davispeets

Mainegg -

What a great tip to search for an English user manual online.

Those washer/dryers with the symbols confound me every time. I slightly fear them now.

How long will the cycle be? Will I ruin/shrink the limited clothes I have brought with me? Oh the agony.

klieghj

Mainegg -- Thanks for the link on the hair dryers. I also appreciate the tip on the manual.

Suze -- I appreciate and totally understand your suggestion about the instant coffee, as this is what my family does when we camp. I am very much like you in that I need to have a cup before I can face the day. I found out that the apartment I am renting has a french press and I think I am going to try the store -- Cafes Richard -- that djkbooks recommended.

NeoPatrick -- What a great suggestion about the slow cooker...just kidding. Wish I had your luck, I am not a fan of spending vacation money on very non-fun stuff I could easily pack....not to mention that money could be spent on another glass of wine.

suze

A french press is a decent idea! much better than a coffee maker than needs electricity or stove top.

I'm just against buying a bunch of "stuff". The idea of renting an apartment is to be more comfortable, and for most people to save a little money. If you go out and purchase a ton of major kitchenware and household goods, might as well just stay in a hotel!!

I also don't use a hair dryer when I travel, just go natural, but probably that wouldn't work for a lot of women.

Christina

I'm surprised people care about knives on vacations or what to cook stuff in an apt. A french press if there were no coffee pot isn't a bad idea, but really, all you have to do is boil water and pour it over a tablespoon of coffee on top of a cup, that's exactly what most coffeemakers are -- they pour boiling water over coffee. I do that at home part of the time, anyway. That's what a Melitta system is. I can't actually find a small one-cup Melitta holder thing for the one-cup filters (which I can find in my store), so I just use an aluminum small funnel, works fine.

And I'm totally with Suze on the instant coffee, a good brand isn't that bad and I would never in a million years rather get dressed and walk somewhere in the morning and stay there instead of having an instant cup of coffee in my room/apt. I don't even want to go anywhere in the morning for about an hour, and I have coffee before getting dressed or showering, etc. Not to mention how expensive coffee in cafes is in many cities or you may not really be able to get coffee the way you like in some foreign places (espresso is not my idea of coffee in the morning, and I detest any milk or cream in my coffee).

The only thing I've ever bought in an apt was a reading lamp because I must read and unfortunately, many many apartments (and hotels, of course) have no good reading lights at all. I can see that repeatedly when I look at their photos online when trying to find one. It's because the owners don't live there and don't really care about what is, to me, a pretty essential item. I just went to Monoprix in Paris once trying to find the cheapest lamp possible (such as a desk lamp with a flexible neck or just one of those desk clip-on lamps), and I got one that helped immensely, I could clip it on a place near the couch so I could read. But it was still a whole lot more expensive than what you could buy in the US in any cheap store like Target or Kmart.

NeoPatrick

OK, Christina, I get what you're saying about coffee. You want the "consistency" of home comforts and don't enjoy getting out early in the morning to see a foreign city's early morning life. And you want the same type of coffee you have every day at home or close to it. That's fine.
I personally don't "detest" any type of coffee. I actually enjoy trying what the local coffee is like -- to me that's a part of traveling -- experiencing how others do things. Maybe I won't like it, but I'll still enjoy the experience of trying it.
Some of my greatest travel memories have been very early morning walks (yes, I do them before showering and "fully" dressing) in foreign cities, experiencing a city before the bulk of the tourists hit, and I only see the trash collectors, the early birds on their way to work, and the shopkeepers and markets setting up, while most of the tourists were busy showering and drinking instant coffee in their hotels and apartments. Some of those people will never know what they missed.

suze

<don't enjoy getting out early in the morning to see a foreign city's early morning life.>

Well I can't speak for Christina, but no Patrick that's not what I'm saying at all!! Only that the world is a better place if I am able to have one cup of coffee while I wake up, shower, dress, before I leave the 'house'.

It has nothing to do with lacking an adventuresome spirit!

As far as the original title of this thread, how to pack different for an apartment than a hotel... for me it would be almost nothing. I'd pack the same regardless of where I was staying, just my clothes, cosmetics/toiletries, personal items, if something is lacking or missing in an apartment then I'd buy it there.

