• Visit your dentist before leaving for vacation and have any necessary work done before you travel.
• If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure that your prescription is current. 
• Have your prescription medication refilled to take with you ~ in their original containers!!  Ask your pharmacist to give you a legible copy of the prescription in case you lose the medication and need to have it filled in France.  (The prescription filled in France will cost far less than if filled in the US as the French government controls prescription drug prices.)  Take your pharmacist's and doctor's phone numbers with you should a French pharmacist need to phone them.  Occasionally there is a question about what dose or medication one is taking.
• Need a pharmacy?  Nearly every street in Paris has at least one.  If it is closed (the green neon sign will not be lit) there is always a sign in the window pointing you to one that is open.  Pharmacies are spotless and well stocked, and pharmacists have excellent educations and give superb advice when you approach them with a medical question.
• Prepare a small first aid kit containing: 
• individually wrapped antiseptic wipes for cuts and scrapes
• antibiotic ointment with a pain suppressant
• antihistamine cream (for insect bites)
• antacid tablets
• foot care products if you tend to have problems
• a few medium-sized Band Aids
• sinus tablets
• aspirin or ibuprofen 
• nasal spray and chewing gum if you have problems with your ears when the plane lands
• artificial tears to prevent dry eyes
• Remember, you can buy anything you need in France, so just take minimal amounts of the above for emergencies that might occur when you are not near a pharmacy or if it is the middle of the night.
• Take your vitamins!  Either prepare little packets to put in your carry-on luggage, or take a great multiple vitamin ~ one  for each day you will be traveling.
• Some frequent travelers carry antiseptic wipes to disinfect telephones, TV remote controls, doorknobs and light switches even in the best of hotels.
• Make photocopies of your passport, prescriptions, driver's license and any airline or train tickets, and pack them in your carry on luggage just in case one of the originals is lost.  The copies will help you get replacements while traveling.
• Wear travel socks to provide gradual compression and stimulate blood flow during long flights.  They help to eliminate swelling of feet and legs and formation of clots caused by prolonged inactivity.  But, get up and walk around, too!  Check out this web site:  http://www.travelsox.com to learn more.
• Socks with toes in them ~ great for wearing in walking shoes or if you are a jogger.   They wick moisture and keep toes from rubbing together and forming blisters.  Available through http://www.injinji.com
• See what medical coverage your insurance provides when traveling abroad.  Take your medical ID card with you.
• If you are not satisfied with the medical coverage, purchase trip cancellation insurance for the duration of the trip that includes medical evacuation and other provisions.  If you think it is likely you will have a medical emergency or that you will have to return home mid-vacation, this insurance is indispensable.  Many companies can easily be found on the Internet.
• Emergency numbers to keep handy when in France:  dial 15 or 18 for an Ambulance (SAMU); 18 for Fire department response; 17 for Police / Gendarmerie.  Often it is wise to dial the Fire emergency number for a medical emergency as in most rural areas the fire department will be closer than an ambulance service. 
• Bring your own bottled water on flights and use it for drinking, brushing your teeth in the lavatory, etc. to avoid ingesting the water from the airplane tap.  You can buy bottled water on the plane, but they often run out.  If you do buy a bottle when in the air, be sure the bottle is sealed.  Drink plenty of water when flying to remain hydrated.

Your Safety

As safe as France is (and it is very safe for tourists), crowds of travelers are targets for those who make their livelihood by stealing from others.  The following advice is offered so that you don't become one of those targets.

• Leave your wallet at home!  We can't emphasize enough how important a Money Belt is when traveling abroad.  It is a safe place to carry airline tickets, train tickets, credit & ATM cards, cash, your passport, driver's license or traveler's checks.  Worn around the midriff, it is comfortable.  Most of all, it keeps your hands free to carry your camera or turn the pages of a guide book.
• Leave fanny packs at home, too!  Worn at the back, they invite theft.  Worn in front, they can still be quickly removed from you before you know it.
• Backpacks are fine only if you keep no valuables in them, especially in crowds.   If you are out sightseeing for the day, your valuables should be in a money belt. 
• Don't wear jewelry you don't absolutely have to wear!  The Rolex watch, diamond rings and gold chains should be left at home.  An inexpensive watch will serve the purpose,  and if it is lost or stolen, you can just replace it.
• Prepare a copy of your itinerary including phone numbers where you can be reached when traveling and leave it with a trusted friend or family member back home.  Also, carry with you a small card with emergency contact numbers so should something happen to you, your friends and family can be reached.
• If you are taking credit cards on vacation, take two!  Occasionally a glitch occurs and a credit card is rejected.  A second card with no balance due ensures you are not left stranded.  
• Check with both your credit card company and the bank issuing your ATM regarding their fees for cash advances when in France.  Typically, Visa and MasterCard charge one percent and American Express charges two percent.   But, it's the additional surcharge you should question which can go as high as another three percent depending upon the issuing bank!  
• Notify your card issuers of your travel destination to avoid having them freeze your card when you need it most.
• Put your business address and phone number on your luggage tags and not your home information.  If you don't have a business address, use that of a friend or relative (with their permission, of course).
• Use common sense.  Don't look like a tourist.  Dress conservatively, especially in Paris.  Avoid bright floral prints and white running shoes.  The less you appear to be a tourist, the less likely you will be targeted by thieves.

