What to Pack for Bruges and Amsterdam late December...
 

My family (DH, DS and DD) are leaving for Bruges (2 nights) and Amsterdam (2-3 nights) on December 25th... What type of clothing should we take? We all have cuddle dud type clothing for layers, ear muffs, scarfs and waterproof jackets. Do we really need waterproof type shoes? I am concerned about getting those as we are a short time away from our departure and not sure if we could get them broken in well.

The main reason for my question is that I keep reading about all of the rain during December for both cities.. we have traveled in Europe several times during Thanksgiving but it was mainly sunny with the cold weather. We live in the south and are not used to really cold weather.

Any suggestions for clothing or winter gear that you may be able to pass along would be most appreciated.

I would not bother with waterproof shoes it is not that bad. Just have a 2nd pair of shoes - just in case you get wet and have to dry them out

You will be perfectly ok with the clothing you mention

Hi
My daughter was in Brugges, Amsterdam and Paris a couple of weeks ago.
She said the wind made her most uncomfortable in Amsterdam and the damp in Paris and Belgium. So I think you are doing just the right thing with layers and warm coats. I don't know about waterproof jackets, you mean warm raincoat types? I just wear wool or a shearling and carry an umbrella.
I agree about shoes, just bring an extra pair of boots/shoes ..
Gloves..my hands freeze all the time , so I wear gloves all the time..
Have a great time!

Hi sparks fly:

For shoes I would wear or bring one pair that is waterproof. I don't know what you guys have for foot wear but most good walking shoes today are waterproof anyway. Rain makes puddles everywhere. Your umbrella will be used as a cover.

I was in Normandy in May. We had rain and damp days. I was glad my feet were warm and dry. I had black,leather slip on waterproof shoes (great for airports too)and a pair of laced, black, waterproof 'new balance' walking shoes.

Another handy item is lightweight silk long johns. You can get them from LLBean. They're handy for a very cold day. They roll or fold into a tiny space
and take up little room.

I used mine often due to the wind and temps were in the 40's. Also wore my top under my sweater once and slept in my long john bottoms another night.

You may want a rain jacket that also is waterproof. Wind blows rain sideways.

Happy Travels,
Di

Anything waterproof is usually needed, but really the weather this year has been so unpredictable. Last week it was 16 celsius. Today it's still 10 celsius, much too warm for the time of year (but very windy and wet). Keep checking the weather forecasts, or you might be packing too many warm things.
Layers with a waterproof jacket would be best. And a rainproof hat is more useful than an umbrella.

Have a great time!

If you are really concerned (which Ii can easily understand) you can very easily and safely "waterproof" any shoes you already have.

A shoemaker will usually sell Cavalier "Ever-Dri" which is a liquid silicone preparation. I've used it for years and it works quite well.

When I was last in A-dam in late November I was glad I had taken my down-filled jacket which is totally crushable and dispensed with the need for a lot of layering.

Wear one pair of comfortable walking shoes in transit and bring another pair with you; make sure they are both comfortable and supportive enough to walk on cobblestone streets. Don't bring sneakers/trainers as they WILL get wet.
I would bring two pairs of gloves, but that's just because I always seem to lose a glove while traveling and need my backup pair.

Thank you so much for your advise. I feel much better about my packing now. I will be sure to put in an extra pair of shoes for everyone- just in case.

Thanks Dukey for the Ever-Dri suggestions.. I will check with my local shoe store.