NeoPatrick

Suze, no offense meant. I do understand the needing coffee -- I was really reacting more to the specifics of Christina's comments about not being able to find coffee she likes for example. I just don't get that part -- I enjoy trying different coffee just as I enjoy trying different foods or drinks. And she mentioned specifically not leaving for at least an hour in the morning. Of course, we aren't all the same, but I love throwing on some clothes and heading right out -- the earlier the better -- and if I required a single cup of coffee that I'd do that in a hurry before I headed out, not lose the early morning relaxing around the apartment.

But we certainly agree about not carrying a lot of stuff with us -- especially things that really might already be in the apartment!

LSky

A coffee single bags works well for that first cup in the morning. Coffee singles and my immersion water heater live in my suitcase.

Point taken about not spending the morning relaxing around the apartment. It's just me, but I don't go on vacation to relax. I like to get out in the first light of morning.

justineparis

One point,, many cafes do not even open till 7:30 am ,, Paris is not an early morning place. I often found myself wandering around very early( jet lag) and having to wait for chairs to be put out by 7 if very very lucky, but more often 7:30. That sucks when you are wide awake at 6 am lol

suze

Patrick, No worries, we are in agreement! About everything except the value of having individual packets of instant coffee with you upon arrival at an apartment.

I'm not lounging around the house all morning... I'd wake up, boil water, dump in the instant, drink it in the shower, get dressed and be on my way (slightly more coherent, especially important when fighting off jet lag the first couple days, because of the coffee).

AussieFrance

All very interesting observations. I have just set up a rental home (minimum 3 nights) in the Loire Valley and am supplying all the basic essentials including washing powder, coffee, tea, sugar, herbs, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, hair dryer, etc. because that's what I live to find when I get to an apartment in another country.

klieghj

I have to agree with justinparis. I am an early morning person and I like to stroll, but little green men sweeping up garbage and hosing the streets down is not exactly the experience I am looking for. Plus she is right in that no one is open to buy a cup of coffee from. I would rather have a cup of coffee shower and be out the door as the boulangerie is opening and then enjoy some Chocolat chaud at a cafe before heading off to enjoy the rest of the day...not holed up in the apartment.

I know this may sound silly to some but my theory is everyone packs for a vacation...maybe its just clothes or toiletries but you still analyze it to some degree or another (do I take 2 shirts or 5 shirt, how many pairs and what types of shoes should I bring), so while I won't use every suggestion, I want to hear what people bring and why. At the same time I like to here from people who won't bring certain items and why, because I get great shopping tips or electrical advise....janisj

LSky

This sounds silly but I always make sure I have a couple of little packs of salt and pepper. Simply because, although I use very little, I've stayed at apts that didn't have salt.

I don't want to add to my vast salt collection. It's something that I use on eggs but I can't go through a pound of salt per year.

MmePerdu

Klieghj, I agree. It's fun to hear the always packs and never packs and why. Everyone has their reasons and each is as legitimate as the next. What wearies me sometimes is the criticism. I never understand the point.

I've had to laugh about the Via, Starbuck's instant coffee. I have a friend who camps and he takes packs of Via with him. I've been disdainful on 2 counts. Firstly, it's so easy to make individual cups with the little cones and filters and secondly, it's expensive, those little packs. Well, I'm about to leave on a trip to Asia and was in a Starbucks a couple of days ago. I saw the Via boxes and suddenly thought, hmm, Asia, green tea, I drink black with milk & sugar. What will I do when there's no milk for my tea AND no decent coffee. Woe is me. There's now a box of Via packs in my suitcase. Let's hear it for Starbucks and ideas whose time has come.

djkbooks

<<I'm still waiting for the suggestion of taking the slow cooker. >>

You'd probably enjoy the thread on TA regarding where to buy a George Forman grill!

Most washer/dryers have digital controls now. You choose settings from left to right. The "clock" to the far right indicates the time your choices will take.

An online manual, along with a translator, is quite useful.

If the time "jumps", cancel everything and start over for a shorter wash and/or dry selection.

Beware that when you choose too long a wash or dry cycle, too hot water, add too much detergent, you may have shrinking, fading, etc.

In my experience, minimal detergent and a short cycle are just fine. Just take care not to overload.

I usually test the machine with the towels or sheets.