What should I pack for Zurich?

Walking shoes with actual grip, not fashion sneakers. Niederdorf's lanes are uneven cobblestone, the steps up to Lindenhof are worn smooth and slick when wet, and a full day between Kunsthaus Zürich and Fraumünster covers 8-12 km without trying. Soles with no tread will betray you on damp stone. A packable rain shell belongs in your daypack every day, even in August. Zurich averages about 12 rainy days per month in summer, and storms tend to build fast over Lake Zurich. You'll feel the humidity thicken about 20 minutes before the sky opens. The air goes cool and metallic. At noon it might be 33°C, by evening 19°C, so one mid-weight merino pullover handles the swing. Worth noting, restaurants on Bahnhofstrasse and around Seefeld expect smart-casual at dinner. Kronenhalle on Rämistrasse won't turn you away in trail shoes, but you'll feel conspicuous next to the original Chagall and Miró on the walls.

The Swiss Type J plug has three round pins in a triangle. A standard Euro 2-pin fits many Swiss outlets but not all of them, and you won't know which type you're facing until you're standing in the hotel room at midnight with a dead phone. A dedicated Swiss adapter costs $5-8 on Amazon. A universal adapter covers it too. Check before you fly. Bring a portable charger rated at least 10,000 mAh. The SBB Mobile app for trains, the ZVV app for trams, and Google Maps all compete for battery, and they will drain it by 3 PM on a full sightseeing day between Grossmünster and Museum Rietberg. A dead phone at the Zürich HB ticket gates during rush hour is a $20 problem to prevent.

If you visit June through September, pack swimwear. This is non-negotiable. Zurich's badi culture is a daily local ritual, not a tourist activity. Seebad Enge on the western lakeshore charges 8 CHF (about $10) entry, and Frauenbadi on Stadthausquai is women-only during the day but opens as a co-ed bar after 20:00. The lake water holds around 20-22°C in July and August. You'll smell sunscreen and grilled Cervelat from the wooden decks before you even reach the ticket window. Winter visitors need proper insulation. December and January average -1 to 4°C, and the wind off Lake Zurich cuts through cotton layers fast. A down jacket, thermal base layer, and waterproof boots handle the Christmas markets at Zürich HB and any Uetliberg day trip. Wool gloves, not synthetic. The Felsenegg cable car departs from Adliswil, one S-Bahn stop south of the main station.

Bring your own toiletries, medications, and sunscreen. A bottle of Neutrogena sunscreen at a Zurich Amavita pharmacy costs about 25 CHF ($31), roughly triple what you'd pay at a US Target. Paracetamol runs 8-12 CHF for a small box. This is not a city where buying locally saves money on personal care. That said, skip packing an umbrella. Any Coop City or Manor department store sells compact ones for 15-20 CHF, and your hotel likely has a loaner at the front desk. A reusable water bottle is the one item that pays for itself on day one. Zurich has over 1,200 public fountains, all drinkable unless marked 'kein Trinkwasser' (not drinking water). Fill up at the Helmhaus fountain on Limmatquai between museum visits.