Shorts in Paris in May

I believe you "can." But something to consider is blending into your environment, and the company you are keeping. Not encouraging you to try to look like a local or anything - that ship sails as soon as you open your mouth - but an idea is to think about showing respect for the places you go and the people you are traveling with. On the RS tours we've been on, we usually saw a little more elevated dress than shorts most days. Your choice of course.

KC, nicely put. But I have heard on RS tours that wearing PJs to breakfast is common. True?

EDIT…I just deleted my comments. My opinion that we should respect other’s customs when traveling is just that, my opinion. This discussion has been going on for years. After reading comments dating back to 2012, I’ve come to the conclusion that American tourists are going to do whatever they want.

Mr E; I’ve been on 23 Rick Steves tours, and while I have seen Americans wearing pajamas to breakfast, so far none of them has been a tour member.

I've worn shorts in Paris and on every RS tour I've been on but then I've been told that my legs are spectacular. I wouldn't worry too much.

When I was in Saudi, I never wore shorts because they frowned on it. When in Rome do as the Romans do-- or so they say. (I notice some statues have leafs and others do not.)

And when in doubt, remember overdressing can be as off-putting as underdressing. When in doubt, dress like the kids-- they are the future

Happy travels

Rick's latest Paris video, "Paris of the Parisians," filmed last summer, shows lots of Parisians enjoying the city in shorts. If you wear shorts in Paris you will fit right in and I doubt if anyone will notice, let alone consider it disrespectful.

David in Cleveland seriously always has the best replies. :) I would follow his advice without question

I’ve been to Paris many many times ( since 1972 lol ) and have also been on one Rs tour in Paris .

Shorts are fine except for notre dame .

According to the Note Dame website it simply states that your thighs can't be showing.

Please wear modest clothing suitable for a place of worship (avoid wearing transparent or tight-fitting clothing, cover shoulders, torso, stomach and thighs, for men remove hats, caps or bonnets indoors).

I'd take that to mean shorts are OK as long as they reach your knees.

https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/visit/practical-information/safety-guidelines/

(I notice some statues have leafs and others do not.)

so, David, are you a leaf on or do you leaf it off?

is this part of you campaign against learning French?

Ah Nigel, thanks for reminding me to give an update on my French! To refresh your memory, I was learning French in order to more effectively boycott Ryanair — the reason why I wanted to boycott Ryanair escapes me. ( I love Ryanair now because their sharp-tongued CEO got into a bit of a spat with a certain billionaire and I decided he was quite funny; and also despite the Byzantine luggage rules, I like their prices. In any case, the other reason I abandoned French is because while I have a real talent for wearing shorts due to me fetching legs, I alas have no facility whatsoever in the area of languages. My French teacher said my accent was an assault to her ears. Beyond bad.

Bottom line is this: no French— I’m horrific at it— but yes to shorts ‘cause my dedication to Pickle Ball has toned by legs to into something resembling Michelangelo’s David or so I am told— and the French love it! (So long as I don’t open my mouth to say anything other than bonjour.)

Happy travels

Here, summer in Paris: https://youtu.be/6iY-cd-CXqI?si=2SeDvejybi6G0PEk

The only thing wrong with shorts in May is in might be cool in the evenings.

Mr E; I’ve been on 23 Rick Steves tours, and while I have seen Americans wearing pajamas to breakfast, so far none of them has been a tour member.

Likewise. On our 11 (sometimes 14 days) tours during the past decade we have never seen any of our tour members wearing pajamas to breakfast. The few we have seen in night wear were not always American.

"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." - Groucho Marx, who has been on 12 RS tours including one that went to Paris.

Happy travels.

In US hotels, I do see kids in pjs at breakfast. College age kids wear pj pants as daywear soI doubt they think they are wearing pjs.

There are no major attractions that really have a dress code. My advice is to base what you wear on the expected weather that day. There is nothing more miserable than wearing long pants on a hot day, especially while doing a lot of walking in a major city like Paris.

Since you will be walking almost everywhere on your RS Paris tour, my suggestion is to make yourself as comfortable as possible with good taste. Nice walking shorts may not be common or popular by European standards, but don't ruin your day trying to look like someone you are not and feeling uncomfortable.

Enjoy Paris.

Please wear modest clothing suitable for a place of worship (avoid
wearing transparent or tight-fitting clothing, cover shoulders, torso,
stomach and thighs, for men remove hats, caps or bonnets indoors).

I was rereading this. Did it mean that the dress code only applies to women? Does it mean men can wear nothing but a smile as long as they don't pair it with a hat?

No what it means is that everyone needs to follow the dress code, but that only men need to remove hats, caps etc. Women are allowed to wear a hat in a (Catholic) church.

Wait a cotton picking second! No hats? I've seen the pope wear at hat! And if anybody knows the rules about wearing a hat in a church, I'm pretty that's your expert!

Happy travels.

Edit: My bad. Sorry. Apparently there are different rules for popes than there are for lapsed unitarians from Cleveland even if they have quite stunningly attractive legs. Please ignore my last comment.

Happy travels.

I want to know what a man's "bonnet" looks like.

When I google it, I get something that looks like a hair curler cap from the old days.

Is this what is meant?

If you Google bonnet in French rather than in English, you’ll get different results.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnet_(couvre-chef)

Posted by Dutch_traveler

If you Google bonnet in French rather than
in English, you’ll get different results.

Thank you.

msturgis, you have friends in high places! I just saw a post on FB from Rick Steves, with a shorts-clad man front and center in front of the Eiffel Tower. I stand corrected - wear those shorts with pride.

I thought of OP today. In my Paris Metro car this afternoon were 2 French men (based on their speech) wearing shorts. One was an outfit that kind of looked like it was made from ivory-colored chenille with shorts and matching top (more nicely dressed than his girlfriend) and the other was navy blue longer length shorts. They were not together so looked like they decided the warm spring was actually summer!

I will add this my stepdaughter a young add out at the time was thoroughly castigated for trying to enter Notre Dame because she had a shirt on or a not a shirt some sort of top on that only had thin spaghetti straps so bare shoulders, so there is a dress code for Notre Dame shorts have to go to the knee like basically cover the knee and same with dresses. If you’re wearing a dress, it should go down to your knees. Shoulders aren’t supposed to be bare. It’s not really a big deal because honestly, we use public transport and I can’t imagine sitting on some of those metro seats with legs that aren’t covered with fabric. If you know what I mean sticky gross.

Here’s an article titled “Can You Wear Shorts in Paris”

https://secretsofparis.com/french-culture/can-you-wear-shorts-in-paris/

Mary, while its mostly about shorts its maybe the most objective discussion on dress that I have ever read. Thank you.

Great article Mary. Thanks for sharing. Here is a paragraph that I think just about sizes up the reality of being a tourist.

If you ask a Parisian if they find it (wearing shorts) offensive, they might say yes (depending on their own style), but just because the idea bothers them doesn’t mean they’re going to actively go out of their way to make some random tourist feel bad. They’re much too busy caring about their own lives to really care about what you’re doing. So in theory a lot of them in the more stylish neighborhoods don’t like it, but in practice, they’re not paying attention to the tourists anyway (and remember: they always can tell you’re a tourist).

It always seems odd that for decades, Americans, especially RS followers, go to such great lengths to try and disguise themselves as Europeans while on vacation, but then actually visit all the tourist activities and sites. Enjoy the weekend with a laugh.

😂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3OzNWTU2h4