There are always many packing questions on the Rick Steves' Forum. What do I bring? What size bags? What are the styles? What gadgets are helpful? Here are some of the answers we have found.
What Do I Pack and What Bags Do I Bring?
The Rick Steves' Packing List is a good place to start. You might want a little more of something or a little less of something, depending on what you are comfortable with. You can see above, that most people do bring carry-on size luggage and a daybag or purse of some sort, as suggested, and some choose to bring something a slightly larger than a carry-on. The guys used Rick Steves' Appenzelle Day Packs, while Peggy just used a cross-shoulder purse during the day. We found it helpful to bring the Hide-Away Tote bag for the extras we bought along the way! Click on the pictures for more information.
What were the helpful gadgets and other things should we bring?
Here are a few things that we liked. Click on the images to be taken to a website for more informations.
What were the clothing fashions in France?
Of course dressing so that you are comfortable is the most important thing, and really no one seems to notice or mind how anyone else dresses! But, IF you are most comfortable following the local fashion, here are some tips:
Though styles varied greatly, here are a few trends we noticed in June: For ladies, skinny, ankle jeans, pants or capris (those that fit tightly around the calf and end just above the ankle) were everywhere. This seemed to be the only style pant ladies of most ages were wearing. They were worn mostly with nice blouses and a trench coat or a stylish light-weight rain jacket. Ankle boots were very popular, especially during wet or cooler weather. Nice sandals or ballet flats were worn during warmer weather. Skirts and dresses above the knee were commonly seen, with tights during cooler weather. All the local ladies wore scarves, and many of the men! For men, long sleeve, button up shirts were the norm. Even in warm weather, rolled-up long sleeves seemed to be the preference. Jeans or nicer pants along with leather shoes seemed to be most often worn. Teens and young adults were often seen in more American style casual t-shirts and athletic shoes.