London/Paris in August - Clothing and Camera Questions

[denisekayt]

we are doing the ABD adult only London/Paris trip in August. A couple of questions about clothing and cameras.

Do we need to worry about buying pick pocket proof items and/or clothing or is just being vigilant enough?

It looks like casual clothes are for the most part the norm. Are khakis or jeans too casual? We’ll have a couple of nicer outfits for a few of the evenings, but I’m thinking pretty casual for the day to day touring. Is that a mistake?

I plan on bringing our mirrorless camera in addition to our cell phones. I have a nice, small cross body case for it. Will this be a pain to carry around with us?

Thanks!

 

[Woodview]

Do NOT Forget to BUY & BRING a Travel ADAPTOR Plug for charging your cell phones .... ( Mobile Phones )

You need a 3 pin ( Flat ) for UK & a 2 pin ( Round ) for France

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A Chip & Pin Credit Card would be most handy for buying things

Remember UK is Sterling £ & France is EUROS €

 

[abdgeek]

we are doing the ABD adult only London/Paris trip in August. A couple of questions about clothing and cameras.

Do we need to worry about buying pick pocket proof items and/or clothing or is just being vigilant enough?

It looks like casual clothes are for the most part the norm. Are khakis or jeans too casual? We’ll have a couple of nicer outfits for a few of the evenings, but I’m thinking pretty casual for the day to day touring. Is that a mistake?

I plan on bringing our mirrorless camera in addition to our cell phones. I have a nice, small cross body case for it. Will this be a pain to carry around with us?

Thanks!

Whether you decide to be vigilant or purchase pick pocket proof travel products depends on your comfort level. I travel internationally yearly and always carry my pacsafe bag and money belt. The pacsafe bag allows me to lock the zippers and not worry so much. However, you always need to be vigilant. Pick pockets can spot a tourist from a mile away and they definitely frequent the touristy venues ABD will visit. That being said, I’ve seen people on the ABDs who just take regular bags who don’t seem to have a problem. I think the tamper proof clothing is fairly new and I don’t plan on investing in that. I love my pacsafe bags & backpack and they do the job for me. Enjoy Paris and London, they are great cities!

 

[sayhello]

Definitely casual clothes during the day. Khakis and jeans are perfect. Shorts, too, if it's hot. You should be fine with a couple of nicer outfits for the evenings.

Pick-pocket proof bags are nice, but if you have a cross-body purse that you can keep zipped, that should be good enough. As abdgeek said, you really should be vigilant anyways.

And whether carrying the camera & case will be a pain or not really depends on you and the size of the camera/case. I prefer my little point an shoot I can keep in my travel purse. I carried a good camera for years, and just got tired of it. But lots of folks carry good cameras on ABDs.

Sayhello

 

[OhanaCuz]

Whether you decide to be vigilant or purchase pick pocket proof travel products depends on your comfort level. I travel internationally yearly and always carry my pacsafe bag and money belt. The pacsafe bag allows me to lock the zippers and not worry so much. However, you always need to be vigilant. Pick pockets can spot a tourist from a mile away and they definitely frequent the touristy venues ABD will visit. That being said, I’ve seen people on the ABDs who just take regular bags who don’t seem to have a problem. I think the tamper proof clothing is fairly new and I don’t plan on investing in that. I love my pacsafe bags & backpack and they do the job for me. Enjoy Paris and London, they are great cities!

I'm a little over the top because I have a Pacsafe bag *and* the pickpocket resistant pants/shorts. None of that negates the need to be vigilant but I'm human and have definitely found that there are scenarios where I get distracted in the chaos of some situations in a foreign environment. I figure every little bits helps.

 

[SingingMom]

Paris seemed more "pickpocket possible" than London, in my opinion. Be aware - i'm sure a crossbody is good enough, but go with what you are comfortable with.

I can't imagine wearing jeans in August in Europe. lol (But, I'm NEVER cold - always very warm!) I'd stick to khakis, capris, light dresses, shorts.

This is a wonderful ABD - I'd do it again, especially since the itinerary is changed from our tour. Have fun!

 

[denisekayt]

Thanks everyone for all the comments! It’s good to know what we’re thinking isn’t outside the norm!

 

[Barcoco]

I wouldn't worry about pickpocket proof items but as with any major city keep your wits about you and keep an eye on your stuff. I've had no issues walking around London and Paris with a DSLR.
I live in London and you can honestly get away with wearing whatever you want - same for Paris. Do pack for different types of weather though as it can go from very hot to raining to freezing cold in one day so bring layers.

 

[pjacobi]

Beware of pickpockets that will even steal the lens off your DSLR. More tips at:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams


-Paul

 

[kristilew]

As to the advice re chip and pin, unless you are buying train tix or renting bikes from a self serve stand, it won’t matter. European credit card machines at retailers recognize an American card and request a signature, even if you have a chip.

