Shorts in Europe

Personally I like to try and blend in a little and I rarely see locals wearing shorts on the street. To be honest I cant ever remember noticing someone in shorts. I just did a quick browse of the photos of more than 10 years of traveling in Central Europe and I didn't notice any shorts on adults other than at lake Balaton or the bath house or Margaret Island. I do have some photos in Slovakia at a river where shorts were being worn and tops appeared to be optional for both genders (with out regard for age or physical attributes)

"and I rarely see locals wearing shorts on the street." When the weather gets hot, I see people in shorts all the time here, except for professionals who are coming and going to work. If shorts were ever the mark of tourists, that time passed long ago. Now, shorts are just a sign that it's really hot.

Under EU law tourists are only allowed to wear shorts if the identify the nationality of the traveler...like this: http://tinyurl.com/q7uo22l If you don't already own a pair, Orvis can help you out.

20 years ago, there were rules, like women had to wear skirts to enter churches. Today? If there were any rules about anything in 2011, I didn't see them. I thought that we would wear conservative clothes so that we wouldn't look like a tourist. All the locales were wearing ball caps backward, t-shirts with stupid sayings in English, etc. Annoying is just the start.

Wear what makes you comfortable, but don't wear shorts or sleeveless shirts inside a church, temple or mosque. It's disrespectful. Some tourists don't care about respect and tradition. Do you?

Your post doesn't mention where you're going, but if it's a river cruise maybe the Danube or the Rhine? You'll get a lot of anecdotal opinions here, and it's all good and wry and funny, but why don't you use Google Street View to stroll around the streets in some of the places you'll be visiting and look at what people are wearing? Granted, Google Street View cameras typically are out in the early morning when there's less traffic to impede their work, and it's not in real time so the views could be a couple or so years old, but it does help to scope out the places a little. Also, look at YouTube videos and pay attention to what you see in the backgrounds.

Shorts and sleeveless tops are not just disrespectful in churches and mosques they are a no no. You will not be allowed into these places in that attire. But if you are not going into a church or mosque, I say wear whatever you are comfortable in.

If there are any ladies in your group they can bring a sarong with them as a wrap so they can wear shorts out on the street and still be respectful in a church.

I've never been to Germany

Lees spoke to one instance only. I've seen what he's talking about. Bravo, Lee.

Hey, I've got great legs!!! By the way, how does one run screening? ;-) Ed gets it. It's important to enlighten someone who's unsure about the proper attire for visiting a church, George. Your misinterpretation of my words-and my motive-is what actually does read a bit like moral superiority to me, or could I possibly be misinterpreting YOU??

A lot of people, men and women, really don't have nice enough legs for shorts but it doesn't deter them at all. Sadly.

FWIW, I read Lee's comment of 6/28 9:46 AM as two simple statements of fact and a question. Nothing morally superior about it. Many tourists from countries that have varying religious traditions visit sites in other countries with different religious traditions, and often they go to those sites purely as tourists to look at the artworks, etc. Many others go as devout pilgrims, sometimes a truly once-in-a-lifetime desire fulfilled, like a Catholic couple I met in Rome who scrimped and saved for about 20 years to realize their desire to visit the Vatican. I think it's great that people on this Helpline take the time to encourage new travelers to express respect when they visit churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, shrines, etc. It matters.

I was at a village Strawberry Fayre in a very small village near me in England today. Many of the people of the female persuasion were wearing sun dresses but virtually all of the other people there, old and young, and of both major flavours, were wearing shorts. It was a scorcher of a day (about 23C, or 73F). Ice creams and ice lollies were going rapidly and the strawberry teas and strawberries with cream were very popular. Virtually all the folk were local or nearly local. Didn't see a tourist among 'em. People wear shorts when the temperature become unbearable in trousers.

Hi,
You all vary from a bit too serious to very clever. I like the red shorts with USA flags. Can I get them in blue too? Years ago, as a male, and I still am a male, I wore cut offs while I was biking through Ireland and England. I must have great legs, as I got whistled at a lot. But keep in mind respect for other people's cultures. I traveled with two wonderful teen age women who one day, and it was hot, wore some rather short dresses. They learned that maybe they should dress a bit more conservatively, and they then did. wayne iNWI

Shorts are now OK for tourists. What next, NY Yankees baseball caps and white sneakers?

Not if you're a Red Sox fan!!!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HXeVcLYbmBk/Tn6glVhGKWI/AAAAAAAAALE/RbAh-HhViTQ/s1600/220px-Brooke-Popham_%2526_Wavell.jpg the British conquered the world in shorts!!

When I wear my shorts I usually have a pair of white Nike Air trainers on my feet. Both in the UK and in Europe.

Oh, Nigel! Tsk, tsk, how gauche! How can you live with yourself afterward?!?!

Today,the weather in Britain has been officially "hot", that is temperatures in the high 20s celsius (high 70s to low 80s fahrenheit). Shorts are everywhere, worn by people of both sexes, all ages, and many different ethnicities. I saw a Sikh in shorts in Waitrose this morning. There are short shorts, long shorts, cut offs, capris, and everthing else you could think off, except perhaps lederhosen. This is the first really good weather for several years. Most of the shorts therefore look as though they were bought when the person was younger. They are not quite the right style for the age of the wearer. This could all be an omen indicating victory for Andy Murray in the Men's Wimbledon final.

I don't see where you river cruise is taking place. If it is in northern Europe you may have very warm weather in late August. If it is in southern Europe you will have very warm weather in late August. I returned 2 days ago from 23 days in Frankfurt, Zagreb, Slovenia, and Croatia beginning on June 14 and coming home July 7th. The temperatures varied from 95F in Frankfurt and 98F in Zagreb, to the high 80's in Slovenia and Croatia.
I, along with everyone else I saw was wearing shorts. I go to Europe every summer and always wear shorts when I get hot. My comfort is more important to me than trying to look like a local or being stylish.

We've spent a month to two months in Europe every summer since 1975. Nowadays everyone wears shorts. I'm in Budapest at the moment and it's HOT. And everyone is wearing shorts, old and young alike. They were in Amsterdam, and Dortmund, too. So, don't go by old memories, or what people remember from past visits - go with the shorts. Except in mosques. We'll be heading to Istanbul next week for 25 days, and I have lightweight nylon pants for days I plan to be in mosques. That's simple respect and courtesy. Outside, it's shorts again!