Amsterdam, Germany, Paris in May 2015- coats needed?
 

Hi all,

I am taking my 2 daughters and 2 nieces to Europe this May. They are all Early 20s. We are landing in Amsterdam and working our way down the Mosel valley to Paris in 14 days.

We are taking 1 backpack and 1 20" rolling carry on each. I've researched the temps, and the weather histories say
high of around 60 and lows in the 40s. Based in this we were thinking of the packable down coats from Eddie Bauer. They are super warm, and pack down really small. We could layer this over sweaters and use scarves, etc to keep warm.

However, I read a thread on here which said all you need is a light jacket or windbreaker and a sweater. It seems most imply it is just horribly tacky to wear one of these jackets in Europe.

I am hoping for some advice on what type of outerwear is needed for this time of year.

Thanks!!

Sorry, I forgot to add Fahrenheit for temps I posted

I can't imagine wearing a down coat in 60 degree temps. It's not a matter of being tacky, it's a matter of what is comfortable. We were in Paris in May - rained most of the time - but we were very comfortable in a light rain jacket. Remember, you'll be walking a lot, so that keeps you warm as well. You do want to have some items for layering, but remember the 40 degree temps are at night - not while you are out in the day time.

Down coats would be <B>waaaaay</B> overkill. More important than warm is waterproof. So a light raincoat you can wear over cardigan sweaters would be much more useful than down anything.

<i>Maybe</i> a fleece vest -- but even that would be overkill IMO.

Dress in layers.

Thanks all! We will look for lightweight rain jackets instead. Layer this with our t-shirts (no logos,) long sleeve button downs and cardigan.

My girls are dying to wear their Purdue clothing, but I've banned it.

Oh, and can I ask if you brought specific waterproof shoes? Or just a leather shoe/boot?

Ha ha,. luck of the draw.. I normally wear/bring a Eddie Bauer windbreaker and a lightweight fleece..

A few years ago in MAY.. end of May to be exact.. I was freezing cold.. had to layer my one long sleeved shirt.. fleece and windbreaker and still wished I had gloves.

After three four days weather warmed up to very warm.

lows of 40 .. well that's cold really when you consider 32 is freezing,, and you will be outside a lot more then normal walking around in evenings. And the lightweight squishable jackets you mention really do pack up small..

I say take them.. and a sweater.. ( not to wear to gether but separately )

Also.. check weather right before you go.. it really and honestly can go both ways.. I visited Paris in August once when for 7 out of 9 days it was cool and rainy.. I have also almost had heatstroke more then once in Paris.. its very unpredictable.

I bring leather or nubuck walking shoes. In May, I would also bring sandals. I've been in Paris in May when it was 80 degrees.

Hi deb_curtis,

I live in Germany, and I'm still wearing coats in May. True, a down coat will be overkill, but generally a wool coat is perfect. And yes, you'll still need to layer the base layer, the sweater, the cardigan/vest under it to be warm on some days.

I would also say not to trust the forecasts you get before you go -- forecasts can change literally overnight, so a forecast for 7 days in the future won't be reliable.

Have fun as you plan!

s

If you're from Florida or Arizona then you'll want something a bit heavier than if you live in Minnesota or Ohio.

<i>I live in Germany, and I'm still wearing coats in May. </i>

I also live in Germany and after the first or second week I am normally not wearing a jacket unless it is raining. This year was a bit of an anomaly because it was still "cool" come middle of June. Then it got crazy hot.

sparkchaser -- I respectfully ask how long you are outside in May without a jacket? I know that you work and drive to work, so maybe you are only outside for a minute or two.

For the weekends or evening when you're outside for a few hours, are you also comfortable without a jacket?

Without a car, I'm usually outside for 20 or 30 minutes at a stretch, and even though I'm walking briskly, I am more comfortable in a light-wool coat than without one.

s

I take the bus to work at least 4 days a week and it's a 5 min walk from my house to the bus stop (plus 1-5 min waiting time) plus a 15 min walk getting off the bus to my office. ;)

Saturdays I am usually out and about for several hours running errands.

I am also at least 15-20 years younger than you are so that might factor in a bit too. :p

Also -- I live at 800 m. And I was raised in Saudi Arabia and Florida . . . !

:)>-

s

I'd be cold if I lived at 800m, too!

I live in the Netherlands, and do not normally wear a coat in May unless it raining. Even then quite often an umbrella is sufficient with a cardigan or light fleece.
As for shoes I wear leather shoes or waterproof trainer type walking shoes.
I spend a lot of time outside and can't imagine wearing a down jacket at any time of the year, but certainly not in May.
We often have a cold snap around 10, 11 May, when there can be night frost, but the days are normally warm enough.
Of course if you are from Florida or somewhere else warm you will feel colder here, but a down jacket is not necessary.

