Little City Trips

What to pack for Paris

Paris is one of the most, if not the most stylish city in the world and deciding what to pack for Paris it can be a little daunting. When visiting Paris with kids you want to be comfortable, of course, but you are likely to also want to feel your gear doesn’t make you stand out in all the wrong ways!

In this Paris packing list, we share our top tips to strike a balance between comfort and style.

First, the essentials. The main items we recommend packing when visiting Paris with small children are a baby carrier and a stroller. The baby carrier will be invaluable on Paris public transport and in busy museums, while the stroller is indispensable for exploring the city on foot, something we highly recommend.

Family packing list Paris

Clothes-wise, what to pack for Paris will depend on what time of year you plan to visit. Paris has four distinctive seasons and while the summer is hot and sunny, winters in the city are cold and grey. In summer, you need light clothing, sun hat and sunscreen, while in winter layers and warm jackets are a must.

Click here to read more about the best time to visit Paris.

In any seasons, make sure you pack a good pair of walking shoes. To feel like a local, avoid hiking shoes or flip flops and opt for comfy flats or city sneakers for both adults and kids. If you are planning a day at Disney, make sure you also check out our selection of best shoes for Disney parks too.

Some of our favourite travel essentials are highlighted below. You can download a full printable packing list at the bottom of the page, with check boxes to tick items off as you put them in your suitcase.

Travel accessories for Paris

Baby Carrier

If you are visiting Paris with a baby or small toddler a baby carrier is your best friend, especially if using the metro and when visiting crowded museums

Stroller

Paris city centre is lovely to visit on foot and is home to some of the city’s most beautiful parks. Because of this, we recommend also travelling with a stroller: it will make longer walks easier on little legs and can offer the opportunity to nap to kids that have outgrown their carrier. Look for a lightweight stroller that is easy to fold, and also look for things like good storage and the ability to recline for naps.

Portable booster seat

Taxis are reasonably priced in Paris but they do not usually carry a booster seat. We therefore recommend you bring your own.


Daypack

Having a day pack is always a good idea for city trips with kids, so that you can carry all the wet wipes, snacks, tissues, sun cream etc and still keep your hands free to keep hold of the kids. Look for a crossbody bag with padded shoulder strap or a lightweight backpack that can be easily packed in your suitcase when not needed.

Collapsible water bottle

Do your bit to save the environment and bring your own refillable water bottles with you instead of relying on buying plastic bottles of water every day. We love a collapsible water bottle that can easily be packed in the suitcase when not needed.

Travel gadgets

Multiple charger

When you are traveling as a family, it is inevitable that you will end up with multiple accessories needing charged: phones, tablets, cameras, kindles etc. Don’t ruin the holiday by fighting over the charger; opt for a multiple charging station instead.

Travel adaptor

The standard electrical voltage in Paris is 230V and there are 2 types of plugs: C and E. Plug type C has two round pins and plug type E  has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin. If you are traveling from a country with different style plugs, make sure you bring a travel adapter.


Portable Charger Power Bank

Have you ever been caught out sightseeing with a low-battery phone and not been able to take photos? Or found your child’s iPad has run out of battery half way through a long haul flight? Don’t let it happen again! Go prepared with a portable charger power bank, a great tool to have in your travel arsenal.

Waterproof/shockproof camera

Of course you have to record all your happy holiday memories, and having an easy-to-use waterproof and shockproof camera means everybody in the family can share in the photo taking, without having to worry about the camera getting damaged.

Toiletries

Hand Sanitizer

It’s always good to have some hand sanitizer in your bag when you are travelling, for times when you can’t wash your hands before having a snack, or have been traveling on public transport.


Sun Cream

If travelling in summer it is a good idea to pack some sunscreen, especially if planning to visit Paris gorgeous parks or take a bike ride in the Bois de Boulogne.

Books and Games

Paris Travel Guide Book

No matter how much research you do online before you travel, it can still be handy to have a travel guidebook in your bag.


It’s always handy to have a few activity books in your bag for your kids, for airports, flights, or when they just need some downtime after a hard day of sightseeing.

