Paris in December is cold, grey and damp, and it's also beautiful: lights on the boulevards, Christmas markets and early dusk over the Seine. The good news for budget travellers is that the Parisian winter look is one of the easiest to pack light, because it relies on a few dark pieces worn again and again.
This guide plans everything to the strictest common free bag, 40 × 30 × 20 cm (Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling, Transavia, Jet2's under-seat bag). The trick is to wear your bulkiest things on the plane: the coat, the boots and the thickest jumper.
The weather in Paris in December
Shoulder months for comparison
| Station | November | December | January |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris-Montsouris | 11.1 °C / 6.2 °C52 °F / 43 °F · 54 mm | 8.0 °C / 3.8 °C46 °F / 39 °F · 62 mm | 7.6 °C / 3.2 °C46 °F / 38 °F · 48 mm |
Source: WMO 1991–2020 climate normals, published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI accession 0253808). Stations: Paris-Montsouris (WMO 7156). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Sunrise, sunset and daylight are calculated for the 15th of the month in 2026 (local time). °F and inches are converted from the metric figures. “n/a” means the station doesn’t report sunshine in this dataset.
- Cold, not freezing. Average daytime highs sit in single figures, and nights average a few degrees above zero.
- Expect drizzle. Around 11 days in a typical December get at least 1 mm of rain, so pack for wet pavements and use an umbrella rather than a rain shell.
- Short, dim days. Sunrise is after 08:30 and sunset before 17:00 in mid-December, with little sunshine, so plan your outdoor sightseeing around the middle of the day.
This week in Paris
The outfit plan in this guide is built from 30-year averages for December. This panel is the real forecast for the next 7 days, turned into packing tips for a cabin bag.
The live forecast needs JavaScript. Everything else in this guide works without it, and the climate-based plan above covers any December trip.
Weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), adapted into packing tips.
What locals actually wear
Everything below is a summary of, or a quote from, the linked source. We don’t make up “local” style tips.
- Most Parisian women wear a long wool coat in winter, usually black, navy or camel. Save the trench coat for spring.Source [1]: Rebecca Plotnick, Everyday Parisian (Paris-based)
- Black boots are a safer bet than brown, and black tights with a skirt or dress are a winter staple. Chelsea or waterproof boots handle the wet pavements.Source [1]: Rebecca Plotnick, Everyday Parisian (Paris-based)
- Veja trainers come out at weekends. A thin puffer layered under a wool coat "is what the French do", and Uniqlo Heattech-style thin thermals keep the bulk down.Source [1]: Rebecca Plotnick, Everyday Parisian (Paris-based)
- A traveller on r/ParisTravelGuide reported in November 2025 that "Parisian women were all in black or very dark colors… wool wrap or button coats in midi or ankle length, and just use umbrellas."Source [2]: Reddit user report
- Other r/ParisTravelGuide threads say the same: skip athleisure and aim for smart-casual, with Adidas Sambas or Vejas as the go-to trainers.Source [3]: Reddit users
3 outfit formulas
The Left Bank uniform
- Long dark wool coat
- Fine merino or cashmere crewneck
- Straight or wide-leg dark jeans
- Black waterproof Chelsea boots
- Big wool scarf
Tip: Tuck a thin thermal under the jumper on the coldest days, then take it off once you're indoors in a warm museum.
Skirt and tights for evening
- Knit or satin midi skirt
- Black opaque or fleece-lined tights
- The same crewneck, or a silk-feel blouse
- Black Chelsea boots
- The long coat
Tip: Black tights with a skirt is the Parisian winter staple, and it gives you an evening look for very little extra space.
Weekend trainers
- Thin packable down jacket (under the wool coat when it's cold)
- Long-sleeve tee plus merino half-zip
- Dark jeans
- Clean white leather trainers
Tip: Wearing the thin puffer under the wool coat gives you two warmth levels from one outer layer.
Swatches are a colour guide for each formula, not product photos.
Day to night in Paris
Same capsule, evening version: keep the base, swap one or two pieces. Every swap below stays cabin-bag friendly. How day-to-night swaps work →
01Left Bank day → bistro night
- Base (stays the same)
- Dark jeans
- Long dark wool coat
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Merino crewneck
- White leather trainers
- Big wool scarf
- ☾ Evening swaps
- Silky blouse instead of the crewneck
- Black Chelsea boots instead of the trainers
- Red lip and a small crossbody
Pieces added to your bag: 1, the silky blouse (the lipstick lives in your toiletries pouch, the crossbody is your day bag emptied out).
02Museum day → dinner in a skirt
- Base (stays the same)
- Knit midi skirt
- Black fleece-lined tights
- Black Chelsea boots
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Long-sleeve tee under the crewneck
- Scarf
- ☾ Evening swaps
- Silky blouse tucked in
- Statement earrings
Pieces added to your bag: 1, statement earrings (the blouse is already in your bag from swap 1).
