What to Wear to European Christmas Markets (Printable)
Are you planning a Christmas market trip to Europe and wondering what the heck to wear? First off, I’m very jealous.
Secondly, I understand! As a Floridian, I was lost when it came to packing for Europe in December.
We spent my 30th birthday on a Christmas-themed trip to Switzerland, exploring the markets in Basel, as well as Colmar and Strasbourg, France! And I’m proud to say I was not cold once!
The truth is, what you wear to the Christmas markets can make or break your experience! Whether you’re visiting Germany, France, Switzerland, or somewhere else in Europe, most markets are completely outdoors, so you need to dress very warmly with several layers.
The good news is you can absolutely do this while still looking cute and festive!
In this guide, I’ll cover exactly what I wore to the European Christmas Markets, complete with a downloadable packing list, specific outfit examples and more, so you can stay warm and cozy during your own trip.
Packing Checklist
Before diving into outfit ideas, here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll want to pack for the Christmas markets in Europe! Feel free to copy and paste this for future use, or grab the printable version below!
Want a printable version? Grab it here! 👇🏼
Outfit Ideas for the Christmas Markets
Below I’m going to get into all the details of what I recommend packing for your trip to Europe’s Christmas markets, including a full breakdown of each layer with specific product recommendations.
But first, here are some quick outfit ideas based on what my friends and I wore to the markets in Switzerland and France!
Browse all of Switzerland must-haves here!
🧣 Packing the right outfit is the fun part — make sure the trip logistics are sorted first! Flights, travel insurance, money abroad, and phone plans are all covered in my Passport to Confidence guide — a $7 planning roadmap for international travel. Download it and pack with peace of mind!
Winter Weather in Europe
When planning your outfits for the European Christmas markets, it’s important to remember that the weather will vary quite a bit depending on which country and region you’re visiting.
For example, you might think London would be colder than Germany or Austria since it’s further north. However, London is actually one of the warmer Christmas market destinations in Europe, with temperatures consistently in the 40s (ºF).
Other areas in Europe tend to be a bit colder! Here’s a quick look at the average December temperatures in some of the most popular Christmas market destinations (based on data from WeatherSpark.com).
And don’t forget to check the forecast before your trip for the exact temperatures. Also, rain and snow can be common in Europe this time of year, so it’s best to plan for the worst.
|
City |
Average Low |
Average High |
|---|---|---|
|
London, England |
41ºF |
49ºF |
|
Paris, France |
37ºF |
45ºF |
|
Strasbourg, France |
33ºF |
42ºF |
|
Düsseldorf, Germany |
35ºF |
43ºF |
|
Munich, Germany |
38ºF |
28ºF |
|
Vienna, Austria |
30ºF |
38ºF |
|
Basel, Switzerland |
42ºF |
32ºF |
Clothing for the Christmas Markets
Thermal tops and bottoms
If there’s one piece of advice I can give you, it’s don’t skip your thermal base layers! These are your first line of defense against the winter chill and make a huge difference in how comfortable you are throughout the day.
You’ll want a tight-fitting layer on both top and bottom to help trap in your body heat.
For tops, I love a thin but heat-retaining merino wool layer, which keeps you warm and dry. While wool layers can be more expensive than synthetic alternatives, it’s worth the investment and better for the planet!
On the bottom, wool thermal leggings or fleece-lined leggings were my go-to. If you’re wearing loose fitting jeans or pants, I recommend wearing these fleece-lined leggings underneath, since they are quite thin.
However, if you want to pair your leggings with a skirt or dress, I highly recommend either these thick black leggings or these faux-sheer leggings.
Both are extremely thick and warm. I was able to wear them with only a skirt or dress (no other bottom layers), and my legs didn’t get cold!
Sweaters and Fleece
Next up: cozy sweaters and fleece jackets!
Once you’ve got your thermals on, sweaters act as the perfect mid-layer to add extra warmth and style.