Travel Games

The family that plays together stays together! Pack a few fun travel games for fun family evenings, rainy days or airport layovers.

Clothes for Paris in summer

Paris tends to be sunny and hot in summer and especially during the hottest hours of the day shorts and a short-sleeved tops will be your best friend.  In the evening, it is always useful to have a light cardigan since even in summer you may find yourself reaching for it.

We recommend including the following for your Paris outfit:

  • Cotton t-shirts
  • Shorts or skirts
  • Cotton trousers
  • Sandals
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Nicer clothes/shoes for more upmarket restaurants
  • Sunhat
  • Sunglasses


Clothes for Paris in winter

Parisian winters are cold and wet. Comfortable, waterproof shoes are a must and so are a good waterproof, warm coat, scarf, glove and hats.

We recommend including the following for your Paris winter outfit:

  • Jeans
  • Warm sweaters
  • Scarf
  • Hat
  • Warm jacket
  • Comfortable, waterproof walking shoes
  • Nicer clothes/shoes for more upmarket restaurants

Clothes for Paris in Spring/ Autumn

Spring and Autumn are shoulder seasons in Paris and the best way to dress for them is to embrace layers. We recommend

  • Jeans
  • Sweater / cardigan
  • Long sleeve tops
  • Short sleeve tops
  • Light jacket
  • Light scarf
  • Comfortable, close toe shoes

Travel accessories for the plane

Multiple Passport Holder

A multiple passport holder is invaluable for keeping all the family’s passports together in one place. Look for one that makes it easy to remove the passports, and that has space to store luggage tags, frequent flier cards etc.

Travel Pillow (neck support)

We all know how uncomfortable it is trying to sleep on the plane. While we can’t promise you a good sleep, we can recommend using a travel neck pillow to help ease your aches and pains once you get to your destination.


Travel Pillow (leg support)

Travel leg rest pillows have been a bit of a game changer for long-haul flights with small kids. These inflatable pillows allow you to fill the leg gap between the seats, allowing small children to stretch out or even lie down flat. Note that some airlines have banned the use of these travel leg rest pillows. Check with your airline before you go to the airport.

Headphones

We highly recommend headphones for everyone in the family. Noise cancelling headphones for mums and dads are great for cutting out the ambient sound of the plane, while kid-sized headphones with volume limits will ensure kids can watch their iPads without disturbing others, and without damaging their eardrums.

Packing Accessories

Suitcase

If you’re looking for a new suitcase for your Paris trip, we love the foldable luggage from Biaggi – these can be folded down into a small pouch for easy storage and saves you from having to step over your suitcases in your hotel room. We love the easy-glide spinner wheels on them too.

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are so useful when you are traveling with kids. There is nothing worse than spending every morning rummaging through your suitcase looking for a matching outfit. Packing cubes allow you to segregate clothes into their own cubes, making it easy to find what you need. Look for cubes with a peekaboo window so you can easily see what is inside.


Electronics Organiser

How many times have you found yourself rummaging around in your suitcase looking for a phone charger? An electronics organizer can save you plenty of time and frustration by keeping all your chargers, cables, memory cards, headphones and adapters in one handy pack.

Ziploc Bags

Ziploc bags are a parent’s secret weapon when traveling. You can use them to store snacks, dirty clothes, nappy changing kits, puzzle pieces, small toys, crayons and leaky shampoo bottles. Be sure to add a few to your case!

Read more in our Paris Family Guide.

FREE DOWNLOAD!

Be super organized for your next city trip. Download our fully comprehensive printable packing list, with checkboxes to ensure you don’t forget anything.

Click here to download the packing list

 

Travelling to Paris? City travel experts Little City Trips talk you through all the most important items you need to pack for Paris. Print off our Paris packing list for your next city trip.

Little City Trips is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a booking or purchase using one of these links, we may receive a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you.

Have you joined our City Insider community?

We invite all our readers to join the conversation over on our City Insider Group on Facebook to share your own city travel knowledge and find those hidden gems from other parents


Join Litte City Insiders