Time to prepare you for your trip to Switzerland during the summer season. Before leaving home it’s time to pack your bags! In this blog, we will inform you about what to wear and take with you when visiting Switzerland during the summer season.
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The summer season in Switzerland is so special, spring is over and the swiss landscape is full of greenery and beautiful flowers. This makes the landscape magical. Enjoy a walk through the forest or a hike on a mountain. The views are beautifully full of vivid colours, and the temperatures are comfortable.
Summer means warmer temperatures as well, this being said Switzerland’s climate during summer is very versatile. Some days it can be full sun all day others it can rain or there can be thunder part of the day. You will need to pack your bags so you’re prepared for rain as well as for full sun. In the evenings it can even get chilly. Because this may sound tricky, we made a guide to help you pack your bags for a visit to Switzerland during the summer season.
What is the weather like in Switzerland during the summer season?
Although the weather is less unpredictable than during the autumn season, it can still change quite rapidly. The average temperature of the northern and central regions of Switzerland varies between 19 and 24 degrees Celcius which is around 66-75 degrees Fahrenheit. The southern regions tend to be a bit warmer with temperatures up to 30 degrees Celcius. These are just average temperatures. This being said temperatures really may be different during your visit. In our experience, it can be a full week of rain with 18 degrees Celcius. Some weeks it is warm with a week full of sun and temperatures around 27 degrees Celcius.
Because of climate change, average temperatures are rising, the last few years this becomes more and more visible in Switzerland as well. To be sure your visit will be comfortable we advise you to take your clothing with you for both sunny and rainy days.
Swimming in deep blue lakes
Lovely to notice are the several beautiful deep blue lakes of Switzerland in which you can swim during the summer months of June, July, and August. In July taking a dip can be so refreshing. Lake Geneva has the coolest water of all with around 20°C (68°F). Lake Zürich is a bit warmer: around 23°C (73°F), if you like some warmer temperatures lake Lugano is your best chance, the temperature of lake Lugano is around 24°C (79°F) degrees of temperature of the water. Check out our blog post about the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland here.
Swimwear
Oh yes, definitely take your swimwear with you. Switzerland has some of the most beautiful lakes in Europe. Super fresh, mega clean and deeply blue. Taking a dip in one of the lakes is so amazing. Do not forget to take some towels with you. We always take these fast-drying lightweight towels with us even when going for a hike.
Clothing for exploring cities in Switzerland
If you visit Switzerland primarily with the purpose to explore cities and making shorter strolls, you won’t need to take all kinds of hiking equipment with you. Although we would still recommend thinking of buying hiking shoes. We just love the grip, comfort and secure feeling of our hiking shoes.
If you are for example going to visit Lausanne, a pair of shorts or a chino, with a t-shirt is perfect. Colourful dresses are appearing during the summer season as well. Although you might think of warm temperatures because you are in the mountains taking an umbrella with you is advised. In this way, you can stay dry if a short rain appears. We love this small umbrella which you can easily carry with you while exploring cities or during a short walk.
Clothing for going up in the mountains
Alright, this is a section where packing gets tricky. You might think warm temperatures in the cities and on ground level mean shorts with t-shirts in the mountains as well. this is not always the key. When it’s a cloudy day it can be a bit chilly up in the mountain. We always take a lightweight jacket with us. This is actually much recommended because of the rapidly changing weather in the mountains.
Perfect hiking backpack
A good quality backpack is a must as well in the mountain. To keep your stuff dry and to hike comfortably through the mountains. We love this quite compact/small backpack from Teton, so many different colours available. Also, it includes a 2-litre water bladder which is a great extra.
If you travel with your kids in the mountains we recommend this bigger backpack from Teton, it has a 75 litres compacity which is perfect.
Sun protection
During the summer season, this combination of sunglasses and sunscreen is a must. Especially when you’re going up in the mountains during the summer season, sunscreen is a must. You can easily get sunburned when not applying proper sunscreen. We love this sunscreen with SPF 70, you might think this is a bit high but believe us the sun is strong higher up in the mountains.
Taking some sunglasses with you makes life more comfortable as well. We love these polarised UV-blocking sunglasses.
We always take hats with us during the summer season when going for a longer walk exposed to the sun. Especially when going up in the mountains for a hike take a hat with you. Even more important for your kids to prevent them from being directly exposed to the sun. Check out these hats for kids so cute with UV protection and they are breathable.
Hiking shoes
If you’re going for a hike during the summer season, we recommend considering buying a good pair of hiking shoes, which are waterproof and reliable. This will give you so much more comfortable and maybe even more important dry feet during your hike. As we said earlier on in this blog post there can be rain during the summer season. That’s why waterproof shoes with good grip are important. One tip: wear your new hiking shoes at home a few times, this will prevent blisters during your first hike. Maybe pack some blister plasters, they are great!
These two hiking shoes are our favourite, they are waterproof and have the proper grip to prevent you from slipping on muddy hiking paths.
What shoewear to take with you during the summer season in Switzerland?
The summer season means higher temperatures, when the sun appears you can wear your breathable summer shoes. Think of taking sandals, flip-flops, ballerinas or simple sneakers with you. This shoewear is appropriate for visiting cities, not for hiking or longer walks. In that case, we advise investing in some proper hiking shoes.
Rain clothing?
Yes you read it right, rain clothing is actually a smart piece of clothing to take with you when visiting Switzerland. Actually rain clothing is useful in every season in Switzerland. The weather in Switzerland is known for its rapid changes. One moment it can be full sun and 10 minutes later it can rain. To prepare yourself for these rapid changes, just take portable rain clothing with you, which you can easily fit in your backpack. We love this rain clothing, easily and most important waterproof.
Hoodies
Even during the summer season hoodies are the way to go. DUring the day you wont need a hoodie on most days but during the evenings they are great. We love to wear them when its getting a bit colder during the evening. We love these hoodies to wear during early mornings or during the evenings. A zip hoodie for your kids is great too.
Extra tips for your visit to Switzerland during the summer season
- instead of buying bottled water everytime, consider buying one of these filter water bottles. This will ensure you drink fresh filtered water everywhere you go. Also great for cold drinks to keep them cold during the summer days.
- Electrical gadgets you may need when visiting Switzerland are for example this a universal travel adapter. This will make life so much easier while travelling.
- When youre travelling by plan, this portable luggage weight scale is a must. Its so handy to weight your luggage just before flying, in this way youre sure your luggage is not overweight.
- Trolleys are so useful when travelling, we use them when going to hotels or camping. But not only when travelling by plane also by car! We basically bought 3 of these trolleys and were good to go.
- Going on holidays should be stress-free that’s why we use these bag organizers. Gives you a nice overview of your luggage inside.
Conclusion
It becomes clear that travelling to Switzerland during the Summer season is not as easy as just packing some shorts and t shirts. It becomes clear that good preparation is key. The weather in Switzerland during the summer season can change rapidly. This means you will have to be prepared for some rain and sun. Rain clothing and an umbrella are very useful even during summer.
Taking proper sun screen, hats and sunglasses with you is a must as well. The sun can be bright during summer season. Especially when you go up in the mountains. We hope we answered your questions while you read this post. Youre now prepared to go on holidays to Switzerland during the SUmmer season. If you do have any questions left, feel free to leave a comment below.
