Laundry

Which cities? I usually don't do laundry while I am traveling, but once during a particularly long trip in France and Spain, I used a laundromat in Arles that was mentioned in the Rick Steves' guidebook. Not only did Rick give directions to the place, but he provided a translation of the operating instructions for the washers which was just fine.

laura, I'd suggest asking your Hotel for information on local laundry facilities. In some cases, this may be a "service wash", where they pick up your laundry and return it washed and folded. In other cases, a "conventional" laundromat will be available. What's available will to some extent depend on which cities you're visiting. Laundromats are available in Paris and larger cities, but may be less available in smaller towns. Happy travels!

I do laundry every 5 days w/ no probs. RS guide has listings in his guide bks for many european cities & towns. Safety has not been a prob. It cost alittle more than USA espec dryers., Take your detergent for sure.

laura, One other point to mention is that many Laundromats in Europe are somewhat "high tech", and operate differently than those here. The washers and dryers are numbered and the "usual" routine is to choose which machine you'll be using. Some of the Washers have automatic detergent dispensers. Coins are innserted in a central controller on the wall, and that's where you'll choose the machine that you've placed your laundry in. The Dryers are operated the same way. I've found with the Dryers that it often takes several cycles to get clothes reasonably dry, even if the heat setting is "high". Cheers!

A few other hints: While there are usually change machines, not always. So be prepared with lots of 1 Euro coins. They should all sell single use boxes of detergent. If your clothes don't fully dry, hang them in your room right away to finish overnight. You might have to be creative where you lay them out but as long as they aren't dripping they will finish drying. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Some have attendents that will help and some you just have to ask another customer. The system can be hard to understand at first and each one operates a little different (as mentioned, some use a central control panel). Safety is not an issue, though certainly don't leave the place while you stuff is washing/drying. Just bring a book. Wash is about 20-30 minutes and dry times are about 10 minutes each for however long it takes to dry. Plan for an hour. There will be a folding table.

The secret of traveling light is to do laundry enroute. We will be staying in Avignon on night 5 & 6 of our 3 week trip. The RS France book shows a laundermat one block from where we are staying. Great. The RS books show laundermats in a whole lot of cities and towns. It doesn't cost much and it takes about 90 minutes or so to wash and day a couple of loads. There's never been a safety issue.

You would be shocked how quickly and easy it is to wash one days worth of clothing in the shower (while showering and cleaning yourself). I don't bother with laundromats. Just wash one days clothes each day and hang it to dry in the bathroom. Laundry never piles up and I don't need to pack much.

Ed, I keep scanning YouTube for your 'how-to' laundry video...;-)

Make your life easier by booking one or two hotels that have laundry. Some have a room with coin-op machines, others (like some b and bs) will do it for a fee. It's just easier than going to a laundromat, though if you just can't find a hotel with laundry, it'll do (they are easy to find, just ask your hotel). If you are traveling with a spouse maybe one person watches the wash and one person watched the drier, so you don't completely waste a couple hours.

Every trip needs some "down time" and doing laundry is a great way to just kick back for a little bit. Laundromats are everywhere, and they're generally on quiet streets away from the tourist traffic. Plan on using the laundry time to catch up on postcards and your journal or just read. The grocery store next door will have snacks and drinks to enjoy while you take a break. Laundry time can be positive.

Laura, If you're going to Paris as one of the 4 cities, this is the address of a laundrymat there. "Lav Club"
Rue Du Faubourg 141 (10th Arr.) It's in the Gard du Nord area not far from the hotel I stay at. The laundrymat also has instructions in English posted.

Sorry Eileen but I don't own a camcorder.

THAT could be arranged ;-)