Packing for Italy (how many pairs of long pants)

Spork24

Mr. Blue Bird on my shoulder
Joined
Jan 21, 2014
We are leaving for italy in just over a month. I know pants are required for churches so I will need at least a couple days of long pants. How many days of long pants would I need for churches? Should I Just plan on wearing long pants every day? is grown men in shorts even a thing there?

Thanks in advance for your help. Any other packing tips are welcome if you think of something else you would like to share!
 
I’d say two pairs of long pants at least assuming you will do laundry. One for day when visiting churches and another for dinner. It’s hot so if you are hiking or outside all day you will want shorts. The European cruises tend to be dressier at night than the Caribbean so my husband always wears pants and a collared shirt or a sport coat on formal nights. We have even brought a suit or tux.
 
A lot depends on your comfort level. If you want to wear one pair of longer pants for days when you'll be visiting churches, that's cool. You may want to pack something else for the evening. If you're doing an ABD, your guides can tell you in advance which days you'll need to have something covered for entry.

At this time of year, parts of Italy can still be cooler in the evenings. Pack accordingly.
 


Shorts and "sneakers" not so much. Tell your husband he needs a "Speedo" bathing suit and check out his reaction.....LOL.
 


It won’t be hot, expect highs around 70 degrees in Rome and Florence, a bit cooler in Venice. You’ll want long pants for the Vatican day, I’d think that lightweight long pants would be more comfortable than shorts for most days and dinners. Some of the bus/train rides might be chilly, also.

Your ABD travel materials will include a helpful suggested packing list.

I’d also recommend a lightweight windbreaker type jacket.

Travel guides will warn you to avoid white sneakers because they make you stand out as a tourist, but you will be traveling in a pack following a guide carrying a big Adventures by Disney paddle... you are going to look like a tourist!

Have a great adventure!
 
We are leaving for italy in just over a month. I know pants are required for churches so I will need at least a couple days of long pants. How many days of long pants would I need for churches? Should I Just plan on wearing long pants every day? is grown men in shorts even a thing there?

Thanks in advance for your help. Any other packing tips are welcome if you think of something else you would like to share!

You can certainly wear what you're comfortable in, but men in Europe hardly(if ever) wear shorts. You will definitely stand out as a tourist to any locals with shorts on -which is fine. My preference is to do as locals do when I travel -I know enough Italian and French to be dangerous and they help with the rest. For better or worse, what you wear may affect how you're treated to a certain extent. This may be a big help or not. It will still be relatively comfortable weather -so lightweight pants would make a lot of sense. Buon viaggio!
 
My husband picked this trip. It is actually sort of funny, because he is a wear shorts when it is 40 degrees in the winter type of 50 ish year old, who hates to be hot. He also isn't a foodie - so we don't spend a lot of time in nice eating places on trips, preferring more casual dining options. I just recently told him that he will need pants on the trip for the churches and certain meals. And he proceeds to show me photos of tourists in shorts around all of the big tourist attractions in Rome. And I've told him he can wear shorts on certain days.

On our last trip to Europe, I was able to get him into pants. That said, it was September and cooler out and his normal jeans were okay.

I always struggle with this attempt to blend in thing. We will be a big group of tourists, and no matter what we wear, people will know that we are a big group of tourists (and in our case, American tourists). I am polite, work on a few phrases, try to enjoy how things are different, and not expect things to be the same. But there is no way that people would ever not know that my family are Americans. And I have to balance all of this with my family having a good time. So, my husband will be a shorts wearing 50 year old throughout Europe, except on days that require pants. So be it.
 
I always struggle with this attempt to blend in thing. We will be a big group of tourists, and no matter what we wear, people will know that we are a big group of tourists (and in our case, American tourists). I am polite, work on a few phrases, try to enjoy how things are different, and not expect things to be the same. But there is no way that people would ever not know that my family are Americans. And I have to balance all of this with my family having a good time. So, my husband will be a shorts wearing 50 year old throughout Europe, except on days that require pants. So be it.
Honestly, I think this is a very accurate observation. In my opinion, people who think they are going to blend in with Europeans and not look like a tourist just because they aren't wearing jeans and tennis shoes and shorts are for the most part kidding themselves. Even if they're not in a group, I think it's pretty obvious who is a tourist and who is not. And as long as we're not ugly Americans or act in a way that might make us a target for a scammer or a pick-pocket, I say, who cares? I *AM* a tourist. I *AM* an American. Why should I be ashamed of either?

Sayhello
 
You need to look like a *smart* American tourist so that pick pockets move on to an easier target.

-Paul
 
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Honestly, I think this is a very accurate observation. In my opinion, people who think they are going to blend in with Europeans and not look like a tourist just because they aren't wearing jeans and tennis shoes and shorts are for the most part kidding themselves. Even if they're not in a group, I think it's pretty obvious who is a tourist and who is not. And as long as we're not ugly Americans or act in a way that might make us a target for a scammer or a pick-pocket, I say, who cares? I *AM* a tourist. I *AM* an American. Why should I be ashamed of either?

Sayhello

There is absolutely no shame at all. This is more directed towards Italy -if you try to “blend in” ...speak some language, dress accordingly, etc. Italians will be more likely to help or work with you. If you go into a shop in shorts and ask in English where the bathroom is ...you’re not likely to get the info you need. Theres a good chance they will know you’re a tourist no matter what you wear so blending in isn’t the point, it’s being perceived as someone who respects their culture. If you don’t care about that and stay within the tour group you’ll be good. Just don’t ask for a cappuccino after 10am!
 
I would recommend your husband wearing convertible pants. You can zip on/off the legs so he can wear them as shorts til he needs to enter the church, then turn them into pants, then zip back to shorts after. Plus, they are lightweight for the hot weather. That's what my husband and boys plan on wearing for our trip to Italy this summer. I am bringing capris for myself.
 
Related... are jeans generally acceptable as pants? Are they ever considered disrespectful in churches or at dinner?
 
We just returned from Italy and Croatia a couple weeks ago and boy, was it HOT. We brought clothes "just in case" and sweated through all we brought. Only wore long pants when we planned on touring holy sights. Shorts are everywhere because of the heat. One or two pairs for dinners and touring but other than that cool clothing is a must. Jeans? just too hot for the weather they are having this summer but "designer" jeans are seen around but clothing covering women's knees or close to it are "expected" to enter most churches. Bring a pashmina or kurchife (sp?) for some churches require covered shoulders and no tank tops for anyone. St. Marks in Venice some were turned away for their skimpy outfits while others were given shawls to cover their shoulders. At least that is what we have encountered.
 
St. Mark's in Venice was the most strict on the dress code (more than the Vatican, for our group anyway). Other than for young kids.

And it was hot. I'm glad that I had a number of pairs of capris, because it was HOT. I also liked to have on the capris, just in case we wanted to stop at a church - didn't have to worry about the dress code.
 
I wore capris too for church days. We were just there and wow it was hot! The males in my family wore the convertible pants for church days so they could zip down to shorts after visiting the churches. People were wearing jeans and that would be fine in churches. I could not bear to wear jeans in that heat though.
 

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