Health and Wellness Essentials to Pack When Booking Your Holiday to France

If you’re a Brit going on holiday, you’re probably thinking about going to France. It’s in the top five most popular destinations for UK travellers—and for good reason. France is an amazing place to visit to enjoy fashion, food, history, and the country’s breathtaking natural landscapes.

That’s not to mention the comforting home-from-home experience you can enjoy when renting holiday properties like villas, houses, cottages, and apartments during your stay. Whether you’re itching to visit the coastal paradise that’s Brittany or bask in the glamour and glitz of the French Riviera, you can find a cosy place from which to enjoy the enriching experiences a holiday in France has to offer.

To fully make the most out of your stay, however, you’ll want to eliminate any potential issues that can mar your French holiday experiences. Key among these are those related to your health and wellness. Falling ill or getting injured can significantly limit how much you can enjoy the various travel activities you can try in the country..

Fortunately, simply packing a few essentials can help keep you happy and healthy so you can fully maximise your trip. Here are a few you’ll want to include as you book your next holiday to France:

Eyewear

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Packing the right eyewear can play a significant role in ensuring you can enjoy the sights in France with healthy and clear vision. Sunglasses alone are crucial for two reasons: form and function. They’ll shield you against long-term damage from the sun’s UV rays and conditions like photokeratitis, which occurs when excess sunlight bounces off reflective surfaces like water and temporarily blinds your eyes. Of course, you also need to look your best while visiting the world’s fashion capital! That’s where you can opt to pack protective designer sunglasses that come in trendy Parisian street styles like Aviator, rectangular, and sporty frames.
 

You’ll also need to bring corrective eyewear if you’re diagnosed with refractive errors like myopia (short-sightedness). Bring an extra pair of prescription glasses if you’re prone to dropping or losing them, so you won’t need to buy new specs in France just to see your way around. You can also pack corrective contacts for sharper and more convenient vision correction. Daily contact lenses are the most ideal for your French holiday, as they’re more hygienic and less likely to cause infections. Brands like ACUVUE and Dailies offer these in boxes with 30 pairs each, so consider purchasing enough contacts to last you through even longer-term holiday bookings that see you staying in one of our rentals for a month or more. 

Medication

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Avoid feeling ill as you make your way through France by packing medications you find helpful. For example, you may need antacids to calm a sensitive stomach when trying many of the wine-based dishes French cuisine has to offer, like Coq au Vin. The country is also known for its narrow, winding roads, especially in regions like Provence—so if you’re renting a car alongside a holiday home and driving yourself around, bring anti-motion sickness medications to avoid dizziness or nausea. Painkillers are another essential medication you can pack to prevent things like headaches from marring your travel experiences.
 

Of course, your medical kit should also include the drugs you need to address any specific health conditions you may have. That can include insulin for type 1 diabetes, antihistamines or Epinephrine injectors for allergic reactions, and maintenance medicines for chronic conditions like heart disease. When travelling with medications like these, the NHS recommends bringing a copy of your prescription to avoid them being confiscated at the French border. Having this prescription will also come in handy if you wish to extend your booking and run out of medications. That way, you can easily purchase refills at the pharmacy closest to your holiday rental.
 

Weather-appropriate clothing

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The last thing you want to do is get stuck in the property you’re renting after experiencing heat stroke or catching a cold—so be sure your suitcase is full of clothes best suited to the time of year you choose to travel to France. At the most basic level, your holiday wardrobe should include light, breathable shorts, skirts, and dresses for hot weather and additional layers like jumpers and scarves for the autumn and winter. But why stop there? Pack some French fashion essentials that meet these criteria so you look less like a tourist on your trip.
 

Some wardrobe staples you’ll want to take with you include classic denim jeans, striped shirts, button-ups in neutral colours—and, of course, a trench coat or blazer for cooler days. Pair these pieces with versatile loafers and ballet flats, and you’ll even be set to comfortably explore walkable French cities like Rennes, Strasbourg, and Lyon on foot! Of all the flexible clothing items you can pack, however, avoid sporty clothes like leggings. According to French-American model Camille Rowe, locals find them too casual to wear in public. Instead, stick with weather-appropriate basics with simple cuts to achieve the cleaner, classier aesthetic that characterises French fashion.