Packing Light for a European City Break: The Christmas Market Edition

In these days of ever-increasing airline checked luggage costs, Mr Fletche and I find ourselves travelling carry-on only more often than not. Which is relatively easy for a sunshine break with light clothing. But what about packing for a winter European City Break? This year we visited Gdańsk in Poland, to enjoy the local culture (if culture equals vodka and pierogies) and visit the Christmas Markets. So what did we pack in our carry-on cases for our yuletide getaway, to stay warm without sacrificing style? Get ready to soak up the magic of the European Christmas markets with my top packing tips!

We flew Ryanair again (yes, I know 🤦‍♀️) and paid for priority boarding, which entitled us to a 10kg cabin case AND an under-seat item. I can’t recommend the Travel Hack backpack enough. I even managed to pack for three days in Lisbon JUST using this backpack!

The right footwear

The correct footwear is the most important element for any trip. Get it wrong, and you’ll be limping around miserably, possibly with sore, cold and wet feet. Get it right, and you’ll be a happy smug bunny, ready to skip around those Christmas markets well into the evening.

For a Christmas Market trip. especially if there’s a possibility of snow, you’ll definitely want to bring a pair of waterproof fur-lined boots that sit snug around the leg. And so you’re not tottering around like Bambi on ice, they’ll need to have a good grip too. Thick soles are vital too to make it comfortable walking around those cute cobblestoned streets.

These are the boots I purchased from Mountain Warehouse for this trip. And they were SO comfy and warm. If you can find boots that look smart as well as sturdy, you’ll hopefully only need to bring one set of footwear. You’ll definitely want to wear your bulkiest shoes to travel so you don’t take up valuable carry-on space.

If it looks like it’ll remain dry, pack comfortable black or white pumps/trainers that’ll go with everything. If you’ll be walking a lot, it often feels good to switch into a second pair of shoes.

The right outerwear

Like footwear, your outerwear can also make or break your trip – if your feet are warm and dry, you want the rest of your body to be warm and dry too! Less is more though when it comes to heavy clothes.

If you’ve read my packing tips before, you’ll know about my obsession with layers. If you’re going to be moving from outdoors to indoors, you don’t want to be stripping off a heavy coat every time you go inside. A big bulky jacket will have you breaking out in a sweat if you as much as look at chestnuts roasting on an open fire. For a Christmas Market trip, I recommend FOUR layers for your top half. Yep, four:

• A thin thermal long-sleeved top
• A long-sleeve jumper or overshirtshirt
• A light fleece or down jacket
• A waterproof outer layer with a hood.

I actually bought a “3-in-1” jacket, which took care of the last two layers in one go. I’ve only just worked out that that means you can wear them separately (2 coats) or together (1 coat), meaning 3 options.

The right clothing

Leave behind any low necklines or cropped tops – you don’t want to expose any more skin than necessary when it’s cold out! A warm scarf will take care of any exposed skin, and of course you can wrap it around your nose and mouth too.

If you prefer a dress or skirt, consider fleece-lined leggings or layering two pairs of tights. Snag are great for funky colours, and you can even layer a fishnet pair over a strong coloured pair. I do have some fleece lined “fake” tights, but the pair I have come up very small and I end up constantly having to hitch them up. My fleece lined leggings are from Primark and they are AMAZING. I wore them on their own during the day, or under wide leg jeans on one particularly chilly evening.

Jeans are always a great option for going from day to night. Skinny jeans can be tucked into woolly socks and boots; if you prefer a wide-legged pair, you can pop a pair of thermal tights or leggings underneath. Remember though that they may not be the best option if it rains or snows – denim gets ridiculously heavy when wet! And if you’re “petite” like me floor-skimming jeans or trousers on a rainy day can be particularly tricky.

Don’t forget you’ll probably want to slip into cosy pyjamas after a hard evening sipping mulled-everything at those Christmas markets 😉

The right accessories

If you’re taking just one coat with you, the best way to transform your look daily is with accessories. Switching up accessories will make it look like you’ve packed a lot more outfits than you have! I’m a big woolly hat fan, so I packed two in different colours. I took a nice thick blanket-scarf too, although sometimes that just made me feel too bulky. In Gdańsk we found plenty of stores and market stalls selling warm accessories so you could save on packing and buy as a cute souvenir instead. Just remember you have to either pack them or wear them to travel home!

