My husband and I are leaving tomorrow for Paris and London. The forecast is for 60 degree days and 40 degree nights and intermittent showers on some of the days. I have a wind resistant raincoat without lining and a heavier quilted rain coat with a flannel lining and hood. I live in Miami so I really don't have a lot of experience with coats!!
Any opinions would be appreciated.

I vote for the heavier quilted raincoat with lining and hood. When I was in London last week, there were scattered showers every day, and it was so windy you couldn't keep an umbrella open for more than 30 seconds before it turned inside out, so I was very glad to have a jacket with a hood.

Well, for what it's worth, I'll tell you what I am wearing to London when I leave in 25 hours: a wool gabardine trenchcoat with silk lining. It's not very heavy, but I am bringing a sweater for layering underneath in case of colder weather. I prefer something light, so that I can still wear it on nice days when the temperature is around 60 F.

I vote for the lighter coat, plus a scarf, gloves and a warm sweater or fleece. Wear all on the cool, wet days and shed layers when it is warmer.

I also vote for the lighter coat. You can always layer to stay warm.

Dress warm, long sleeves, light but warm coat, umbrella and and a scarf..

Both cities are cold and damp..You feel the chills in your bones..

PS.
If you are used to Miami, I suggest the heavier coats..or you are going to Freeze..
Enjoy and Bon Voyage...

That was the kind of weather back in November. Light coat and layers; walking around in 60 degrees, you'll get quite warm.

I agree with layers but do carry a waterproof raincoat or jacket. April showers are pretty cold in Paris.

You won;t be able to wear a heavy coat if the weather is 60 - unless you want heat prostration. You would be much better off with a light coat (really a lot for the 60 as well) with a sweater to put under it if it turns chilly. (For me 60 is t shirt plus windbreaker - or a thin cotton sweater - nothing heavier.)

We were in London last week and dressed in light layers. The intermittent rain showers were no big deal, but the wind was really nasty! Not much can protect you from that though. We did find that while we were warm in London, we froze on the daytrip to Paris! Ended up buying some really tacky sweatshirts at a little shop by Notre Dame so we didn't freeze! I guess it pays to look at the weather forecast for both places, which we neglected to do.

Hi gl,

Many light layers is usually better than one heavy one.

Looking out of my window at the moment I can see the London Eye and behind it blue sky and sunshine. It's extremely pleasent (although much cooler than Miami!).

The weather in London this week has been (finally) springlike. Wednesday was warm. Today and yesterday started off overcast and rainy then by afternoon were really pleasent.

My vote would be to take a light raincoat and umbrella. It can get uncomfortably hot on public transport if you are too wrapped up and carrying round a heavy coat is not much fun.

Hope you have a great time.

It has got perceptibly warmer today. I have been coming to work in a light wool sweater under a raincoat with a detachable lining, and I've been a bit over warm. But then, my bloodstream and metabolism has been adapted to colder weather for a few months, and who knows what will happen next week anyway?

If you can't detach the lining of your heavier raincoat, I'd suggest the lighter one - but make sure you have some things you can wear as extra layers underneath if you have to. It's the layers themselves that make the difference, not the weight of the outer layer.

I would take the lighter option - the weather has changed a lot in the last week. The wind and rain have gone and have been replaced by the sun and warmer weather!

I was in Paris a few weeks ago, and faced the same quandary, although you will have warmer weather than I did.

For the sake of comfort, I wore an unlined 3/4 raincoat, but brought a large wool shawl that I was able to use either folded at the neckline or wrapped around me when it was colder. It worked beautifully.