United States of America Travel Forum

Hello everyone!

My husband and I are heading over to US/Canada from Australia and arrive in New York on 30 March. We will spend about a week in NY, 2 weeks in Quebec/Montreal/Toronto, 5 days in San Fran, a week in LA & surrounds, a couple of days in Vegas and finishing up with a week in Mexico somewhere. Yes,a lot of travel I know but unfortunately that is what you have to do when you live 20+ hours away!!

So I figure it's going to be pretty damn cold in NY & Canada and then warmer by the time we get to Vegas and Mexico...does any one have any suggestions for what to pack clothes wise that will see us through that range? Thermals? Raincoats? Bikinis? :)

Being from Aus I am not used to really cold weather...I complain when it's 12 degrees (54 farenheit) in winter so I know i am in for a big shock in Canada! I'm worried about being able to pack clothes that will be warm enough without taking up all the space in my suitcase.

I know it's a rather general question, but just after some tips that seasoned travellers may be able to help us out with.

Many thanks!

Hi Julia. You are a Melbourne girl so you are used to cold weather, just not really cold weather.

I can offer some observations based on a month in the US and Mexico in April this year however be aware that no two years are the same when it comes to weather.

You have a week in NYC at the beginning of April. I was there last week of April and it was pretty warm. Tee shirt weather.

Canada - Clear days but a lot cooler. Jumper, jeans and warm shoes needed.

San Francisco - I was there early April and it was cold. Colder than Canada in fact.

LA - pleasant sunny days. T shirt weather but need a jacket for evenings.

Las Vegas - lovely - high 20's but air conditioning makes it cool inside casinos etc.

Mexico - I just did the west coastal towns of Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas. Pleasant but not as warm as I was hoping for. Probably had more beachy type clothes than I needed. You can buy pretty cheap tee shirts in the markets which are everywhere.

Took an umbrella and used it in SF only. Everywhere else was fine for the whole month.

My advice is to pack lightly. Clothes and shoes are much cheaper in the US at the moment and I wish I had taken an empty suitcase and just spent a day shopping!!!

If you have any more questions just ask. Heidi from Melbourne.

Heidi - sorry to disagree with you on your view of Eastern Canada weather at in early to mid-April.

We have a saying in this part of Canada (I live in Ottawa, and our weather is very similar to Montreal's) - "April showers bring May flowers", so April tends to be a fairly wet and cloudy month, so bring your raingear and some layers for clothing, so that you can adjust your clothing to suit the weather conditions of the day. I tend to wear a waterproof shell with a light fleece underneath it. Having rainwear is a must.

Montreal and Quebec will tend to be a few degrees cooler than Toronto. Early morning temperatures could still dip below freezing, but are likely to be just on the plus side of zero. Mid-afternoon temperatures tend to be in the low double digits (weather than you describe as being cold). Depending on the amount of snow we had over the winter there still could be a few pockets of the white stuff - snow; (actually it looks black and dirty in the cities) around. That being said, the weather can be variable and you can get a strong high pressure area that brings in clear, blue skys, but cool temperatures or you could get a "heat wave" pushing into the high teens.

The other thing to be aware of is that Victoria Day weekend (Monday on or before May 24) is when everything is open for the tourist season, so depending on what you are planning on doing, you should be aware of this and might want to check, especially if you are looking at some "off the beaten track" activities. This applies more to outdoor activities, rather than indoor ones.

I hope this helps.

I would say make sure you have layers. You can always take clothes off, but it is hard to put on what you don't have.

Oooo! That sounds like fun!

A few years ago my boyfriend and I backpacked Eastern Europe in January (freezing!!). The best thing I did was pack a fairly thin set of long underwear (thermals) and on the days when it was really cold, I layered them under my jeans and sweaters. Doing that made me able to go without a big parka for the trip, which was a packing lifesaver. A couple different times during the trip I rinsed them out in the bathroom and hung them to dry overnight and they stayed fresh enough that I didn't gross everyone out :). The other thing I would pack, since the east coast and Canada are hard to predict that time of year, is a waterproof shell in case of rain. Rain is possible in SF as well, but it'll be warmer there than NY.

LA and Vegas will be dry (in all likelyhood), but can get chilly in the evening so a fleece sweater is a good bet, and that will keep you fairly warm with the long underwear back east as well.

Bikinis don't take up any space, so throw one in and hopefully you can enjoy it in Mexico.

Layer it. Just like a basketball player. They start in their "warm ups" and when they heat up- they shed the jacket, then the pants; leaving them in shorts and a shirt. I have several nylon "warm ups" that are colorful and sporty. Depending on how cold it is-I can wear a thick shirt or sweater underneath and some comfortable pants-then slip in to the "warm ups". First thing in the morning it's fine, then as it gets sunny and warmer-take the jacket off, then the pants. I used to do this as a truck driver through out the USA. When it's snowy out they repel the snow and wind nicely. If they get wet from the snow, they dry out easy. If it gets real cold put another jacket over the jacket.
I would go from shorts and a t-shirt (inside the truck) then put the "warm ups" on to go out in the snow to get into the truck stop. They are light weight and can be put in a carry on or small bag easily. Anyway, some sort of layering seems like the best way.
And, yup- take the bikini for the indoor pool or maybe the beach in Mexico. Happy travels.