packing for paris
 

I am trying to pack for 7 days in Paris with my husband for our 20th anniversary starting this Thurs 5/15. It is so hard to know what I really need to include. The weather looks coolish 55-70 and with some rain. How much casual versus dressy clothes do I need? 70 degrees here puts me in shorts and sandals but I am guessing I might not need to include those? Any advice for me?

Just back from France. In Paris during the day I wore docker type pants with lightweight long sleeve tops and had a trench coat/all weather coat. Just like any big city you'll see people in jeans, and casual pants. I took a pair of dress slacks and a couple of nicer/dressier tops for our special dinners, but otherwise even in the evenings at the local cafes you see pretty pretty casual. An umbrella is a must.

Bring a sweater or two to layer. We were there last year at the end of May and it was off and on rain and 50s-70s. It felt pretty cool some evenings.

Happy anniversary!

You know the temperature, so decide based on what you would wear in that weather. I would never wear shorts and sandals in weather like that in Paris or at home.

It depends what you plan to do as to whether you need casual or dressy clothes, so I don't think anyone can advise you on that one without knowing where you are going and what kind of places you frequent, and what you plan to do. Take casual clothes for usual tourist activities. Take dressier if you go to upscale restaurants and have special events planned that will be dressy. I would never wear what I wear all day tromping around to go out to dinner, even when I don't go to dressy spots, and I always wear nicer pants or a skirt or dress to go the the ballet or opera.

Other people don't care what they wear at night, or don't want to go back to where they are staying to clean up and change, but I almost always do.

I absolutely agree with Christina - I prefer to change and clean up for night-time. I grew up in Manhattan where everything is dressy compared to where I live now, California. I will pack as if headed back to NY.

In my mind, the very very very most important thing is to take at least two pairs of really comfortable shoes. We walked a lot, and I switched to my running shoes after one day, and hardly took them off after that. Shoes that are fine for wandering around the house or office might not be all that great for 10 miles a day of walking.

We just returned from Paris and were prepared for cool weather when a hot spell hit and we needed short sleeves and sleeveless shirts. Be prepared for the same.
Also, I wish that I had taken a pair of those pads that you put inside your shoes for comfort. We walked over 10 miles every day (and I usually run/walk 5 miles/day) and the bottom of my feet were feeling it. Comfortable shoes are a must!

<i>How much casual versus dressy clothes do I need? </i>

For me, &quot;casual&quot; in Paris is a little dressier than at home. I take three pair of nice pants in basic colors. Tops range from spandex type tees (with sleeve), blouses, and a light jacket that can be dressed up with a scarf or jewelry. Trench coat is a good idea. It sounds like you might want to throw in a nice skirt if you're planning a special anniversary dinner.

Shoes: 2 pairs walking shoes and 1 dressier pair--keep in mind though, you'll be wearing these on cobblestones. So be aware of the heel.

I am always tempted at the last minute to throw in all my favorite things. But I've learned to limit it only to those that mix and match and, preferably, will dry overnight if washing is necessary.

I think dressing for NYC is the perfect solution.

If only it were.

You can't believe some of the get ups that I see on tourists - it's positively scary.

Today (rainy and about 60 - granted cool for May - but still May) I saw a whole family of tourists come trekking out of Grand Central station. All, from distinctly very overweight mom and dad to 4 very pdugy kids ranging from about 10 to 16 or
17 - wearing cut off jeans, rubber flip flops (the beachy kind - not the cute sandal kind) and tee shirts that were definitely the worse for wear. To keep dry they were putting on oversize plastic bags they must have bought in the corner drug store.

What ever are these people thinking?

plastic bags??? you surely are kidding

No - I'm not kidding at all. They had bought a box of the giant industrial size black bags and wear tearing holes in them to stick their head and arms through. One kid had his on already - and it cam almost down to the ground.

The reason it was so obvious was that they were standing in one of the Grand Central doorways (out of the rain - but blocking all the commuters trying to get out to their offices) - putting the ridiculous things on.

I guess they thought this was cheaper - or gave more coverage - than buying the cheap umbrellas that were for sale on the street outside.

But - obviously, they had never looked at possible weather in NYC in May - not did they have any clue how to dress in the city. (Their bare lower legs/feet were already filthy with splashing rain water.)

We are supposed to ending a heatwave in Paris which gave us a week of 27°C temperatures (while it was only 20° in the south of France!). After tonight's expected thunderstorms, the temperature in Paris will be a more seasonal 20°C for the next 5 days or so.

We always bring along a couple travel umbrellas from the dollar store. They're so cheap it doesn't matter if we lose them, and they're so small they hardly take up any room in our bags.

We just returned from Paris and the women are all wearing some type of neck scarf. The weather was very warm (unexpectedly) and we noticed that the style seemed to be the &quot;smock-tops&quot; which look like versions of maternity tops for under 3 mos. pregnant - actually cuter than my description. But the french women are very well put together, even at the grocery stores. If they are in jeans, they are creased and with a heel - not at all shoddy.

I never take more than 1 &quot;dressy&quot; outfit. Just wear it how every many times you decide to do something a bit more formal (restaurant, show, whatever). No one knows (except your hubby) that you wore the same thing over &amp; over.