7 MUST-PACK ITEMS FOR YOUR FRANCE TRIP (THAT EVERYONE FORGETS!)

➤ Wevat website: bit.ly/45Gojcg (If you have any questions about tax-free shopping in France, check out the Wevat website for more information)
➤ Wevat download link: wevat.app.link/JEFSUh5kfAb
⫸⫸ PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN VIDEO ⫷⫷
Pacsafe backpack: amzn.to/41GtIge
Quince scarf: bit.ly/3MMJtge
USB adapter: amzn.to/3o1EMHb
Wevat app: wevat.app.link/JEFSUh5kfAb
Reusable bag: rstyle.me/+qwiAVFnQsoZo8j8-y8...
Compression socks: amzn.to/3MtmEz6
Water bottle: amzn.to/3IQWGnc
Evian spray: amzn.to/3Ogd7gt
Airtag: amzn.to/3M6JWJR
Malibu hard water packets: amzn.to/3KFC9C7
Lactaid pills: amzn.to/3MK7wwl
Thank you to Wevat for sponsoring this video!
If you have a fair amount of long-haul travel under your belt and think back to the early days, you’ll definitely remember trips where you were majorly unprepared. From forgetting certain travel accessories to not even knowing you needed them in the first place, travel to France is certainly a rite of passage. To help make your next trip your best one yet, watch this video all about travel essentials for France that everyone forgets!
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Salut! I'm Diane, an American who has lived in France since 2012 and the creator of the blog/KZbin channel Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond." I make videos on French culture topics, France vs. US culture comparisons, food, travel, language, and give you my thoughts about what it's like living in France as an American in the Loire Valley. Thanks for being here and if you enjoy this sort of thing, please share with friends and subscribe!
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▶️ TRAVEL ✈️
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Disclosure: The description box contains affiliate links where I may make a small commission on purchases made through my links, at no additional cost to you.

[@OuiInFrance]

➤ Wevat website: bit.ly/45Gojcg (If you have any questions about tax-free shopping in France, check out the Wevat website for more information) ➤ Wevat download link: wevat.app.link/JEFSUh5kfAb

[@dmwalker-uj5io]

For France only? Or Germany and Austria?

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

I'd like to add that if you plan to visit Paris, there's some free water fountains everywhere to refill your reusable bottle of water. Well, not everywhere exactly but it's easy to find and you should absolutely see a Fontaine Wallace, they're beautiful, specific to Paris history and have provided free water for Parisians and tourists since 1872. So definitely a small thing to catch if you visit our capital !

[@lavachekikri]

This video doesn’t concern me as being a Swedish person having lived a long time in France, still I watch the entire video since Diane is such a wonderful person - friendly, caring, natural, down to earth - super nice really. 💜 👏

[@hervedupont6955]

Bjr, vous êtes où maintenant🤔

[@OuiInFrance]

You're so sweet, thank you

[@michaelwhite2600]

I bought a pac safe unisex crossbody bag that will house our passports and credit cards. We are just going to London for the day and I realized I have to carry my passport all day . The strap is slash proof and the zippers lock. I’m going to be in pickpocket havens ( Gare Du Nord and St. Pancras). I’m not a paranoid person or live in fear, but you have to be proactive wherever you go in this world. Thank you for all of your awesome videos! Always look forward to seeing them. ❤️

[@britt-sen]

Compression socks for sure. I dont remember my lightbulb moment with those, but Ive never been without since!

[@AlexAlex-gj4jd]

On my last trip to Europe in summer 2017, my daughter and I packed virtually all our things in plastic zip lock bags. I know, the waste of plastic, but there weren't alternatives that could be zipped up to keep dirty laundry inside, soap bars, etc. We even packed small things in sandwich/quart sized bags and then put those in gallon bags almost like packing cubes. We also took scented dryer sheets to help with less than clean clothes or nightshirts when we couldn't get laundry done immediately. We spent 53 days in 8 countries with planes, trains, BlaBla rideshares and buses without a firm plan so we winged it to say the least! Thanks for the great tips Diane!

[@lursf9316]

on this trip i found that reserving your G7 taxi to the airport the previous day off of their website is way better than asking the hotel to call you a taxi when you checkout.

[@kentbrasloff3945]

Hi Diane. First time commenter. Been watching your vids for about a year and found them very useful prior to a trip to Paris last fall. One thing you didn't mention, and I would never be without between April and November, is a folding (paper or other) fan. Since the French don't believe in "air" mine came in handy, especially at Versailles where it was very balmy on October 27th. There was exactly ONE window open in the entire palace - GASP GASP. With regard to dairy products, I found Lactaid stopped working for me years ago. That said, I have waaaaaaaaay fewer issues in Europe where the food isn't full of toxins like in the US

[@chiarac3833]

Switch to organic dairy. Our issues disappeared on switching to grass fed organic.

