France end of May

Have a great time in France! You can wear whatever you normally wear on vacation. I like to bring a couple of dresses, along with a pair of pants & capris & layered tops. Some women don’t bring any dresses or skirts. I do like to bring items that are easy to wash in a sink to pack light.

A dress or skirt will be cooler than slacks, but I stick to slacks because my #1 priority is comfortable shoes. My comfortable shoes (lace-up athletic things) would look pretty silly with a dress or skirt. I have learned that polyester slacks are a bad idea in warm weather; fabric content matters.

I used to take skirts for wear in warm weather but now have some very lightweight harem type pants for the very hot days if we have them or a pair of linen slacks. But pants are just so practical -- basic black pants wear well in dirty travel, and can be easily dressed up with tops, jackets scarves. These days, I wear black jeans that read as slacks with one pair of lightweight slacks for super hot weather. We don't travel past May but there may be a hot day in May or in late September.

Take as little as you can --- I personally live in Merrell breeze clogs and then have a pair of lightweight hiking shoes that are water proof -- When you wear pants you also don't have to fuss with lots of different pairs of shoes.

If you make a terrible packing mistake and find you need a jacket or scarves, or tops or whatever, it is really easy to pick them up in Paris. Shoes you want to be sure you have a couple pair that work well -- but everything else can be added if you misjudged.

Don't count on it being hot; it could also be cold. Twice, I didn't pack a light jacket or a sweater and had to scramble each time.

And finding warm clothes--it was June both times---is a real stretch when the stores are stocking only summer weight. I found a jacket at a jumble sale in the 17th arrondisement, and the other time I found a wool sweater, one size too small, at a shop in Burgundy and bought it. So be sure to pack layers that you can add or remove as necessary. BTW, three days after I found the used jacket in late June, a heat wave started. Be prepared.

I prefer skirts and dresses for comfort, and they usually are easier to wash in a sink. I have found few women's pants that sink washed and dried well quickly. I know they are not pretty, but Clarke's tend to be a good shoe brand for me. My last trip to Europe was Italy 2019 for the month of October. I packed too many hard to wash clothes. Material matters in many ways, depending on your circumstances. Learning to not over/under pack remains a goal of mine. I say if you are comfortable in skirts, as I am, then that should be what you pack. I do have a pair of dress black pants that wash well that I pack, and use, and 1 pair of Ponte mid weight pants that I fly in. I hate being too hot, so past May I don't rely on pants during the day.

I've done Paris and the Heart of France along with 10 other Rick Steves tours. I don't wear skirts at home and don't take them on vacation. I wear jeans/travel pants I got at Costco years ago/capris depending on the weather. Last trip I took one of each, lol.

I sink wash and my jeans are the Amanda style from Gloria Vanderbilt (Costco) with polyester in them and they generally dry overnight.

I have awful feet and wear Altra Lone Peak athletic shoes all the time. I can walk 7-10 miles in them with no problem and no flare from plantar fasciitis. I usually take a back up pair and rarely have them out of the suitcase. I wear the athletic shoes to group dinners as often we head there after a day of touring.

This is a wonderful tour! Lots of variety and interesting places. The history ranges from Medieval to WWII. So interesting! In May the gardens at Giverny will be awesome.

DO take a jacket, cardigan or other long sleeve garment. Also, take a waterproof jacket with a hood. If it's windy in Normandy it'll turn an umbrella inside out in the blink of an eye but the waterproof jacket will protect you from rain and wind.