Once in a while we deviate from the directly finance related content on here to write a post I or a friend really needed on the internet but couldn’t find.

Today I bring you what to pack for a week in Switzerland in August.

This may sound straightforward but it turned out that packing to go to Switzerland in August is a lot like the issues we had with packing to go to Iceland in August (which you can read about here).

The problem was that the weather varied from 83 to 37 degrees over the 5 days we were there. To make this problematic weather even better, I flew from London on a budget airline so I was going to have to either make it work with a carry on or shell out almost as much as my ticket cost for a checked bag.

Spoiler: Another friend was flying with me and we wound up splitting a single checked bag. However, I do believe this would’ve been doable on my part with a carry on and some very careful planning.

My packing started with the basics: underwear, socks, and PJs. I threw in a bathing suit since one hotel was supposed to have a hot tub. It did not get worn.  

I also packed two pairs of jeans, a green romper, and a pair of black leggings. I packed five t-shirts, two sweaters, and a cardigan.

If we hadn’t splurged on the single check bag, I could’ve cut the jumpsuit and one of the sweaters and been just fine. Layers were really key, especially since we were often moving between elevations – which varied on the mountains – and even though we didn’t do any proper hikes, there was still a fair bit of hiking just to get from point to point on the mountains. We also finished each down in towns like Zurich, Lucerne and Thun, where the weather was much warmer.

I also wore my big, waterproof winter coat onto the plane (well, technically I held it and carried it on with me). This was absolutely crucial for the top of Grindelwald First in the rain.

For shoes, I packed a newish pair of waterproof sneakers, the trusty old Tieks, and the same boots I bought to wear to Iceland – Columbia Women’s Heavenly Organza II Omni-Heat Boot.

Friends, those boots are so good. I have been wearing them for 5 years now and they are rockstars. I have hiked all over in them and they are comfortable. I froze my butt, but not my toes, off at the circus in them. I went to Hungary and got bedbugs in them, threw them in the washing machine and they survived (the shoelaces did not, but that was easily remedied).

They have been a superb purchase.

The Tieks could’ve been left at home. I stubbornly wore them on the last day because I packed them and hadn’t worn them and it rained and I was wet and cold and sad and should’ve just worn my boots again. Silly me.

Jacket-wise I packed a heavier, waterproof ski jacket and a lightweight waterproof windbreaker.

I brought a heavier winter jacket that I usually ski in that was very good for the top of rainy Grindelwald First. It was also waterproof. One of my BFF’s forgot her winter coat and borrowed my red Wantdo Hooded Ultra Weight Down Jacket that I bought to go to Iceland and while it was warm enough, it was not waterproof, so less than ideal for her.

My magic Nau Cranky Jackey that I thought was a silly hipster fad in 2018 has also continued to be a rockstar purchase. It is waterproof, lightweight and warm without getting hot. It also made the trip to Switzerland and was useful on nice days at the top of the mountain. It’s still quite a breeze up there even when the sun is shining.

If I were to repack again, I’d leave the Tieks home and I would’ve packed a winter hat and gloves. We rode this amazing and ridiculous giant flying eagle thing on the top of Grindelwald First and we were all completely frozen afterwards, especially our hands.

Some other packing items that made life better:

Packing cubes. Always packing cubes. I have loved them a long time. I bought some fancy eBags very early into the existence of packing cubes and while they are a very ugly neon green, they have held up incredibly well from years of travel (I bought them when I still worked on cruise ships) and they are very easy to find thanks to their vibrant color.

One of my BFFs also uses packing cubes and she bought a knock off brand at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx which have been working fine for a few years now.

We brough European two pronged adaptors but Switzerland needs a special adaptor. Their plugs are inset, so you need a two or three pronged plug that sort of sticks out of whatever you are trying to plug into. That little extra protrusion allows it to plug into the hole that is the socket. We wound up spending $40.00 to get an adaptor that would let us charge our phones and straighten our hair.

Speaking of, if you’re traveling from the US, be aware that European power is a higher voltage, so if you also want to straighten your hair without setting it on fire, you will need a step down power convertor, not just an adaptor.

And with that – I hope you have a great time in Switzerland! We sure did!