Sarah

Being a non-white American, I am rarely perceived as an American when I'm traveling in Europe. It doesn't matter what I wear. I don't know if this is good or bad. But I do try and dress so I'll blend in as much as possible.

Beth

Dayle just made me think of it with the posting about tourists in the National Parks. The other way to tell European tourists in the US from the Americans is the shoes! They're always wearing leather shoes, and the women often have heels. Unlike all the Americans wearing sneakers or hiking boots

David

I just got back from Paris, London, and the southern U.K. (Brighton and Eastbourne), and this is what I suggest: In the U.K. and Paris both, do not wear any bright colors such as red, green, yellow, purple, etc. Wear conservative colors like black, gray, brown, etc., also no T-shirts, sneakers (especially white), white socks, or "fanny packs". In Paris, women should not wear open toe shoes, or dresses with very prominant designs on them. Men should not wear the old two button suits (three button suits are the norm). Paris is very "uniform" in their attire for the most part and probably the most fashionable city I've ever visited. The dress there is conservative and slim. Blue jeans are everywhere although not as popular as in the U.S.. Black leather jackets are also very popular. <BR> London and the U.K. for the most part seem to be more casual than Paris, but strangely enough I saw less blue jeans there than I did in Paris. Most men wear button up shirts, tan, black or brown pants, and brown or black "loafer" type shoes. <BR> One thing I definitely noticed was that in Paris many of the women and men looked as if they came from a model magazine- my wife (who by the way is from the U.K.) thought the same thing. It just seems to me that everything in Paris has its place, and is done in a specific way- including the way people dress. Its one of the things that , to me, makes Paris so interesting and beautiful. <BR> <BR>These are just a few of the observations I made...hope it helps.

Ray Seva

Wow...last year I chimed in about tacky toursits in France & Italy...and I think over 120-people responded! <BR> Based on my trip to those 2 countries last year, here are my suggestions (I'm not a "stylin' dude, but after seeing all those American tourists, I definitely took a closer look at how I dressed in my free-time here at home.) <BR> <BR>1) Unless you're in the NBA or on a Top-25 NCAA hoops team, try not to wear those $150 Air Jordans/Kobe Bryant/Charles Barkley high-tops. Matter of fact, try to avoid wearing ANY athletic shoes. We don't look cool in them. <BR> If you MUST wear them, then for crissakes TIE THE SHOELACES. <BR> <BR>2) Unless you're David Duval, don't wear those Oakley "Terminator-type" wraparound sunglasses. Gawd, those things are ugly. <BR> <BR>3) Unless you are Mike Piazza or Pudge Rodriguez, wear your baseball-style caps BILL FORWARD, not backward. <BR> <BR>4) Check the labels on your T-shirts. If you are a male...and a "Medium" fits you perfectly...then make sure the little tag has an "M"...not "XL" or "XXXL". Unless you belong to the Cripps or Bloods, you shouldn't be wearing oversized T-shirts. <BR> <BR>5) Jeans were pretty commonplace, worn by Euros everywhere. But again...unless you're a rap-star, wear jeans that fit...none of that "saggy/baggy" junk. <BR> <BR>6) Leave your warmup suits back home at the gym. They may be Euros...but they're not going to think you're some famous athlete who's on vacation in their country. I know they're pretty comfortable. Just picture this: The beautiful Alps...grassy fields...smartly-dressed local Swiss people...and good ol' Bubba & Ellie Mae, dressed in warmup suits. <BR> <BR> Sorry..didn't mean to ramble. <BR>I hope people don't accuse me of being un-American or "Mr. GQ" like they did the last time I sounded off about American tourists.

