packing help

We have been in the Swiss Alps (both Lauterbrunnen and Zermatt) in late-Sept/early-Oct when it was so cold in the morning I had to go out and buy a base layer to wear under my jeans. Then a couple of days later we were having lunch outdoors in the sun and stripping down to short-sleeved t-shirts. So layers. Jeans, base layer, SS top, sweater, windbreaker are good. I like a trail shoe but as long as you are not in flip flops or smooth-soled shoes, any athletic show should suffice. Columbia has some nice light hikers that I use also for city wear when traveling.

I've also been in that area up until about mid-October, and very much doubt you'll need long underwear. If the sun is out, the days should be quite pleasant, but it may get chilly in the evenings. I'd suggest taking clothes that can be layered and using as many layers as you need to stay comfortable. Of course packing some rain gear would probably also be a good idea.

I often only take one pair of shoes to Europe, and those suffice for both city use as well as light hiking. I'll leave it to the ladies on the forum to suggest shoes that you can try, but if your husband is interested, this is what I wear.....

https://www.amazon.com/ECCO-Mens-Track-Gore-Tex-Oxford/dp/B000H73XU0

Windbreaker - no; some waterproof outer layer, yes. A popular one is the Marmot PreCip, so take a look to get an idea. In fact I don't go anywhere, anytime of year, without a light waterproof jacket.

We were there in Sept and it was downright hot during the day and cool at night. Its in the mountains, so weather is always unpredictable.

Some people believe jeans are uncomfortable because of weight and being hard to dry when wet. Your call on that.

The thing about jeans is they are probably useful for the rest of your trip, right? I prefer hiking pants for a hiking trip, but with your Med cruise destination you need some wardrobe flexibility and hopefully won't have to pack too many items of limited use. Jeans are acceptable in most settings; hiking pants less so.

As to water-proof or -resistant jackets, that is ideal, but if you take only a sweater and a windbreaker (and assuming you are not taking 6 or 8-mile hikes at high elevations where weather might change quickly) keep an eye on the forecast and consider buying a cheap rain poncho locally if you need to layer up for possible rain.

Definitely layer! We were there last September; my sister wore her light-weight silk underwear under her hiking pants. Keep in mind, she wears those underwear almost all winder in Sacramento! I had my rain pants on over my hiking pants for the extra warmth. Layers allow you to take light-weight clothes that pack easily rather than jeans if you won't be needing the jeans anywhere else on the trip. By the way, it was not really cold in the Valley, and wonderfully brisk but not too cold mid-way up where we hiked. We did not go to the high peaks so I do not know what you would need there. We ate a lovely lunch in partly sunny skies staring at the Monch, the Eiger and the Jungfrau!

Thanks everyone for the excellent recommendations. This forum is great, everyone is so helpful!

A few further thoughts....

I wouldn't suggest taking Jeans as if the weather is hot during the day, they will probably be quite uncomfortable. In addition to that, Jeans are not as easy to launder while travellling so not as practical. You might consider some type of lighter "travel" clothing. You could have a look at zip-off pants from Ex-Officio, Tilley or other travel clothing suppliers.