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What to pack, city by city

Real weather by month, what people actually wear, plugs and power, and the few things worth bringing — for each city we have a guide for.

Argentina

Aruba

Australia

Austria

Bahamas

Barbados

Belgium

Bermuda

Brazil

Cambodia

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

Estonia

Fiji

Finland

France

Aix-en-ProvencePeople pack for Provence as if it's always summer. Aix gets real winters, with lows of 2–3°C from December to AvignonProvence sounds warm, so people pack for sun. In Avignon the thing that catches you out is the mistral, a coldBayeuxMost people come to Bayeux for the Tapestry and the D-Day beaches, and pack for a quiet French town. The town'BordeauxPeople picture Bordeaux as sunny wine country and leave the rain jacket at home. It rains on 10 or more days iCannesPeople pack for Cannes as if every day is the film festival. Most of the year it's a relaxed beach town, and tDordogneThe Dordogne isn't a city, it's a region of river valleys, castles and stone villages, and you'll see it from GivernyMost people treat Giverny as an easy day out from Paris and dress for a city. It's a village and a garden, witHonfleurMost people pack for Honfleur's summer and forget it sits on the Normandy coast. July is actually its wettest Loire ValleyPeople pack for the Loire Valley like it's the south of France. It isn't. Even in May there are 14 rain days, LyonLyon looks flat on the map. It isn't. Fourvière and Croix-Rousse are steep hills full of staircases, and VieuxMarseillePeople pack for Marseille like it's always summer. It's dry, with no month over 9 rain days, but the mistral wMont-Saint-MichelPeople treat Mont-Saint-Michel as a quick photo stop. It's usually a long day outdoors on an exposed tidal bayNiceMost people pack flip-flops for Nice and then limp across the beach. It's pebbles, not sand, and the big roundParisPlenty of people pack an umbrella for Paris and then fight it on narrow sidewalks all week. Rain shows up everRouenRouen catches people out with rain, not cold. Every month has 8 to 16 rain days, and the old town is cobbles,

French Polynesia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Latvia

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Maldives

Malta

Mexico

Montenegro

Morocco

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Qatar

Romania

Saint Lucia

Singapore

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Tanzania

Thailand

Turkey

Turks and Caicos Islands

U.S. Virgin Islands

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

AnchorageAnchorage summers are cool and often damp, and most visitors are headed somewhere colder and wetter. Pack layeAspenAspen's problem is altitude. The town sits at about 2,400 m, so the sun is strong, the air is dry and nights gAustinAustin heat isn't a summer-only thing. Highs hit 30°C in May, stay there or above through October and peak at BostonBoston catches people out because it swings so hard. February lows hit -5°C, July highs reach 29°C, and the wiCharlestonCharleston's summer heat gets the attention, but the humidity and afternoon storms are what wreck plans. July ChicagoPeople check Chicago's temperature and miss the lake. Wind off Lake Michigan cuts through the Loop and along tDenverDenver sits at 1,609 m, and the altitude is the packing problem. The sun is strong, the air is dry and dehydraFlagstaffPeople see Arizona and pack for desert heat. Flagstaff sits at about 2,100 m in the pines, so lows drop to freHonoluluHonolulu is warm and mostly dry, with highs of 27–32°C all year. The packing problem is the reef: Hawaii bans HoustonEveryone warns you about Houston's heat. Nobody warns you about the air conditioning. You'll spend a lot of yoKauaiKauai is green because it rains, and how much depends on where you stay. The south shore around Poipu is drierKey WestPeople pack for Key West like it's a beach resort. It's mostly a small, walkable town, and the real problems aLas VegasMost people pack for Las Vegas like it's hot everywhere. It's 42°C on the Strip in July, but casinos and show Los AngelesEveryone packs for LA like it's always beach weather. It isn't. Winter highs are 18°C with 7°C nights, the coaMauiMaui's beaches are warm, but its summit is not. The packing problem is altitude: Haleakalā is near freezing atMiamiMost people pack for Miami's heat and get caught by the rain. From June to October you'll see 19 to 26 rain daNashvilleEveryone packs cowboy boots for Nashville. Fine, but most people get the weather wrong. May and July each brinNew OrleansPeople pack for the New Orleans heat and forget the rain. Summer highs hit 32°C to 34°C, and May to July bringNew YorkMost people pack outfits for New York and the wrong shoes. You'll walk miles of pavement and climb subway staiNewportNewport looks like a summer postcard, so people pack for a heatwave. The warmest month tops out at 25°C, and tOrlandoPeople pack for Orlando by the forecast high. The real problem is the miles. A theme park day means hours on yPhiladelphiaPeople think of Philadelphia as a mild East Coast city. It swings hard. July hits 32°C with 14 rain days, and PortlandThis is Portland, Maine, and the mistake is packing for the summer postcard. Even in July, evenings out on theSan AntonioPeople think San Antonio is just hot. The bigger surprise is spring. May is the wettest month with 14 rain daySan DiegoPeople pack shorts and nothing else for San Diego. Then the sun goes down. Highs only move between 17°C and 25San FranciscoMost people pack shorts for a California summer and freeze in San Francisco. July highs here are just 19°C, foSavannahEveryone warns you about Savannah's heat. The bigger problem is the bugs. Summer brings 17 to 22 rain days a mSeattleSeattle's rain is rarely heavy. It's frequent, with 19 rain days in December and grey drizzle most of the wintSedonaIt's easy to pack Sedona for desert heat and get caught out by the cold. It sits at 4,270 feet (1,300 meters),Big IslandThe Big Island packs several climates into one trip. Kona on the west side is warm and dry, Hilo on the east sGrand CanyonThe Grand Canyon has two climates stacked on top of each other. The South Rim sits at about 2,100 m and freezeWashington DCWashington looks compact on the map. Then you walk the National Mall, where the Lincoln Memorial to the CapitoYellowstoneYellowstone sits high, around 2,000 m and above, so a hot summer afternoon can follow a frosty morning, and snZionZion's big packing problem is water, in both directions. Summer highs top 37°C on the canyon floor, and the pa

Vietnam

Zimbabwe