We spent 10 days in Berlin visiting Christmas markets, museums, city highlights, and Sachsenhausen Death Camp. We went in November when it can be very cold in Berlin. The forecasted temps were to be in the mid to high 30s F, but the actual temps were quite a bit colder. A couple of days, the high was only 30 and it felt like 21, which is much different than mid 30s when you’re outside walking around for several hours. While we thought we had packed coats that were warm enough, we found ourselves wishing we had heavier coats most of the trip. I will caution you that even if you personally don’t find 30 def F or even 40 deg F cold, it is different when you’re outside for several hours at a time versus going from the car to the store or to work in 30 deg weather. Most of the locals were wearing long down maxi length coats, hats, scarves, and gloves.

I packed the Lands End Wanderweight packable down coat, which is just above knee length. This is my go to winter coat for most of my normal activities. I have worn it in Cologne many times in November and December, but it was not quite warm enough for being outside for several hours in the temps we experienced. I also took my old Lands End trench style raincoat with a removable quilted liner. I wore both coats together for more warmth, but still wished I had a warmer coat at times. Steve packed his Columbia 3 in 1 coat (which is a puffer and a rain shell), and also wished he had brought a heavier coat. So don’t be us…pack the heavier weight down parka for this trip and keep in mind the actual temps can and will often vary from what has been forecasted. We also experienced a bit of rain and a little snow while we were there, so you will want water resistant shoes or boots.

I tend to pack fairly light and not check my bag. I usually pack three complete outfits as a starting point for most trips. I also tend to pack in a capsule type wardrobe with items in similar colors that can be mixed and coordinated to change up the looks. For me, one complete outfit is a bottom, a top, and a layer such as a cardi, quarter zip, or lightweight hoodie or jacket. For this trip, I packed three bottoms, four tops (all turtlenecks), and three layers, and all were able to be mixed and matched. The complete list is at the bottom of this article. For more advice on packing in a carry on for most trips, see this article.

For a cold weather trip like this, most of your photos will be taken with you wearing your coat, so you will likely want different hats and scarves. I packed two warm hats (red and black), one warm fleece headband (full hats are sometimes too hot for me), and three warm scarves (red, burgundy, and green).

I packed in my Travelpro 22″ Maxlite 5 2 wheeled bag and a 17″ Lovevook backpack. I flew United and there is no weight restriction for cabin bags. My carry on weighed 24 pounds and fit in the overheads with no problems. I kept my backpack under the seat, and packed my cross body bag empty into my suitcase for the trip over. For the trip back, I checked my bag, and carried my backpack and my crossbody bag onto the airplane. I pared down and decanted my liquids, and took only what I needed. For more advice on packing liquids for carry on travel, please see my article here. I packed my down coat into a gallon size zip lock bag to keep it compressed. I find zip locks work better than any compression packing cubes.

So that’s what I packed. If we had to do it over again, we would definitely have packed warmer coats, so heed our advice if you are planning a cold weather trip to Berlin! There is so much to see, do, and learn about, and it is definitely worth a trip, even in the cold.

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