{"id":426,"date":"2024-11-18T14:52:55","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T06:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/what-to-pack-for-your-trip-to-paris-this-summer\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:06","slug":"what-to-pack-for-your-trip-to-paris-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=426","title":{"rendered":"What to pack for your trip to Paris this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Go ahead and imagine it: you\u2019re strolling along the Champs-Elysees on a perfectly sunny day. You\u2019re hydrated. You\u2019re wearing the high-SPF French sunblock that you picked up at the corner pharmacy. You\u2019re ready to face a day of sightseeing, and you are \u2013 bien sur \u2013 wearing an outfit that makes you look perfectly chic without trying too hard. Sound like a dream? Well, it\u2019s not impossible if you\u2019re traveling to France in summer, and without too much fuss or expense.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m heading to the Paris Olympics this weekend \u2013 as a spectator, not an athlete, let me be perfectly clear \u2013 and I\u2019m packing mostly for comfort and the weather, with one eye on style. Here\u2019s what\u2019s going in my suitcase.<\/p>\n

\"Paris
Think comfortable and chic when planning your Paris packing list this summer. Edward Berthelot\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Keep it simple<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s the thing about France in summer: it\u2019s hot. Sometimes it\u2019s very, very hot. Let this be your singular guiding principle when you start packing. Focus on the absolute basics in lightweight fabrics and light colors: T-shirts, sundresses, tank tops, polos, and pants in cotton or linen all work.<\/p>\n

The French are relaxed dressers, but they always feel a notch more formal than what most Americans would consider casual. Shorts are great, but maybe avoid the basketball kind, unless you\u2019re a teenage boy or LeBron. Athleisure can work if paired with more dressed-up items, but keep it in perspective. If your outfit could also be worn to a yoga class, you\u2019ll probably look a bit underdressed, and probably American.<\/p>\n

Comfortable footwear is required for long days of sightseeing, and although this wasn\u2019t always the case, athletic shoes are the norm in France. Wear them with pride and in comfort.<\/p>\n

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The best thing about this kind of clothing? It packs small and often doesn\u2019t require a ton of ironing or hanging upon arrival. If you\u2019re traveling for a week, try swapping out your big bag for a carry-on.<\/p>\n

\"Versailles
For days spent strolling, often without shade, pack a hat as well as sunglasses. Grant Faint\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Accessorize to beat the heat<\/h2>\n

Accessories can make or break a hot-weather trip to Paris. Great pair of sunglasses? A must-pack. A visor or a sun hat? Indispensable. That\u2019s especially true if you\u2019re doing a lot of walking outdoors or seeing an event with seats in direct sun. Many Olympic events will fall into this category, as does tennis at Roland Garros. Even attractions like the gardens at Versailles offer very little shade. A hat can save the day and your literal skin.<\/p>\n

Sunblock is another thing you\u2019ll want to have handy. Pack it or, even better, buy it in France at the local pharmacy. Brands like La Roche-Posay and Vichy come in high-SPF and tinted versions that would likely cost you more at home. Plus, they\u2019re more like skincare than the sticky goop you slather on the kids at the pool.<\/p>\n

A personal fan is another way to keep cool. There are motorized versions that hang around your neck or are small enough to be stashed in a pocket. You could also pack a manual folding version for Karl Lagerfeld-level drama.<\/p>\n

\"Paris,
These iconic green fountains provide free, clean drinking water \u2013 just BYO water bottle. Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Follow these hydration hacks<\/h2>\n

For your own health and safety, staying hydrated is important when the weather is hot and you have a packed schedule. Always carry a water bottle, and check the regulations before you attempt to bring it into an attraction or event, as there are often limits on bottle sizes and materials. For example, water bottles at the Olympics must be plastic or metal and can\u2019t exceed 25 ounces (around 700mls). You can fill up for free, 24 hours a day, at Paris\u2019s famous green cast-iron Wallace fountains, a beautiful holdover from the Belle Epoque.<\/p>\n

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To stay hydrated longer, bring along electrolyte powder packets or gummies. They\u2019re great for when you\u2019re spending a lot of time at a single attraction without a break, like when you\u2019re wandering the Louvre or the Musee d\u2019Orsay. Sugar-free versions are available. And of course, if you\u2019re a meticulous hydrator, you\u2019ll want a condensation sleeve so your water bottle won\u2019t sweat onto the other items in your bag.<\/p>\n

\"VIew
Download apps like Find My Friends to make travel in France a breeze. Kate Devine for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Download these apps<\/h2>\n

For the first time ever, you can now buy and use Paris Metro tickets on an app. Developed ahead of the 2024 Olympics, the IDF Mobilites app lets you purchase up to 20 one-way, zone-one Metro tickets (two packs of 10) at a time. While those little paper Metro tickets make fun souvenirs, they\u2019re also easy to misplace, and it can be hard to figure out which ones have already been used. Go digital and avoid the confusion.<\/p>\n

SNCF Connect is the official app of France\u2019s inter-city train system. It\u2019s another place where you can purchase and store train tickets \u2013 a nice convenience if you\u2019re visiting multiple cities in France. It also lets you avoid ticket lines and translation issues at the train station.<\/p>\n

Two other critical apps for the Olympics are the official ticketing app, Paris 2024 Tickets, and the Find My Friends app. The latter is great for keeping track of your friends in a crowd in case you separate \u2013 willingly or not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Go ahead and imagine it: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-france-travel-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1183,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426\/revisions\/1183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}