Kathleen

Great response Ray! However the items that you mentioned are not only unfashionable while in Europe but also look quit silly in the US. On my last trip to Germany I was sitting at O'Hare airport waiting for my flight and heard a swooshing noise. That's right nylon windsuits approaching - 2 males one wearing Nike and the other Reebok brand. Then their wives approached wearing the same thing. They looked so ridiculous in the US, in Frankfurt I am sure they looked even more silly. Plus I sat near them on the plane and they were obnoxious to the flight attendant and to other passengers. Sorry I did not mean to stereotype.

elvira

Thank you Ray!! And Kathleen, those suits drive me nuts too (my sister calls them "crispy suits")even here in the U.S. I live in a resort area, and there's nothing more annoying than going to a nice restaurant owned by a world-renowned chef, where all the LOCALS are dressed to the nines...and have two .. ahem.. 'visitors' stroll in in matching crispy suits and reeboks with the attitude "I'm a visitor here, spending good money, and I don't have to be respectful of you local yokels"... needless to say, if Americans have that attitude HERE, it doesn't take much imagination to assume that same attitude will be carried to other places. <BR>And might I add re: tshirts...A t-shirt with a picture of your home state with "Come to the Land of Lincoln!" is very cool. It brands you as an American, but in a good way (as long as you act right) and it can start conversations. A tshirt that says "I'm with Stupid -&gt;" is NOT cool (no matter where) and brands you as an American...in a bad way. <BR>A sidebar: in Europe, you won't be in harm's way if you wear an offensive t-shirt. There are other parts of the world where you can end up in jail. If you practice 'good manners' in Europe, you won't have to worry about going further afield.

KT

Last month in Rouen Cathedral I saw a whole group of tourists in cycling outfits -- tight bike shorts, bright jerseys, the works. They were French.

pam

Long answer: I think the important distinction to make is "looking like a tourist" versus "looking like a traveler." Wearing dark solid colors will definitely help, in places like Rome and Paris. While it may be nigh impossible to completely blend in and look like a local, for whatever reason (if only because the people in the town or neighborhood all know each other and know you're not one), I don't think it's an offense to look like you are traveling. For one thing, many of these places have witnessed/hosted/suffered travelers for ages upon ages. And face it, if you are reading this forum, you're probably not in too much danger of looking like the proverbial tacky tourist. Wear jeans and sneakers if you like; just be aware that in some places you will be treated less well because of it. As with most of life, there are opportunity costs. My husband didn't wear the blazer I forced him to take along, because it was warm; yet every Italian man we saw seemed to be wearing a blazer despite the heat. If you were at a rodeo in Texas, for example, and someone showed up in a tuxedo or running suit, or something other than the jeans and boots the locals were wearing, how would you treat that 'outsider?' It's not that you wouldn't be polite, it's more that you'd be probably looking and wondering what they were thinking, to have arrived in that place in that attire. That same outsider, tourist, traveler, stranieri, Auslander, whatever you want to say, could move nearly effortlessly through the crowd, virtually indistinguishable from the locals, were he or she to have donned boots and jeans. I remember a passage from the old 'Dress for Success' books--a woman from an old-money family moved to a different locale and trotted out all her jewels for a dinner party. She put everyone off, because she didn't 'wait and watch' or sit back and observe the 'local custom/costume.' It's sort of like reading a map or scouting the lay of the land. Short answer: as far as I'm concerned, tourists wear jeans and sneakers.

pauline

Just to be devils advocate... <BR> <BR>In the Czech Repuplic last year, I couldn't help noticing that shell/wind/jogging suits seemed to very popular amoungst the Czechs, not just the teenangers. But if you're doing the classic sights of Prague you'd stand out a mile if you wore one because everyone in the old town is a tourist.

Rosemarie

I am almost sorry that I read this message board cause I am taking my dream trip to Italy in September and was planning to wear what else - new white reboks and jeans . I really thought that I would just kinda blend in with the crowd ! Now I guess I have to think about it . And sneakers are just so heavenly on the feet !! Maybe I will just CANCEL !!!

Diane

When I was in college, two of my roommates came back from a semester in France. They said the second week they were there, they went out and bought themselves shoes. It seemed to make a big difference in how they were perceived. Last year, I took 2 pair leather low heeled shoes to Paris. After two days -- my feet were killing me. Went in to Samaritan dept store and bought some Echos. They were wonderful. <BR>Did I look less American? Who knows. Maybe.