[@fredflintstone2234]

I didn’t know about wevat. THANKS. I never go through the hassle of getting my VAT back and I go annually. This will change now.

[@staciamartin923]

I loved the time I lived in Canada almost all cheese and milk products had lactose free versions. I need Lactaid tabs myself.

[@Redgethechemist]

In general, dairy products like cheese, butter or yogurts contain very little lactose, so probably this lactaid thing is useless. I had never heard of it before and I lived in several European countries. Where I am now, people have plenty of allergies and intolerances but in France, it’s far less common, we are used from the very young age to eat a variety of ingredients that will develop our tolerance, and the lactase enzyme production capability is quite genetically widespread in the population.

[@lauriebiswell4302]

Thanks so much. Would have never have thought of so many things you mentioned for our upcoming trip. ☺️

[@OuiInFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PurelyCoincidental]

Fyi, the stuff for mineral build-up on hair is mostly just ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid (like in lemon juice). I diy my own, but those packets look great for travel. Thanks for the list, really helpful!

[@sheilaturek1059]

Great video, Diane-merci! One little addition to your great tip on adapters: I like a multi-outlet extension cord setup with a few regular outlets as well as USB and even USB-C. I also like having a portable charger for those data-heavy days navigating around (I also like Bonjour RATP app for Paris). Thanks for such a great service-I take university student groups to Paris and have shown your videos in class. Enjoy your trip to Alaska, too-my husband and I went last summer, and it was mind-bogglingly beautiful!! Bon voyage! :)

[@danielleporter1829]

Good travel essentials suggestions list Diane. If I may, I'd like to add to any of our fellow Americans who may traveling internationally, whether it's to Europe or anywhere else for an extended visit woth family etc of more than 2 weeks, pack maybe double up on the twin packs of your favorite brand of antiperspirant. You can run into deodorants that are formulated differently than your favorite brand snd it may not hold as well as your preferred brand. My mom had to run out and get a bottle of deordorant for us when we were in Barcelona, but we were at the tail end of both or 9 day tour of Spain and out trip overall when we ran out of deordorant. When my mom and I went to Europe in 2008, we just took probiotics the whole 2 weeks we were in Paris and while on our tout of Spain and were just fine. I'm not lactose intolerant and neither was my mom, although in addition to the jetlag, my mom did have to get adjusted to eating European cheese the first couple of days in Paris, but after that, she was fine. I on the on other hand had no issues adjusting to eating the dairy products. Being fifteen years older now , that may be a slightly different story if I was ever to travel anywhere in Europe. O

[@HollyInOccitanieFrance]

Bring a list of your prescription medications.

[@jen1sur]

Thanks Diane! It's always helpful to hear about these more practical things, especially coming from a more lifestyle versus gear approach.

[@christianc9894]

Bonjour Diane, à l'occasion vous pourriez parler des pancartes que l'on voit sur les fontaines dans les villages en France. EAU POTABLE et EAU NON POTABLE C'est un minimum de français à connaître qui peut vous éviter quelques ennuis gastriques désagréables. J'ignorais que vous pouviez disposer d'un outil aussi pratique pour obtenir le remboursement de la TVA.

[@staceyshinske3998]

my reusable bag (from Land's End, I think) did a great job holding my snack pain au chocolate and my emergency snack pain au chocolate for my week in Paris! :)

[@mgparis]

I love the idea of an emergency pain au chocolat! :D

[@pamelawing5747]

Scarves take up no room and I always take three or four. I don't travel in the summer and prefer the cooler months. I use packing cubes for everything. I also take several camis that can be washed out at night and dry quickly. They go against my body and protect my clothes from the oils in my skin and perhaps persperation. Everything stays so much cleaner. I usually take three and also wear panty liners. Again, barely any weight and easy to tuck in somewhere. I wear compression knee socks all the time. I found some footless ones so I can wear sandals. I wore them in Las Vegas last week and they worked great. I found mine on Amazon. I get the ones recommened for plane rides, kind of medium pressure. I can wear them all day.

[@renferal5290]

I'm going to Paris for the first time in 3 weeks. Looking forward to it. I'm trying to learn some French

[@jeannamcgregor9967]

I like to buy my scarves as souvenirs but this April I should have brought one! It was a very cool spring in Brittany and the Loire (yes, I thought of you in Nantes) and the stores only had lightweight summer scarves when I needed a woolen one. I ended up buying a silly tourist scarf printed with a scene by Renoir in neon colors just because it was soft and warm...

[@krc5210]

Really good list!! I just returned home from Italy, Switzerland and the UK. I took a scarf, SO needed as the temps changed I could use, as you said, for a head scarf around my ears, neck scarf, just great to have! Also, compression socks are a great idea. I did not take a refillable water bottle and that was a big mistake. I will look into the one you mentioned.