I have a travel inspira brand converter that has all the different plugs built in, so I only have to carry one thing. It has an outlet for an American plug as well as 2 usb plugs, so I can charge my phone and Apple Watch at same time and still plug in something.

Pacsafe purses are heavy! I stopped carrying one after several trips and never felt I lost security. It’s about awareness more than anything.

Easy-to-pack sundresses are my go to for summer travel, and help me feel less like a sloppy American around the lovely French ladies, but as said above people wear everything.

Finally, no matter what kind of camera set up you bring, on an ABD there will be someone carrying an even more elaborate set up. If you like photography, you’ll enjoy the chance to commune with fellow buffs. Equally, many will just use their iPhones. The nice thing is the guides will get lots of great pics for and of you, so any way you do it, all is good.

 

[aggiedog]

Pacsafe purses are heavy!

I love my Pacsafe purse, and it's not at all heavy. It doesn't look very big, but I can get a water bottle, umbrella, small camera, kleenex pack, small bottle of hand sanitizer, mints, slim wallet, and an assortment of small items. It's several years old, and I don't see anything like it on the website though. I really like the ability to unhook and thread the strap thru a chair, so I don't need to worry about it being snatched while sipping my cappuccino and people watching.

Both cities, though, should be safe for the well aware tourist. Avoid anyone trying to get you to sign a petition - their friend will be pick pocketing you. Ditto for "try this bracelet on.."

 

[Jess_S]

I've actually seen people being pick-pocketed on the metro in Paris and I still don't carry any sort of special purse or waist pouch there. I do make sure to keep my purse zipped and avoid conspicuous behaviors such as talking loudly in English, pulling out a big tourist map, etc. Basically, I follow the advice that you don't have to run faster than the bear, just the guy next to you. I try not to be the most touristy or most distracted person around and hope that someone else is a more attractive target if there happen to be thieves around.

 

[Firsttimer15]

As a European I advise you to take pickpocket safe gear. London and Paris have lots of them unfortunately.
The women in Paris and London hardly wear jeans but it is perfectly fine if you want to wear them. No one expects the tourists to dress like the locals

 

[OhanaCuz]

I have to say that Apple Pay on my Apple Watch in France was really nice in this aspect. When other people were digging through their pockets for change or pulling out their wallets for bills in line at a water closet I just paid with my watch. I was able to pay at many stores as well with my watch. The less you have to pull out your wallet the better in my mind.

 

[sayhello]

I have to say that Apple Pay on my Apple Watch in France was really nice in this aspect. When other people were digging through their pockets for change or pulling out their wallets for bills in line at a water closet I just paid with my watch. I was able to pay at many stores as well with my watch. The less you have to pull out your wallet the better in my mind.

You were able to pay for the *bathroom* with your Apple Watch? Amazing!

Sayhello

 

[OhanaCuz]

You were able to pay for the *bathroom* with your Apple Watch? Amazing!

Yep! At Cologne Cathedral in Germany and the water closets in the Amsterdam Train stations I noticed the machines people were feeding bills and coins into had credit card readers with the contactless payment symbol on them. I tried paying with my watch and it worked!

 

[denisekayt]

I have to say that Apple Pay on my Apple Watch in France was really nice in this aspect. When other people were digging through their pockets for change or pulling out their wallets for bills in line at a water closet I just paid with my watch. I was able to pay at many stores as well with my watch. The less you have to pull out your wallet the better in my mind.

This is amazing! I didn’t think I’d have that option, so nice to know it is available in some places.

 

[OhanaCuz]

This is amazing! I didn’t think I’d have that option, so nice to know it is available in some places.

The first excursion of our cruise was to the tiny town of Riquewihr France and I was able to use Apple Pay in more than one store. I was so pleasantly surprised!

Keep an eye out for this symbol!

 

[Dimplenose]

As in all major cities keep hold of your bags. I have seen someone "fishing" for handbags that are tucked under tables in cafes with an umbrella handle.

 

[Woodview]

My Bank of Ireland Credit card ( Mastercard ) & my B of I. Debit card ( Visa ) has this system

along with Chip & Pin for a few years now

For items of under 30 Euros you just Place your card on the proper place at the checkout till.

For items of over 30 Euros it is chip & pin ( Insert Card & Enter your Pin Code )

No " Swiping of Card " or handing over card to another person OR signing your name

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Younger people just use their Mobile ( Cell ) Phones instead of cards ( TAP & Pay )

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Supermarkets in Germany & The Netherlands you use a Hand Held Scanner & Bar Scan your items as you place them in your Cart.

Your Scanner is Total Price Scanned at Check out & You pay by Card