Several people have recommended bringing a bag that crosses over your body to wear when walking around. I had planned on taking a money pouch (the kind you wear under your clothes) and a small, lipstick-and-camera sized purse to put under my arm. Now I%26#39;m thinking the shoulder bag might be better. Any suggestions?
|||
hate to say it but I think this is one of those things that only you can answer. it depends on how much %26quot;stuff%26quot; you have to have with you. I%26#39;d imagine you%26#39;ll want at the very least: camera, map, smaller wallet for the little purchases (you don%26#39;t want to be digging into your money belt for everything), your metro and museum pass, sunglasses while you%26#39;re inside and possibly a bottle of water.
unfortunately for me, I can always think of more crap to carry/take with me.
|||
A courier style shoulder bag with a broad strap
that is comfortable across your chest;
a good closure is important.
I use a Tumi bag made of ballistic
nylon and the flap is next to my body.
|||
You have to find one that is comfortable for you. Depends how tall you are etc.
I think bag should be light when empty and have several pockets. I found a Kipling one that I like. I am not a big fan of money belts and I do not think they are needed in cities like Paris. Parisians do not wear them! It is better to leave belongings in hotel safe and just have your money and credit card for the day in an inside pocket.
|||
Small purses tucked under one arm are not great in busy cities. They are very easily knocked out of your hand, under your arm and dropped or stolen (intentionally or not). A shoulder bag especially one with an adjustable strap will allow you to leave both hands free and keep an eye on your bag and you can go with short strap for the evening and longer across the body strap during the day.
You will see people with clutch bags though and if you%26#39;re not carrying anything valuable in it then it would be fine, but then would you have to dig around in your money belt for any cash / credit card etc ?
really its up to you but I%26#39;d recommend a shoulder bag as they%26#39;re better for safety and leave your hands free for checking maps , books, paying for stuff, boarding busy metro at peak time etc.
|||
I found after my first few trips that I just don%26#39;t need to carry a lot of stuff around. I have a money belt, but have never worn it (it shows under my clothes!), so just leave valuables I don%26#39;t need in the hotel safe. I usually carry a small bag (about the size of a paperback book) with a small strap that goes over my wrist. If I need my hands free for something, it can hang from my arm for a minute. I haven%26#39;t had any problems with this and it%26#39;s big enough to carry essentials (i.e. lipstick and camera and enough money to get through the day.)
|||
I know that less is sometimes more, but as it seems that Paris is new to you (and basically to me) I think we%26#39;d both be better off carrying a larger bag than what you have planned. I%26#39;m leaving in less than a week and am carrying a messenger bag worn across my body. It seems that I would need this amount of room (mine is about 13%26quot; x 10%26quot;) for my wallet, camera, travel umbrella, guide book/map, powder/gloss, bottle of water, and anything small that I might buy. I think that last one is key as you don%26#39;t want to have to carry shopping bags around if you can help it.
|||
I use a money belt to hold large ammounts of money and my credit/debit cards/passport....and I love it. It fits flat under my jeans/slacks. I also purchased a messenger bag...for all of the random stuff that is nice to have on you--especially if you are away from the hotel for most of the day. It%26#39;s nice for umbrella, water bottle, maps, and all of thos other things. I bought it on ebags.com
www.ebags.com/products/index.cfm…
Have a great trip!
|||
I personally cannot handle money belts. I find them to be an annoying and bulky thing to have clinging to my body. I get used to clinging to my shoulder bag and it never leaves me. You are fortunate that if you have more than one person travelling if you can spread out some of the stuff amongst you.
|||
%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; You are fortunate that if you have more than one person travelling if you can spread out some of the stuff amongst you.
This statement makes me laugh, because I%26#39;ve learned the hard way NOT to be the only person with a bag. About one out of three trips or so, I head to Paris with someone who has never been, and one of the little secrets I%26#39;ve learned is to pack a tote for them. LOL. After the first day or two, when I%26#39;m sick of them handing me things they%26#39;ve picked up, I always present them with a little present...their own tote! With that said, I highly encourage anyone thinking of going without some sort of small bag to pack one whether you think you%26#39;ll want it or not. Something that will lie flat on the bottom of your suitcase. That way, after a day or two, when you realize it would be a great thing to have, it%26#39;ll be ready to go. And men, those of you who think you can depend on your wife to carry the bag with the umbrellas, camera%26#39;s et al, get a %26quot;man purse%26quot;, or something similar. I%26#39;m a guy, but I see too many other guys who let the wives carry the load. And wives out there, pack your hubby a bag, and on day three...well...you know what to do.
|||
I bought my favorite city bag in Paris at Mandarina Duck. It is the line%26#39;s medium-sized %26quot;task bag,%26quot; (47T07)which is designed to comfortably and securely carry your essentials across the front of your body without looking too geeky. You can see Mandarina Duck designs at this Website and e-mail for nearby stores, if you like the idea: www.taschen.ca/Mduck/task_bag/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment