What to Wear to European Christmas Markets (Packing List + Tips)
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy for details.
Last updated on April 1, 2026
When I was planning my first trip to the European Christmas markets I was so unsure of what to bring. As a Floridian who thinks “cold weather” is a sunny day in the 50s, I wasn’t sure what to pack to stay warm let alone to look cute while doing it.
Luckily, after some trial and error and two trips later, I’ve got my European Christmas market packing list mastered! I’ve narrowed down the essential items you should pack to stay warm and stylish on your trip. This guide will tell you exactly what to wear to not only look cute, but stay warm. Because, spoiler it will be cold on this trip!
Table of Contents
European Christmas Markets Packing List
Below is my checklist for what the pack for European Christmas markets. I go into further detail on what to bring and why I recommend those items below. Please make sure to read the full guide, because I see a lot of people go for aesthetic over comfort and end up freezing at the markets!
What to pack
Tips for Packing for a European Christmas Market Trip
It’s really easy to overpack for a winter trip—after all, most winter clothes are big and bulky. However, you should be able to pack for European Christmas markets in a carry-on suitcase only (if you pack wisely). Wear a pair of jeans or heavier pants on the plane with boots and jacket. This frees up a TON of space in your carry-on and allows you to pack more.
Keeping your luggage to carry-on makes travel so much easier. Many European train stations and accommodations will not have escalators or elevators. I promise, you don’t want to carry a 50 lb checked bag up four flights of stairs. Our recommended carry-on suitcases are the Level8 Voyageur or Freeloop carry-on. They’re really good quality, lightweight, and the wheels glide like butter no matter the pavement.
I also like to use compression cubes to organize and shrink my clothing footprint. I can fit way more in my suitcase with these compression packing cubes.
Coordinate colors and outfits
For some reason, people gravitate toward jackets, leggings, and bottoms that are dark blue or black. While it’s a great neutral color, it ends up being a monochrome sea of black everywhere you look at the European Christmas markets. Stand out by having a colorful jacket or you can add texture, pattern, and color with your beanie, scarf, sweater, boot, or bottoms.
Just make sure you are coordinating your colors to complement each other. A red hat is cute at the European Christmas markets, but does it go with your sweaters and bottoms? Consider how everything looks together before packing.
I like to lay everything out on the bed to make sure it all works and I think of what I have before I buy anything new.
Another packing tip is to aim for versatility. Only bring sweaters that will work with ANY of the bottoms you bring, including over your dress or skirt. You should be able to create two or three distinct outfits from one item. If it can only be worn in one way, leave it at home.
People in Europe dress nicely for most occasions, including the Christmas Markets. You rarely, if ever, see someone wearing athleisure clothing unless they are headed to or returning from a workout, and you definitely won’t see people dressed in hoodies. You don’t have to change who you are or what you wear to fit in, but you’ll definitely blend in better if you put a bit of upscale elegance on your packing list.
Buying vs Renting Clothing for European Christmas Market
Winter clothing is expensive. If you aren’t interested in spending hundreds of dollars on new clothing, especially if you likely won’t wear it beyond this trip, rent your outfits from Nuuly. Nuuly is an online rental company that allows you to rent six items for 30 days. If you love the piece, you can buy it at a discounted rate.
The membership is pausable, making it great for trips like this and costs just $70 for your first month when you use this link to get $30 off your first rental! It’s a no-brainer to get trip-specific clothing that’s cute and on trend—a jacket alone can cost $200 to $300+. From dresses, skirts, pants, sweaters, and jackets, Nuuly is a great way to get cute, comfortable clothing for the trip without breaking the bank.
Some items you can rent from nuuly
Buying clothes for European Christmas markets
If you are going to buy new clothing, please make sure you are investing in quality clothing. Fast fashion is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions and sends roughly 85% of all textiles to the dump annually (see how bad it really is here).
Avoid big-box companies like Zara, Shein, H&M, and pretty much most retailers on Amazon. Instead, seek out brands that are transparent about their social and environmental impact. Prioritize clothing made from natural fibers—like wool, organic cotton, or silk—over synthetic blends, which shed scary amounts of microfibers into the ocean.
We love sustainable-minded brands like Quince, Pact Apparel, or Unbound Merino. However, if they are currently out of your budget, consider shopping secondhand. Online platforms like ThredUp or your local thrift store offer affordable options and significantly reduce the environmental footprint of each garment, even if the item isn’t from a perfect brand or fabric.
Now, let’s dive into what to pack for your European Christmas markets trip.
What to Pack: Winter Base Layers
One thing you should invest in is base layers. One or two base layer tops and bottoms, should be sufficient. And given the amount you’ll use them, it’s worth spending money on. There is a delicate balance of winter layering where you want to be warm, but not so warm that you sweat through your clothes.
