Skirts

Eileen,, I always pack light, and I alway pack skirts.. why,, because its hot in some places in the summer and a skirt is a better choice then shorts for most big cities( shorts are ok if you are young, or if they are long, but they are not cooler then a light skirt for sure) . Of course you are not required to pack skirts or dresses if you really are the type never to wear them,, but packing pants only will be most unpleasant for places like Rome where it can easily be over 95 degrees and no shade( the Forums, yikes, ) . At least pack one or two hot weather outfits,, it will be very hot some places,, guaranteed. BTW,,many like capris,, but I don't feel that 5 extra inches of leg ( showing your lower legs and ankles) is really that much cooler then pants! A skirt , espeically a loose peasant style lets lots of air circulate around legs, much cooler in my opinion. I do however usually pack a pair of capris for those inbetween hot and cold days.

I too pack some skirts. I find them wonderful for hot weather. I rather be in a linen skirt than a pair of shorts. ; ) Pam

Ps In Rome you must cover your knees and shoulders to get in the Vatican, so remember that , they are strict about it( not the RS people , but the Vatican people!)

I also bring a skirt if I'm traveling in hot weather. I also bring a pair of capri's. If you aren't a skirt or dress wearer, there would be no reason to bring those things. Black pants will be very warm in the summer.

If you're not a skirt/dress person, capris would be good. Would leave black at home. Try for light colors. Don't know when you are going, but we were in Rome, Sicily last September and it was very warm and humid. Glad I didn't have any black pants or black capris with me. However, as a previous poster said: be aware of the dress code for churches.

I can't travel with light colored bottoms, they get dirty in like one day,, all that sitting on public buses, metros, and park benches.. at least go khaki, unless you either pack lots, or plan on doing laundry,, often.

I take black and khaki pants everywhere. I don't 'do' skirts or dresses anymore. Never really liked them, and now I just refuse to wear them except to weddings and funerals, etc. I've never found pants to be uncomfortably hot and I am a bit warm natured, too. I take cotton blend pants and find they are perfect for me. I also wear them at home- and Charlotte is know for it's hot, humid summers and falls (and sometimes springs, too).

I'm not a woman and I've never worn skirts or dresses. But I know the answer. If you normally wear skirts or dresses, take them. If you don't, don't. How do I know this? I went with my mother to Turkey last year. She took a bunch of scarves to accessorize, as "instructed" on all packing sites. "They're so much lighter than jewelry and take up next to no space." Once we got there, she realized she never wears scarves at home to accessorize, and doesn't like doing so. The only time she wore scarves was as a head covering in mosques, and the scarves she brought as accessories, ironically, wasted more space in her suitcase than jewelry would have. Do take into account the temperatures and any dress codes for religious buildings. But other than that, bring what makes you feel comfortable, and what YOU will actually wear.

Harold hit the nail on the head! I generally only wear skirts /s dresses to church. I took one on a 5 week trip we did that included Rome (where it was hot) and wore the skirt I took once. It wasn't worth carrying it, and I've never taken a skirt on a trip again! I have two pair of very lightweight travel pants that can roll up to capri length - one black, and one beige. That's all I need!

I think if you are worried about being "dressy" enough, don't be. The RS tours are very casual and a nicer pair of capris will work fine in any situation.

Eileen,
I agree w/ the other posters. If you don't normally wear skirts at home in the summer, then don't lug them to Europe. Wear whatever you would feel comfortable walking 5-10 miles at home in the sun. In fact, you'll probably want to pack a pair of shorts for the some of the more active parts of the tour. In the Cinque Terre, you'll want some hiking type shorts, for hiking or jumping on/off the boats, or just walking around the villages.....it's a casual place. Also, be sure to take your most absolutely comfortable/sturdy shoes....that's key. Take a second pair of flat comfy shoes for evening, just to give your feet a rest (amazing how changing shoes late in the day helps), but make sure they are shoes you can walk 5 miles in. I'm a skirt person......prefer them to slacks, but that's me. When we travel, I pack two black knit skirts...one above the knee, one below the knee (for days churches are toured), and I also back a pair of pants that zip off at the knee (I've only worn them as shorts...never have zipped the legs on). If you take slacks instead of skirts, take the coolest, lightest weight ones you own. Comfort is key on tours.....you'll be walking and going too much, so make sure you ENJOY your trip with comfortable clothes......be who you are, dress for who you are, not based on some list on a web site :) How lucky you are to be doing the 21-day tour.....we've never been able to be gone that long, so we've done a lot of it in shorter increments and we are still working toward seeing everything you will. Safe travels, and take lots of photos :0

Pants are hot. I am a skirt person and if traveling to cities I am much more comfortable packing a few skirts - one long, one short and pack a pair of tights for cold nights. Takes much less room in a bag to pack skirt I think.

Eileen, I usually take one skort, Nike brand, it may have been marketed for golfing. It has the comfort of shorts and the look of a skirt. Mine is knee length, so ok for churches. I agree with other posters, wear only what you might wear at home. I think a skirt or skort is more flexible than a dress. A dress would have to be very lightweight. Have a great trip!!!

I'm not really a skirt person as most don't flatter my figure (pear shaped!) And if you're wearing them bare-legged in hot weather and doing a lot of walking, there's the uh, chafing issue? But again, I have huge thighs. Also it's hard to find attractive shoes that are also comfortable enough to walk in all day that will look good with a skirt. I only tend to wear skirts in the winter with heavy tights and boots. So it's capris for me. The good news is that capris are widely worn by European women too, so you won't feel as out of place as you might in shorts. As long as the material is light, they're usually quite comfortable. Most of my capris are the short "pedal pusher" that that end just past the knee, so they're quite cool. And a cute pair of sneakers look great with capris during the day, but you can dress up capris with a nice blouse and sandals in the evening. For a trip like yours, I'd take 2 pairs of pants, one dressier black pant and one more casual, and then 2-3 pairs of capris.

Nothing but jeans. Seriously, this is what I wear all year round. For summer, I have a lighter denim. They wear well, they don't show the dirt, plus you don't have to wash them after every wearing.