How To Pack for a Christmas Market in a Carryon

Is there anything more magical than a European Christmas market? The food, decorations, lights, it is a Christmas fairytale. But, with the Christmas season comes cold weather. If you want to enjoy a cup of Gluhwein under the twinkling lights, you need to dress warmly. Here is your guide for how to pack for a Christmas market in a carryon. Keep in mind, I am NOT a fashion blogger, so the items I packed are ones that worked well for me and not necessarily for impressive photos.

It doesn’t matter which markets you are visiting; you will pack the same for each of them. If you are looking for ideas on which markets to visit, you can read here for Germany’s Cologne market and here for Frankfurt.

Why Pack in a Carryon

People pack in carryon only for different purposes. For me, it comes down to 4 main reasons.

Cheaper– Let’s face it, airlines are charging for more and more things. Now, most airlines charge extra for checked luggage. By packing carryon only, I can save a little money.

No Lost Luggage– Hands down, this is the one I worry about the most when traveling. More and more, flights are delayed, and connections are tight or missed. Having my carryon saves the stress of worrying if my luggage is going to make it.

Mobility– Europe’s cobblestone streets are idyllic; however, they aren’t great for pulling large suitcases. Add to that the need to use public transport while in country and using carryon only allows me to be a lot more mobile. It is particularly helpful when traveling on trains throughout Europe.

Less stuff-less hassle– By no means am I a minimalist, but when I travel, I don’t like to be bogged down with unnecessary items. Packing with just a carryon requires that I cut down to only packing what I will actually use. Having a packing list will really help with this, especially if you are a notorious over packer.

How I Pack My Carryon

Pack For a Week

It doesn’t matter how long I am traveling for, I almost always pack for 1 week. Of course, some items will need to be washed. Generally, I sink wash items, but if a laundromat is handy, that is always an option.

Organization is Key

Seriously, the ONE key tip is to be organized. Admittedly, it takes some planning, but it is well worth it. There are a few items I have found to be invaluable when packing.

• Packing cubes– My top recommendation is to get packing cubes if you don’t already have them. I have this set and they have been a lifesaver in keeping my clothes organized and my carryon doesn’t look like a bomb exploded inside of it. Bonus, there are a lot of fun colors to choose from.
• 3-1-1 Bag– So, not a fun item, but this particular bag works very well. I have found it holds more items than some of the other bags I have used and more than a standard Ziploc bag. An added plus, it comes in a 2 pack, so I use one for me and one for Chris.
• Travel bottles– Again, not fun, but often necessary. Even though I try not to overpack, I am particular about certain hair and skincare products. I like this set of bottles for my hair products. Leaking hasn’t been an issue which has been a problem with other sets. For skincare, I like this set of travel containers. I will even decant a small amount of my BB cream into one of them, saving a little space. Both sets fit easily into the 3-1-1 bag.
• Weight restrictions– One drawback of being more organized means you can fit more items in your carryon thus increasing the weight. If you are flying a European airline, make sure to check any weight restrictions on carryon luggage. I’m not saying they will weigh your bag, but I want you to know the restrictions ahead of time so there aren’t any surprises.

What to Pack

I am going to break this down into two parts-what I pack in my backpack and what I pack in my carryon. Fortunately, even when flying carryon only to the Christmas markets, you still get a personal item. For me, I like using a backpack as my personal item.

Backpack

Like many of you, I pack necessities and items that I want to easily reach when on the plane. If I’m flying from Europe and I don’t have TSA precheck, I will pack my 3-1-1 bag in my backpack in case I need to take it out at security. I like this backpack for travel. It has a lot of pockets, but not too many. I can keep things organized and easily accessible.

Here is what I packed for our trip to the European Christmas markets.

• Passport– I keep my passport, license, cash and credit cards in this passport holder.
• Medications– It’s always smart to keep any meds with you.
• Kindle
• Sunglasses
• Brush and hair ties
• Tech organizer– I LOVE this organizer for keeping my cords, portable chargers and adapters all together. I use all three of these items and pack them for every trip.
• 3-1-1 bag– I use the bag mentioned above for my liquids. Inside I am able to fit travel bottles of shampoo, conditioner, heat treatment spray and Moroccan oil. In the aforementioned tubs, I decant my facial lotion for day and night and my BB cream. There is also room for a small bodywash and toothpaste.

