We covered packing in our last newsletter before we left, one month out from departure. By that point everyone had the itinerary, the reservations were made, and the only thing left was making sure nobody showed up with the wrong shoes.
That last part matters more than people expect.
Shoes First. Everything Else After.
Paris is a walking city, and most of what you will be visiting was built long before elevators were standard. Historic buildings have stairs, lots of them. Churches, museums, Metro stations, hotels: plan to use your legs all day, every day. The Louvre alone covers 15 acres.
Bring shoes that are completely broken in before you leave home. If you bought a new pair specifically for the trip, wear them around the house and neighborhood until they are truly broken in before you board the plane. Blisters in Paris are a genuine quality-of-life problem.
Bring two pairs. If it rains and one pair gets soaked, or something else happens to them, you want an option. Rain in Paris arrives fast and without much warning, especially in September.
What to Wear for a Week
A week in Paris does not require a week’s worth of separate outfits, although if there is room in the suitcase, I may still pack like it does. What it actually requires is anchor pieces that work well together.
When I plan to travel, I try to stay in the same color family so everything can be interchanged. Dressed up or dressed down depending on where we are going. I might bring a dress that works for an afternoon at a museum and then, if we are going somewhere nicer for dinner, I switch to different shoes, add a pretty scarf or a dressier blouse, and suddenly it is a different outfit.
September in Paris averages around 73 degrees during the day and drops to around 54 at night, so layers are genuinely useful. A light water-resistant jacket is the most versatile thing you can bring. It handles cool evenings, sudden showers, and packs down small enough to carry during the day. A small travel umbrella is worth tucking in as well, though you can also pick one up cheaply on the street if you get caught without one.
One note on how you dress: Paris has a standard, and it is not a high one, but it is different from home. Athletic wear is for athletics. Jeans and a nice top, one outfit that could pass for a better dinner. That is the whole standard. More on reading the room in Fitting In in Paris.
The Right Bag
This is worth thinking about before you pack, not after you arrive.
A crossbody bag with dedicated security features is the right bag for Paris. Having the right bag means you stop thinking about your bag entirely and start thinking about Paris instead. Look for slash-resistant body panels, locking compartments, RFID blocking to protect your cards and passport from electronic skimming, and slash-resistant shoulder straps. Travelon makes bags specifically designed for travelers with exactly these features. The full case for why the bag matters is in Petitions, Protests, and Pickpockets: Paris Safety.
The Practical Stuff
A portable battery pack. You will be navigating, photographing, translating, and communicating all day. Your phone will not last without help, and in a group, multiple people will need to charge at once. A battery pack keeps you going between hotel visits.
A power adapter and a plan for everything you are charging. France uses Type E outlets, which do not accept standard American plugs. A universal travel adapter handles the plug shape. What most people do not think through is the volume: between phones, tablets, laptops, earbuds, watches, and cameras, a couple can easily have six or seven devices that need charging. One adapter plugged directly into the wall will not cut it. Bring a compact multi-port USB charging hub or a small travel power strip — run one adapter to the hub and charge everything from there.
One distinction worth understanding: most modern phone chargers, laptop chargers, and tablet chargers are dual voltage, meaning they handle both US (110V) and European (220V) current automatically. Apple power bricks (for you iPhone, iPad, and MacBook users) are all dual voltage and have been for years. This is why traveling with Apple gear is so much simpler than it used to be. Check the label on your charger brick — if it says something like “100-240V,” you only need a plug adapter, not a voltage converter. If it only says “110V” or “120V,” plugging it in will damage it. Most name-brand laptop chargers from the last decade follow the same pattern, but check before you assume.
Hair dryers and some electric razors are the common exception. They are high-wattage, often single-voltage, and will burn out or blow a fuse if you plug a US model directly into a European outlet, even with an adapter. Most Paris hotels provide a hair dryer in the room — check before you pack yours. If you need to bring your own, buy a dual-voltage travel hair dryer before the trip rather than relying on a converter. Same logic applies to any electric grooming tool with a charging base: check the label. If it is not dual voltage, leave it home or replace it with a travel version.
Luggage identification. A bright colored tag or wrap on your checked bag so you can spot it on the carousel. An AirTag or Tile in a zipped interior pocket. And a piece of paper inside the bag with your name, address, and phone number, in case it is lost and has to be opened to find you.
A reusable water bottle. Tap water in Paris is safe to drink and drinking fountains are around the city.
Armed With This, Everyone Was Fine.
That is the base list. Get the shoes right, build around a few anchor pieces that work together, carry the right bag, and pack the practical stuff. The rest takes care of itself.