Well, we've booked our hotels and a car for a few days. I'm looking into what else to book ahead and of course, this forum is very helpful in that regard.
BUT - I need to figure out clothing/shoes/other paraphernalia for our trip, the latter half of May. Several questions:
1) We're not kids and like to look presentable in other countries, but it seems that perhaps standards have changed a little since COVID. For instance, I would usually NOT wear sneakers (unless doing something very active), but at least in the US, they are ubiquitous now. I was planning on finding some new good walking shoes (I'm thinking walking sandals might be tough with all the up and down and cobblestones). What's the consensus?
2) Layers, right? It should be warm but not hot and cool early morning and in the evening. Occasional showers, keep a small umbrella in my bag. Some slightly 'nicer' wear for dinner. Am I on track here?
3) What else are musts to bring? Chargers, adapters etc. I know about, but what else will make my trip easier.

Thanks everyone!
Alice

smart phone, pre-downloaded maps so you can use GPS

Thanks bilboburgler - but I don't understand about pre-downloaded maps. Is that so you don't have to be connected to wi-fi?

Alice

(and of course smart phone which is also my camera!).

Everyone is wearing sneakers in Europe these days.

Ditto to what joannyc tells you about the sneakers. Women, young and old, in Portugal these days are wearing sneakers with very thick soles. They're in fashion these days. They really are what you need for the cobblestones and steep streets, especially in the rain, when they're extremely slippery. I wore Paul Green loafers with very thick treads (but light), but wished I had brought along my PG sneakers (very expensive, I know, but the most comfortable shoes I've tried for my feet, and I've tried many brands, from Mephisto to Arche to Ecco for hikes--I purchase them at Nordstrom with my Nordy's Notes).
For our October trip, it's sneakers all the way, with a pair of ballerina type flats for nice dinners out..
We walked 7 miles a day.
Aliced, don't wear sandals. Sneakers with heavy soles are the way to go.

Thanks, Maribel, that was my suspicion. I was just in a 'comfort shoe' store to buy shoes for my son's wedding (VERY soon) and once successful (finally!), was browsing the pricey but comfy sneakers there. But I wasn't sure if they would be appropriate - glad to hear that they ARE. And thanks for confirming my suspicion about sandals, I have very nice Mephistos, but they're not for this trip. (And I don't know your brand, but I will look them up).

Alice,
I've also tried the Josef Siebel brand, also comfortable, that I also purchased at Nordys.
https://www.nordstrom.com/brands/jos...72/women/shoes.

I would take both sneakers and sturdy sandals. And perhaps one more pair, like nicer looking sandals for evenings out. I always travel with sneakers. And make sure any shoes are ones you have worn and know they are good (not brand new). If you prefer "walking shoes" that's OK, just buy them well ahead of your trip and test them out. I love sandals and have never had an issue with them because of walking on cobblestones (do it all tlhe time in Mexico).

Yes I think you're on the right track with clothes. I pack by starting a month ahead by laying things out, then just think how they will work together and on a trip. One thing I do is down-size all toiletries and cosmetics to just what I need for the lenght of the trip.

buena suerte/good luck!

Thanks, Suze. I have a generic US packing list and a generic Europe packing list. For this trip, I am factoring in the possibility that I might test positive for COVID before coming home, so I'm packing extra meds (on my list!). And I do pare down on toiletries and wear minimal makeup on trips, but I do make room for my favorite sunscreen. But I'm glad to hear that layers are the way to go, that usually works for me. Oh, and a packable/roll-up sun hat, the sun is NOT my friend!

Alice

Maribel, I've looked at Josef Siebel before, I see you are a big Nordstrom fan! I think their shoe department is one of the best around. But as I've gotten older, I have been going to the 'comfort shoe' stores more and more, all the good brands in one place. (Suffice it to say I have a foot doc now). I'll also look for shoes at LLBean and REI, sometimes can find just the right thing.

Alice

Yes, I'm a big Nordstrom fan and have one just 10 min. away in the Seattle metro area, which gets me into much trouble.
In Portugal, I didn't see women wearing sandals, even in Cascais on our beach walks, as everyone was wearing sneakers, men and women, but this was in March. We were doing heavy city walking that required the very sturdiest of shoes with very thick soles to manage those very, very steep and slippery hills. Porto, Lisbon, Sintra and Coimbra are not "easy sees" for the mobility impaired, I must say.

I've ordered shoes from Harry's in NY but Nordstrom carries more or less the same "comfort" brands, and I can easily return them.
It will be warm in Portugal in May. Even in March we had sunny days with temps reaching the upper sixties. Layers are definitely the way to go.

I have many foot/walking issues and have just gotten 2 new pairs of shoes - the Brooks Ghost 14, which feels very comfortable:
https://www.zappos.com/p/brooks-ghos...5/color/913591

and a pair of SAS lightweight but sturdy shoes (these look much better on the foot than I expected!:
https://tiptopshoes.com/products/sas...hoCuE8QAvD_BwE

We will be in Portugal in May, too, so I appreciate this thread.

I've also ordered from Tip Top Shoes, another of NYC's "comfy shoes" shops.

I know all the NYC “comfy shoes” shops intimately! And there’s also Eneslow’s. Ironically,, with so much bought on line, the stores no longer carry the stock they once did, so it’s harder to actually buy in store now and the kind of fitting that they used to give.

Thanks, progol, I will check these out. And I've ordered from Zappos but never heard of Tip Top Shoes, thanks for the tip!

The store I have the most luck at is Comfort One Shoes, that's where I found cute and comfy wedding shoes (which I thought was going to be an impossible combination).

Alice

(maybe we will recognize each other by our shoes...)

You can order the SAS through Zappos, too - it was just that I had it saved on TipTop, since I bought them there.

I’ll need to check out Comfort One - I’ve exhausted all my usual sites!

My husband says a perfect day for me is spending time travel planning and shoe shopping!

I recently bought myself a pair of Brooks Adrenaline 22 sneakers for our upcoming trip to Greece in May. I have been wearing them while taking walks in our neighborhood, and so far I really like them. I bought them at a local Dick's Sporting Goods.

I have been wearing SAS shoes and sandals for years, and I love them. I need shoes with a lot of support. Sadly, our local store that sold them recently closed because the owner retired. I prefer to try on shoes and found a store that sells SAS a bit further away but it will be worth it to drive there to try on shoes.

Before we went to Lisbon in 2018, I bought a pair of walking shoes from The Walking Company. They were very comfortable, sturdy, and skid proof. However, I noticed that after about a year, they stretched and became slightly loose even though I would pull the strap tight. I suppose I could try a different shoe from The Walking Company but not sure I feel comfortable doing that.

Thanks, KarenWoo. I will look into the Brooks. SAS never seems to fit me well for some reason. And we're considering a trip to Greece (well part of Greece) in the fall.

Alice

Yes, GPS is basically free and requires no telephone signal (which costs money) and frankly, while a lot of people like to spend money on their telephone the GPS facility is so easy and useful why not use it. If, after you holiday, you have too much money left why not send it to Ukraine?

Downloading the maps before a trip from Google for the GPS was a great discovery we made about 7-8 years ago. It’s amazing to be able to have access to GPS without depending upon and using a cellular service.