warmer.

You know the Europeans will all be wearing scarves around their necks under their coats…and I find they do make a difference. You can get one here if you decide you need it.

Have a great trip!

Jean when I used to live in and visit Budapest (and the rest of Mitteleuropa), I found silk long sock liners essential to keeping my feet (not warm but at least tolerable). And I am not a person who normally minds the cold.

So that is my recommendation - silk sock liners !

We have found the knit hats bought in Europe are warmer than what you find in the US. It will make a good souvenir for yourself too! You also definitely need a scarf.
Foot warmers have been our best cold weather find. You peel off a strip and stick them to the bottom of your socks, put on your waterproofed shoes or boots and you don’t have cold feet all day! Look for them in a sports shop that sells ski stuff or look online. We don’t bother with the hand warmers anymore but always take the foot warmers.

I've been tracking the temps for my trip. The forecast doesn't go out far enough for my dates in Vienna, but perhaps for yours:
https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Innere+Stadt+Vienna+1010+Austria?canonicalCityId=b515bedae6e6b9027834ce93fdff4138

Vienna daytime highs for the 10-14 day view are mid and high 30's, perhaps touching 40F.

I am leaving in a few weeks for Germany and I was wondering if anyone has any esperience wearing flannel lined blue jeans. I was planning on packing because they are warm,

What do you wear for a day outside at home? That’s what you’ll want. Personally, I would find an alternate to the tennis shoes. They will not be warm enough and IF they get wet, you will be miserable. A sturdy shoe, comfortable for walking with good, warm socks might be preferable.
Definitely need a warm scarf that can be placed over your head in addition to your hat. Vienna can have some severely cold winds off the surrounding plains. Love the hand warmer addition-they can be life savers. A girlfriend found she liked the warmers that are placed on the small of your back. We had a rather bitter cold Christmas in London and she appreciated them.
Did I see the word “suitcase”? No Cotopaxi this trip? There must be some serious shopping planned! Have a wonderful, wonderful trip.
We just returned from Bologna with a weekend in Venice where they were beginning to hang the different sestiere lights over the canals. Now I want to go there for a Christmas!

When we went in 2011 temperatures were right around freezing. I’ve taken the Panorama Sound of Music tour 3 times and enjoyed it. Note that tour buses can’t go many pkaces in Salzburg’s old town so many of the movie sites you will need to see on foot. Rewatching the movie before you go helps to identify them.

Also consider doing the Salt Mine tour to Hallein. Check to see if there is still a combo ticket that includes train, bus, and entry

SJS just made me look. You are from Idaho. It might be warmer in Vienna. https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/81358~2142/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Vienna-and-Boise

I live in Vienna. I think this might be too many layers. It’s cold here but it’s not the arctic. I went to three markets on Sunday and wore jeans, running shoes a sweatshirt and a jacket. No gloves, no hat. I was fine. But that’s just me.

Wow, thank you for all of the replies so quickly! I really appreciate each one!

I’ve been watching temperatures, and the farthest for the 10-day one for Vienna is 29-35, coming off of three days of rain. And Salzburg is 17-34 with a few previous days of snow. My daughter has an autoimmune disorder that affects her feeling cold, so I want to ensure she’s toasty in the evenings.

Yes, the Cotopaxi is staying home during this trip because I want to bring a backpack as my personal item - for shopping treasures! The Cotopaxi will be traveling again to Spain in three months.