Carryon

Okay, this is where the planning starts. First, I start with choosing a color palate for my clothes. Everything I pack can mix and match. For our trip, I chose Black, gray, white/ivory and navy. Thankfully, we spent our time exploring during the day and at the markets in the late afternoon/evening. This meant I didn’t need dress clothes for dinner or events, so you won’t find any dresses, etc. on my packing list.

Next, I make a list of each item I want to take. After making the list, I shop my closet to make sure I have what I need and make adjustments as needed. I soon realized I was woefully lacking for comfortable boots, so I did pick up a couple pairs for this trip.

Now, it’s time to start packing your carryon!

Shoes

It doesn’t matter where you are traveling, the most important thing you will pack is shoes. Uncomfortable shoes can make your trip miserable. Trust me, you are going to want to walk to all of the adorable markets in each town, so you want comfortable shoes. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t look cute.

• Boots– The first pair I took was a brown casual boot that went with everything I packed. They were warm and extremely comfortable for walking. I wore these on the plane. Bonus, they had good grip for the wet cobblestone roads.
• Black Boots– I also packed a pair of versatile black boots. I was pleased with how warm these boots were while being cute with jeans.
• Sneakers– After much waffling, I decided to forgo sneakers on this trip. That said, it absolutely makes sense to take a pair if you choose to. If you are looking for a new pair to travel with, I recently wore this pair throughout Israel, Egypt and Jordan. They are comfortable and easy to work into a capsule wardrobe.

Pants

As I mentioned earlier, this trip was a pretty casual one for us, meaning no dress clothes. Jeans were my go-to everyday, so this section is pretty basic.

• Jeans– Wore 1 pair and packed 2. All of us have our favorite jeans that we pretty much live in. If by chance you are in the market for a new pair, I just picked up these and I am pleased with them. I will be taking them on our upcoming Eastern Europe trip.

Shirts

• Tops- 2-3. I went with turtleneck sweaters partly because they kept my neck warm and partly because they worked with my capsule wardrobe. For reference, I packed a grey/white striped one and a black/grey block print sweater. Both worked with my color scheme.
• Sweater hoodies- Wore 1 and packed 1. Again, I chose items I already owned and liked. I packed an ivory sweater and navy sweater.
• Long sleeve T-shirts- 2-3. I LOVE long sleeve t-shirts. Following my color palate, I chose to pack a grey one and a black one. They worked well on the days it wasn’t quite as cold. I also found myself wearing these during the day. Depending on what you pack, these are also good for layering.

Accessories

• Coat- Wore on the plane. I packed my Columbia Omni Heat coat. This coat was purchased specifically for this trip. I am happy I did; it was warm without being too heavy.
• Base layers- 2 shirts and 2 pants. Knowing we were going to have some pretty cold nights, I made sure to pack a couple of base layers. They are super easy to pack and quick drying if you need to rinse them out. Once again, I chose Columbia for mine.
• Wool socks- 3-4 pairs. Wool socks can be a little pricier, but I am now a firm believer in them. They really do deter odor and moisture. I was amazed at what a difference these socks made as compared to my normal cotton ones.
• Gloves- 1 pair. Warm gloves are a must. Pack your favorite pair that you know will keep your hands toasty, especially at night.
• Scarf- 1-2. One scarf was enough for me, but two would be reasonable to pack as they don’t take up much room.
• Knit hat- 1 hat. Normally, I don’t wear knit hats, but there were some days I was happy to have one. I would suggest adding one to your packing list, even if you have a hood.
• Undergarments- 7 underwear and 2-3 bras. If you have some that are not cotton, they will dry faster. Either way, not a big deal to sink wash while you are there.
• Pajamas- 2 pair.

Toiletries

• 3-1-1 bag– If not in my backpack, I put it on top in my carryon.
• Flat iron– Just make sure it is dual voltage.
• Razor
• Deodrant
• Cotton balls and Q-Tips
• Makeup and makeup brushes– I have a pretty basic makeup routine, especially when traveling.

Final Thoughts

There is no right or wrong way to pack for vacation, but there are some basic guidelines you can follow. I hope this list of what I packed in my carryon for a European Christmas market is helpful. Hopefully it inspires you to try to ditch the checked luggage, at least for one trip.

Your main focus will be packing items that will keep you warm and are comfortable for walking around all of the adorable Christmas markets. Enjoy!

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