The trick is layers, layers, layers. We even have a term for this style of packing and dressing, which is "Zwiebelsystem" ("onion system"). So the items you bring can be used flexibly and combined according to current conditions. A down coat or any other heavy bulky coat might be useful for a day or two, and a big nuisance for all the rest of the timw. I do not consider wool coats practical for travel either because they are heavy, not waterproof and take ages to dry. A good wind- and rainproof outdoor jacket and a fleece that fits underneath are the better choice. Germans are practical people, yes we wear these in the city, too.

As do the Dutch.

Your worries start a little bit higher -- with your head. A hat is essential for protection for showers, and for warmth on chilly evenings. Moving down, a snappy-looking scarf will satisfy both the need for warmth and for style, especially in France (essential wearing for men, too.) Buy a nice one there on your first day, as a souvenir as well as a practical accessory. And finally, footwear is a challenge, as has been mentioned. If your walking shoes get damp during the day, you need a lightweight pair for backup.

>>(no logos,) . . . My girls are dying to wear their Purdue clothing, but I've banned it.<<

Why on earth can't they wear Purdue sweatshirts or Tees (or any other college for that matter)? European kids do.

A bit of Purdue gear would be fine. My son wore his Purdue shirt occasionally in France and it was a conversation starter. Now, any other lego wouldn't do (ha!) Boiler Up!

Thanks everyone SO much for the advice. We are from Indiana, so we will be well adjusted to the cold. (Unfortunately).

It sounds like a polar fleece jacket, such as a Columbia or North Face and a lightweight rain jacket will do the trick. I'm making all of us some of the scarves with hidden pockets, and we've also planned for some light inexpensive gloves and a hat. Those are small and won't take much space.

OK! I'll relent on the Purdue wear :) I realize we are going to stick out like sore thumbs anyway, so may as well have some fun with it, huh? I'm an Indiana grad, and so is my niece. We may have to flaunt our school a bit too haha. I've gotten paranoid. Some sites are so adamant to wear anything that shows where you are from.

I didn't even know what Purdue was, so I wouldn't fret too much about such things.

You are visiting destinations which get a fair share of international tourists - the cities have them in thousands and thousands every day, along the Mosel there will be less, but still I see no need to worry about "sore thumbs".
I looked up your university's logo, and there is a fair chance it will really work well as a conversation starter! Even more so if you travel by train.

I live in SC and am frequently in Paris on May. Hats, gloves, and wool coats seem like overkill to me--and a big waste of precious space. The suggestions of layers topped by a light rain jacket seem best to me as that is my own packing plan.

I don't think you will need hats and gloves either. It only dips below freezing in the wee small hours when you will be safely tucked up in a warm bed if it freezes at all. It could be very warm, so be prepared for that too.
You can always buy a cardigan or something a bit warmer if you need it, you aren't in the third world.
Something rainproof is probably the most important item you need to bring, but make sure it is breathable too, because if it is warm and wet you will soon be very uncomfortable if it isn't.

I have traveled in all of those places in May and would never consider any sort of coat - just a tissue weight rain jacket with a hood. Also a couple of lightweight cotton sweaters to put under if it is chilly at night.

The low temps you are seeing area at 3 or 4 am - not likely you will be out then. This is definitely spring - not winter. What you really need are sturdy folding umbrellas and comfy waterproof walking shoes. And a variety of things you can laryer on and off as the temps change during the course of the day.

You never know what the weather will be. I was in Paris last May and had a windbreaker jacket w/ hood. I layered w/ a sweater and scarves. I am cold natured and took a pair of gloves I wore in the early morning only. It rained the day I did a bike tour at Versailles so I was very glad I had gloves!

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I'm glad I got Purdue a bit more recognition �� It's a well known engineering and science school in the States.

I've told the girls they are going to need waterproof hiking shoes/boots, but they say they are all "ugly" sigh. Considering how many people have mentioned waterproof shoes, I'm going to be adamant about everyone bringing a pair.

We were in Paris last May and though it rained quite a bit I was quite comfortable with a light windbreaker jacket, black jeans, and a sweater for the cooler evenings. I did, however, buy a scarf at an outdoor market while there, but that was mostly because all the other guys were wearing them, and my Wife nagged me.

