There’s something charming about autumn – orange leaves, a chill in the air, pumpkin spiced lattes and Halloween decorations everywhere you look.
The cooler weather makes it the perfect time to explore a new city, check out some shopping, see the sights, enjoy some culture and of course, gorge on the local delicacies!
City breaks are busy deals, so you need to be organised ahead of time. It’s a great idea to put together a packing list before you go. Everyone’s been there – you think you’re organised, you head off, you’re super-excited and then bam! You’ve forgotten your phone charger!
To help you get straight into the sightseeing rather than buying things you’ve forgotten, check out our autumn city break packing list.
Money and Important Documents
Let’s get the boring stuff out of the way first!
Check and double check that you have all your important documents and cash-related items with you before you travel. You wouldn’t be the first person to set off, only to realise that you’ve forgotten your driving licence!
- – Money, credit and debit cards – it goes without saying that you shouldn’t carry a large amount of cash with you.
- – Travel documents – if you’re travelling by bus or train, make sure you’ve got your tickets. If you’re travelling from overseas, make sure you’ve got your plane tickets and your passport.
- – ID documents – it’s always good to have a driving licence or passport to hand, whether you’re travelling far or not.
- – Hotel booking confirmation – you can usually save this onto your phone, but some people still like to print it out.
- – European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – if travelling to Europe.
- – Maps of the area – although you can use your phone, it’s much more exciting having a map to hold in your hand on a city break!
Toiletries and Cosmetics
Autumn weather is pretty interchangeable, so you might need sun screen as well as moisturiser to protect against those autumn winds!
Everyone has their own routine when it comes to toiletries, but here’s all the basics that most people are likely to need.
- – Hand sanitiser
- – Deodorant
- – Toothbrush and toothpaste
- – Hair brush
- – Feminine sanitary products
- – Make up and make up remover
- – Moisturiser
- – Sun screen (depending on when and where you’re going)
- – Shower gel, shampoo and conditioner
- – Razor
- – Shaving gel
- – Hair bobbles and grips, if necessary
- – Any medications you may need
- – Small first aid box
- – Painkillers
- – Plasters – sightseeing can be tough on the feet!
Clothing
Now the important stuff. When checking out what to pack for a city break in autumn, you’ll probably be thinking about clothing more than anything else.
When putting together your autumn city break outfits, you need to be covered for all eventualities as autumn can be gloriously warm one day then a frost the next!
Here’s what you should have in your autumn city break wardrobe.
- – Trousers and jeans – two of each should be more than enough, depending on how many days you’re travelling for. If you want to bring a skirt, go for it, but do remember the weather might be changeable during the autumn!
- – T-shirts and long-sleeved tops – one for each day
- – One dressy outfit if you’re planning a big night out
- – Jumper
- – Hoodie
- – Underwear
- – Socks
- – Nightwear
- – Lightweight, waterproof jacket
- – Comfortable day shoes – ‘comfortable’ is the key word here!
- – Comfortable night shoes for evenings out
- – Accessories to jazz up an outfit, e.g. jewellery, scarves, belts, etc.
Remember, only the bare essentials are needed for a city break. The less you take, the more space you have in your suitcase to bring lots of goodies home!
Tech and Other Travel Bits
These days we carry more tech items than ever before, but the good news is they’re pretty streamlined. You might want to entertain yourself with a film or some music whilst you’re travelling, or maybe you want to watch Netflix on your tablet before you sleep.
- – Mobile phone
- – Any other devices you want to bring (tablet, laptop etc)
- – Chargers for all devices
- – Power bank
- – Headphones
- – Adaptor for the socket if travelling to a different country
- – Glasses or contact lenses
- – Sunglasses
- – Book or magazine
- – Refillable water bottle
Salisbury is The Perfect City Break Choice
Hopefully you’re now feeling organised and know exactly what to pack for a city break in autumn. Let’s hope so!
Salisbury is a fantastic city break destination – there’s so much to see and do!
It’s important to be right in the thick of things when you’re visiting a city for a few days – you don’t want to spend your time commuting. The Red Lion Hotel couldn’t be more centrally located in Salisbury, so is the ideal choice as somewhere to lay your head.
We’re just a five minute walk away from the famous Salisbury Cathedral, as well as some fantastic nightlife and shopping opportunities.
