Thursday, August 4, 2016

What To Pack for a Trip to Germany in Summer

The weather can be quite unpredictable in northern Europe in summer. Even if you’ve checked the forecast online, things can change rather quickly, and it is not uncommon to get caught in an unannounced rain shower.

Rainy SummerMake sure you always have an umbrella with you!

When visiting Germany in summer, you’ll have to be prepared for anything from rain and temperatures in the low 60s (or even lower) to hot and humid conditions.

BerlinRainy and windy day in Berlin 

We spent almost three weeks in Germany in July, and I put a lot of thought and planning into my travel wardrobe and have to say that it all worked out very well. Since all pieces of my travel wardrobe worked together (and I made sure I had layers for different temperatures), I was able to take very few pieces of clothes (and had plenty of room to buy clothes and other things to bring back!), and I also wore almost everything I packed, which is a first! In the interest of full disclosure, I did laundry and also hand washed some items.  

BiergartenOne of several beer garden visits

The base of my wardrobe was black and white with blue and green accent colors (as well as a few colorful necklaces). Here is what I took on our trip and some thoughts on what worked (and didn’t work) and why:

First, here is what I wore on the airplane (very similar to the outfit I wore above in Berlin):
  • Grey leopard print jeans 
  • Jacket Society Hooded Cargo Jacket 
  • Black Athleta Pure Tank - this is such a flattering and versatile top. It worked with everything.
  • Thin long sleeve sweatshirt 
  • Sneakers 
  • Large blue/white striped scarf - I always take a large scarf on an airplane. Since we flew with WOW Airlines, which does not provide pillows or blankets, I was VERY glad I had the scarf. 
Marienplatz MünchenTrying to catch some pokemon at Marienplatz in Munich - unfortunately, our cell phones didn’t quite cooperate...

In addition, I brought the following tops and sweaters: 
  • White Athleta Pure Tank - it’s the same one as the black one I wore on the plane 
  • Black and blue Daniel Rainn pleated blouses - these blouses were some of my best purchases in a long time, and they were perfect for my travel wardrobe (in fact, I bought them specifically for the trip). The blouses are very comfortable and flattering and were really easy to wash and dry in a hotel room. 
  • Black Trina Turk Accomplice Top - I didn’t necessarily need to pack this top as I already took the Daniel Rainn blouse in black, which is quite similar. 
  • White peasant blouse
  • Off-white/black striped blouse and matching tank
  • White vest
  • Black cardigan
  • Black/white striped cardigan 
Fortress Würzburg 2
Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg in the background
Catching PokemonCatching pokemon in Würzburg

And here are the skirts I brought: 
  • Black/white striped maxi skirt
  • Black/white pencil skirt - never wore it 
Fortress Marienberg Würzburg Visiting Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg - such a fun place to walk around and explore, especially for kids

And here are the pants I brought: 
  • Denim capris
  • Marimekko for Target Palazzo pants 
Würzburg ResidenceAnother view of the Residence in Würzburg on another day

Other: 
  • Capri leggings - to hang out in
  • Full-length leggings - I brought these to wear under the maxi skirt on colder days but ended up not wearing them
  • 2 tunics to wear with the leggings - I wore them around my parents' house, etc. 
  • Several necklaces, scarves & neck scarves
  • Colorful Desigual bag
  • Umbrellas

Randersacker
Walk to Randersacker and exploring the cute, little (but well-known) wine town

Shoes: 
Hike to Kloster AndechsHike to Kloster Andechs from Herrsching at Ammersee (you can take the S Bahn from the Munich main train station to Herrsching - a beautiful little town with a beautiful lake) - such an amazing hike; we chose the steeper route and also walked very fast as a very heavy rain storm was fast approaching. We were very glad that we made it to the top before the heavy downpour started. Since the rain was so heavy, we took the bus back down to Herrsching.

Kloster Andechs 2Almost there!
Kloster Andechs 1We enjoyed a giant pretzel, beer, & apple juice mixed with sparkling water at Kloster Andechs. 

If you want to see more of my travel looks, you can check out my last post when we visited Rothenburg as well as my Instagram feed.

Questions: Have you ever visited Germany (or any other country in Europe) in summer? If so, what did you pack? Did you pack enough/too much? What are your holiday packing strategies? Are you like me and like to leave plenty of space in your suitcase so you can bring back plenty of things? 

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Most links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]