What to Wear in Northern Europe in July?

Capris are good answer. I also find that cotton skirts are really good to wear in hot places, better than shorts. I wore throughout Greece when I visited in July one year. When I did my most recent trip to Berlin, Prague and Vienna, I had cool weather with rain in Berlin, and by the time I got to Vienna it was really, really, really hot. Don't forget a hat. I was glad to have mine in both Prague and Vienna. Sandals are good. Get a pair that has good support and you can wear them all day. I'm on my second pair of Finn Comforts.

Pam

Online stores like Travelsmith, REI and Lands End are good places to look for comfortable travel clothing that doesn't look like gym wear. And all three have online outlet/clearance sections and offer overnight delivery to get your items to you on time.

You really need to pack layers and wear layers. You can't predict the weather for the latter part of July and sometimes a summer day can start off overcast or cool enough for a light jacket, but by mid afternoon the sun comes out and you will only need a short sleeve shirt. Bring a good day bag with you that is large enough to stash any layers you need to remove throughout the day.

We were in Europe in July 2006 too. It was so HOT. By the time we got to Amsterdam in early August is was cold and rainy. I had to buy a sweater. My sister had to buy some long pants, because she hadn't brought any. Be prepared for all weather conditions and plan to layer.

Amsterdam rains, on average, every other day. It varies a little by season but not as much as inland destinations. Bring a good rainproof shell.

I would expect mostly warm to very warm weather but prepared for the odd day that's rainy and cool. Bring clothes with an eye toward layering.

If you're used to St. Louis it will seem cool, with the big exception that air conditioning isn't as common as in the Midwest (if you're used to being in air conditioning, it may seem really hot).

Yes, I was thinking about capris and have been shopping around for a couple of weekends now. REI and Lands End are really good places to look - it's good to know that they have online sales.

I know the weather is very unpredictable and of course if you dress one way, the weather will be another! In August 2007 I was in Paris (hot), Amsterdam (cool) and northern Germany (cool). In summer (end of June, July, beginning of August) 2008 I spent a month in Belgium (cool and rainy), a weekend in Amsterdam (cool) and a week in Germany (getting increasingly warm, into the 80s).

St. Louis has been unusually hot (upper 80s and 90s) for the past month so even 80 degrees in Germany will feel cool, but I don't think I want to wear jeans in Europe this time.

Sarah, REI just started a clearance sale today. They have their brand Rendezvous convertible pants on sale that convert from long pants into capri's. There's also numerous styles that convert into shorts.

It's not on sale, but their Sahara short-sleeve blouse is great. It looks like a nice dress shirt, but has UPF 30 sunscreen protection, venting in the back, unzippable side vents, and a little secret pocket near the waist (the zipper is hidden by the button placket). It will dress up nicely for an evening out with a scarf or necklace. They make a long sleeve version of this too with roll-up sleeves.

Also, another place I just discovered for good (but sometimes pricy!)travelwear is golf stores. A lot of golfing attire is made out of the lightweight, quick-dry athletic material, but looks nice. I just bought a pair of black pants in a very light-weight nylon/polyester/spandex blend that look very dressy. The pockets don't zip, but the front ones are quite deep. The golf stores are also a great place to find skorts, if you want the skirt look, but freedom of movement of shorts.

I have pants that fold up and fasten into capri's. It makes it easier for packing light for all weather conditions.

Check out the Ex Officio clothing at Sierra Trading Post online as well. STP has a travel clothing category where you might find pants/capris as well. Good prices and nice featured travel clothing. The blouses Ex Officio offers are very lightweight and feel comfortably like cotton.

I've also bought the V-neck performance t-shirt from Lands End. They feel like cotton but are wicking polyester and have odor-protection built in too (a bargain at 13.99). They look like normal v-neck t-shirts. If you plan to do any hand laundry, they dry quickly too and are wrinkle resistant (unlike some cotton t-shirts). Colors are a little limited, but they are pretty.

Thanks for the tips - I'm looking at the REI website right now. Pants that convert into capris are also a good idea, since you're prepared for different kinds of weather issues.

I just arrived in Hamburg today and I ended up buying 2 pairs of bermuda shorts at Target for $18 each. It was warm here today and I'm glad I bought them. I know I look like a tourist in them but I figure that the natives can spot tourists no matter what we wear.