baker6816

We will be leaving for Amsterdam on March 30th and I'm wondering what kind of outerwear to pack since we'll be travelling from there to Paris, Spain, Italy, Austria and then the Bavarian Alps at the beginning of May. Since it's such a wide range of locals and temperatures, I'm not sure what to pack for comfort and still be fairly minimal.

sparkchaser

Dress in layers.

Have a good waterproof shell.

Expect the weather to be very variable.

Have footwear suitable for rain and cold.

Whathello

Gotta be miserable weather in Amst end of March unless lucky. Early May in the alps should be gorgeous but quite cold.

Btw it makes 6 countries
If you want to see 7 make a stop in Belgium and Luxembourg for a 8 th.

hetismij2

It doesn't have to be miserable weather in Amsterdam at the end of March despite Whthello's assertion - he doesn't like the Dutch so everything is awful north of the border .

Sparkchaser gives great advice. Not too many layers though, it may be cool, but it won't be cold. Good footwear is essential, but throw in some sandals/lightweight shoes too for Spain and Italy.

greg

Do you know how to use www.google.com? Search for "Paris weather April," etc. and you would get forecasts. So you want a first hand advice? No one has the first hand advice of April 2016 weather...

Unless you already practice wearing layers at home, your outfits are unlikely to be layers compatible. I presume if you already practice layering at home, you would probably not have asked the question on how to deal with wide range of weather conditions in the first place.

Look at the weather forecasts just before leaving home and adjust what you take based on latest info. Resist urge to pack to target the worst conditions. You would inevitably overpack with items you would not use.

If you don't want to repeat this issue in the future, take advantage of this trip to also learn to wear in layers at home. If you do this at home over a long period of time, it costs no more to fill your closet this way and you would likely to end up with less items capable of dealing with wider weather conditions even at home.

Whathello

Weather is miserable south of Dutch border quite often too.
Now. I like things in NL.
Let me think.
I need more time .

Kathie

www.weatherbase.com is the website I use to research weather worldwide for my travels.

Kandace_York

I found helpful info at accuweather.com and timeanddate.com. Weather predictions are never exact but at least knowing the historical high and low for a given date is some help. Knowing how many hours of sunlight you have is another big help (and sunrise/sunset time varies by more than a few minutes even within the same country).

Accuweather, in particular, offers a 45-day forecast so you can start getting an idea of how the weather is trending well before your trip. The other advice here is, as usual, spot-on; comfortable footwear, dress in layers, prepare for the variables.

nytraveler

A lot depends on where you will go in Spain and Italy. If you head to the south - esp of Spain - you will get summer weather in April (highs i the 80s are common and hotel pools will be open). Not so hot in italy - but if you are going to be in Sicily it can be quite warm.

I would not expect winter weather anywhere - remember April is tulip time in Netherlands - so it can's be truly freezing.

Agree to layer - but not with heavy winter clothes at all.

neckervd

2 capitals and 3 countries in 4 weeks means about 3 days for Amsterdam (jet lag!), 4 days for Paris, 6 days for Spain, 6 days for Italy, 4 days for Austria and the remaining time for travel between these areas.
As you will not have time to go up to Andalucia or to the Mezzogiorno, there will not be much difference in temperatures between the places you will visit.

baker6816

Thanks for the responses. It gave me some ideas I hadn't thought of. I live in Arizona so I'm not used to layering much. Also, while I'm an experienced cruiser, where I always take too much luggage, this will be my first experienced travelling inland and handling luggage on trains. I'm determined to travel with only one bag so need much help.

The one thing I'm having trouble with is waterproof shoes?

BTW we are including Brussels, and going as far south as Madrid and Pompei. I just didn't think you wanted our whole itinerary.

PalenQ

Also, while I'm an experienced cruiser, where I always take too much luggage, this will be my first experienced travelling inland and handling luggage on trains.>

For info on trains and luggage and trains in general check these IMO superb sources: www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. If doing all of that by train check into some kind of Eurailpass - like the Eurail Select Saverpass - for two traveling together or a higher price for solo travelers.

Tulips

Not so much waterproof shoes, rather something that can take walking in rain and puddles without getting your feet soaking wet.

Late March could be beautiful in Amsterdam. Or it could rain. Or snow. Weather can be very unpredictable that time of year. Frost in April is not unheard of in the Netherlands.

nytraveler

I think the problem is not one suitcase, but one suitcase you can easily handle on and off trains - which can mean 3 narrow steep steps from the platform up into the train. If this is all by train I would stick to a 22" bag - which means packing VERY carefully.

You will need 2 paris of sturdy walking shoes (wearing one on the plane) since if one pair gets wet it will likely still be damp the following morning and you will need dry ones.

sandralist

I think you need waterproof shoes/ankle boots. You need a lighter pair of shoes for the dryer, warmer climates/days, but you need good waterproof shoes for the rest. They can be all-leather walkers/running shoes/trainers if you don't like all leather ankle boots or some other kind of all-leather closed shoe with a good sole, but you need something other than sports shoes.

Late February is a good time to get discounts online for lightweight under layers from places like Winter Silks or ski outlets, or a zip-up quilted vest from some place like Land's End. A thin but warm sports hoodie is also a great item for travel.

janisj

I travel to most all of those places and don't even own waterproof shoes. I do own rain boots but seldom take them on trips. I take just nice sturdy-ish shoes and or ankle boots (not hiking boots -- just low rise booties)

I take hiking boots ONLY if I'm doing some serious hiking - otherwise just shoes with sturdy soles.

Good socks are important. I wear cashmere blend socks (SmartWool are also good)