Winters in Budapest start around November and go up to February. If you happen to visit Budapest in December, one of the most important questions would be what to pack.
Budapest is definitely a great city to visit in December,the only challenge is that the sun sets quite early.Hence giving you less day time to explore the city. This is not a problem as the whole city gives a vibrant look at night when lights are turned on along the Danube.
Exploring Budapest in the December gives a different taste which is unique compared to the summer visit.
Without any doubt, packing list for Budapest depends upon various factors,e.g. How many days you are staying in Budapest,What activities you will perform in Budapest,How you plan to explore Budapest.
Here are the things in order of priority to pack in your luggage when visiting Budapest in December.
- Double layered Jacket
- Warm Scarf
- Warm Gloves
- Thermal leggings
- Hats with ear flaps
- Warm Comfortable Shoes
- Sweaters
- Warm trousers
- T-shirts
- Mobile Charger
- Power Bank
- Universal Travel Adaptor
- Passport/Travel Documents
Of course, in order to pack your stuff for the Budapest trip, you will need a backpack,if you are traveling for a shorter duration. Check out the backpacks from Horizn-Studios,which offer great comfort and ease of use in the harsh cold December in Budapest.
If you are coming for a longer stay, along with backpack, a suitcase or luggage will be definitely required. Depending upon your airline, the size may vary, HS offers a wide variety of durable suitcases that can serve your purpose.
Budapest Weather in December
The Budapest weather in December is different from Western European cities and feels 2 to 3 degree celcius colder than the normal weather. Due to the Buda mountains on one side of the city, the freezing air from hills can feel more freezing than the normal temperature.
Depending upon the time of the day for visiting Budapest, the temperature in December can go from -10 to 10 Degree Celsius.
Winter signs in Budapest are visible in November, and start to disappear around the end of February. During December in Budapest, sunset can be between 15:40 to 16:00 during the whole months. Early days of December may come with rain whole day in Budapest,while snowfall in Budapest winters has been quite rare in the past two years.
The best places to stay near Budapest Christmas markets in December are the following
What do you wear in Budapest in December?
December in Budapest can be pretty harsh,therefore, not to be taken lightly. Specially, if you are first time visiting Budapest and in December, you will notice that sun rarely comes out. Sometimes, it can happen that watching out from your window, the sunny day in Budapest may appear to be pleasant,but going out, you may freeze in few minutes,if not dressed properly.
What to carry and wear in Budapest may also depend upon the activities you plan to do in Budapest winters.
Double Layered Jacket
Either you visit Budapest for a single day or multiple days in December, make sure to carry a double layered jacket.
The jacket should cover your neck as well as be lengthy enough to go below your hips.
Also make sure that the front zip of the jacket has a cover too,as direct air may cross the zipline.
The special kind of jacket is required because the wind in Budapest is blowing too fast and can cause severe side effects if touched your body.
The jacket may be big enough that it covers your whole luggage,so better to wear it,instead of putting it into the suitcase.
Warm Scarf
You should definitely put a warm scarf with you when visiting Budapest in December. Normal scarves may not be sufficient to cover your neck for the kind of cold in Budapest. The wind may not always be blowing but when it blows,it can cause severe fever if you are not properly covered.
Hence, bring a wide and lengthy woolly scarf that can be folded and wrapped twice over your neck and still be tied in the front.
The warm scarf covering your neck will save you from the fast blowing freezing especially when you are using the Budapest metro,subways,hop on hop off buses and even during walking along the Danube.
Warm Gloves
It is recommended to bring warm gloves for a Budapest winter trip,no matter how good your jacket is. Although the winter temperature has not fallen below -10 degree celcius in the past few years in Budapest,the gloves must be a mandatory part of your backpack and you should wear them as you come out of the plane and start moving towards the immigration counter at Budapest airport.
Especially if you have luggage to pull inside the city, gloves will be handy and save your hands from freezing in the cold weather.
Thermal Leggings
Thermal leggings are a must if you plan to explore Budapest by walking in December.Either you visit the Christmas market in Budapest,walk along Danube, explore Buda castle or any other monument by foot, make sure to have double layer of warm clothes not only on the upper but lower part of the body.
Hats and ear flaps
You must carry a warm hat in addition to ear flaps to protect yourself against the Budapest extreme cold in December . Warm hats and ear flaps are specially useful if you plan to use the Budapest Metros. The underground metros of Budapest are located at a pretty deep level,and the cool air going in and out of metro station can be pretty brutal.
Warm comfortable shoes
It is a must have to pack warm as well as comfortable shoes to Budapest in December. Comfortable shoes are definitely required as you will need to cover major monuments in Budapest on foot. Warm shoes are required due to the extremely cold weather outside as well as saving against the snow.
You will experience for yourself that typical summer shoes would have been useless,if you carry them to Budapest for December. Specially if there is snow on the streets around, despite the snow cleaning process in Budapest, there will be certain areas where your feet can easily get wet and cause issues for you exploring Budapest on foot.
Sweaters
No doubt, a quality jacket from a good brand may be good for any winter season, but for Budapest, you must pack sweaters in your luggage. This will to keep the warm temperature inside the jacket for your body. Wearing a jacket on top of t-shirt in Budapest during December weather is a pretty bad idea as the cold may sneak into your body,no matter how good your jacket is.
You should always wear sweater under a jacket when going our for a walk during December. On the other hand, if you are staying in an AirBnB apartment in Budapest, you may need to wear sweater at all time as sometimes the heating is not in good condition for older buildings.
T-Shirts & Trousers
You must be wondering why you need t-shirts and trousers in Budapest for December cold. Well, for sure, in December cold of Budapest, you will not go out in t-shirts and trousers. However, you will need these for your hotel and apartment rooms.
If your rooms in the hotels and apartments in Budapest having good heating system, you can live in them with normal clothing. On the other hand, when going out, always make sure to cover yourself well.
Mobile accessories
Without any doubt,there is no question that you must pack your mobile charger,battery bank and universal adapter when traveling to Budapest in December. As you will need heavy mobile internet usage for locations, taxi, directions services on mobile phones,therefore make sure not to forget these accessories when traveling to Budapest in December.
Passport and Travel Documents
Make sure to check your passport and travel documents before your December visit. You will not only require them for immigration purposes,but also when in Budapest. In Hungary, you may be stopped by police to show your valid ID card,which is your passport in majority of cases,unless you are a national of European Union. Although it is pretty rare that someone stops you while walking in Budapest and asks for your ID,but its still good to keep your documents in a safe travel bag.If you are looking for bag for your travel documents check the variety at Horizn-Studios.