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

I agree, having an adaptor with USB prongs is essential; but be careful when buying one because not all adaptors are created equal. I bought one online for a trip to France in September of 2022, but when I plugged it in (using the appropriate plug settings) it ended up shorting out and messing up the lights on the floor of the hotel I was staying in. Fortunately the people at the front desk were understanding and were able to get the power back on in short order. So, lesson learned... I'll need to find a new one before my next French vacation.

[@sandrad3346]

Hi Diane, just got back from France. I'm sensitive to creamy dairy products, but when I used lactaid pills previously, they constipated me. So on this last trip, I did have some dairy products, but kept the consumption to a minimum and did not have any stomach issues.

[@catgladwell5684]

French hotels don't always, or even often, have hot drinks making facilities, so I take an electric kettle and some decent tea bags. I'm British and I need my tea!

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

Excellent tips, especially for those US travelers who have never previously left the country. One thing I would say is essential and not nice to have: the adapter! I realize there are indeed still 4 people in this world who don’t use electronic devices (😂), but for most of us, getting caught off without our chargers, charging cables, and the adapter would be an absolute disaster!

[@ybreton6593]

Oui , en effet pour nous Européens le problème de l'adaptateur est récurant quand nous allons dans les pays anglo-américains . Quand a l'eau il y a toujours un écriteaux : EAU POTABLE ou bien EAU NON POTABLE ! à Paris c'est écrit en plusieurs langues dans le reste de la France les écriteaux , sont en français a vous de faire un effort ! l'anglais n'est pas très apprécié en France . quand aux voleurs ce n'est pas spécifique à la France il y en a partout dans le monde même au USA ou je me suis fais menacer avec un couteaux les deux types ont pris une partie de l'argent de notre voyage .

[@lursf9316]

this happened to me last week when i lost mine after leaving it plugged in in the frecciarossa train from lyon and was stressed, but the BHV Marais has so many of them in the basement where they keep all their "bricolages" and it was no problem buying a replacement

[@piervail]

Hello Diane. I like your videos. On this one I think the adaptor should be the first thing you need because in Europe the electric (lines, cables, voltage? Idk) thing is very different from us in America. If you don't want to kill down your Iphone or tablet you need an adaptor to their currant.

[@peppertree8244]

Ooh, 2-3 new things I hadn't known of before. You always have great info! Now, a less classy but serious matter😉: One thing I was glad I did was to take some t.p. along. SO glad!!! I re-rolled loose t.p. rolls tighter onto an empty roll. Got about 2 rolls worth onto one for space saving. I was in a lot of little towns that didn't have t.p. abounding or an American fast food place where you could use theirs freely. Was grateful I was wearing a panty liner in a couple of no-t.p. pinches, too. Sometimes, I would leave the end of a roll with a few uses on it just to be nice. Good karma!

[@michelleglidingswan4334]

As an older woman I appreciate this tip. Panty liners are essential.

[@nikkid7631]

Thank you as I’m planning my first trip and the links will come in handy ⭐️

[@terryhutchings7701]

Wonderful tips. Thank you!

[@OuiInFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@ndoucette9676]

Wow great information

[@irenegryziec8052]

very helpful! merci!

[@OuiInFrance]

You're welcome!

[@mikhil6686]

Great advice thank you.😊

[@magdastar2249]

Thank you for this informative video. 👍👌

[@OuiInFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jodi1979]

I'm going to I think Cognac France in August

[@slumdoggy]

Bonjour Diane would you be willing to make a video about France and how are Bline and Vision. People are treated in France? I am a blind individual call Ma and I’m writing a novel with a blind character in France. I could use any help that I can get. Thank you in advance.

[@melodiousramblings8470]

Welcome back!! (I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while)

[@OuiInFrance]

Weird, are my videos not showing up in your subscriptions feed? I'm sorry about that. ;-(

[@diannewi]

Thanks so much for the tip about the Malibu packets. Paris hard water drives me nuts.

[@arnosolo5248]

I am French and I live in the Paris region in the "Val-d'Oise", I confirm that the water is very hard mainly because of the very limestone rock of the region. If you are going to Auvergne for example, you will not have this problem, because tap water is volvic water, but without a pastic bottle. 😉

[@irisheyes0620]

I agree. I hadn’t thought about that.

[@flirtinggracefullplatypus8496]

our grandmas would use vinegar sometimes. i think yves rocher sells a rasberry vinegar to rince your hair

[@Sarah-ob3zo]

Hi ! For the Evian facial spray that you talk about, there is an alternative, which is also eco-friendly and very convenient to my opinion : in most pharmacies you can find reusable and refillable facial spray, it's not very expensive and you can find small versions, like your Evian one, or even taller ones As a French person I only noticed that recently and I've been using it a lot ever since, so I hope this could help 😉

[@emjizone]

11:23 In what is now France, most lactose-intolerant people suffered extinction since the beginning of this era due to their unsuitability for the local environment. 😅 ... or you just have to know what yogurt and cheese to eat to build the right microbiota.