They don't need hiking shoes.
Two pairs of leather shoes will be fine. Wear a pair, pack a pair. Whatever they normally wear if it is showery. We don't normally get huge downpours in May.
Personally I hate having hot feet so I usually throw in my Teva sandals too, for if it is warm, or to wear at the hotel.
Really you are overthinking this all way too much.

Wear what you would at home if you were planning a long day on your feet, and the same with clothes. Just bring a jacket. You can always buy cheap umbrellas if you need them when you get here and leave them behind when you leave.

I agree that hiking boots aren't necessary but it wouldn't hurt to have good walking shoes that won't get ruined in the rain.

Nukesafe, I think our wives must be related. Or love scarves.

Apersuader, I doubt they are related, but the scarf thing is highly contagious, I think. I used to have a place in our hall closet for my stuff, but it is now a mass of scarves. Oh, well, with her being content (mostly) with the enormous €5 selection in the Parisian street markets, I can't complain.

BTW, I haven't yet had the courage to wear my Parisian scarf here in our small northwestern town, but I felt really suave with it in Paris. :-)

I say let your kids decide what to wear. The only thing I would veto is sloppiness, and it doesn't sound as if that's what your kids have in mind. Teenagers the world over have similar tastes. If you let them wear what they want, they'll probably fit right in with their European peers.

There's nothing wrong with people from different parts of the world having different styles of clothing. "Stick out" is such an ugly way of expressing it. As long as your clothing is neat and clean, it will be quite acceptable everywhere.

I've never worn waterproof shoes or hiking boots in a European city or town. I only wear them when actually hiking, and not always then. Hiking shoes are far too hot and heavy to wear in a city. I like to have several pairs of shoes when traveling, so that they have a chance to dry out if it's rainy. I wouldn't bring new shoes on a trip, ever, only well-broken in shoes that I can trust to be comfortable after hours of beating pavement.

Speaking of hiking, I once hiked a considerable stretch of the Na Pali trail in Kauai (a very beautiful trail, by the way) with a German colleague. She bought a special pair of expensive hiking boots, and I wore a pair of old sandals with rubber soles. Her boots got totally ruined by mud, and so did my sandals, but I was out a lot less than she was! In some of the wetter parts of the trail, I took off my sandals and walked barefoot. We saw some Hawaiians hiking the trail in flip-flops.

I live in Germany, and I'm still wearing coats in May. True, a down coat will be overkill, but generally a wool coat is perfect. And yes, you'll still need to layer the base layer, the sweater, the cardigan/vest under it to be warm on some days.>>

lol, I live in Cornwall and I'm not wearing a coat in December. it was 12C as I drove home this evening at 8pm.

who only goes to show you can't tell.

but I'd still leave the down jackets at home.

I don't think "windbreakers" are exactly stylish. I can't imagine who said a lightweight down jacket is "tacky", they are all the rage everywhere I go. Especially if a pricey brand, like Patagonia. Tons of women were wearing them in Paris last time I was there (not tourists as I don't stay in tourist areas, and I know they weren't as I can hear them talk), but that was in October. I was really glad I had mine, you can bet, those jackets are great as they are so lightweight and fold up so small.

If you have a real lightweight one, I would take it if you are going early May, as temps down to 40, you are going to like it, I bet. In fact, that's about what it was like when I was there in early October. I was also in southern Spain, and plenty of people were wearing them there, also.

I think some of these people don't understand the kind of real lightweight down jacket you are talking about. Any one labeled "packable" is fairly lightly filled, not like the real heavily packed ones you wear all winter. Mine is similar to this, only in ecru and goes with everything http://www.polyvore.com/bernardo_pac...ng?id=45237138

But if you have a "heavy" rain jacket, not just a thin nylon shell which gives no warmth, you could get by with it instead, if you make sure you have something to layer under it, I imagine. I took one of those thin rain jackets to Mexico City last July as it was rainy season and layered it over about 3 things, and it worked okay (undershirt, long-sleeved cotton T, then a cotton cardigan over that, then the rain slicker on top).

Quick answer from an old guy usually chilly...best bet is layering, adding sweater, jacket as needed...and definitely head gear and rain gear and of course good walking shoes. Why is it that tourists in Europe are in sandals or even worse flip flops?

Christina, that's like the lightweight down jacket I've been eyeing all fall and it could probably squish up into one hand.

I don;t get hauling a down jacket around when you may easily get day time temps of 80 or more.

But then I know some people are totally unable to deal with any temps below 75 due to living in places with very high average temps.

Water proof hikers.. and you were worried about sticking out because girls wanted to wear some school logo stuff.. lol I can't imagine needing or wearing waterproof hikers in the cities ..

Running shoes. And another pair of shoes. That's it.