Late Nov. - Mid Dec. Weather in Bavaria

The answer is layer dressing and if it's wet, cold and windy, you'll be glad you brought your silk long johns and silk long-sleeved undershirt. I always bring a couple of cashmere turtle necks and a warm fleece, warm socks, gloves, hat, scarf. All this stuff packs light and not bulky. Once I had bought a long winter coat to wear to Germany in December. Wore it less than a dozen times in years to come and now rely on jackets with insulated lining and a hood. There's also a pair of lined wool pants in my closet that only get worn on trips North. Strangely enough, pantyhose under ordinary slacks or jeans also keep you warm. Ankle boots are in this year; I'd get a pair with a walking heel I could wear warm socks with or a dark colored pair of walking/running shoes. Outfitted like that, you'd be prepared for snow, should it arrive. Take your sun glasses for bright days or sun on snow. Land's End and LL Bean are good sources for silk undies, by the way. Check out their websites.

In Munich during Dec 10 - 20 over the last 14 years, the average daily low temp has been 27 and the average high (say at 4pm) has been 37. So the most likely expectation would be day time temps in the low to mid 30's. "Snow" is mentioned about 70 out of 150 days, but it's not clear if that's snow showers, snow on the ground, or what. This is a summary from a data base of about 150 days, Dec 10 to 20 for the last 14 years. You can get the details for Munich, and the same for your other locations, at this site: http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp, input your location and time span.

Thanks to both of you! I checked that site, but I like to hear people's experiences with the weather. Any suggestions on good footwear? I was looking at Sorel boots for winter weather...but then again, I'm worried that basic new balance sneakers might be fine. The packing list is great...but not as helpful for winter weather.

Sounds good, glad we could help. Personal experience is great for lots of things here, but anecdotal personal experience has real limits when it comes to what the most likely weather is going to be in Munich 3 months from now. So I'll suggest you're better off having both the "yep, I was there once in December and the weather was x" AND the 150 days of historical data, since weather can vary greatly from year to year. And in the end, no one knows what the weather will be in Munich 3 months from now, it's all averages and SWAG's.

Kirsten, I have spent a fair amount of time walking downtown and waiting at bus stops here in Germany and I think you are right to focus on footwear. If your feet are warm and comfortable you can stand a lot. I wear leather shoes or ankle boots that have a comfortable walking sole. Usually the low-cut shoes are sufficient, but I'm especially partial to the ankle boots when it's wet and sloppy. I wear wool blend socks with them and I also put a thermal shoepad into them, but I'm not sure how available those are in the US. Currently, I have a pair of low boots by Ecco that fit the bill. They are flexible and have comfy soles. The brand is just a personal preference and it's more important to find something that works for you than to choose the brand on someone else's recommendation. ........Regarding undies, I prefer the silk vest or camisole to the long-sleeved variety. The long-sleeved ones are great outside, but when I come inside I just roast. I find inside many building here to be quite warm in the winter. But again, that is just a personal preference.

I always travel to Europe End of Nov to Mid Dec. I experienced cold weather mixed with rainy and sunny days in Germany. I wore an under long sleeve shirt, another long sleeve shirt or sweater, a runners/joggers winter coat by northface (thin but insulates real well), gloves (every now and then, hard to work camera), and scarf. I wore Jeans, smart wool socks and waterproof winter walking boots by Keen. This is my Europe uniform. And it has worked for me every time. Once in awhile, I would have to add a hooddie to my uniform, like in Prague or Rothenburg at night. I have never been wronged by this dressing ritual. Oh and an umbrella is in my bag at all times.