This will be my second winter in Croatia. The biggest difference I have noticed is the amount of time I spend outdoors. When I was living in Pittsburgh the most I walked outside was either down Walnut street to go shopping or from my house to my driveway to get in my car. Now I live in a 2000-year-old city where there is no car access or driveway. I have a mile walk just to reach the garage where we keep our car! It is no wonder I have realized the importance of having quality footwear in the winter. While traveling to various other European cities in the winter I have made all kinds of packing mistakes and have learned from them! These are my go to essentials when traveling in Europe in the winter hope you find my recommendations useful:)

There are so many historical places to see in Europe and the best way to do that is on foot or public transportation. Leave your thin little socks at home and pack wool socks that will keep your toes warm. I use these ones from amazon!

These do NOT have to be rain boots since they are bulky, heavy, and take up way to much space in your suitcase! When traveling in the winter you always want to be prepared for rain or snow. One of my favorite purchases this year are my black waterproof Sorel’s. They resemble a combat boot and look stylish with everything! They are a staple in my wardrobe and are great for rainy or snowy weather!

Depending where you are traveling it may not be snowy weather, so you can often wear sneakers (these were my go to in Paris and Barcelona!). My go to sneakers are these old school classic Adidas Original Superstar because they go with everything and are comfortable, yet stylish.

My other go to pair are my Jeffrey Campbell Lofi Sneakers. I LOVE these! I swear they make every outfit look cooler. If you order these keep in mind they run a little small so size up!

Short, knee, or thigh high whichever you prefer! These are perfect to dress up your outfit at night time. If your going to wear a heel I stongly recommend you choose a block heel since many of the streets in Europe are cobblestone or uneven surfaces and difficult/nearly impossible to walk in heels. Don’t even attempt unless you want to end up injured! These Marc Fisher block heeled thigh high boots are one of my go to heeled boots for traveling. They are very comfortable and the perfect size heel.

These mid legth Jeffrey Campbell black bock heeled boots are the best! I LOVE them and wear them constantly. They go perfectly with jeans that are cropped at the ankle because of where they hit on your calf and are comfortable. The material is great since dirt or salt will wash off easily. One of my best buys this year!

If you prefer a flat knee high boot my absolute favorite ones that I have had for 4 years now are the Vince Camuto Women’s Crisintha Leather Closed Toe Knee High! They have lasted many years and are still in perfect condition (pictured above).

I wear these under all my pants when traveling in the winter especially my leggings and jeans with rips in them. They keep your legs nice and warm while exploring outside. These are the ones I use!

When I travel my face tends to get dry especially in the winter. I use the Glam Glow Thirst Mud as a mask and a lotion when my face gets dry. This is the only lotion where I see an immediate difference in the texture of my skin. It’s a miracle worker!

I always carry nyquil, dayquil, cold-eeze, charcoal pills, and tylenol. In Europe they do not have the same over the counter drugs and they tend to be milder.

Ladies these may be one of the greatest pants ever made! They are versatile and look great on all body types. I pack these everywhere I go in the winter and love wearing them with over sized sweaters or dress them up in the evening with heeled boots and a cute top. PS. I always wear the fleece tights underneath!

Use lip balm containers to put all your creams in and label them it saves a huge amount of space and they are super inexpensive. These are the ones I use.

Stick with a color scheme for all your outfits during the trip nudes/greys/blacks it will make it much easier to mix and match plus your shoes will go with everything. It saves lots of space packing.

My go to top is always a black turtle neck it legitimately goes with everything and I usually wear one underneath all my outfits to stay warm!

I try to only bring 1-2 coats to bring per trip and make sure they match all my outfits (one that is water resistant and one that is fluffy or furry that I can dress up)

Use packing cubes to stay organized.

Roll your clothes instead of folding them it is a huge space saver.

Ciao Loves!