Just had to come out of retirement for this one. Some other posters are suggesting that in a heat wave, shorts are ok for Italy.<BR><BR>NO, NO, NO, NO!!<BR><BR>NEVER<BR><BR>It would not matter if hot Saharan winds blew in from the south.

Listen to this person. <BR><BR>NO SHORTS IN ITALY. <BR><BR>(Ladies, wear a skirt or capris. Gentlemen, tough!)

Never say never. There are plenty of places in Italy where shorts are perfectly OK, especially in a heat wave: the Dolemites, the Lakes area, any camping area, Pompeii. Also anywhere where you want to wear whatever you please without regard for the opinions of others. Happens to the best of us sometimes.

Hiho, stop being so silly! <BR><BR>It is just fine to wear shorts depending on where you are in Italy. In resort type beach areas clean, neat, respectable length shorts (not those skimpy running things) are okay, especially if it is hot. What would you wear on a hot day in a resort area of the US? Certainly not long, hot trousers! <BR><BR>BTW, retirement suited you.

Hey! Ho! Wazzup!

&lt;&lt;Hiho, stop being so silly!&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>You might as well tell the sun to stop coming up in the east.<BR>

short are so fine to wear. Do you however know if guys can wear them to the Vatican or Scavi tour. He is mr. casual i just don't want to be rude, but i can not imagine wearing pants in 100 degrees

Still waiting for the answer to my post about whether shorts are acceptable in the Vatican if you're not Catholic. Seems to me the Pope wouldn't have jurisdiction over me, right?

I do not think the guards will let you in with shorts on. I have heard of people carrying pants in their backpack to put on before entering.

If the guards can wear those silly clown outfits, we should be able to wear shorts.

The guards with the silly clown outfits (or those wearing a suit and tie, for that matter) will definitely NOT let men wearing shorts into St. Peter's basilica. There are public restrooms available for changing into and out of long trousers. Carry a bag with you to store the shorts for later use.

What if the hot Saharan winds were devious, and blew in from the north?

If tourists can't wear shorts in Italy, then why are Italian men allowed to wear those skin-tight Speedo-type swim trunks that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination? And for that matter, why are Italian women allowed to wear those skimpy bikinis that most of them are falling all out of all over the place?<BR>When we were on the Italian coast in June, even the young boys were wearing those horrendous Speedos. (They've gotta be bad for the old circulation). One kid was so overweight that I can't believe his mother let him out wearing that thing in the first place.<BR>

But, the don't wear the Speedos to the Vatican or in downtown Rome. And Tim, the Vatican is a separate Papal State. Just as a foreign country can deny you access into its boundaries so can the Vatican, clown costumes or no. They don't owe you an explanation. You are simply unacceptable for admission. End of story. In addition all of you might want to look at those pants that zip off to become shorts that are popular in travel catalogs.

Not wearing shorts for men or women in the vatican is a show of respect. I would not appreciate my fellow Americans showing themselves as boorish and disrespectful, enough of that goes on already and the bad image falls on the rest of us that care for the customs and traditions of our european neighbors.

Hiho, I spent 3 weeks in Iatly last October and shorts were an absolute necessity. The only problem comes in getting into churches when you're wearing shorts. So, either wear loose trousers for the trips to churches or thos travel trousers that will fold up. If you wear long trousers through an italian summer you'll just melt.

Wear the pants/shorts that the legs zip on and off that they carry in the travel catalogs. I have often seen people zipping the leg on just before entering the churches. I was just in Rome and (this has never happened before) before we could go into St. Peters, they were doing bag and weapon inspections.

I am sure the Priest at the vatican Don't mind the shorts on little boys or the men. so take a chance

I don't know what kind of clothing restrictions are enforced at the Vatican, but when we were there in early June, my wife and I walked out of St. Peter's behind a woman who was wearing a pair of white sheer pants ( and I mean SHEER, so sheer that I thought they had to be pantyhose) You could see her thong!! I thought I was going to have a stroke. My wife sure gave me hell about looking, but wha't a guy to do? Guess it wasn't shorts and a tank top, so the guards couldn't do anything.

Just be glad you aren't a Pup! Do you realize how hot it is when you cannot take off your fur coat!!!!