Street Style Packing List – What to Wear When Traveling to Switzerland in the Spring

Switzerland is full of fun things to do in the spring time. You can opt to chow down on a decadent éclair rocher at Pâtisserie Pierre et Jean in Geneva or even try your hand(s) at a giant pancake burger at Pancs in Lausanne, but figuring out what to wear can be a bit of a challenge. While the weather is on the verge of getting a bit warmer, chilly winds coming off the Alps can still take you by surprise during the months of March, April and May.

A View of the Alps During the Swiss Rail Train Ride From Lausanne to Basel, Switzerland

If you’re traveling to cities like Basel or Lausanne during this time of year, your best bet is to check the weather forecast while also simultaneously preparing for rain …and even a flurry or two. We recently spent a week in April in Basel and Lausanne, so I figured I’d share a visual diary of what I packed in my carry on in case it helps you pack for your Swiss adventure.

Here’s a handy list of neat little local spots I love across Switzerland.

Obviously this is an accessories and clothing oriented list. Toiletries, undergarments and other miscellaneous personal items are not included, but definitely made it on the trip. I’m a one wheelie bag kind of gal, so everything listed here made it in my carry on bag:

Travel Packing List for Visiting Switzerland in April for Five Days
Temperature Range (32° – 58° Fahrenheit)
During our trip we encountered snow, rain and sunny skies.

*Digging my closet? You can purchase all of the starred items in the list below via Poshmark.

One Heavy Winter Jacket (A long black wool jacket from Banana Republic.)
Two Pairs of Shoes (A pair of Tieks foldable black ballet flats for nicer occasions and a pair of Veja sneakers for bumming around town.)
Two Pairs of Pants (A pair of black denim high waisted Isabel Marant pants and a pair of my fav Leon & Harper jeans.)
Four Scarves (A convertible and reversible Lululemon* striped vinyasa scarf, one olive green circle scarf from American Apparel* and a reversible Lululemon* blissed out circle scarf. The fourth scarf is a lightweight one from Antik Batik.)
One Heavy Sweater (A Banana Republic* Italian yarn cream colored cowl neck sweater.)
One Heavier Cashmere Mix Cardigan (Two Lululemon cabin yogi wraps. One in heathered black* and a heathered grey* version.)
Two Light Cardigans (A neutral blush Lululemon* solo button up blouse and a black Lululemon* solo button up blouse.)
One Plain Black Tank Top (American Eagle Outfitters)
One Plain Black Tee (Banana Republic*)
One Graphic “Runs on Coffee” Tank Top (Victoria’s Secret)
One Striped Tee (A black and white one from Victoria’s Secret.)
Five Purses (A Leigh & Luca* feather hobo purse, a rare large Fendi* pink patent leather baguette bag, one blue Bracher Emden*, a large rose colored velvet clutch* and a small plum colored velvet bag*.)
Wallet (A black Gucci* monogram wallet. Remember: Foreign money is real money!)
Leather Gloves (From Aigle)
Hat (An awesome black floppy American Apparel* hat kept my hair in place on windy days.)
Umbrella (An adorable monkey one that I picked up from Salvador Bachiller in Spain.)
A Jet Set Candy Ring (The Nothing to Declare* flying colors stackable band.)
Heart Lock Earrings (From Betsey Johnson)
Three Other Pairs of Earrings
Three Bracelet and Earrings (From Les Néréides. A French brand I’ve been obsessed with for years.)
Five Pins (To wear on my heavy coat. Most of the pins I’ve picked up during my travels. For instance, the lavender round one is from Royaume Melazic which is an adorable bakery in Lausanne. “It’s Too Peopley Outside” came from Urban Therapy in Brussels.The eskimo and “Glagla” pins are from Les Folies Douces in Paris.)

French Connection – My Trusty Veja V-10 Iridescent Silver and White Unicorn Sneakers Kept My Feet Dry Even When Flurries and Rain Drops Fell in Switzerland This Spring

A photo of a Lululemon vinyasa reversible Rulu striped scarf (in hyper stripe sea mist and hero blue), Veja V-10 unicorn sneakers, a large pink Fendi baguette bag, black Isabel Marant high waist denim jeans, a plain black tank top, a black Gucci wallet and a mint forme jacket from Lululemon. — Day One – Transit Time – A Striped Lululemon Convertible Vinyasa Infinity Snap Scarf Kept Me Cozy During the Flight From the U.S. to Europe

A photo of a reversible Lululemon blissed out scarf in grey gray, black patent leather Tieks, Leon and Harper denim jeans, a Lululemon solo blouse, a plain black Banana Republic tee, a black wool Banana Republic jacket and a Bracher Emden bag. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes — Day Two – Wore This Outfit When I Ate My First Pancake Burger at Pancs in Lausanne, Switzerland

A photo of rose gold Betsey Johnson heart lock earrings, a black wool Banana Republic jacket, Veja V-10 unicorn sneakers, a black Lululemon solo blouse, a black and white striped VS Victoria's Secret tee and black high waisted Isabel Marant denim jeans. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes — Day Three – Flip It and Reverse It – The Next Day I Wore the Reverse Pink Side of My Lululemon Blissed Out Scarf When We Took the Train From Lausanne to Basel

A photo of a black wool Banana Republic jacket, a dark plum velvet bag, a pink velvet clutch, Leaon & Harper denim jeans, Tieks black patent leather ballet flats, an olive green colored infinity scarf from American Apparel and a cream colored Banana Republic sweater. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes — Day Four – Basel Opera Day – My Tieks Foldable Ballet Flats Helped Me Look Fancier Without Eating Valuable Luggage Space

A photo of a Leigh and Luca feather hobo bag purse, Veja V-10 unicorn sneakers, an Antik Batik teal floral embroidered scarf, a graphic "runs on coffee" tank top from VS Victoria's Secret, a heather grey gray cabin yogi wrap from Lululemon, Leon & Harper denim jeans and a black wool Banana Republic coat jacket. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes — Day Five – Fly Home – A Light Scarf From Antik Batik and a Cozy Cabin Yogi Wrap Helped Keep Me Comfy During the Flight Back Home

A photo of Aigle black leather gloves with snaps, a blue Hermès notebook, a Salvador Bachiller monkey umbrella and a gin and tonic. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes — Constant Companions – A Hermès Notebook, Black Leather Aigle Gloves That Snap Together When Not in Use and My Trusty Monkey Umbrella From Salvador Bachiller

This Attire Worked Well For:

Air and train travel.
Lots of walking around town.
A night at the opera in Basel.
Wandering around the blickfang international design show. (Massive thanks to the ladies over at the Riviera boutique in Basel for supplying us with a spare pair of tickets they happened to have lying around the day we popped by their shop.)
Non-jacket mandatory nice dinners out. These are some of the types of places we ate and shopped at in Switzerland.

I hope this helps. If you have any items you always pack in your carry on or have thoughts on fun spring fashion pairings, feel free to share them below.

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