Preview note: placeholder links to each shop’s normal pages, with no affiliate tracking yet.
The free-baggage packing list
Your bag: 40 × 30 × 20 cm
Planned for 4 nights, using a soft backpack of about 20–24 litres made to the 40 × 30 × 20 cm size. The rule that makes it work: wear your bulkiest items on the plane. The dotted outline is easyJet’s bigger free bag.
Wear on the plane worn
In the bag 12 items
- A trench coat (locals leave it for spring)
- Brown boots and bright colours (they break the dark capsule)
- Athleisure as daywear
Liquids: going vs coming home
UK airports vary. Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast International, Belfast City, Bournemouth, Southend allow containers up to 2 litres; most others, including Manchester, Stansted and Luton, are still 100 ml.
- 100 mlParis Charles de Gaulle (CDG), in a 1 L clear bagto re-check
- 100 mlParis Orly (ORY), in a 1 L clear bagto re-check
- 100 mlParis Beauvais (BVA), in a 1 L clear bag
Pack your liquids to 100 ml for the whole trip.
Check your room first
Read the hotel, Airbnb or hostel listing, or message the host, and ask whether they provide:
- Iron or steamer
- Hairdryer
- Toiletries: shampoo, shower gel (conditioner often isn’t supplied)
- Towels, plus beach or pool towels
- Washing machine or laundry service
- Plug adapters or USB sockets
- Kettle, tea and coffee
- Slippers and a robe
- A safe
Hostels often don’t provide towels or padlocks.
Every item they provide is one you don’t carry.
No-iron packing
Pick fabrics that don’t crease. Woven cotton and linen crease; knits, merino, jersey and most polyester blends barely do.
- Hang creased clothes in the bathroom while you shower.
- Pack a small crease-release spray under 100 ml (it counts as a liquid).
- Roll clothes, and keep crease-prone pieces in a packing cube on top, not in a vacuum bag.
- Check whether your hotel or Airbnb has an iron.
Buy it there?
Adding a checked bag typically costs around £60–80 return on a budget airline. So if your bag is full, buying bulky or liquid items when you arrive is often cheaper.
Think sun cream, full-size shampoo, insect repellent, a beach towel or flip-flops.
Usually yes in this destination: Supermarkets are everywhere, though central Paris is generally pricier than at home.
Tick items off as you pack (your ticks aren’t saved). Liquids rules depend on your departure airport and change from time to time. Check your airport’s current security rules before you decant your toiletries (see liquids rules by airport).
Flying there on Ryanair, easyJet or Wizz?
- Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling and Transavia basic fares give you a 40 × 30 × 20 cm under-seat bag. Pack the list above into a 24 L-ish backpack and wear the coat and boots.
- easyJet's free under-seat bag is bigger (45 × 36 × 20 cm), so you can add a second pair of shoes or a heavier knit.
- Don't stuff your coat pockets so full that you look like you're smuggling a second bag. Do wear the scarf onto the plane.
Duty-free bag: Ryanair: extra bag allowed · easyJet: extra bag allowed · Wizz Air: extra bag allowed. It still has to fit under the seat or in a locker, and gate staff decide. Duty free and your free baggage →
Sizes come from each airline’s official page (see our free baggage reference for links). Rules change, so check your booking before you fly.
Baggage picks
The ticks compare each bag’s stated outer dimensions with each airline’s free-bag size. A struck-through name means the bag is too big for that airline. Soft bags squash a little; hard cases don’t. We haven’t tested these bags ourselves yet.
Want to fit more in? Compression cubes and packing cubes that store more in a free bag →
Pieces that fit the formulas
- QuinceDouble-faced merino wool scarf coat
- ASOS · searchLong wool-blend coats (ASOS search)
- QuinceMongolian cashmere oversized crewneck
- QuinceLightweight down packable hooded jacket
- ASOS · searchWaterproof Chelsea boots (ASOS search)
- SHEIN · searchFleece-lined tights (SHEIN search)
- ASOS · searchKnit midi skirts (ASOS search)
- Amazon · searchCompact windproof umbrellas (Amazon UK search)
- Amazon · searchCompression packing cubes (Amazon UK search)
Preview note: these are placeholder links to each brand’s normal product or search page. They carry no affiliate tracking yet, and we don’t show prices because they change.
Dates and practicalities
Christmas markets
Everyday Parisian notes that Paris's Christmas markets run from late November to early January. Check each market's own dates before you book, because they change every year. [1]
Sources
- What to Pack for Paris in the Winter, Rebecca Plotnick, Everyday Parisian (Paris-based)
- r/ParisTravelGuide thread (Nov 2025), Reddit user report
- r/ParisTravelGuide threads on what to wear, Reddit users
Airline free-bag sizes: see the free baggage reference. Climate: WMO 1991–2020 normals (NOAA NCEI). Live forecast: weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), adapted into packing tips. Photos: Unsplash, credited on each image and on the photo credits page. Last checked October 2026.