Charlie

Your best bet is to stay the hell home,maybe you'll blend in there.Seriously,it's sad to have to plan on not looking like yourself instead of spending all your time on trip anticipation.Go as yourself,relax,be sensible,open minded,courtious,friendly and act as if you were a guest in some one's home.It's very difficult not to look like a tourist when you're a duck out of your pond,just DON'T BE A BAD(UGLY) TOURIST.

Martha B

Why are sneakers supposed to be so comfortable? In my experience, the most comfortable footwear is a sturdy pair of leather walking shoes, especially in an older city with those "quaint" cobblestone streets-- the same streets where white shoes stay white approximately five minutes. <BR>Yes, it's silly to try to look exactly like a local when you're not. In North Africa, it can even be offensive. But it's also pretty silly and offensive to run around a major city dressed in resort wear, as if EVERYBODY has to know that WE'RE on vacation (and, presumably, be SO impressed that we can afford foreign travel.) That's what people are usually talking about when they say don't dress like a tourist. So, dress comfortably, dress conservatively, leave your matching jogging suits and your "Aren't you impressed I got to Acapulco" t-shirts at home, and don't worry about it. After all, if you really feel out of place, you can buy something locally after you get here.

Theresa

I leave for Italy in 10 days. My first trip. I'm packing Khakis and knits, with various pastel tops. No jeans, they take too much space. As for my feet, it's my hiking boots, my sandals, and my (unfortunately) white walking sneakers. I've yet to find a shoe that can keep me comfortable through a long day of walking/sightseeing. And on the color: have you noticed that American shoe companies have decided for us that white is the color for active women's feet? That is, unless you can spend a small fortune. On a teacher's salary, I can't. I will be friendly and polite and practice my newly learned and limited Italian. But I will not "stay the hell home." After all, I was raised in New York.

Kate

Oh, my. We're leaving in 2 weeks for München, Vienna, Salzburg, and everything in between. After reading this post, I'll have to remake my packing list. I know waistpacks are "tacky tourist," but I love mine when I travel! I get a shoulder/neck/headache when I carry a shoulder bag, so what else can I do? My orthodics only fit in my Asics walking shoes (yes, they're white!), so I have to wear those most of the time to prevent killer feet. I can, though, rethink my wardrobe and go a bit dressier than I'd thought. Skirts and casual dresses instead of shorts in the cities. What about my husband and son wearing shorts in the cities-- is it disrespectful for them to wear shorts in churches too? There's no way to totally prevent the "tourist" look; afterall we want to see the sites and take lots of pictures, but I like to be respectful. Mostly, I don't want to be an "ugly, obnoxious American!" We all need to think of that when we're visitors in another country.

pam

Well, evidently the Catholic church thinks it is disrespectful to wear shorts in churches, because most of the larger churches we entered had signs: no flash photos, no bare arms, no shorts. At all but St Peter's, people went in in shorts and with bare arms anyway, which I find disrespectful--to be a guest in another place and willfully, knowingly disregard their rules or requests. If a guest in your home looked you straight in the eye and ignored your stated, polite request, how would you feel? And let me reiterate my earlier comment: wear whatever the H*** you feel like but be aware there are tradeoffs involved in most anything in life. If you wear jeans and tennies into a nice restaurant ANYWHERE, the proprietors will likely treat you differently than if you had worn trousers and leather shoes. If you would rather stay home than give up your Reeboks, that's your call. Frankly, if that's the defining issue in your mind, you probably should stay home, IMO. Again, I think there is a HUGE distinction between tourist and traveler, and I consider myself the latter. I should probably stop wasting my breath on this subject.