Warm gloves or mittens are a must. I tended to wear lambswool fingerless mitts underneath thermal lined gloves. That meant on the frequent photo-taking occasions my hands stayed reasonably warm. Better still, buy phone compatible gloves! If you’re prone to chilly hands, I thoroughly recommend rechargeable hard warmers which also double up as a portable phone charger. Mine are similar to these, and are one of the first things I pack when I go away, whatever the time of year!

If you’re planning on carrying a bag around with you, make sure it goes on easily with your mountain of layers! I had plenty of pockets on my coat – and Mr Fletche had a camera bag with him – so I never ended up taking a bag out with me. It’s handy to pop a foldable tote bag in your case too, perfect for souvenir shopping or buying supplies. A European Christmas market break may mean unpredictable weather days, so think about slipping in sunglasses and an umbrella.

A word about jewellery

Keep your jewellery simple – with all this putting on and removal of hats, scarves and gloves you don’t want to risk catching delicate jewellery! If your hat covers your ears, make sure any earrings underneath are comfortable and aren’t digging into your skin.

Check out my guides to the Christmas Markets in Aachen, Vienna and Cologne – Gdańsk Christmas Market Guide to follow soon!

Packing Tips – for European Christmas Markets and beyond!

• Lay out all the stuff you think you may need to pack and put outfits together for each day and evening. Make sure each item goes with at least two others from your packing pile to give you plenty of choice. Often you’ll end up putting some clothes back so its a great way to stop yourself from overpacking.
• As your outerwear and footwear are key, make sure they go with each of your chosen outfits. It’s no good putting together three or four outfits and then having to pack different shoes for each combination. Your packing needs to revolve around these key items, not the other way round.
• Remember to wear your bulkiest stuff on the plane to maximise your packing capacity. Lay out your travel outfit first so you know what you need to pack! A coat with big pockets gives you somewhere to stuff gloves and a hat too!
• If you’re travelling carry-on only you’ll have to restrain yourself when it comes to souvenir buying! Or make sure you leave a little space for all those Christmas tree decorations, gingerbread people and fridge magnets 🤣

• Take into account any specific activities you might be participating in. If you’re planning on a visit to a spa. or your hotel has a pool or jacuzzi, remember swimming gear and flip-flops; or if you’re planning a fancy evening out or dancing into the wee hours pack accordingly – but still remember that you’ll need sensible/warm outerwear for travelling to and from the venue!
• If you’re packing a second pair of shoes, make sure you use the space and stuff as much as you can into them! Underwear, socks, gloves, hats & jewellery are all perfect for small spaces. My manager recently used a packing hack by filling a neck pillow with lots of soft small clothing items – what a great idea!

My European Christmas Market Packing List

• Skinny jeans
• Two pairs of fleece-lined leggings
• 2 jumpers
• Thermal insulated gloves
• Converse style pumps
• Four pairs of socks
• One scarf
• 2 Woolly hats
• 2 thermal long-sleeved tops
• 1 denim overshirt
• 2 t-shirts
• 1 vest top
• Crossbody handbag
• Undies & pyjamas

What I wore to travel:

• 2-in-1 waterproof jacket
• Wide leg jeans
• Sweatshirt
• Waterproof lined boots

Things I didn’t need. Two pairs of jeans – I lived in my fleece-lined leggings. A handbag – too bulky so I shoved everything in pockets. A second pair of shoes – I lived in my warm boots. HOWEVER it was nice to throw something lighter on for breakfast and my fake converse pumps were also perfect for climbing the 411 winding narrow steps of St Mary’s Basilica tower. My travel hair straighteners – I was in a hat most of the time!

Things I was glad of: a lighter denim overshirt/T-shirt combo for layering rather than sitting in bars/restaurants sweltering in a heavy jumper.

Final thoughts

Packing for a European Christmas Market city break needn’t be stressful. Your key pieces will be warm waterproof shoes and outerwear. Want to know a secret though? Only you and your travel companion will see what’s underneath your coat so don’t worry about packing too many different outfits!

Reading this in summertime? Don’t forget to bookmark/pin for your next European Christmas market break!