I packed several oversized sweaters that paired well with both leggings and jeans. My personal favorites were thick knits with fun wintery patterns (because Christmas market photos call for festive vibes, obviously).
Go for a mix of styles, some lightweight ones for layering with a fleece jacket, and a few chunkier ones for warmer days where you don’t need another layer on top.
You can also opt for a thick sweater dress, paired with fleece-lined leggings for extra warmth! We definitely don’t want bare legs out in this environment.
On our day trip to Colmar and Strasbourg from Basel, I wore this green sweater dress with these fleece-lined leggings. Besides a long-sleeve thermal underneath the dress and my winter coat, this was all I had on, and I was warm all day!
Skirts or Jeans
Depending on the weather and your style, I recommend either warm skirts or jeans for your bottom layer. Either way, you’ll need to pair these with a pair of warm leggings, as mentioned above.
Even your warmest pair of jeans probably aren’t warm enough by themselves for the Christmas markets, especially at night!
I personally didn’t want to wear jeans only at the markets. Before our trip, I found this adorable velvet skater skirt on Amazon and bought two pairs in black and burgundy.
For the Christmas markets, I paired them with my fleece-lined leggings and a fuzzy sweater for the perfect cozy holiday vibe! I even found a matching burgundy beanie to go with the red one.
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Winter Coat
Your outer layer is probably the most important item you’ll pack, as this is what protects you from the elements while you’re spending hours outside.
For the Christmas markets, I recommend bringing a long, insulated winter puffer coat that hits at least mid-thigh, but ideally below your knees for extra warmth on your legs. You’ll also want it to be waterproof (or snow proof), wind-resistant, and ideally have a hood!
Even if the forecast doesn’t call for snow, be prepared for rain, wind, and just plain damp cold. A coat that fully zips and cinches at the waist will keep you warm and stylish.
Tip: Carry your coat on the plane with you, so you don’t take up valuable storage space in your luggage!
P.S. You don’t need to drop a fortune on a new coat you’ll only wear once! I rented a lot of clothes for this trip from Nuuly! For less than $100, you get 6 pieces of clothing and can keep it for up to one month.
Accessories for the Christmas Markets
Head protection
During our one week in Switzerland, I never left the hotel without something covering my ears! It truly makes a huge difference in cold weather.
Each day, I rotated between these fuzzy earmuffs (which are way warmer than you might expect) and a few different styles of beanies (depending on my outfit!).
For me, beanies tend to make my head itch when I wear them for a long time, so I preferred the earmuffs on days we were out for most of the day/night.
My best friend also brought this adorable fuzzy bucket hat that I will definitely be borrowing for my next Christmas market trip!
Whether you’re going for cozy or cute, bring at least two options for head protection so you can mix and match with your outfits.
Gloves or Mittens
Your hands will be busy when visiting the Christmas markets, between holding vin chaud (mulled wine), snapping Insta-worthy photos, and browsing the stalls, so keeping them both warm and accessible is essential!
While most people recommend touchscreen-friendly gloves, I actually loved these fuzzy mittens instead!
Yes, partially because they matched my fuzzy earmuffs, but they were also SO warm. So warm in fact that sometimes I had to open them up to let some cold air in!
These mittens have a slit on the backside so you can easily get your fingers free, whether that’s for texting, grabbing cash, etc. However, when you’re wearing them normally, the air doesn’t get in!
And after getting melted cheese all over them on our last day in Basel (Switzerland, am I right?!), I was pleased to find out when I got home that they are machine-washable.
Whether you opt for mittens or gloves, just make sure they are warm enough for freezing temperatures!
Scarf or Neckwarmer
Neck protection often gets overlooked, but it definitely makes a difference, especially when it’s windy!
If my top layer didn’t have a thick turtleneck, I always made sure to wear either a scarf or neck gaiter to the markets.
Because our Christmas market trip was paired with skiing in Zermatt, I packed a few different neck gaiters for the trip and find myself wearing those more than scarves since they are easy to just throw on!
