Ah, winter, I love your cozy sweaters and hot cocoas, but sometimes your coldness is just too much to handle. If you’re studying abroad during the bitter, cold months of the year, figuring out what to bring with you overseas becomes a bit more difficult due to the wildly unfair amount of space that winter clothes take up. What’s even more difficult: trying to pack for winter travel. But it’s possible to pack light and smart for all your wintertime adventures! With these seven winter essentials for girls, you’ll be all set for wherever your cold weather travels may take you.
If you’re traveling in Europe this winter, make sure to check out our top ten cities to visit in Europe in the winter.
1. A Hat
Mom will be so proud you remembered to pack a hat, and your entire body (especially your poor little ears) will thank you. It might be a myth that we lose most of our body heat through our head, but you try hanging around the Swiss Alps without one! You can grab some cute hats that will last you from Target, so shop their hat selection. Ear muffs and head wraps work great to keep you warm too.
2. A Colorful Scarf
With all the dark colors typical of winter coats and layers, a colorful scarf will brighten up your whole ensemble while also working to keep you warm. This is the essential to let your personality shine. Whether you’re a Burberry straight man or more of the homemade rainbow crocheted type, you’ll be glad your neck is warm and you’re looking good in all the pictures.
3. Thermal Socks
If your feet are cold, you are going to be hurting your whole trip. Gym socks are not going to cut it to keep your toes toasty and insulated in chilly winter weather. Thermal socks are the only way to go for optimal warmth and comfort, and these ones from Amazon look cute too. You need those feet to get you around on your trip and make the most of your new destination, so don’t skimp on your socks!
Take advantage of the cold weather while in Europe by doing one of these 6 winter activities to do while in Europe.
4. Touchscreen Gloves
You’ll probably be taking a lot of pictures wherever you go. And let’s face it, a lot of those pictures will probably be taken with your smartphone (all for that Instagram!) No gloves = unhappy hands. No bare fingers = unhappy touchscreen. Save yourself from having to take off your gloves every five minutes, and also from frostbite, by packing my favorite winter technology wonder, touchscreen gloves. The pairs above are from Amazon and look nice while also being functional.
5. Boots Made for Walking
Did we stress how important it is for your feet to comfortable when traveling? Well let’s keep going with it. So much of your time traveling is going to be spent on your foot, from city walking tours to scenic hikes and even some mellow museum strolling. Wear a pair of boots that are durable, comfortable, and warm, with good traction and preferably waterproof. The first place I’d recommend shopping for combat boots is on the Target site– these babies (above) took me all over Europe.
6. Warm Layers
Whether you go with Under Armour or a knock-off, the temperature control design is a must-have for layering in the bitterest of winters. A fitted style keeps the wind from cutting through you without the uncomfortable squeezing of compression clothing. Plus, these layers are thin! Which means more warmth but also more room in your carry-on. Going on a walking tour? Try just wearing your base layers under a normal outfit so you still look cute in those travel pictures, but aren’t shivering every step of the way.
7. Leggings
Forget diamonds, leggings are a traveling girl’s best friend. We already love them and wear them in all sorts of seasons and scenarios, so put them to further use in the chilliest weather. You can layer your plain leggings under your jeans for optimal leg warmth on the most bitter days, or sport a trendy pair of fleece-lined for the not-so harshly cold days. Check Travel Fashion Girl’s top ten list to get the best of the best when it comes to travel leggings.
Photo credits: PicJumbo, Kashirin Nickolai, SplitYarn, madelinetosh, Amazon, Target, Jyri, Amazon
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