Paris What to Pack

Luggage and bags: If you go into the museums or art galleries and you are wearing a small rucksack they ask you to wear it front ways, instead of on your back.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, paris is very dusty on the ground so don't wear any thing to fine.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Drink plenty of bottled water in warm weather.

Photo Equipment: Not allowed flash on cameras but you are able to take photo's in the galleries.

Luggage and bags: Leave space for souvenirs, very important.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Comfy shoes! Very important. A lot of walking goes on in Paris, and if you wear uncomfortable shoes, you will be sorry.

Photo Equipment: Bring lots of batteries / your charger / film! You will take tons of pictures. Since I was on a 11-day trip, I chose not to bring along my professional camera. For situations like these, a basic point and shoot camera will do the job. My Canon Powershot took amazing pictures!

On that note, an electrical adaptor is a must! DO NOT try and plug the wrong type of electrical cords into the walls. Bad. I found a nice adaptor by Lewis N Clark.

Miscellaneous: Lots of money, of course. You will spend more than you thought. Credit / Debit card users, make sure you call your company to let them know you will be traveling. You don't want your card to be shut off for "identity theft." Also, if you wish to use your cell phone, find a good international plan! AT&T has an add-on that works very well, at a low price.

Also remember, many of the things you want to bring are unnecessary or can be bought in Paris! Don't sweat packing too much!

Luggage and bags: Very importantly, a good bag is a must. Leave the fashionable purses at home and bring something sturdy, reliable, and spacious! Make sure your bag has a thick strap, else a pickpocket could snap it right off.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: First of all, scarves! Scarves are everywhere in Paris. Even on Air France, the flight stewardesses wore them! Also, darker, more natural colors are more predominant in Paris fashion. As for shoes, make sure they are comfy! Most of the roads in Paris are cobblestone, and you will be walking constantly. However, I would advise against gym shoes, unless you want to look American... Comfy sandals, or tennis shoes (like Pumas) will help your feet feel better while fitting in with the Paris look.

Skinny jeans are in, so pack some of those if you have them. If not, darker colored jeans are more in style, without rips. Parisian women tend to dress up more. I also packed some flowing, long skirts for the hotter June weather.

Miscellaneous: Lastly, to save space, it is always a good idea to mix and match clothes. I did not pack a new outfit for each day. Re-wear clothes such as pants, skirts, and shirts to save valuable space. It will be worth it when you have more room for souvenirs. And when you don't have to pay a fee for overweight luggage!

Luggage and bags: I travel light and therefore I only bring an REI backpack that has a detachable smaller backpack that I can use whenever I wanted to go for a walk and leave the bigger backpack at the hotel with a lock on it.

The backpack is water resistant and has two pockets for easy access for an umbrella and an aluminum water bottle. It has a pocket on the front for my journal and for my maps and address book. It has two smaller pockets on the side for other things I needed.

The backpack has shoulder straps or can be used for as a backpack.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: I brought a jacket that has a detacheable lighter jacket inside. It has a hood that can be hidden and can be pulled out when it gets cold or when it rains. It has two pockets for any use - I use it to keep my shawls and my gloves and on the other side for my camera. It has a zipper on it so it is pickpocket safe. There are two inner pockets, too for camera or for anything you can keep there for easier access.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Might as well bring 4 plastic bottles (3 oz) for your shampoo, gel, lotion, etc. On one bottle, I put some Q-tips. Put these in a zip lock and store them in your backpack for easy access so you can take them out when you pass security. This will keep eliminate delay and inspection. Also bring a bottle of Advil or Tylenol. For women, bring some sanitary pads. In the ziplock, put your small hair brush or comb (I just brought a small comb) and some moisturizer, deodorant and sunblock lotion.

Photo Equipment: I brought a Sony Coolpix 1080p because it is easier for me to bring. I also brought a chip that can store 10000 pictures with a back up of another chip that can store 4800 pictures.

There are two rechargeable batteries I brought for backup.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: I brought some umbrella and an aluminum water bottle for refills. Bottled water is expensive in Europe. It ranges from 1.69 to 2.99 euros for a small water bottle and because I drink a lot of water, it is best for me to bring one.

It saves me a lot of money and saves the environment.

Miscellaneous: Bring some journal to write your experiences, a book to read while in flight, an extra pair of shoes just in case your other shoes get wet.

Also, I brought a small hand towel that I put in my jacket so I can always put hot water on it to wash my face while in flight.

A belt bag to put your sunglasses, a coin purse, and a mini toothbrush and toothpaste so you can have an easy access.

A passport bag to store your passport and credit cards. Make sure that these are the only things that you put in. You have to tie it in your neck and store it inside your clothes all the way down to your tummy. Make sure that the tie doesn't show on you neck. Keep it discreet.

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Miscellaneous: We have found two guides that we feel are indispensable, especially if you want a real Parisian experience and not a touristy one:

First is the Marling Menu-Master for France. This little guide will help you translate just about any menu item you'll come across in a French restaurant. No more fear if your french is lacking and the waiter is intimidating. Not sure what dodine de canard is, check the book and enjoy your meal.

The second is the Paris Mapguide. Light in weight but heavy in detail. We use it when wandering around to find small streets, restaurants and to get back to the hotel if we've wandered too far.

Both are available from most bookstores or Amazon online.

Luggage and bags: Travel light. You'll probably need to do some walking with your bags, so consider that when packing.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Paris has a pretty mild climate, at least by my standards (see my pages on Omaha, Nebraska). You probably won't need a big, heavy coat. Pack a few sweaters, sweatshirts, and a jacket, dressing in layers. It rarely gets cold enough for really thick winter wear.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Good comfortable shoes. The only way to really get to see all of Paris is to walk up and down the streets. Not to mention the walking in the museums. Sneakers will definitely set you apart from many other world travelers. A pair of comfortable walking shoes are a better choice.

Photo Equipment: You can't go to Paris without lots of film or digital memory for your camera. Don't forget that the power is different so you'll need to have a converter so you don't blow out your batteries while recharging them.

Miscellaneous: A French phrase book. You don't have to speak perfect French to communicate in Paris as many people there speak fluent English. That said, you should still consider learning a few phrases.. hello, please, thank you, etc. If you try, people will be more apt to help!

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Miscellaneous: "Freedom's just another word
for nothin' left to lose....
And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free "
( © Kris Kristofferson)

So better bring some of these---------------------------->Paris is EXPENSIVE...

Lately the Euro is beating the bejaysus out of the yankee dollar,
making the simple pleasures of Paris much more costly than in the past.

In '01 it was 1.12 Euros/dollar or really ~7 francs to a buck (those were the days ...)

Now (Mar '08) $1.58 dollars = 1 Euro
Paris costs at least twice as much after 7 years
HUGE difference!

grrrr ... political rants are not allowed on vt

Check the latest exchange rates here:

Euros-to-dollars exchange rates