I love this cream fleece-lined one because it matches everything, but you could also get more adventurous and festive with it.
Warm Boots
One item I knew I would need to invest in before this trip was a pair of snow boots.
After visiting Vermont in the fall and realizing my feet were cold in 50ºF weather, I realized my current pair of boots weren’t going to cut it for Europe in December!
Plus, while it wasn’t forecasted to snow during our time at the Christmas markets, it did snow during our 3 days in Zermatt.
I bought these SOREL snow boots before our trip, and they were so perfect I wore them almost every day! They are extremely comfortable to walk in (even over 10,000 steps per day) in both the cobblestone streets of Basel and the snowy streets of Zermatt.
And even when I was walking through the snow, my feet were nice and toasty.
Overall, you will be on your feet nearly the entire time when at the Christmas markets, so choose boots that are waterproof, have solid grip for cobblestone streets or snow, and are comfortable enough for full days of walking.
If you’re wearing skirts or dresses, knee-high styles are both practical and flattering, just make sure they are actually comfortable! Sore feet can ruin your day at the Christmas markets.
Whatever you choose, make sure to break new shoes in before your trip!
Small Crossbody Bag (+ Reusable Shopping Bag)
While most European countries are generally safe for tourists, petty theft can be common in major cities, especially in high-tourist areas.
The Christmas markets are no different – they’re the perfect place for thieves to snag your phone out of your purse while you’re distracted by the magical stalls serving delicious glühwein (or vin chaud, depending which country you’re in).
For this reason, I highly recommend using a cross-body bag instead of a backpack when visiting the Christmas markets in Europe.
Ideally, your bag has interior pockets only and is small enough to fit under your coat for added protection! Bonus points if it’s anti-theft like this one.
If you do want to bring a backpack, do not put anything valuable in the outside pockets, and wear it on the front when in super crowded areas.
And if you plan to do a lot of shopping, I recommend bringing some sort of reusable bag or tote that you can store gifts in, as most places do not have plastic bags.
This was definitely a miss on our part, as all of us brought home several of those adorable Christmas mugs from the markets (see below), and our husbands were stuck shoving them in their jacket pockets! Haha.
Hand Warmers
Last but not least, hand warmers turned out to be an absolute lifesaver on our trip to Europe! I kept one pair in my coat pockets and one in my mittens on the coldest days.
Our group had both the reusable electric ones and the classic paper warmers, and both were great to have on hand (literally!). The paper ones can even be thrown inside your shoes if your feet get really cold!
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide has helped you feel more confident (and excited!) about what to wear to the European Christmas markets!
Dressing warmly is key to actually enjoying the magic of the markets instead of shivering your way through them.
Trust me: having the right layers, warm accessories, and comfy boots made all the difference during our Christmas trip to Switzerland and France. I never felt cold once, even during long days outdoors wandering the markets and taking in all the festive decor! (The mulled wine and hot apple cider helped too 😉).
To make packing even easier, I’ve created a free downloadable packing checklist with everything I brought (and wish I brought) to Europe.
And don’t forget to check out my full Amazon list for more outfit and accessory recommedantions!
Check out all of my Switzerland blog posts below! 🇨🇭❄️🫕
A Magical One Week Switzerland Winter Itinerary!
Visiting Zermatt in the Winter: Everything to Know Before You Go
3 Perfect Days In Zermatt, Switzerland In The Winter!
Where to Stay in Zermatt, Switzerland in Winter (with Map!)
15 Bucket List Things to Do in Zermatt in the Winter!
A Complete Guide to Skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland
What To Wear In Zermatt In Winter: Detailed Packing Guide!
Visiting Basel In December: Christmas Markets & Beyond
Basel Christmas Itinerary: 2 Days In Basel In December
Christmas Market Trip To Colmar & Strasbourg From Basel!
What To Wear To European Christmas Markets (Packing Guide)
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