Switzerland Packing List – 12 Days in a Carry-On Suitcase

Let me start this post by clarifying that I have never carried on a suitcase for travel…in my entire life! However, when I read many posts about train travel in Switzerland, I knew that this would have to be the first time. It was quite intimidating, so I packed WAY in advance, but I’m happy to report I DID IT! Albeit, without much space to spare, but the flip side is that I wore every single thing in my suitcase multiple times. I will call that smart packing!

What I read in advance was correct. If you are going to travel by train in Switzerland, DO NOT take a full size suitcase! I cannot stress this enough as you will be going up and down lots of stairs, trying to find places to put your suitcase on the train (sometimes in the space between your legs) and when you get to you destination, you may be rolling your bag along cobblestones for quite a distance to your hotel. Over and over again, I was so thankful that I had figured out how to carry on for this trip. If I can do it, you can too!

I had learned that layering was very important in Switzerland, so it was essential that I have lots of mix and match pieces – you will notice a common theme of black, white, grey and my favorite, red (when in Switzerland, right?!) in my packing list. Layers were so important because of the temperature extremes, often on one single hike or excursion. Also, don’t forget to plan for a rain jacket, waterproof trail shoes and some sort of a down jacket for cooler temps.

My packing started with my favorite, AWAY Bigger Carry-On Bag and I don’t think I would have been able to carry on without this great suitcase. I bought these for all of my family several years ago for Christmas and it will be a piece they can use for years to come. Another essential is the Away Travel Cubes for keeping your items packed neat and tight. I have had other brands of packing cubes are far superior! Spend the little bit of extra $$ and you will have something that will last for years. My old ones have already been thrown away!

I also went back and forth between a carry on bag (not the suitcase, but the extra bag that airlines let you carry on board) or a backpack, but ultimately decided on a backpack which I am really glad I did as there were times when I actually carried it on my back so that I wasn’t rolling/wheeling the weight of both bags for a long distance. Although my daughter swears by a backpack, I wasn’t really sure about using one, so I was happy that the backpack I found was less than $30 on Amazon! It was great quality and had lots of pockets, including and hidden RFID pocket! For future trips, I think I still prefer a typical carry on bag because of the extra space it provides, but I’m awfully glad I had a backpack for this trip.

Also, I am a big fan of the Lululemon Crossbody Bag, but I knew it would be just a tad too small for my Switzerland trip. I ended up getting this slightly larger crossbody from Everlane which I really loved. It held a ton without being big and bulky. Because of the 2 item carry on rule with most airlines, I actually had to fold this up and put it in my backpack when I boarded the airplane. I was able to do so with no problem.

Pictured is everything that went into my carry on bag! Rolling the items and using packing cubes were both essential to getting everything to fit in the suitcase and backpack. We were able to do laundry one time during our trip, but I only utilized that for socks and underwear as these pieces stood up to multiple wears quite nicely.

I’ve listed everything that was in my bag, so I hope this helps in your packing. Feel free to reach out to me if I can help answer any questions about packing or my Switzerland itinerary – we traveled to Zurich, Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen and Zermatt. Stay tuned for an updated blog post on each of these beautiful stops. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and a great way to celebrate my birthday!