[@cindyloomis-torvi3396]

Uh, no. They did not. My ancestry is Occitan. There are plenty people who do not eat bovine dairy but sheep and goats milk. There are far more people in the world who do not eat bovine products that those who do.

[@emjizone]

@cindyloomis-torvi3396 You're absolutely right. Despite his claims, Paul Bocuse's diet doesn't represent what people actually do. However, he managed to become so famous talking about cream and butter that I couldn't help but make a joke about his vision of French cuisine.

[@user-yz1dl3eu8l]

We are not intolerant to lactose since as North Europeans evolution have made us adapted. But people from the South (Italy for example) , Middle East, Africa, are intolerant.

[@eprohoda]

superb ~Oui, ;))

[@skj0903]

I had never heard of wevat so after hearing from you, I did some research. There seems to be some issues with people not getting their refund at all from wevat. Hopefully they have worked out the issues with the refunds. Thanks for the info!

[@wendycayless]

One shouldn't need lactase pills with firm or semi-firm cheese and the only cheese that still has lactose is cheese you can stir (cream cheese, ricotta etc). Cheese you can cut is lactose free.

[@tinabraxton4906]

Can the WeVat system be used in countries other than France? My kids will be coming soon and will want to visit several countries. Thanks.

[@OuiInFrance]

Hi, for now it's only for France

[@blktauna]

Do be aware Vat refunds are tied to us customs so you will be charged customs fees.

[@skj0903]

You can bring a certain dollar amount of purchases into the US without being charge duty. So I don’t think they’re exactly tied together.

[@blktauna]

@@skj0903 yes I think its 800$ now but over that theres duty and the Vat system is now attached to your passport info whic is read at immigration and customs

[@skj0903]

@@blktauna I just tried googling to see when that changed - Can't find anything that indicates that connection. Thanks

[@blktauna]

@@skj0903 border control has access to your CC info, social media info etc. There have been increasing reports from shoppers coming back from Paris getting off the plane and being flagged immediately (no using the kiosk or similar). The customs agents knew exactly what they'd bought. Those that didn't bother with the VAT form were not flagged. This for people making similar dollar value purchases. Do as you will just keep it in mind.

[@azizpunkmetal]

And what about must pack items for an US trip ?

[@markwheeler202]

It's interesting that lactase is on your list. Several years ago, my wife ran out so we went to the local pharmacy to buy some. No one there spoke English. I know a little French so tried a dozen different ways to request some lactase. They had no clue what I was talking about, even though lactase is the same word in both languages. :-(

[@flirtinggracefullplatypus8496]

i had never heard of them before but like she said it's the country of cheese so the population must have adapted into digesting it maybe. which is funny as we don't necessary enjoy drinking milk as adults.

[@mlomarechal6877]

​@@flirtinggracefullplatypus8496If we are lactose intolerant, we drink lactose-free milk ("Candia" or "Lactel" ...). Si nous sommes intolérants au lactose, nous buvons du lait sans lactose ("Candia" ou "Lactel" ...).

[@a.humphries8678]

To use the airtag do you havevto subscribe to a service?

[@OuiInFrance]

Nope, no additional subscription!

[@elcee8]

re: lactose intolerance in France - i would imagine you won't run into a lot of lactose intolerant people there if they consume a lot of dairy. I got lactose intolerant from abstaining for milk for a long time and then when i tried getting back to it it was terrible. i lost all of my lactase/enzymes to digest the sugars of the milk properly. so if you consistently consume a lot of dairy i don't think you will become lactose intolerant. of course that's genetic too. i believe 85% of the worlds population is lactose intolerant, and most of us who are are of Asian or African descent.

[@acbc3543]

I take my 46ounce Yeti bottle everywhere

[@chrisstone9200]

Milk in France is not at all the same as milk in the US.

[@TribulationsSolo]

The scarf is ... weird: I simply wear clothes with long enough collars. And I had never heard of lactaid pills: I have always understood / assumed that people who can't process milk simply don't consume it.

[@jjinwien9054]

Too many sales items that seem to detract from the ``must pack items"

[@remyrobillart5579]

Non Mais elle est serieuse ?

[@OuiInFrance]

elle est serieuse

[@barryhaley7430]

I generally love your videos but as a carry on only traveler for months. There are lots of ‘nice to have’ in this video there were few true necessities.

[@creuvette29]

1. "water is expensive, buy a refillable bottle, it's ecofriendly" 2. "buy overpriced water in a small polluting bottle that is not refillable" - while you can just have a spray that works the same, like the one sold in travel kits