What to wear where · budget edition

Look like a local. Pack like a minimalist. Pay nothing for bags.

Pack for there, and know what to wear.

Every PackToWear guide is a complete outfit plan for a destination and month: real climate data, what locals actually wear (sourced), three outfit formulas and a packing list that fits a budget airline’s free under-seat bag.

Start with Paris in December → Check free baggage sizes
8destination guides 8airlines’ free bags checked 100%sourced local style tips
A woman with an umbrella walking along a snowy Paris street
Paris, snow day
The illuminated Wiener Christkindlmarkt arch in front of Vienna's City Hall at night
Vienna markets
A flat lay of jeans, a pink knit, pink trainers and an instant camera
the capsule
Fits Ryanair free bag 40×30×20
The guides

Winter 2026–27 destinations

All destinations →
The Eiffel Tower and the Seine at dusk, Paris Photo: Chris Karidis / Unsplash
DecemberCity break

Paris

Long dark coats, black boots and very little colour. Here's how to look like you belong in Paris without paying for a cabin bag.

8.0 °C / 46 °F high3.8 °C low
 A red double-decker bus under the Christmas lights on Regent Street, London Photo: Jamie Davies / Unsplash
DecemberCity break

London

Waterproof, layered and Tube-proof. London winter dressing is about coping with damp streets and overheated trains.

9.0 °C / 48 °F high3.9 °C low
 The illuminated Wiener Christkindlmarkt arch in front of Vienna's City Hall at night Photo: Nenad Kaevik / Unsplash
DecemberChristmas markets

Vienna & Prague

Standing still outside in the cold is the hard part. Dress for hours at a market stall, not a brisk walk.

4.0 °C / 39 °F high−0.4 °C low
 Bikes parked along a snow-covered canal street in Amsterdam Photo: Matilda Alloway / Unsplash
DecemberCity break

Amsterdam

Wind, rain and cobbles. Amsterdammers solve all three with a hooded rain jacket, flat shoes and layers.

6.9 °C / 44 °F high1.9 °C low
 St Peter's Basilica and the Ponte Sant'Angelo over the Tiber, Rome Photo: Chris Czermak / Unsplash
DecemberCity break

Rome

Milder and sunnier than northern Europe, but wetter than you'd think. Romans dress warmly, in earthy colours.

12.7 °C / 55 °F high4.7 °C low
 Golden ginkgo trees lining the avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien, Tokyo Photo: Tom Tor / Unsplash
NovemberCity break

Tokyo

Mild, dry-ish and golden. Ginkgo season calls for light layers, not a heavy coat.

16.7 °C / 62 °F high8.8 °C low
 An aerial view of snowy Reykjavík rooftops in winter Photo: Einar H. Reynis / Unsplash
DecemberWinter adventure

Iceland (Reykjavík)

Wind, wet and about four hours of daylight. Wear your warmest things on the plane and pack thin layers.

3.3 °C / 38 °F high−1.6 °C low
 A cruise ship docked beside a palm-lined tropical beach Photo: Anju Ravindranath / Unsplash
JanuaryCruise

Caribbean cruise

Seven nights, one small bag. Warm weather packs light, and the formal night is easier than you think.

24.6 °C / 76 °F high16.1 °C low
 Wooden chalets in Zermatt beneath the snowy Matterhorn, Swiss Alps Photo: Daniel Cox / Unsplash
Coming soonSki

Ski: the Alps in January

Our next series: ski-week capsules that don’t need a hold bag.
How every guide works

One formula, every destination

01

Real climate, not vibes

30-year WMO climate normals via NOAA, in °C first with °F alongside, plus daylight hours.

02

What locals actually wear

Only from linked sources such as local writers, official tourism boards and guides. We never make it up.

03

3 outfit formulas

A small capsule you mix and repeat, so you pack fewer pieces and still get more outfits.

04

Fits the free baggage allowance

A packing list planned to 40 × 30 × 20 cm, the strictest common free bag in Europe.

New: day-to-night outfit swaps, casual to chic →

Free baggage sizes

What each budget airline gives you free

Full reference with sources →
40×30×20 Ryanair no kg stated 45×36×20 easyJet 15 kg 40×30×20 Wizz Air 10 kg 40×30×20 Jet2 no kg stated 40×30×20 Vueling no kg stated 40×30×20 Transavia 10 kg 46×36×20 Frontier 35 lb 45×35×20 Allegiant no kg stated
Front faces drawn to the same scale (cm, as published; Frontier converted from inches).Depth is shown in perspective.
Ryanair
UK & Europe
40 × 30 × 20 cmSmall personal bag, under the seat
Not stated
easyJet
UK & Europe
45 × 36 × 20 cmUnder-seat bag, including handles and wheels
15 kg
Wizz Air
UK & Europe
40 × 30 × 20 cmPersonal item, under the seat
10 kg
Jet2
UK & Europe
40 × 30 × 20 cmUnder-seat bag, plus a 10 kg hand bag included
Not stated
Vueling
Spain & Europe
40 × 30 × 20 cmUnder-seat bag (Basic fares)
Not stated
Transavia
Netherlands, France & Europe
40 × 30 × 20 cmSmall bag on Basic fares, incl. handles and wheels
10 kg
45.7 × 35.6 × 20.3 cm18 × 14 × 8 in (official)
35 lb
45 × 35 × 20 cm18 × 14 × 8 in (official)
Not stated

Checked against official airline pages in October 2026. Spirit Airlines isn’t listed because it ceased operations in May 2026.

Free download

The carry-on capsule checklist

One printable page: the 12 pieces that work for almost any city break, plus how to pack them into a 40 × 30 × 20 cm bag.

Get the checklist →