What should women carry in Paris?
 

We're planning our first trip to Paris and I've read repeatedly that women shouldn't carry shoulder bags. The "under-clothing" travel pouches are not a great alternative for anything other than paper money and passports that are not needed frequently. I'm not too keen on a fanny pack (see post on how NOT to look like a tourist). Are there any other suggestions from the travelling ladies out there? In Provence and Spain I carried a small shoulder bag and had no problems. Are the theft dangers overstated?

Well, judging from what I read on this forum, I think the dangers are overstated. I traveled all over Paris with a squarish zippered bag with a carry strap. Never had a problem, whether at flea market, on the metro, in a crowded street, etc. I like a bag big enough to slip the guidebook,m camera and maybe a few small purchases in, with a zipper closure. I do carry it close to the body, as much not to bump people as to keep close watch. I've never liked fanny packs. There is a man who goes to our church who always wears one, and I often amuse myself with silent speculation as to what he could POSSIBLY have in it.

To Mary: I will draw some flak for this, but I completely trust my small hotel and leave tickets, passport, and whatever credit cards and money I do not need for the day in my locked suitcase there. Perhaps your hotel has a safety box at the desk. I casually carry an over-the-shoulder bag with tissue, Paris par arrondissement, and a few other little things that could easily be replaced. I carry one credit card, if I think I will need it, my carte hebdomadaire, my carte des musées, and money for the day in my coat, jacket or front trouser pockets. I have never lost anything. I am sometimes on business, often alone, have an aggressive walk, speak French, and am told I dress European. I lived in Paris for a time, so perhaps I picked up some of their characteristics. I'm a lousy shopper and a worse photographer, so I don't need a lot of cash on me, and I don't carry a camera. If you don't want to leave anything in your room, I think you could carry some things in a neck or waist (under the clothes) deal and put the things you need for the day in your pockets. I am sure there is thievery there, but I have not felt threatened and I go several times a year. Hope this helps. It's a great city! <BR>

I'm with the other posters on no fanny pack (my girlfriend calls them body bags which puts the right perspective on them) and don't carry everything with you if you can leave it in the hotel's safe (not the one in the room...the one at the front desk). I found a small leather purse/wallet thing on a thin leather strap; I wear that around my neck and tuck it into my waistband - it holds my passport, ATM card, all day cash, who to contact if I get squished by a Parisian truck, etc. It's small, flat, and is easy to get at. I carry a shoulder bag/small back pack (I found a very cute tapestry backpack in the little girls' department - about the size of a woman's purse) with my Paris par arrondissement, umbrella, French phrase book (when my brain goes soggy and I can't think of the word), emergency (toilet) tissue, billets or metro pass, etc. I keep my 'right now' money in a pocket (i.e. off to breakfast, I've got ff to cover coffee and croissant. At the restaurant, I get out the ff for the RER ticket to Versailles, and so on). <BR>I travel light when I'm home, and I do the same when I'm on a trip. Oh yeah I always carry 4 bandaids in case I get a blister....

Hi Mary: <BR> <BR>I found a plain little black travel bag at Target for about $10. It has a fold over flap and side compartments for pens, note pads, etc. and a large side pocket for maps. The flap also had a zippered compartment and I kept my metro and museum passes there for easy access. The zippers had loops to accommodate small locks, so if I chose I could pull the zippers together and lock them. I wore this across my body and held onto it in the front with my hand. I attached a sturdy braided ribbon to a small coin purse (for money and credit cards) and pinned it inside the bag. When I needed money I just pulled on the ribbon and found the coin purse in the depths of the bag. <BR> <BR>I like to be prepared (my husband laughs at this), so I had all kinds of travel-sized stuff in that bag -- antibacterial hand gel, Tylenol, Tums, snacks (mainly shortbread), maps, a guidebook, dental floss, pocket Kleenex, Visine, safety pins, emery board, hand lotion, bandaids, you name it. This stems from my school days when buying any of the above items on campus cost a small fortune (for me anyway), so I got used to carrying all those things around in my backpack, then later on in my purse. Maybe it would be easier to just visit the "chemist" as necessary, but it's a habit now. Too hard to break it!

Thanks for the tips. I'll probably use some of each: no fanny pack; leave whatever I can in the hotel safe; put important stuff in a travel pouch; carry everything that you need in an inexpensive black bag held close and tightly!

Lynn....! <BR> <BR>You sound like me! <BR> <BR>I carry the same stuff. I always like to be prepared. Don't forget the pepcid and Immodium (sp?). Snacks for us are usually almonds and cashews. <BR> <BR>:-)

I do think that all of the theft we hear about is exaggerated. Simple, common sense precautions are all that is required. Most of the people that I have seen get robbed were not particularly aware of their belongings. <BR> <BR>I have what I call my "travel purse". It's a very nice leather shoulder bag with a strap long enough to be worn across the body. The strap is quite wide (about an inch) and heavy, so it couldn't easily be cut. The purse has a zipper top and a flap that buckles for double protection. There is also a zippered compartment inside where I keep my credit cards, etc. Not so much to protect against theft, as against falling out when I open the bag. The bag is the perfect size for travel and I can't imagine travelling without it anymore. The added bonus is that it looks great!

Lynn R: <BR> <BR>Had the Pepcid and Immodium back in the hotel room! :)

<BR>First let me say that I am not being sarcastic. All suggestions are valid. But what to carry? Carry good posture and an air of confidence. That way everyone will think you are French and leave you alone. A scarf doesn't hurt either. Enjoy!

<BR>As Elvira once said, "Bring a Barbeque grill, that's always helpful"... um, let's see, maybe an semi-automatic, and oooooh, don't forget that scarf (so you'll blend in - oh, but that's only in Paris)....

Mary, and others: <BR>I am an American living in London for the past year and a half. Do I try to dress like the locals, NO! I am not a tourist, I am a resident here. If I were concerned about blending in, it would cost me a fortune more to live here than it already does. Most people will know you are not from there, not by your dress, but by your actions. I wear a suit every day to work (because I have to, not because I choose to), but like most Londoners, I get very casual after work. During the day, most people will know you are a tourist, mainly because you are not at work, and almost everybody on the street are tourists at that time of day. Just go, enjoy yourself, and stop looking for an excuse to go shopping!