cheryl

Kate- <BR> <BR>My husband wore lightweight cotton pants(like Dockers) everywhere, and felt much more comfortable than if he had been in shorts. It's partly because shorts aren't allowed everywhere, and partly because he would have felt out of place in shorts, as almost no one else would have been wearing them. Also, it meant that we didn't have to go back to the hotel and change before dinner if we didn't have time. Shorts would definitely look out of place in many restaurants, no different than many restaurants in the US.

jodie

Don't stay the H*** home. Just: <BR> <BR>1. Buy some black Reeboks or the black leather Naturlizer oxfords. <BR> <BR>2. Wear khaki or black pseudo-linen washable slacks instead of denim. Or skirts. <BR> <BR>3. Forget shorts unless you are extremely young, fit, and bicycling everywhere. Either that or they're leather and you can yodel. NOT in churches. <BR> <BR>4. Carry an over-the-shoulder and across-the-body SMALL zippered bag, instead of the fanny pack, which is not only a flag that you're a tourista but also much less secure than you'd think. A new trick is to jostle a traveller and unfasten or snip straps and lift the pouch -- or even to slice through the underneath of a waistpack with a sharp knife and then hang around to pick up whatever falls out. The across-the-body bag is easier for you to hold close to yourself, harder to get at. I sewed a thin, decorative chain to the strap -- looked great, said "uncuttable." <BR> <BR>

Martha B

I've seen French women around in sneakers with tailored skirts or slacks and nice t-tops or shells, so don't worry too much about the shoes, if you really don't have any other ones which are comfortable. (Of course, I live in a small town, not Paris.) In my experience, cotton skirts are just as cool as shorts, and a lot more versatile. Floppy t-shirts are out, but the kind of t-shirts sold in women's dress shops are very much in. <BR>My husband wears Dockers, or similar slacks. They're not quite as cool as shorts on a hot day, but, again, they're much more versatile. With all this talk about how to beat the heat, don't forget Europe is quite far North. It's possible to get a cool spell, and then slacks are much, much more comfortable than shorts.

Christine

I've read all of the posts regarding dressing like a tourist/traveler. I've heard (seen) a lot of talk about Paris, Germany, England and other parts of Europe, but I haven't seen anything specific on Ireland. <BR> <BR>My husband and I are going to Ireland in September and we were both planning on taking jeans as we're renting a car and doing a lot of driving/walking to see the sites. I plan to wear turtlenecks, sweaters, long-sleeved linen or denim shirts, and to wear low-heeled leather walking shoes, boots. After reading all of the info on the aforementioned countries and areas, I'm now wondering if I should change my thinking. <BR> <BR>I certainly wouldn't walk into an upper class restaurant wearing jeans and a mock turtleneck, but neither do I want to over dress when walking into a neighborhood pub and show up in a skirt and heels. We'll be flying into Shannon and we will be traveling all over the Republic over a 2 week period, visiting Shannon, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Cobh, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Dublin, Donegal, Sligo, Letterkenny, Galway, Connemara, etc. We will certainly take dressier clothes for a dinner in a nice restaurant here and there, but we figure most of our time will be spent visting the outdoors and climbing through and seeing mountains, lakes, rivers, cemetaries and other historic ruins. Can anyone help with this? Are jeans and casual shirts okay for this kind of travel. <BR> <BR>Also, I plan to leave the ole' purse at home and pack any money, credit cards, etc., in a billfold size item that has a long leather strap. While easily taken, torn, cut, I normally do this and wear it around my neck (not just on one shoulder) and throw it down the front of my shirt out of sight, also helpful if the strap breaks or is cut, it will fall into my shirt, not on the ground or into the waiting hands of someone trying to rob me. <BR> <BR>I'm an avid amateur photographer, and will be taking my camera along with a camera bag full of film and batteries and camera lenses. Although this will surely stick out like a sore thumb and brand me as TOURIST, I can't help the matter seeing as how I have a camera with many different lenses and a flash unit. I will risk the chance of looking like a tourist in exchange for hundreds of beautiful pictures to remember what I hope will be a great trip. <BR> <BR>Any other suggestions for carrying, transporting money, important documents, etc.? Thanks!