My two biggest tips for visiting the Christmas Markets in Europe: 1) bring cash, and 2) dress for cold weather! You never know what kind of weather will hit – for us it was raining in Vienna and record-breaking freezing in Munich. So many factors, not just the temp, will affect what it really feels like: location, temperature, wind, precipitation, and let’s be honest…how much Glühwein was consumed. We live in California where we don’t really get a true winter, so we had to hunt down some winter gear for all of us, head to toe. Out of everything we purchased, these were our Amazon favorites that kept us cozy at the Christmas Markets.
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Women’s Snow Jacket
While I have a lot of tips for dressing to stay warm and dry, but the most important is that the outer layer must be waterproof (or at least water resistant), like this one:
My husband surprised me with this insulated snow jacket, knowing I’d freeze if I didn’t have something like it. Of course, I love how warm and dry it kept me, but I also liked all of the pockets, especially the zipped pockets on the inside of the jacket to protect my phone and hotel key. And for less than $60 bucks, you can’t beat the price for a warm jacket of that caliber.
Men’s Weatherproof Boots
These are probably at the top of my list of Amazon favorites that kept us cozy at the Christmas markets… what a steal.
Timberland. Weatherproof. Under 100 bucks.
And so versatile, whether you’re trekking through 3 feet of snow or eating the most delicious steak dinner at the best hotel ever (in Austria!).
Women’s Gloves
These gloves have a thermal lining that kept my hands warm.
They are compatible with touch screen but after about a week I think they lost their “touch” and it was easier to just take them off to take photos.
They look pretty fancy as long as you keep them away from velcro, so they don’t get snagged or fuzzy.
Women’s Snow Pants
Finally, an item I’ve had for years! I actually wore these over my fleece workout leggings to some of the colder Christmas markets for extra warmth. But they are more intended to be insulated weatherproof snow pants.
They have adjustable velcro on the sides of the waist to allow for a little pre-and-post-baby body changes. 🙂
For some reason these look weird and frumpy in the Amazon photo. They don’t fit like that at all, unless they have changed since I got them a few years ago. Mine are pretty form-fitting in the XS…
the highest mountain in Germany! Brr…
Maybe a little too form-fitting for boarding but they feel great, and my husband says they look fantastic. What more do you need?
Kids Snow Bib
This insulated snow bib was such a great deal, less than $20 bucks when I bought it, and you’d never know it because it’s such a good quality. I was pleasantly surprised when we opened the package.
Kids / Toddler Thermal Socks
Our five-year-old’s feet stayed warm and dry with these insulated thermal HOT FEET socks.
Half of the toddler socks have grips on the bottoms. Safety first!
When Amazon delivered these, the kids were so excited, trying on all of the colors. You’d think we need to get out more, but then you see the trips we take, right?!
Kids Weatherproof Boots
These not only did the job in the snow, but also were comfortable enough to wear on travel days so to avoid taking up room in the suitcase. Again, I was surprised how good these look in person, just like the pic.
The description says they are knee-high, I would say right above mid-leg on our tall five-year-old.
Toddler Weatherproof Boots
My daughter has the London Fog lined snow boots in, get this…
GLITTER PINK.
Needless to say, loves ’em.
Kids/Toddler Gloves
This three-pack of wool-lined gloves was cost effective because both of our kids could fit into them. Cute, neutral color options too.
Kids Headlamp Beanie
What kid wouldn’t think this is cool? Not the cutest during the day, but it puts the fun in functional at night.
Toddler Long Underwear
You can’t go wrong with $8 long underwear covered in hearts. Our three-year-old wanted to wear these every day and night. The cotton blend is light enough to layer under whatever.
Two Things I Wish We Had:
Hand Warmers
Our kids’ hands would still be cold at times when they had their gloves off for too long and couldn’t get them warm again. These would have been helpful:
Snow Boot Covers
These are actually called gaiters. Our daughter’s hand-me-down pants weren’t long enough when she had to hike in snow that was up to her hips, go figure. These gaiters would have helped protect her lower legs from getting cold from the ice that seeped in eventually:
Not sure how to fit all this in your luggage (oh and rental car that you had to upgrade in size when they saw all of your luggage (guilty))? You can use a SpaceSaver vacuum sealed bag to compress the bulkier items. Don’t forget to weigh your suitcase to keep it under your airline’s allowance.
And lastly, don’t forget a travel umbrella like this one that saved us in Vienna as we braved a rainy 30-minute walk to Rathausplatz – it was so worth it!
Stay tuned for the itinerary and lowdown on our Christmas market trip to Germany and Austria, including how our second stay at our favorite resort managed to surpass our first stay. Can’t wait for the third!!!
