What to Pack for Vienna: A Carry On Vienna Packing List

Are you looking for the perfect packing list for Vienna for carry on travelers? Vienna, Austria is a gorgeous city, and we most recently visited in May. The weather can go up or down in the spring, so your Vienna packing list should prepare you for different possibilities. But it’s still easy to pack for Vienna with only carry on bags.

Austria experiences all four seasons, so what to wear in Vienna depends on the season when you’re traveling. Summers are hot, winters are cold, and spring and autumn are milder transition periods. Let’s take a look at what to pack for Vienna, especially for carry on travelers.

Vienna Packing List: Essentials for Carry-On

Vienna is a wonderful city with interesting sights, good food, and important history. My advice is based on city sightseeing experiences, although you could do some day trips out into nature. Vienna is a city where I have never felt like I needed to be dressed up, but you won’t feel out of place if you like to dress a bit nicer. My carry on Vienna packing list will help you pack efficiently.

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Clothing

Plan your clothing choices for Vienna so that your pieces are practical and coordinate, which also helps you pack for a week in a carry on. Comfort is key when you’re walking around sightseeing all day. If you do like to dress a little nicer to go out for dinner in the evening, you don’t need anything too fancy. But if you’re going to see a show or an opera, you’ll want to bring one really nice dress.

I’m very open to re-wearing shirts, leggings, and jeans. In general, I don’t think one day is enough to get something so dirty that I can’t wear it another day. This is one easy way to travel carry on only. If you’re traveling to Vienna for longer than a week or so, I’ve got some travel laundry detergent recommendations later on in the packing list.

Short sleeved shirts: Pack 4-7 shirts for a one week in Vienna, plus or minus, depending on how open you are to re-wearing a shirt. In winter, you can use these as a base layer. Try these from Bluffworks: women’s crew neck | men’s crew neck | For something a little cuter: women’s cowl neck

Long sleeved shirt or hoodie: Even in the summer, it can get a little chilly in some places, especially on trains or planes. So it’s good to have one long sleeved shirt, hoodie, or light jacket to wear over a short sleeved shirt. For a winter trip to Vienna, or early spring or late autumn, pack a few more long sleeve shirts.

Pants: 2-3 pairs of leggings or jeans. In the winter, leggings can be layered under jeans to keep you warm.

Shorts: Summer in Vienna can get hot, so pack a few pairs of shorts if this is when you’re going. If you’re traveling outside of the summer season, you won’t need shorts.

Dress or skirt: I felt completely comfortable dressing casual in Vienna, but I also didn’t do anything that required fancier clothing. If you’re going to the opera or something similar, pack a dress or skirt. Remember you only need one even for two or three evenings.

Light waterproof jacket: Spring and autumn can be rainy, and even in the summer, it’s good to have a jacket in case it rains. In winter in Vienna, you’ll need a warm coat that can get wet in rain or snow.

Underwear: Pack one pair of underwear and one pair of socks for each day of your trip. Ladies, pack 2 or 3 bras for a one week trip. I love ExOfficio because they’re quick dry, which is great for travel.

Sleepwear: Pajamas, t-shirt and shorts, leggings…you know what you’re comfortable sleeping in.

Shoes: Pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes, plus one other pair of shoes depending on your itinerary. Sandals or other casual shoes will work. Leave the high heels at home because they will not be good for walking on cobblestones. If you know you’re going to an opera or someplace else where you need to dress up, try to bring nice flats that will pack easily.

What to wear in Vienna in May

Our most recent trip to Vienna was in May, and it felt like winter one day and summer the next. You’ll definitely want to pack clothes you can layer in case it’s a bit cold while you’re there. It also rained quite a bit for several days of our trip, and I was happy I had an umbrella and a rain jacket. Also be sure to have shoes that will keep your feet dry.

Toiletries

Everyone has specific toiletries they like to use, but here’s my toiletries list that helps me pack carry on only.

Shampoo and conditioner: I love using solid shampoo and solid conditioner for travel and at home. But if you’re not ready to ditch your liquid versions, stay under the liquids limit by using these GoToob refillable bottles. | Read my reviews of Ethique solid shampoo for travel and Ethique solid conditioner for travel.

Shower gel or bar soap: Bar soap won’t count against the liquids limit.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss: Keep those teeth clean! Did you know you can get solid toothpaste tabs like these to save even more space in your liquids bag? | Read my review of Hello Solid Toothpaste Tabs for Travel.

Contact solution and case: If you wear contacts, I also recommend bringing glasses as a backup.

Lotion: Always good to have to prevent dry skin, especially if you’re traveling to Vienna in winter or other cooler months.

Deodorant: Everyone appreciates it when you don’t stink. I love this deodorant from Ethique. | Read my review of Ethique solid deodorant for travel.

Razor: If you have shaving needs, add a razor to your Vienna travel packing list. | Read: Can you bring a razor on a plane?

