We will be doing this tour at the beginning of May. We have been on other RS tours and only needed casual, comfortable clothes, layers and rain jacket. Do we need dressier clothes if we go to a nice restaurant in the evening? We follow Rick's rules and travel light; space is limited so we don't want to bring clothes that we may not need. Thanks
Posted by
Chicago
8815 posts
layers. especially in May when it can be cold and rainy, temperate and rainy or rarely but possibly fairly hot or at least warm. Shoes that are waterproof/resistant. I always respray my lightweight hiking shoes before each trip to make them water resistant.
What i do is back a garment like a capey sort of sweater or nice overblouse or jacket that I can throw on over my basic layer to dress it up a bit. With black pants and top, it is easy to dress up with a lightweight jacket and scarf or necklace. you can probably get by without even that much but I like to do that for fine dining and the opera myself. I have a couple of things that are lightweight and don't take up much space that fill that niche.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
15179 posts
You won't need dressier clothing for the tour meals themselves. Are you planning some upscale dining in Paris? I am not a foodie and don't eat high end. Any of the neighborhood restaurants I've eaten in, in Paris, I was fine in my normal tour clothing of jeans and athletic type shoes.
This tour goes to the DDay landing beaches. IF you have a puffy vest I'd pack it in case it's windy/rainy/cold on your beaches day. I would probably add in glove liners if you have them.
Posted by
Normandie
370 posts
Not female, so be sure to discount my opinion.
I've been on this tour, long ago. In my opinion you'll want to bring clothes you can layer along with a backpack so you can peel layers off as the day progresses, stuff them in your backpack, and then pull them back out and put them on as needed as the cool of the evening arrives.
Definitely have a water-resistant shell to keep yourself fairly dry, protect you from the wind, and preserve your layers' insulating effectiveness.
Wear good quality leather shoes that recently have been waxed to improve water resistance. I recommend Ecco or Mephisto. Shy away from shoes with cloth or mesh uppers unless you enjoy wet socks and cold feet.
No need for dressier clothes on the tour. If you're coming early or staying after to sightsee on your own, consider what kind of restaurants you're planning to visit and plan accordingly. Generally, casual clothes are fine unless you plan to darken the doorway of snootier Michelin-starred joints. If that's the case, make sure you have black slacks or skirt and at least one regular button up shirt/blouse.
Gloves? In May? In France? I live near the northern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, and used to live near the center of France far from an ocean and I've never worn gloves in France. It's just not that cold here. Granted, I used to live near the Canadian border in the U.S. and at pretty high altitudes in the Rockies and Sierras, so perhaps I'm more familiar with cold than some folks but gloves? In May? In France? That's unlikely to be a need.
As for packing light, lay out what you anticipate you'll need and then remove one pair of shoes, one pair of slacks, and two shirts. You won't need them and it will help reduce bulk and weight in your bag.