This is such a silly question but I haven't been to France before! I'm leaving on Friday and starting to think about the daunting challenge of packing. Trying not to check a bag which means I need to work within the FAA liquid regulations. Do most hotels in France provide complimentary toiletries? Shampoo, lotion, etc.? I'll bring little bottles of the things I aboslutely need but am hoping to get away with using some of the items provided by hotels.

If anyone can tell me what to expect it would be much appreciated!

It depends. Upmarket yes; budget no. But they have chemists. You can buy what you need when you get there

A quart Ziploc® will hold a whole bunch of travel-sized bottles from Walgreen's. I don't see any problem here.

Maybe not for a man but a quart Ziploc isn;t even close to what a woman needs - esp if the trip is more than 3/4 days.

I pack larger sizes of unopened (and packed in plastic) bottles in my checked bag (which I always have if the trip is more than 3/4 days. It true you can buy toiletries in europe, but often not a specific brand or product (and to some of us that matters a lot).

Almost all hotels provide a mini bar of soap and a minute shampoo, but many don;t provide more - esp budget places.

<< A quart Ziploc® will hold a whole bunch of travel-sized bottles from Walgreen's. I don't see any problem here. >>

I need 2 travel size bottles each of shampoo and conditioner for 1 hair wash. A ziploc baggie full of shampoo and conditioner will last me 2 days!

I agree it depends on the hotel. The French have great beauty products so you can always buy what you need.

I usually stay in Gites or small family run hotels or 1 star hotels so I don't expect to find toiletries at these places.

Find a L'Oreal shampoo & conditioner that you like, you can find this brand all over France, in all kinds of shops quite easily. Just remember what your bottles look like, their color and shape, the bottles are exactly the same in France, just written in French of course.

Try the new EverPure it is fantastic, my hair has never been so soft. it comes in a tube.

Have a great time, I leave for France on July 2nd to follow the Tour de France for 3 weeks, so I'm packing now myself.

I just bring enough for the first wash, and buy it there.

I agree with Celticharper on the L'Oreal. I bought a color bottle (hot pink for curly hair, I think) in Paris, and liked it so much that it is my fall back when on the road.

I do what tuscanlifeedit does: bring enough for the first day or two and then buy some on the spot if the hotel doesn't have any, which is rare.

Huh? I have LONG hair and shampoo and condition every day, and I carry one travel bottle each of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, Cetaphil, and eye make-up remover, and I have never come close to running out of any of these on a weeklong trip. Perhaps you need to purchase a shampoo that lathers up more. If you need to have more liquid to work into your hair, take an empty, larger plastic bottle with you, and add a half and half mixture of water to the shampoo or body wash, and shake well. For facial use, I recommend the little disposable face towels that foam up when wet.

However, I've not been really happy with any hair dryer in Europe (though mine has never worked either when I brought it...).

I can easily get by with toiletries in only a quart Ziploc bag, also, for a trip of at least two weeks. There isn't that much you have to have that is liquid -- shampoo, conditioner, maybe sunscreen depending on season and location, and some hand/body/face lotion (I have a one oz bottle I refill for my face lotion and take a travel size of regular hand/body lotion), and toothpaste. A quart bag is plenty big for those items for me, I never use more than a travel size (2 oz) of each in two weeks. ONe of those travel size shampoos lasts for about three shampoos, I'd say, and I have very long and thick hair. You only need about two tablespoons of shampoo when you wash your hair, it seems to me. I don't see how someone could literally use 4 oz. of shampoo for a single hair wash, as someone above said. I just don't see how that is possible, but maybe that was meant to be a joke.

I've had toiletries provided in every French hotel I can remember of 3* and above for sure, and I think almost all the 2* ones, also, although the quality may not be so great. I rarely use those things, anyway, to be honest, as I have particular products that work best for my hair and wouldn't use just anything or it would be difficult to handle. I always use the shower gel and soap they provide, of course.

Could it be that Adrienne lives in an area with hard water and so it takes alot of shampoo to get a good lather?
Last year on our trip to Scotland we were in hotels for the first week and then did B&B's for the second two weeks. We didn't take any shampoo or bar soap with us from home but made sure that when we left the hotel we took the leftovers from our room. We managed to have enough supplies for those places that didn't provide anything and then on our way home we just left whatever wasn't used. Even the B&B's in some places provided some toiletries. Facecloths were another matter!

Thank you for the tips! I am impressed by those of you who are able to fit every single thing you need into the wee ziploc bag permitted. I am trying to only bring the things that I have a brand preference for or have heard is expensive there. For example, contact lens solution - I must use specific types and I have heard it's more expensive there. So I'm trying to only fit the things I absolutely need from home into the ziploc and then work with what's provided for the rest.

Thanks for the L'Oreal info, especially the hot pink bottle for curly hair. I will have to remember that.

"I have heard it's more expensive there." Not always. I use a special hand cream that I love. It's 4 Euro in Paris and $20.00 here in the USA

I should clarify, avalon, I meant contact lens solution specifically.

I wouldn't risk buying specialty contact solution on vacation.

I collect all the samples from Sephora orders (tiny packets) of face lotion, etc, + shampoo, etc. from hotels. + the tiny toothpaste the dentist gives me. I re-package my face cleanser in an empty lip balm pot. I can easily get what I need in a quart ziplock, my problem comes when it's time to go home and I want to bring back all the freebies from the hotel.

I have stayed in mid-priced Parision hotels (d'Abusson most recently) and they DID have shampoo, etc.

Contact lens solution does not have to be in your ziploc baggie. That is allowed separately and doesn't have to be less than 3 ounces either.

We just got back from a week in Paris and easily managed all the cosmetics/hair products in our ziplocs. I take 1 oz containers for shampoo/conditioner/defrizz/curl creme. Along with that is a small mascara from the gift with purchase at Clinique, and then a contact lens case with my moisturizer in one half and foundation in the other. A trial size or two of toothpaste, and that is all I need. All of this fits easily into the ziploc, with extra room.

I always wait to purchase lotion in Paris as they have my favorites there that I can't even get here.

When our luggage was lost, I went into an eyeglass store and bought contact solution in Paris. I said my brand name and they had the same brand for basically the same price. I ended up buying a French brand because the container was smaller and it was just fine.

This was a few years ago. Now when we travel, I only take a carry on with small sizes in my ziploc that I can dispose of on the way.

If you check at your eyeglass store, they may have some sample sizes of your brand.

Luckily, MDH doesn't have alot in his ziploc so I give him some of my stuff.