Nail clippers and nail file: Leave the nail scissors at home since some security agents might confiscate them.

Brush and hair elastics: Really whatever your normal hair routine requires.

Makeup: Pack your must-have makeup items, but you don’t need much. | Read about bringing makeup on a plane.

Sunscreen: Important if you’re spending lots of time outside sightseeing in Vienna, especially in warmer months. Did you know you can get solid sunscreen? I love this one.

Laundry soap: If you plan on packing carry on only for Vienna, you might need to wash a few things along the way. I travel with this laundry soap, or if my liquids bag is really tight on space, I’ll use these laundry detergent sheets.

First aid items

Of course Vienna has pharmacies and other stores where you can buy basic first aid items. But it’s always easier if you have a few things with you, plus if you’re out sightseeing, you might need something right away.

• Headache/Pain meds
• Bandaids and wound cream
• Immodium (hopefully you won’t need this)
• Allergy meds
• Prescription medications (always worth packing a few days extra)
• Bug repellent depending on the time of year you’re visiting Vienna (try this solid one)

Food tours are a wonderful way to start your trip. They show you what and where to eat, and it’s a fun way to learn about the culture and how it relates to the food. We took this food tour in Vienna and it was fantastic. We ate so many delicious things from several different restaurants and a few different markets. The tour guide had so much enthusiasm for his city and the food. I highly recommend it.

Electronics

Hopefully you can leave your laptop off your packing list for Vienna so you can relax and enjoy your trip. But here are some other electronics you won’t want to forget to pack.

Camera and accessories: These days I mostly use my iPhone to take pictures, especially for city trips, but I do sometimes travel with my Canon Rebel DSLR and zoom lens. If you’re really into photography, a DSLR is a good choice for Vienna.

Kindle: Great for bringing as many books as you want to read on the flight to the Vienna.

Smart phone: This works well for photos if you don’t want to bring a camera.

European SIM card: Rather than deal with the hassles of trying to buy a local sim card when you arrive, get one ahead of time. Orange SIM cards work throughout the EU, including Austria. Choose between a normal SIM or an eSIM.

Chargers, cords, batteries: Make sure you pack any chargers, cords, and batteries you need for your electronics.

Plug adapters: Most of mainland Europe, including Austria, uses a two pronged electrical outlet. You’ll need a plug adapter like this one to make your devices fit.

Most electronics do not need a voltage converter unless you’re traveling to Vienna with a hair dryer, curling iron, or hair straightener. Even then, I highly recommend buying a dual voltage hair appliance before your trip because it’ll work better.

Documents

Passport: US citizens do not need a tourist visa to visit Austria, but if you carry a passport from somewhere else, please check the embassy website for requirements.

It’s also good practice to scan a copy of your passport and email it to yourself and to your emergency contact at home. Print a copy to have with you in case there’s an internet issue and you can’t access your scanned copy. Hopefully you’ll never need these backups, but you’ll be grateful to have them if your passport gets lots or stolen. It’s also worth getting a passport holder to protect your passport from bending, water damage, etc.

Credit and debit cards: Many places in Vienna will accept credit cards but it’s worth taking out a little cash for small purchases. If a credit card machine or ATM asks if you want to use their exchange rate or let your bank choose it, or if it asks if you want to be charged in euros or your home currency, ALWAYS let your bank choose the exchange rate, and ALWAYS choose to pay in euros.

Driver’s license: I didn’t rent a car in Vienna because it’s just not worth it in cities, but if you’re planning a road trip to other parts of Austria, it’s a fun way to explore. Get a quote for a rental car here. Otherwise you can get from one city to another using trains or FlixBus.

Other essential items to add to your Vienna packing list

Umbrella: In case it rains while you’re in Vienna, packing a light weight travel umbrella is a good idea. But if it’s windy, a rain jacket will be even more useful.

Sunglasses: Definitely include sunglasses on a spring, autumn, or summer packing list for Vienna.

Water bottle: The tap water in Vienna is safe to drink, so bring your own water bottle to refill to save money and be kind to the environment. Get a collapsible one like this that will take up less space in your bag.

Tissues: I always travel with a few packs of tissues.

Sleep mask and ear plugs: If you’re a light sleeper or you’re staying in hostels, a sleep mask and ear plugs will come in handy.

Snacks: I always have a handful of granola bars with me to snack on while sightseeing or for long trains or buses. I’m a bit of an anxious person, so knowing I have a snack helps if lunch ends up being later than I’d like.

Hopefully my Vienna packing list is helpful for your trip to this wonderful city, especially if you’re interested in traveling with only carry on bags.

You might also enjoy:

• Is There a Carry On Weight Limit?
• How to Pack for 2 Weeks in a Carry On
• What toiletries can you take on a plane?
• Can you bring deodorant on a plane?

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