At the end of June we travelled to Mallorca but we had a long stopover in London. We spent a few days sightseeing in the UK capital before we continued onto the Spanish holiday Island. The last time I was in London was in the fall. We were packing for a totally different type of weather. Colder and rainier overall in October versus this time around in late June. This is what to pack for London in Early Summer.
What to pack for London in Early Summer
- Stripe tee – I always pack enough tees for every day of my vacation. Unless I am also packing dresses then I can get away with fewer tees. This latest time I packed black, navy and white plus some stripes and red. This is colour pallet that goes with everything.
- Red tee – red was the one pop of colour or non neutral that I packed. If red isn’t your colour pick something that works for you but it is easier to mix and match outfits if you don’t bring the whole rainbow.
- Stripe Sweater – I had originally wanted to bring this stripe sweater but decided it was too bulky and switched to a thinner black knit. If I was only going to London I would have made room for the stripe! Our first day where we took a hop on hop off bus tour we definitely needed layers as it was chilly in the morning.
- Linen drawstring pants – Again on our first sightseeing day I chose linen pants because it wasn’t super hot. The linen pants are great when you don’t want you bare legs touching tube seats or airplane seats. Plus if it heats up in the afternoon you are still breezy.
- Shorts – I wouldn’t rule out packing shorts for London. Our second sightseeing day was pretty hot and shorts were necessary. But if it had of been cooler like the week before shorts would have been unnecessary.
- Sneakers – these sneakers were really great. We walked over 20,000 steps one day and no blisters and my feet felt cushioned. I always prefer to not pack a super sporty sneaker (even though that is totally what the rest of my family wore).
- Jeans – I actually didn’t pack any jeans because we weren’t in London too long so the linen trousers were more than enough. But had we been going for a week I would have definitely packed jeans. Even if they are only used at nights to go for dinner they provide options. That said I would say these are optional and pay attention to the weather as I would edit them out if you are visiting during a heatwave.
- Layering tops – Layering tops are key for a London holiday. I got away with just a sweater but layering a big shirt would have worked as well. Or even a long sleeve tee would work in a pinch instead of a sweater. Considering summer can easily be just around 20 degrees give or take unless you are there during a heatwave, layers are welcome.
- Cross body bag – This is the bag I carried everywhere. I like that it zips closed and that I had enough room for a small wallet plus I seemed to have to carry all the phones. My husband did carry a backpack as well on sightseeing days so we had snacks and water and sweaters.
- Sunglasses – These are a no brainer really. I pack sunglasses where ever I go. But I tend to pack in expensive pairs these days as that way if I lose my sunglasses I am not devestated.
- Raincoat – packing a rain jacket seems like a no brainer but to be honest I didn’t end up packing one for myself. As I said above I was tight on space since we were also packing for Mallorca. I did pack ones for my kids. Theirs are the packable styles and they compact really small. This is another optional item in summer I think. Keep an eye on the weather. If you are confident there is no rain in the forecast then risk it. Otherwise pack something packable that doesn’t take much space.
- Sandals – I just got these sport sandals and they are SO COMFORTABLE. I like that they are about as stylish as a sneaker and just as comfortable. So if it is too hot for socks and closed toes these are a good option that can still handle lots of walking.
- Socks – I don’t usually put socks on a round up like this but these are worth it. Not super high but not no show either. These are soft and comfortable. I didn’t have any rubbing issues. Just an all round great sock that can handle loads of walking.
What do you think of this roundup of what to pack for London in Early Summer?
I think the biggest difference is that things that are must haves in the fall (raincoat, denim) are more optional and will depend on the weather that you are experiencing when you visit. That said summer staples like shorts are optional too because London is notorious for having cooler summers.
