lauraallais

My husband and I will be in France May 18-31. We will be in Paris, St-Paul-de-Vence, Aix-en-Provence, Annecy and Chamonix.

We will do a lot of walking, visit museums, visit churches, shop a little and eat a lot With the dollar/Euro situation, we probably won't be frequenting many high-end restaurants.

Please look at the link to my list. I built it with a program I found online. It is based on clothes/items that I already have. The exact brands are not all exact, but the colors/styles are as close as possible. And yes, I will pack toiletries and underclothes - just didn't include them here.

Thanks,
Laura

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=1221659

lauraallais

Oh, and the track suit is for the international flights. Don't worry, I won't offend the French by wearing it all over the country.

cafegoddess

Laura,

I think you will look fabulous! Have a good time.

surfmom

I would definitely not take 5 pair of shoes! I would try and pare it down (pun not intended) to 3 pair... sneakers, shoes, and sandals (for beach weather). And that way you are only carrying 2 pair since you are wearing the sneakers on board.

I didn't look at details at all the shirts, etc. Just make sure you have lots of layer-able (is that a word ?) things.

Christina

I always take at least five pairs of shoes, if you count sandals. I would never take only one pair of real shoes, one pair of sandals, and one pair of sneakers for a trip that length during a time period when weather can be quite variable (cool to hot). I think shoes are some of the most important things you take on a trip, as they affect your comfort a lot.

bozama

Five pairs of shoes for a short two week trip, you are kidding right?

lauraallais

Thanks cafegoddess and surfmom.

Surfmom - I tried to make sure all of the shirts are "layerable," with 5 under-layers (tanks and tees) and 5 thin over-layers (cardigans, hoodies, long-sleeve shirt). Then the light-weight coat if needed.

I'll wear the sneakers on the plane and probably put the slippers in my carry-on. That just leaves three super-flat pairs in my suitcase (flip flops, thin sandals and soft suede flats). Together, those three probably take up the room of one regular pair of shoes or boots. I'll see how much room I have, but I think I can make it work.

I just hope I'll find a convenient place to do wash.

lucygirl

Very nice! I love that site!

I was about to say that wouldn't be enough bottoms for me, but then I noticed your dress.

I would take the same type and number of shoes as well. I have bad feet and if I can't switch off and get comfy, it really affects my vacation.

Lots of layering, black but some colour too...nicely done!

bozama

I think your clothes list is very nice,( cute choices too!) , but I wouldn't bring a bathing suit( its not hot enough anyways) and hotels with swimming pools almost never exist, and if they are outdoor pools they don't open till late June.
I really don't get the five shoes,, I take three, sandals( comfy but nice enough for dresses) , runners, walking shoes that go with pants, capris .Once I brought four,, but I was there for a month and had a few formal dinners to attend so brought heels.

You do win my award for super planner!

lauraallais

Thanks Bozama. Can you tell I'm looking forward to this trip?

Two of our accomodations have pools (in St-Paul-de-Vence and Aix-en-Provence). Average highs in Aix for our days there are in the 70's, so I didn't think it would be a total impossibility to want to have a swim suit. I'll track the weather report as the trip gets closer...

lauraallais

Thanks Lucygirl. I did have fun putting the list together. I'm a pretty visual person, so it was great (and less messy than rummaging through my closet).

Now, I'll just print it out when the time comes to pack and check off items as they go in the bag!

bdjtbenson

Are you the blonde or the brunette? LOL. This is a neat way to do a packing list. It reminds me of paper dolls.

Seriously, I think you have about 1/3 more stuff than you need. Have you tried packing it yet? Trust me you will be happier not lugging around extra stuff.

The overall style is great but jeans are bulky, heavy and a pain to wash/dry. You could substitute similar clothes in a more travel friendly fabric.

Also a good idea is to take one less outfit and plan to shop there. When you get home and get complemented, you can casually say, "I bought this in France."

Attnymom

I love that website! I am going to work on my packing list as soon as I am done typing this reply!!

I think your list looks great. ( I would keep all your shoes by the way!) The only thing I can think of is you might want a little skirt in case it gets really warm. Is the green coat a rain coat? You might want to throw one in just in case.

Have a great trip!

lauraallais

bdjtbenson - no, I haven't tried packing this list yet. I could be in for a big surprise!

I'm basing the quantity on past trips when I have used the same luggage (UK in 99, Italy in 03, Australia in 06). I have always worn jeans a lot when traveling, but I can see that they are not the lightest to pack.

And looks-wise, I am more like the blonde
Here is me during a beach trip last summer. It's the only solo shot I can find: http://tinyurl.com/5mvlmr

Attnymom - you have to post your list! I'd love to see it.

Attnymom

That is a really cool site - my head is swimming from scrolling through 100 pages of shoes the size of polly pocket shoes!! I did not register yet - I wanted to ask you first if you have received tons of spam email from registering on that site? I hate to give my email address b/c then it seems like every minute you are getting an email from someone trying to sell you something!

lauraallais

No spam so far (I registered yesterday).

gruezi

I always feel guilty packing more than 2-3 shoes so thanks everyone for making me feel I'm actually frugal!

I usually bring a comfortable dress shoe and a pair of plastic sandals that double as slippers in a not so clean room and then I wear a comfortable walking shoe - a clog, or ankle boot or something since I'm past the age when sneakers look good on me...

g.

lauraallais

Gruezi - I didn't know sneakers had an expiration date