Suggestions for travel Gear and shoes

[naturalooks15]

Hi All,

Now sure where to post this but looking for pros here who travel a lot for suggestion for travel (to France, Paris and coastal areas)  must haves (theft proof sling bags? and other things as well as good but stylish walking shoes (I know these don't exist). Comfort has higher points in my book.  Is converse kind of shoes ok?

How about for tween/ teen girls?

This is leisure travel to Europe, my first ever travel to Europe actually !! 

I think I have skin care figured out (I have most of the DE minis I think, need to check). I might need some pointers for make-up. 

Also, Any must have beauty to-dos, places to visit?

[AlexBess]

I bought my last shoes at the light in the box store. I was very happy with the item I purchased, the price was very low so wasn't expecting the highest quality. But I was wrong as I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. The shoes are very comfortable and perfect for long walks and traveling. By the way, it is possible to address the light in the box customer service by link if you have questions. My advice is to ask about the size before making the purchase.

[lackielove]

Hi ladies! Sorry for bumping this thread, but need a piece of advice. I'm going to mountains hiking with friends. Haven't done it for ages and run out of hiking shoes. Any recommendations? 

[Anonymous]

My main shoe for most travel conditions is a Keen sandal. I used them for city walking and mountain hiking on the RS Alpine Europe tour last year. I walked 18 miles in them one day with no blisters. Even on rainy days they were great because they dry so quickly. Also I have my must take travel accessories 

[quspork]

@naturalooks15  As far as a bag- I highly recommend Kipling bags. I've had one of their crossbody bags for years and have used it several times in Europe. It's a great size because it isn't overly large but still fits a bottle of water, a small umbrella, a guidebook, plus wallet, pen, etc. The one I have is similar to this one:

[RebeccaBT]

@quspork What a cute bag! I will have to check these out 🙂

Best,
Rebecca

[SportyGirly125]

@quspork @naturalooks15 The one i took to Europe was Lesportsac which also makes great crossbody bags and Macy's always has sales on them and Kipling..

[SportyGirly125]

@naturalooks15 What a fun trip. I have been to Europe and you will have a lot of fun.

i packed a rain jacket, a mini umbrella, comfortable Nike shoes, a crossbody bag and for makeup I went more natural since I want to spend more time sightseeing and was getting up real early every morning. 

[naturalooks15]

Yeah, @SportyGirly125  I need to see if I have small travel umbrella. Also need to check kids rain jackets still for them. Checked weather and it might be raining. Thanks.

[SportyGirly125]

@naturalooks15 Have fun for us while you explore Europe.

[eshoe]

I was just going to chime in about the crossbody bag, and comfy shoes @naturalooks15 . I wore some Danskos and did 👌🏻 Versailles is well worth it, the garden is beautiful. Have a wonderful trip, would love to hear about the coastal regions you visit! 

[CakesCakes]

@naturalooks15  Sounds so exciting!! Enjoy every moment of the trip! 😊 I haven’t been to France, but last year was my first trip abroad to Italy. I was also very worried about theft and safety. I ended up bringing a fanny pack and a mini backpack instead of my crossbody. I put my valuables in my fanny pack and then everything else that’s usually in my purse into my backpack. I love that fanny packs are back in style! It was so helpful having one with me on my trip- especially on the train, bus and walking around the city.  

The most comfortable shoes I own are Adidias ultra boosts and I highly recommend them for walking, exercise, and travel! I dress pretty casual and I feel like they go with everything I wear. 

[darkiceis]

@naturalooks15  how exciting! You are going to have so much fun. I went to Paris last yr and let me tell you, my sissies and I did a TON of research and we were very successful with everything we saw. I can probably write a novel with all the information that I could share. If you're interested in some specifics I'll be more than happy to share

. Comfy shoes are a must (I wear new balance) if you are going to visit sites

.whichever purse you use keep it in front or under your arm. I carried a bookbag on one shoulder under my arm or wore it in front of me. 

.make copies of your passport, credit cards

.have various means of payment in different increments of cash. A credit card is handy too. When paying cash, the less change they have to give you the better for them. Its courtious for them.

.the train system within Paris is so easy and user friendly and you can get around quicker and cheap to the tourist areas. I don't recall the price of the train, it was less than 2euros a trip and if you purchase 10 train tickets its discounted. Each ticket is one way and do.not get rid of your ticket. Not many but some exits require you to reinsert your ticket upon exit in order to get out or there are policemen at times within the station checking your used ticket to make sure that you did pay.

