Packing for France -- any tips?

[kelownagirl]

We stayed here for 3 days in Paris. Smallish rooms but spotless and nicely decorated. Best part was that we could walk to the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de triomphe.

http://www.hotel-ambassade-paris.fed...page_en_1.html

I might have a picture of our room if you're interested...

[Christopher]

Sounds a great trip. On top of what's already been recommended, I'd say to take a Buff or something you'd use as a 'cool rag', as the limestone plateaux can be very hot indeed. The light can also be very strong as it reflects off the limestone, so pack best sunglasses and good sunblock.
Oh and the Gouffre de Pardirac is a steady 60 degrees F or so, so perhaps a light fleece would be good. I think the trip lasts about an hour, long enough to get quite cold without a jacket, especially if it's been hot on the surface.

[Thorn]

We stayed at http://www.hotel-cluny.fr/home.php. We did walk from there to the Eifel Tower, but it was quite a hike. However, it was quite convenient for the medieval art museum and Notre Dame (where we huddled inside with 1000 other people hiding from the rain until we realized that the gargoyles would be fun to see in a downpour). Well, and it is also close to the Luxemburg gardens because anyone who tries to learn French using the PBS series French in Action must visit the Luxembourg Gardens I think we got the hotel from Rick Steves, too--a great way to find a 2-star that doesn't break the bank and you know has seen a cleaning staff.

But, yep, we were set to do an October-ish Dordogne trip in 2005. The entire travel industry was depressed and they couldn't fill the trip. They expressed almost as much disappointment as us as, apparently, it is one of the favorite trips of the owner. Odd, though, I have a travel motto--"it isn't what you didn't do, it is what you did that counts" and, our backup plan turned out to be more fun that I could have imagined. We had planned on self-catering in a couple of years (after I had some French), but the cancelling forced us to push the envelope. By the end of the trip, my French was still miserable, but I wasn't at all embarassed to get into a Frenglish conversation.

Ahh...it was a good trip...hope yours is just as good (or even bettter, if possible!)