Packing Smart

If you think of your luggage as something that will always be with you on your visit to France, being dragged through cities, up stairways (some of them winding, stone stairs!), into elevators, through airport terminals or in and out of the trunk of a rental car, you might decide that you want that luggage to be easy to manage and not weigh more than you do.

A piece of luggage should be a manageable size with wheels, preferably in a color other than black (to make it easy to find on the airport carousel if you've checked it), and, if you really pack light, it will be small enough to carry on and stow in the overhead bin of the plane.  If it is larger and must be checked, the same packing tips apply.

• Take one piece of luggage, whether it is stowed in the cabin or checked in.  As you are likely to be carrying a smaller bag or camera as well, one packed with clothing is enough.  Really!
• Checked baggage: 
• Pack anything that is sharp or could be construed as a weapon in checked baggage.
• Don't pack any valuables, medications, contacts or eyeglasses, documents, etc. in this piece of luggage.  If it is lost or delayed, you're stuck. 
• Pack things tightly, whether folding items within other items or rolling them.  If they are tight they will stay put.
• Use large and medium zipper plastic bags for cosmetics, shampoo, or anything that might leak.
• Bring a supply of empty zipper plastic bags to bring home dirty clothing if you can't do laundry when traveling.
• Carry-on baggage: 
• Pack all those important things you must have at all times in carry-on baggage.
• Remove rolls of film from their plastic canisters and place them loose in a zipper plastic bag.  This allows inspectors to see them quickly and easily.  DO NOT carry film in checked luggage!! The screening devices will most likely ruin the film.  The carry-on bag doesn't receive a high enough dose of x-rays to do damage.  (Film is cheaper if purchased at home!)
• An inflatable neck pillow should be packed here for your own flying comfort.  One airline has recently said it would no longer provide pillows.
• Keep glasses and lenses in carry-on luggage when not in use ~ not in checked luggage.  A spare pair is often a good idea should you lose or break your glasses.   Don't forget your sunglasses!
• Pack a compact folding umbrella
• Pack the book you want to read while flying.
• Euros for the first day in France (can be obtained at large banks, Thomas Cook Travel, etc.), especially handy for the taxi from the airport to your hotel.  We always save our spare euros at the end of a trip for use at the beginning of our next trip.
• Cameras go in carry-ons.  Spare camera batteries from home.
• Here's where you keep the tiny first aid kit you prepared at home.
• Some people travel with trail mix or a few pieces of fruit to avoid eating less-than-healthy food on the plane.
• General Packing Tips:
• Make a checklist of what needs to be packed, including the clothing you want to take.
• Wrinkle resistant, lightweight clothing is best for traveling.  If you have such items, those should be set aside for packing.
• Clothing of compatible colors allows for mixing and matching a few items to create many outfits. 
• Pack your luggage gradually over a few days prior to traveling.  Don't pack at the last minute!  That results in packing  too much or neglecting to take something important.
• The day before departure, look at what you have packed and honestly assess if you really need all those changes of clothing or that third pair of shoes!
• Now, remove as much from your luggage as you can!  For example, if you will always be staying in places with your own bathroom, you may leave that bulky bathrobe at home, as you won't be traipsing down a public corridor to take a shower.
• Some couples, each taking one suitcase, pack half of her clothing in his luggage and half of his in hers.  Then, if one piece of luggage gets lost, neither has lost all his or her travel wardrobe.
• Be sure to wear the bulkiest clothing.  Instead of packing a jacket, wear it.  Don't pack your clunkiest shoes  ~  wear them to travel. 
• Bring an extra (empty) canvas bag with shoulder straps to bring home items that won't fit in your luggage.  But, keep in mind that this will count in the allowable carry-ons!
• Remember, you can always buy something you need when you reach your destination, so when in doubt, leave it out (of the luggage).

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