Our Europe trip has snuck up on me! In a week we head to Amsterdam for a few days, then head down the Rhine on a river cruise to Basel with our very good friends (my husbands best friend since childhood and his wife). From there, just my husband and I will rent a car and explore the Swiss alps and wherever else strikes our fancy for two weeks. I am usually a big planner when it comes to traveling, but we’ve had a great time when we have been a bit more loose with plans and left things a bit more up to our whims.

So…I need to pack! The bad thing about not having a clear agenda is that it makes it tough to pack efficiently. I’ll probably lean into athleisure as we will likely day hike and explore in the countryside, but also look presentable in the cities. Probably also a couple of slightly smarter options for city days, and something to dress up a bit for some nice dinners. We’ll check bags so no need to be super-streamlined with packing, but I don’t want to go overboard.

Any advice is appreciated! I’ve been to Amsterdam before, so I pretty well know what to expect there, but my only experience in the Alps was 32 years ago and I was unprepared for the cold we encountered in Zermatt — it snowed on us on the 4th of July!