What to pack for Paris in January

13 rain days a month finds every seam. A real shell, not a windbreaker.

Lows around 36°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 36°F mean exposed skin loses heat fast on the walk to the Metro.

Wind at 20 km/h cuts through fabric, making bare hands numb within minutes.

UV index of 1.2 means insects aren't a concern here.

Travel to an international destination where your doctor isn't nearby.

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

Eight hours of daylight means the camera and phone both drain by mid-afternoon.

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

Dark by 6:20pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.

Overhead bins on international flights are tight, and checked bags mean waiting at carousels.

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.

Thirteen rain days in January turn any gap between coat and chin into a problem.

Wet feet in 36°F weather lead to the kind of cold that doesn't leave your bones until evening.

Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.

Tap water is safe, so a bottle cuts the cost and waste of buying drinks everywhere.

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.

International airports and train stations move thousands of bags through daily.

Packing for cold-weather layers takes up space that cubes compress down.

Thirteen rain days leave clothes damp, and laundry every few days beats carrying more.

Lows around 36°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.

International trains and airports run constant noise that makes rest impossible without them.

Rain hits on 13 days of the month, and leather absorbs it all.

Public transit in January brings close contact with hundreds of people daily.

Insect activity drops in January cold, but relief cream still prevents infection if you scratch a old bite.

One outlet per hotel room doesn't charge three devices at once.

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

International travel requires documents that fit flat and stay dry.

Luggage passes through multiple hands at international checkpoints.

Humidity at 86% means bathrooms stay wet and toiletries need to hang dry.

Trains to Versailles run long enough that neck strain matters on the return trip.