What to pack for Paris in April
April in Paris is spring on paper and a coin toss in practice. A bright afternoon in a café can be warm enough to sit outside in a shirt, and the next morning can be gray, windy and barely above 40°F. Showers come and go quickly, rarely lasting all day.
So the list is built around one good coat and layers under it. You will walk more than you expect, often ten miles a day on stone and cobbles, so your shoes matter more than anything else in the bag. Parisians dress simply and neatly, and a pair of dark pants and a clean pair of shoes will take you anywhere.
Checked
The weather
- Daytime high
- 61°F
- 16°C, rising through the month.
- Overnight low
- 44°F
- 7°C. Early mornings are properly cold.
- Wet days
- ~9
- Mostly short showers rather than all-day rain.
- Daylight
- 13–14 h
- Sunset after 8:30pm by the end of the month.
The capsule
A week, one traveler, Trench palette. Camel and ivory do the work, and the burgundy makes it look like you planned it. A capsule is a few clothes in one palette (a base color, a neutral and an accent) that all go together. The full list below adds what sits outside it.
Layers
Trench coat
Fine-gauge cardigan
Blazer, for dinner
Tops
Striped cotton top
Cashmere crewneck
Crisp cotton shirt
Bottoms
Dark jeans
Tailored pants
Pleated midi skirt
Shoes
Leather sneakers
Loafers
Three days from this capsule
Shown for one traveler. Packlier packs a capsule like this for each person on the trip.
The full list
Clothes
- Water-resistant trench or light wool coat
- Light cardigan or sweater for layering
- Blazer or smart jacket
- Three or four tops that work under all of it
- Dark jeans
- One pair of smarter pants or a midi skirt
- Something you would wear to a nice dinner
- Thin socks and tights
- Sleepwear
Shoes
- Broken-in sneakers or flat walking shoes
- Loafers or ankle boots for evenings
Day bag
- Crossbody bag that zips shut
- Compact umbrella
- Scarf, for wind and for chilly church interiors
- Refillable water bottle
- Sunglasses
Documents and tech
- Passport
- Travel insurance details
- Card that works for tap-to-pay, plus a little cash
- Timed-entry tickets for the big museums, booked ahead
- Type C/E plug adapter (230V)
- Power bank
Toiletries
- Blister bandages
- Hand cream and lip balm
- Any prescriptions, in your carry-on
Gear worth the space
A water-resistant trench
It handles a shower, blocks the wind off the river and looks right at dinner. It is the one piece that works in every kind of April day.
Leather sneakers
Plain leather sneakers are comfortable enough for a long day on stone and neat enough for most restaurants. Pick a pair with a cushioned insole.
A zip-top crossbody bag
Big enough for an umbrella, a scarf and a water bottle, and worn in front of you on the metro.
A compact umbrella
The showers are short, so an umbrella is better than a heavy rain jacket. Choose one that folds to the length of your hand.
A café warm enough for a shirt one day, barely above 40°F the next. Packlier packs your April around your dates.
Tell it where, when, why, which bag and which palette, and it packs the capsule, checks it against the bag and adds everything that is not clothing. Launching this year on Android, with iOS to follow.
One email at launch, nothing else.