I aim for a light to mid-weight base layer, with a mid-weight sweater or long sleeve and a heavier jacket. Layering this way allows you to remove the heaviest layers indoors (so you don’t sweat) but stay warm enough when you’re outside. For bottoms, I put this merino wool base layer under my jeans or pants, and fleece-lined leggings under my skirts and dresses.
These fleece-lined leggings are honestly the best thing I’ve ever purchased and have opened up so many more possibilities for what to wear at the European Christmas markets. They look like sheer pantyhose but are lined with thick fleece. They were so comfortable and warm, I wore them multiple times as we were exploring the markets.
What Accessories to Pack: Scarves, Hats, Gloves
You only need one head covering, a scarf, and a pair of gloves. I wore the same gloves and hat almost every day of the trip, and honestly, wasted space having extras. Plus, they had winter accessories like hats and gloves for sale everywhere at the European Christmas markets.
Quince
Cashmere Gloves
Quince
Cashmere Black Beanie
What to Pack for Tops: Main Layers (Sweaters and Dresses)
I wore a sweater almost every day on top of a base-layer long-sleeve shirt. Sweaters are perfect clothes for the European Christmas Markets because they are cozy, warm, and cute. I recommend having one colorful sweater (blue, yellow, red), and two staple neutral tones, such as white, black or tan/beige. This allows you to mix them with more outfits and have a pop of color to break up the monotony of black and white at the markets.
I was really glad I had both a skirt and a dress for this trip because they gave me something cute to wear when I was doing activities outside the market. One night, we went to a trendy, more upscale restaurant in Brussels that required a dress or nicer outfit. However, you don’t need a ton, just one or two total.
Layering rules for putting sweaters over skirts or dresses:
What to Pack for Bottoms: Pants and Skirts
Pants with a base layer underneath were my go-to most days, but I loved switching things up on warmer days, wearing my fleece-lined leggings and a skirt. I recommend having one nicer pair of bottoms, such as wool trousers or corduroy pants and one pair of jeans, for two or three maximum. If you have several skirts, overalls, or dresses to complement your other bottoms, don’t pack more than two!
Layering rules for leggings with skirts or dresses:
What to Pack for Shoes: Boots or Sneakers
Ideally, if you plan your outfits well, you will only need one pair of shoes for the entire trip. It may not seem very fun to only have one pair of shoes, but it works and saves so much space! I recommend boots over sneakers because they are warmer and have a better grip.
If you want a nice pair of boots for evenings out, bring one everyday boot made for long periods of standing and walking, and one dressier shoe like a knee-high boot. Just be careful with the heel size. Most markets are located in historic town centers with cobblestone roads that are crazy uneven and slippery. I recommend a low, wide heel if you must have a heel, and something with grip. Also, avoid suede shoes. It’s often snowy and rainy, which can damage suede boots.
European Christmas Markets shoe selection tips:
Some people just bring snow boots to ensure they are covered in snowy conditions. However, it doesn’t always snow in December, so it might be overkill. Below are the various options we recommend you choose from. However, this is the single pair of boots I wore and felt comfortable and warm in walking 10+ miles a day. Below are a few of our recommended shoes for a European Christmas market trip.
What to Pack Outer Layer: Jackets
You only need one jacket and it should be heavy! We all want to have a nice mid-weight trench coat, but you’re going to an outdoor market where you will likely spend 2 – 4 hours at a time standing in 15 to 35 degree weather. If you have good base layers and a thick trench coat, you might be able to get by, but I recommend a long puffy jacket rated for below-freezing weather.
You can always rent a jacket if you don’t think you’ll use it often outside of this trip. However, if you want to purchase one, my recommendations for sustainably made jackets and parkas are below.
What to Pack: Miscellaneous Items
Aside from your core clothing, you’ll want to bring one small crossbody purse with a zipper to keep your must-have items on you, like your wallet, phone, makeup, etc. We always bring laundry sheets with us so we can do laundry on the trip. This way we can reduce what we’re bringing and have fresh, clean clothes.
Of course, pack nighttime and personal essentials like underwear, pajamas (we recommend no more than two), socks, earrings, toiletries, lotion, any medicines, and make-up. I don’t travel anywhere without earplugs and an eye mask. You’ll need a European adapter if you want to charge any of your devices while in Europe. We use this one, which is universal and works in virtually every country!
If you found this packing guide helpful, please let me know in the comments below. Hopefully, it’s given you a great idea of what to wear to the European Christmas markets and helped you understand your options when it comes to picking warm but cute clothing.
