Travel clothing suggestions

[NicolettaRose]

My friend and I are going to be taking a trip this spring. It's a transatlantic cruise and it stops in several diverse places for which I think I'll need a couple of different kinds of outfits.

Here are the places we will be visiting:

* San Juan, Puerto Rico
*San Maarten ( Caribbean)- Going to hang out on the beach.
*Barcelona, Spain
*Rome, Italy- Probably need semi-modest clothing to go into the vatican, no sleeveless tops.
*Venice Italy
* Tangier/Casablanca Morocco- This one is tricky, it's a muslim country, so I want to dress modest.
* Corsica

Any suggestions on what to pack? Modern or vintage clothing suggestions are both welcome

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Wow, that sounds like a great trip.
I'm not a big fan of cruises, but my parents take me on a few a year. I'm sure they'd love to take one like this one. What liner are you taking? Do you have more than one day in each port? How many day's will you be gone?
Sorry for all the questions. Just looking for something new, other than the typical cruise that usually only goes to one part of the Caribbean or just one country.

As for what you should pack, that's a tough one. I tend to bring way too much. I get the most use out of day dresses, bathing suits, and a few formal gowns. Cardigan's are always good for the cooler nights on deck

 

[NicolettaRose]

Hi there Daisy, I like to be a light traveler, bring as little as I possibily can, less to lug that way. There are a couple of cruises that actually do this, they mostly leave in April, the most famous one being The Queen Mary 2 which goes from New York to Southhampton.The ones that I have seen mostly go either to the southern Med. sea, or around England, Ireland etc etc. I have always wanted to do a transatlantic cruise, seems so glamerous and old fashioned, plus I love food and love to eat, and cruises are great for that

We only have one day in all of the ports, but I am thankful for all of the variety. I had a choice of this, or the Bahamas and a I chose Europe.

 

[Tourbillion]

I find that you have to pack a lot of clothes for a cruise.

There are the shorts or playsuits and bathing suits for day in the Bahamas, or in your case Puerto Rico. Sundresses are good, and you can put a jacket or sweater over them to go to places like the Vatican. Then you have to dress for dinner. That means multiple evening gowns, plus dresses (or slacks). I ended up wearing skirts and blouses for the less formal dinners, but that still means I ended up changing at least twice a day.

For muslim countries, I'd prefer to be covered up. I know a lot of European tourists like to go around in bathing attire, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that without at least a big, intimidating guy with me.

So, I would recommend a longer skirt, either straight or peasant style with a loose blouse (I would wear a big linen blouse). Wider sleeves help you stay cool, so nothing tight for hot places where you have to cover up. A sun hat is nice too, and very modest. Basically, I would want to expose as little flesh as the native ladies, short of wearing a veil.

I totally have the travel bug, I wish you could take me with you.

Have fun!

 

[princessofcandl]

wow! I'm so jealous. I have to talk the husband into one of those.

Ok... here are my recs. btw... I do a LOT of road trips with hubby. That is another adventure that requires variety and not a lot of luggage. I too am a light traveler.

Must haves:
*Sunscreen (ok... I just had to say it)
*Indian (like bollywood) sari tunic and pant set with wrap and tank top. You will get tons of use for this and if you hand wash (and they're thin so they'll dry) you can split them up to look like more outfits (ie tunic with shorts, pants with bikini top, wrap to cover when modesty is needed)
*A microfiber black/dark color dress. Again you can wear it and wash it a million times over.
*Broomstick skirt. I know most ladies don't find these fashionable. I live in Texas (the cowboy kind not the Dallas Debs) so they're always fashionable here. But a broomstick skirt can be worn a few times without washing (as long as you're careful) and can be worn with tank tops, tunics, longsleeve t-shirts. And they are roomy and breath so you'll still be comfy.

 

[Grace]

Ugh, I hate packing!

Right now I am packing for a 10 day cruise, and I'm at a loss! I wish I could be of more assistance! For me it's lots of skirts and tank/halter tops and sun dresses for day. I always end up packing twice what I need because I'm never sure what I want to wear. I'm also packing lots of purses and heels, I just can't decided which ones! And I'm hoping to pick up a locally made floppy straw hat in one of our ports.

 

[Rebecca D]

I'm headed to Palestine soon, so if anyone has clothing suggestions they'd be much appreciated. I have absolutely no plans for dressing in anything cute, but I need some suggestions on what to wear to cover up. My Palestinian friends tell me the hijab isn't necessary, but I think I'd prefer it just to cover up my bright red hair.

Anyone been there? Any ideas?

 

[beaucaillou]

My brother and his lady recently got back from Jordan. His girlfriend did dye her blonde hair brown, and kept her clothing modest.

As far as travel clothes, I keep thinking of Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'... Long, full light weight print skirts, knot-front blouses, and ankle tie espadrilles. Definitely a shawl for night time.

 

[MapleHughes]

Rome

Hi Ladies! I am going to Rome in April for 7 days and here is what I have found out...the weather is avg of low 60's,slight chance of rain. As for visiting/touring churches you must have your shoulders covered and skirts to the knees or over-no shorts allowed for men or women. I have heard that there is alot of cobblestone in Rome so becareful!! Arrivederci!!!
Maple

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I was just in Rome and everything you say is correct. Also, if you are going to wear a skirt in any of these churches, I would suggest wearing nylons too, even if the weather is warm. And yes, Rome is ALL cobblestone. I would put fashion aside and get a really good pair of walking shoes. In my case I wore cute suede boots with a rubber wedge heel, and they were a G-d send. The one day I didn't wear them, and opted for a cuter pair of shoes, I fell flat on my face, gashing one elbow and both knees pretty badly. That cobblestone is really hard! I did notice that all the Roman woman were wearing sensible walking shoes, or boots that were very similar to the ones I wore. Besides, I like the look of boots with an a-line skirt. I was incredibly comfortable, even in the warmer weather.
I don't know what the hours are for the churches during the time you are going. But, if you want to see the Vatican and it's museum, I would suggest getting there at least an hour before they open. The first time I attempted to go, there was a line that was, and this is no exaggeration, 3 miles long. I went back the next morning, arriving about a 1/2 hour before they opened, and the line was only about a mile and a half long, which was only about an hour wait. I hear this is actually pretty good for the time of year I was there, when the church museums are only open for 3 to 4 hours a day.
Have a fun trip. Rome is an incredible city, I can't wait to get back.

 

[Tourbillion]

Well then there's me who managed to sprain my ankle in Paris on their cobblestones. I was even wearing walking shoes! Ugly ones too (well they are super comfortable). My stupid ankle still hurts sometimes, especially if I try to wear heels for more than 10 minutes.

All the same, that doesn't mean you should try to wear stilettos while travelling. Wedge sandals, whether modern or vintage are much more sensible, and harder to get stuck between stones. Although, I find that 60F can leave ones toes a bit chilled in sandals, and where's theres rain there's puddles, so maybe closed toe shoes are a better idea for travelling anyway.

p.s. the main reason I wear nylons is to keep my shoes from eating my feet, so even though they are evil, they are necessary.

 

[BellyTank]

Morocco...

Morocco is very cosmopolitan, in the big cities at least-
French and Spanish influence- relatively Western friendly and a thriving tourism industry. Most North Afican countries are fine but Middle East countries are very different.
You don't need to be "too" shy in Morocco but it's always good to be able to cover your arms, legs and head if visiting a religious place- same goes for the Vatican.
A scarf will come in handy.


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