Packing For a Two Week Trip to Paris

My carry-on sized suitcase with 4 wheels

It's hard to not over pack, no matter how long your trip will be or where you're going. Even with my experience, I still manage to over pack. I get better each time, though.

I use a carry-on sized suitcase which I usually check at the airport. I also carry a small backpack. Remember, you'll be schlepping these things through the airport and perhaps up and down public transportation stairs. Know your limitations.

I rent an apartment so I have access to a washer and dryer. That makes a huge difference since I can "refresh" things easily and pack less.

But when you're a tourist, it's also good to remember, that no one will remember what you wore yesterday.

Americans generally wash their clothes even when they're not really dirty. So, wearing the same pair of jeans more than a few times is fine - unless you spill a glass of red wine on them in which case, club soda in the sink if you're in a hotel!

Mix and match - that's the key. Fortunately, growing up, my mom taught me that trick for school. We didn't have a closet and drawers full of clothes when I was younger.

While black, gray, and navy blue would be boring every day in your normal life, they tend to be the most versatile while traveling - especially in Paris. Those colors are always in fashion! Then, accessorize with color, dahlings!

For me, it's harder to pack the little things like devices, chargers, antihistamine (Spring allergies and occasionally help sleeping,) make-up, toiletries (I just need a FEW cotton swabs,) extra shoe inserts, bandages, razors, etc. Yes, it's that crap I find hardest to limit. In fact, because each thing is so tiny on it's own, just as I'm shutting the suitcase for good, I'm throwing in a few more of these things - just in case. Then I arrive and wonder where the toothpaste is. And I wonder why I have all this stuff I never used when I'm packing to leave. Sigh!

And shoes. OMG, I really have a hissy fit about what I will have on my feet. I'm old enough to understand I must choose comfort over cute. But it's always important that you have the shoes you want and wear them a lot before you go. Get your blisters here. And if you walk on the treadmill or walk the dog with them and you are ready to rip them off afterward, shop for some better footwear. Again, even for men, choose black or brown over white.

And for me, I have some physical things to deal with so I need my special memory foam pillow and a few other things that you probably won't need.

This is why I try to start packing almost a month in advance - yes a MONTH! I pack and repack and subtract and add. I swear I dream about what to bring. I walk around the suit case and piles - contemplating their value and convenience.

It's not like I can't get EVERYTHING I need in Paris. But I admit it's probably cheaper to buy this stuff in Maine and haul it across the Atlantic.

So, do you want to see what I'm bringing for clothes for my two weeks?

Really, this is for 2 weeks.

 My picture doesn't show the do-dads and thing-a-ma-bobbies I'll add to the suitcase and carry on. It also includes some things I will wear on the plane.

Since I'll be leaving from and returning to Boston (brr) the packable light weight down jacket will be perfect. Also, Paris is not that warm (usually) in March. Besides the down jacket, I have a fleece shirt and fleece jacket. I live in Maine and pretty much wear these all year round so it's a safe bet that I will be wearing them while there.

Yes, the boots are my slave to fashion. They're pretty comfy, but probably better for those evening strolls than the all-day-marathon around the city. I have one dressy black tunic and the rest of my shirts are sweaters and v-neck long sleeve shirts. Three pairs of jeans - different shades and styles - round out the major clothing. The belt - which I'll pack since I don't want to take it off during the parade through airport security, is blue on one side, black on the other!

And yes, that IS vintage shag carpet. ;)

Yes, the stuff I won't wear on the plane fits - at least for now!

Once I get it all in there, I feel a little like Genie from Aladdin - Mighty packing power and multiple fashion statements...all in a little teeny tiny packing space.

I don't have the pillows and other comfort things I bring to accommodate my physical needs. But the pillow will become a pancake with a vacuum bag. I pack a few other bags for the trip back when everything seems to have multiplied. Vacuum bags are great at saving space. But remember, they take the air out, but not the weight. Be sure you weigh the bag before you leave for the airport. The above weighed approximately 27 lbs.  Room for more stuff - SCORE!!

For more information about packing, see my Packing for Paris page. I now include a downloadable check list for your trip!

My Bags are Calling

No, not the one's under my eyes, but the one's I strap onto my back and wheel behind me as I take to the skies for another French adventure. Somehow, I never feel so empowered as when I'm walking through the airport, especially with a backpack on. Happy memories of taking off into the unknown with my L.L. Bean frame pack and my Rick Steves' guide book and my best friend and really, not many clues between us!

No, the travel part is no longer fun. I remember the days when my mother dressed me up in a nice suit to make the trip to Europe, the meals I picked from a fancy menu weren't bad and the Stewardesses didn't look over-worked and under-paid. They were glad to bring me head phones and another soda. They didn't look at me as just another pain-in-the-butt child.

Despite the numerous complications of modern travel, I still love it. I plan ahead for the food, don't really plan on getting sleep and don't worry too much if I'm called aside to get patted down - I'm just not that proud. I've had babies and the idea that someone might feel my boobs while looking for a weapon just doesn't freak me out as much as the idea that they might not even look. I'm perfectly willing to explain to my children why a stranger should not touch them but that a security guard at the airport may have to and that there is a difference. They're just doing their job and I'm just another stranger passing on by.

I feel like I'm late, like I should have been working on this packing list months ago. Only 7 weeks more and I'd better have everything worked out. Of course, I'm not just packing for myself, so there's a bit more than just me making sure I have enough underwear.

So, when I go for two weeks to the most chic city on earth, what do I pack? Ok, I admit that when I was only slightly younger, I poured across the internet to see WHAT they were wearing. I do believe in "blending in;" it's the best security tip I have. Plus, I just like to be "in fashion." But I've now matured enough so that if my orthotics don't fit into the 5 inch heals and my Chanel suit hasn't made it to the dry cleaners lately, I'm OK with that.

In fact, I am freed of that for two reasons:  (1) I'm getting more, ah-hem, mature, and (2) the last two trips have revealed a whole new generation of French women who feel OK wearing comfortable shoes and jeans! So while there are still plenty of the chic, beautiful people crowding chic bars and strutting down boulevards, I still fit in with the rest!

So the picture is of the luggage I use for the two weeks. A rolling suit case that's actually small enough to be considered carry-on in a pinch, a great L.L. Bean backpack that is very comfortable and leaves my hands free, a shoulder bag (which can be packed away,) and a small backpack for days in the city (it will be packed away in the suitcase.) These are things I can easily handle myself and can even carry up/down escalators and stairs in the Metro. Never mind what the airlines will let you bring. Be sure YOU can handle the bags before and after the airport!

Stay tuned for the actual packing list!

For more about preparing for a trip to Paris, visit ParisMadeSimple!