Euro Final Gearians, winter/spring clothing help required.

Olie

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Adelaide, South Australia
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Hello euro friends,

I am traveling to Europe in early January for work, and will be moving around quite a lot. I'm basically trying to get an idea of climatic conditions I might face while over there, so that I can start buying suitable clothing for the trip.

Here is a"brief" summary of the trip at this point.

January:
Bruges
Villeneuve
St Etienne
Dusseldorf

February:
Annemasse
Sevilla
Amsterdam
Luxembourg
Paris
Tilburg
Groningen
-TBA-

March:
Den Haag
Guimaraes
Martigues
Bregenz
Annecy

At this point, my work will be over and my Girlfriend will join me in Geneva. She does feel the cold and we need to know what to pack to keep us warm and comfortable.

We will be traveling mainly by train to the following locations:

End of March:
Geneva
Interlaken

April:
Venice
Napoli
Rome
Florence
Monaco
Barcelona
London
Wales

May:
France in general, still TBA

Any help would be greatly appreciated on climates and weather conditions we will likely face while on our trip. Local knowledge from people on here would help us so much, coming from sunny old Australia.

Cheers

Olie
 
I'm no European, but I've spent a winter in Germany and I definitely know what to pack for that. Keep in mind I'm a skinny fellow.

-Very heavy coat
-long underwear
-Heavy pants
-thick socks
-insulated hiking boots
-lots of rain gear
-normal clothes
 
Define your idea of "cold" for us first :p

Going by my inner Australian I think you'll find all places but Spain cold.
 
In winter it gets down to 8-10 degrees C as the max for the day and down to 2-0 at night here as the absolute coldest. So we are not exactly accustomed to long periods of coldness, or spending much time out when its that cold.

I have been an avid skier for years, so I don't mind -20, but that's in ski wear, not general walking around sightseeing clothing.
 
I'd definitely make sure you have good boots for rain/snow, other than that I've been happy with jumper/coat/jeans. If it's seriously cold, then thermals as well.
 
So you are basically going to Western Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France in the first two months of 2011? This winter was one of the coldest and longest on record, but even then some good shoes, a thick coat, gloves and a scarf were the only things needed to withstand the cold. It could also become a mild winter again, so a thick coat and some gloves might be the only things needed.
 
Since you'll probably just be walking around, i would say that a good warm coat/jacket, some good gloves, and some thick socks are all you need. other than this your ordinary clothes should be enough. And the rain, I guess even an Australian will know what to do with... :)
 
Bring clothes that can comfortably be layered as the weather can change quite a bit from morning -> evening, and get some nice boots, gloves, scarf, coat ect. for the winter months (can be useful in spring too, as april can be freaking cold), you should expect temperatures below zero all day, but it's worst when it's windy/rainy so if you get something to keep the wind and rain out you should be fine.
 
It always depends on how much time you spend outside too (common sense, ain?t it?). I get by with a medium thick coat most days in winter, but then in winter I hardly spend more than 10-20 Minutes outside at once ... if you spend your whole day more or less outside, even the mild winter temperatures we have in flat middle-europe will get to you if you haven?t got a propper winter coat.
 
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When I was in Germany & Switzerland for late November/early December last year, all I needed was a medium-warmth jacket (fake leather. Definitely warm, but not a heavy coat, either), gloves, thick socks, and, most importantly, one of these:

https://pic.armedcats.net/c/ch/chaos386/2010/07/18/Beanie-Hat-12264964681.jpg

Wear it outside where it's cold, then just take it off when you go inside someplace warm and toasty. Also absorbs a little water if you need to step out into the rain for a bit. Drape it over a radiator while you're inside, and after a few minutes it's nice and dry for the next time you need to pop out.

Like you, I've only ever lived in places that have mild winters (California and Saudi Arabia), and the above was enough to keep me plenty warm. No boots or special pants required. I didn't exactly go hiking or trudging through the mud (although I did play in some 10cm deep snow!), so if you're planning on being a little more outdoorsy, maybe you would want a pair of those.
 
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^ Good idea. :thumbup:

The only surprise you may have is your trip to Wales in April, where after a few weeks hanging around the warm Mediterranean area, you go to your most northerly destination where the weather will probably be terrible. :lol:

Oh, and we do have a few shops here in europland you know, so don?t worry too much about forgetting stuff. :p
 
Don't go to Naples.
 
:+1: on the fleece cap, I'd recommend getting thin-ish fleece gloves as well. You can easily put them away when you don't need them, they dry off quickly, and will sufficiently keep your hands warm in regular winters.

In an average winter you should prepare for cold rain, the most recent winter with (around here) three full months of solid snow cover is very rare indeed - especially if your most northern destination is Groningen or Wales.
 
As a general note: Air is the best insulator. Many thin layers that trap a lot of air between is the way to go.
 
Italy in April: you can expect very much everything between 15?C and 25?C. But expect a bit of unexpected, as April is the month with the most changeable weather here.
 
and, most importantly, one of these:

[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE="narf, post: 1415666, member: 7191"]:+1: on the fleece cap[/QUOTE]

Dear rest of the world, it's called a toque. Pronounced toook, as in "L[b]uke[/b] I am your father." :P
 
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