Packing for 12-day Swiss Tour end of September 2025

I haven’t taken the tour, but have been to Switzerland and wished for sunscreen and a sun hat. That mountain sun is hot!! I also left my puffer coat home once and missed having that for the cool mountain mornings. So, now I always pack for both cool and warm temps. And rain of course.

I just returned from this tour, June 3-14, and wrote a trip report under Trip Reports.

Title of my report is “Switzy Fun, Best of Switzerland Tour Report”. I’m not sure how to add the link here.

Definitely bring sunscreen and a hat, I needed both throughout the trip but especially in the mountains.
It was warmish and I wished I had packed more tops of the cool technical fabric. I get warm just by walking outside in the elements even if the temperatures are in the 70’s or 80’s.

You will have a great time on this exciting tour!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/switzy-fun-a-best-of-switzerland-trip-report

This is the link to Switzy Fun! A Best of Switzerland Trip Report.

Enjoy,
Judy B

We have experienced temps from mid-40s to mid-80s in late September in Switzerland. I’ve had to buy a base payer to wear under my hiking pants as well as a shortsleeved hiking shirt when the temps were too high for my merino and fleece. Now I take at least one SS easy-dry shirt as well as my silk base layer to cover the extremes. And my handy packable puffer and gloves, too.

I strongly recommend the lightest weight Merino wool shirts (merino.tech and unbound are both good) - a couple of long-sleeved and a couple of short-sleeved shirts will get you through 12 days easily, especially if you also take a long-sleeve hooded fleece, a light rain jacket (for rain and as an extra layer) and a nice top for evening dinners. (If you tend to get chilly, make one of the merino shirts a medium-weight.) The Merino shirts don't get smelly, wash in the basin and dry overnight, layer wonderfully, and go from 40 degrees to 90 degrees F, as I can attest from my experience with that range on safari in South Africa last summer. A nice pair of leggings that you can also layer, and another pair of nicer slacks for city wear. Also a microtowel (remember the Hitchhikers Guide...), a set of utensils and a few extra ziplock baggies. If this sounds too casual for your taste, dress up the shirt and slacks vibe with a colorful scarf or two. A small travel clothes line and soap for handwashing in your hotel, TWO pair of shoes if you are going to be walking a lot, and you are set.

An alternative to two pairs of shoes is interchangeable inserts. Change inserts daily to keep the shoe dry on the inside.

I will be on the same trip in September and just bought a pair of Eddie Bauer Horizon pants from Costco for the trip. They are water resistant and I wanted to have a pair of pants in case of rain. I also purchased a few "Dry on the Fly" shirts on sale from Duluth Trading Company in anticipation of doing laundry in my bathroom sink. Getting excited for the trip!

We have been doing 3 week bike & boat trips with just carryon, so lots of washing. We pack a few 2.5 gallon ziplock bags to do laundry in. It allows you to swoosh around the clothes and works well and doesn’t take up any room or add weight. I have become obsessive with weight and so many sinks are just so small.

Good tip. Thank you!