.definitely go to a grocery store and carry snacks and drinks.

.the Paris pass has pros and cons ( I can break this down more for you, if you'd like)

.always say bonjour, in the evening use bonsoir (bon,swah) and learn some key words and numbers. This will go such a longggggg way. 

.places I visited: the Louvre, musee d' orsay, Eiffel Tower, notre dame, palace of Versailles, sacre court, arc de triomphe, montparnasse tower, saint chapelle, Disneyland Paris.  I'm sure that I'm missing something. Just let me know if you need more in depth information on any of these places. 

Safety - prior to the trip there was so much emphasis on being safe and robbers. The only places where I felt the need to be extra aware were at the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre - on the way back to leave there were definitely crowds, we got there very early and were able to explore and see the mona lisa in an empty room, and the palace of Versailles (only when touring the indoor rooms that were open. As you walk through the rooms you are with a moving crowd and everyone is pretty close together.)

[naturalooks15]

Thanks @darkiceis  for lots of tips. These are helpful to know.

[Kim888]

@naturalooks15 How exciting! I agree with everyone about the cross body bags being the easiest to deal with but I wouldn’t get overly worried about muggings - yes it happens but muggings happen in every major city. Just keep the bag toward your front and be aware of your surroundings especially is super touristy areas.

I wore vionic slip on sneakers on my recent trip and they were super comfy! They were on Oprah’s favorite list in 2017! Just whatever you wear make sure to wear them around well before hand!  

Also pack a mini umbrella in your luggage! If it ends up raining major tourist areas upcharge umbrellas so much! 

[WinglessOne]

@Kim888  The umbrella is a good tip! I managed to dodge rain both times I visited Paris (and London, surprisingly), but it’s good to have on hand. 

[Kim888]

Lol thought of another random tip because my fam did Paris when we were all tweens/teens - we stayed in a boutique hotel so there weren’t free breakfasts or anything -  find a grocery store near your hotel and buy breakfast stuff and snacks - buying every meal out always gets crazy especially when you have kids along and we Got to try out some fun breakfast pastry stuff 

[eshoe]

YES @Kim888 @naturalooks15 I was across from a Monoprix and it was so helpful! Bring a packable grocery bag:) And the pharmacy will have plenty of your beauty needs, I didn’t pack much and brought home some fun new items. I paid around $16 for a Darphin Milk Cleanser, wish I would have stocked up!

[naturalooks15]

Yeah, @Kim888  Good tip about grocery store. We have another family with teen boys  and they were definitely worried about big breakfast not being a available 😄 I will pass this tip onto them as well.

currently I am on Vegan food for various health issues I was facing last year but I plan to cheat for all the pastries. 

[naturalooks15]

Thank you @txcatx  @Indy701  @CC3616 @WinglessOne  @TrysBeautyItems 

Any specific brands of crossbody? I was looking at Travelon on Amazon since they have zippers that sort of lock, also RFID and slash proof exterior.

I had not heard of Birkenstock’s before today. 

I am am looking at the NB and Nike shoes that you all mentioned.

I had gone to ‘The Walking Company’ over the weekend and the sales person suggested Converse looking Tao brand shoes. I haven’t tried them yet. Will do so tomorrow. He said those are more comfy than Converse and have better support for arch and feet.

. 

[WinglessOne]

@naturalooks15  Cute shoes! I hope they work well for you. 🙂 

Sadly, Nike discontinued the Lunar Tempo running shoe 2 or 3 years ago. (WHY NIKE. WHY. They were MY FAVORITE RUNNING SHOE.) Nike still makes the Pegasus, though they tweak the design every 1 or 2 models. Mine have a Nike air thingy only under the heel, which is why I’ve worn them for walking instead of running. I think the latest version have Nike air throughout the midsole. 

Most of my crossbodies are leather. For travel (domestic or foreign), I usually take one leather purse and one fabric crossbody. The fabric ones are for walking around all day; I have some Baggallini nylon ones, and a Kipling one. None of them are anti-theft, and I found them at TJ Maxx or Marshalls... maybe Macy’s, too. My favorite is a Baggallini purse that’s big enough to hold my knee brace but not enormous or heavy, with a nice wide comfy strap and enough compartments to hold various things. You can get an anti-theft purse, but really, as long as your purse is comfy to carry all day and can hold all your stuff, and you don’t constantly pull money and expensive belongings out of it, you should be fine.