What to pack for Paris in February

Lows around 37°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.

Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.

The layer you'll wear more than any other.

Lows of 37°F mean exposed skin loses heat fast on the walk from the Metro.

Wind at 21 km/h cuts through fabric. Your hands need a barrier.

Humidity at 80% keeps mosquitoes active even in winter near the parks.

Urban travel means small accidents on cobblestones. A kit handles the scrapes.

This country runs on Type C or E. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Ten hours of daylight means your phone dies before the day ends.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Dark by 7:10pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.

Overhead bins on every flight to Paris fit a 40-liter pack. Skip checked bags.

Museums and markets are day-long walks. A 20-liter pack holds a jacket and water.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

For the mornings and the nights.

The Seine runs cold. Winds funnel down the streets and find every gap at your neck.

Sidewalks stay damp for weeks. Wet socks and 37°F lows bring on the ache.

Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.

Tap water is safe. A bottle saves the cost of bottled drinks all month.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

Crowded train stations and busy museums are prime places to lose a bag.

Rain for 12 days means damp clothes pile up fast. Cubes keep things sorted.

Damp air and 12 rain days make clothes smell sour by day four.

Lows around 37°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.

Trains to the airport run early. Headphones let you sleep through the noise.

Shared Metro handrails and restaurant menus pass germs around constantly.

Mosquitoes bite even in February. The cold makes itching worse, not better.

One outlet per hotel room. Short cables reach from bed to desk.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

Border controls are standard. Keep your passport separate from your main pack.

Hostels and shared accommodations need locks on your luggage zippers.

Humidity at 80% fogs mirrors. A hanging bag drains water away from your gear.

Plane seats don't recline much. A pillow makes the flight less rough.