What to pack for a 3-day city break

For three days, the right bag is one you can carry through a station, up stairs and onto public transport without help. Wear one outfit and pack two tops, one spare bottom, one weather layer and a single main pair of shoes. Everything else should solve a specific problem.

The essential list

• ID, payment methods and confirmations available offline.
• Phone, charger, short cable and earphones.
• Two tops plus underwear and socks for three days.
• One spare pair of trousers or skirt that works with both tops.
• A light warm layer and rain protection chosen from the forecast.
• Broken-in shoes suitable for several hours of walking.
• A small wash bag and personal medication.
• An empty water bottle for airport security, a foldable day bag and sunglasses.

The 3–2–1 clothing formula

Build three outfits from two tops and one spare bottom. A simple colour palette avoids packing a “just in case” item that matches nothing. Wear the bulkiest layer during the journey. An overshirt, cardigan or light jacket can work on the train, in the evening and when the weather changes.

Check the forecast 48 hours before departure, then swap an item instead of adding one. For Paris, a compact umbrella or water-resistant jacket is usually more useful than a second pair of shoes. For Marrakech, a loose, breathable overshirt can provide sun coverage and work for dinner.

Toiletries: small but practical

Take only the required quantity in labelled, reusable containers. When departing from an EU airport, cabin liquids remain limited to containers of no more than 100 ml inside one transparent, resealable one-litre bag, apart from stated exceptions. Check the airport and airline as newer screening equipment does not automatically remove the general rule.

Do not decant essential medicine without retaining its label. Keep a prescription and emergency supply in the bag that stays with you. A useful miniature kit is normally limited to plasters, sun protection, tissues and medication you genuinely use; it need not become an improvised pharmacy.

Items that can earn their space

A multi-port charger makes sense for two travellers or several devices. A power bank helps during a long day of maps and photographs, but it must travel in hand luggage on a flight. A foldable tote handles shopping without becoming a permanent second bag.

A compact card game can be worthwhile for a long journey or quiet evening. A travel towel is useful only when the accommodation, pool or activity does not provide one. Ask first: the lightest choice is often buying and carrying nothing.

Leave these at home

• A smarter second pair of shoes without a booking that needs it.
• Full-size bottles and duplicates supplied by the accommodation.
• A laptop when a phone genuinely covers the task.
• Valuables that are difficult to secure.
• A bulky printed itinerary; keep key details offline instead.

The five-minute final check

Lay everything out and remove each object without a dated use. Test the weight with a ten-minute walk. Check your operator’s dimensions and measure wheels, handles and pockets. For TGV INOUI and Intercités services, SNCF Connect currently states up to two labelled items measuring 70 × 90 × 50 cm and one 40 × 30 × 15 cm hand item. That rule was checked on 13 September 2026 and may change.

Once the bag works, turn it into a plan with 48 hours in Paris or choose a base in our Paris neighbourhood guide.

Sources and verification

Rules checked on 13 September 2026: EU air-travel luggage restrictions, SNCF Connect luggage guidance and EASA battery and device guidance. Always confirm the rules for your operator and ticket.