Clothing layers

  • Merino base layer set, top and bottom
  • Warm mid layer: a fleece or wool sweater
  • Packable down jacket with a hood
  • Fleece-lined leggings or thermal-lined trousers, not jeans as your only pair

Footwear

  • Waterproof boots with a lugged rubber sole
  • Wool socks
  • Boots broken in for at least a week before the trip

Hands, head and neck

  • Touchscreen gloves
  • Neck gaiter
  • Hat
  • Air-activated hand warmers, allowed in carry-on and checked bags

Bag and valuables

  • Windproof umbrella
  • Insulated bottle for hot chocolate or tea
  • Valuables zipped into inside pockets
  • Daypack you can wear on your front in crushes
  • Carry-on backpack rather than a rolling suitcase, because cobblestones eat spinner wheels

Tech

  • Phone kept in an inside pocket, out of the cold
  • Travel power bank
  • Universal travel adapter for Type C/E/F two-pin sockets
  • Luggage tracker in any bag you check or set down

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you bring hand warmers on a plane?

Yes. TSA allows air-activated hand warmers like HotHands in both carry-on and checked bags, with no quantity limit, because the iron-powder chemistry is not classed as hazardous. The banned kind is the catalytic warmer that burns lighter fluid: that one cannot fly in either bag. Battery-powered rechargeable warmers must ride in your carry-on like any lithium device.

What shoes should you wear to a Christmas market?

Waterproof boots with a lugged rubber sole, worn over wool socks. Market squares are cobblestone, wet with slush or rain by evening, and sometimes icy: flat-soled sneakers soak through and slip. A mid-cut leather boot like the Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II keeps feet dry and adds ankle support on uneven stones. Break new boots in for at least a week before the trip.

Read the full guide: Christmas market packing list .

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