I'm booked on the tour for Athens at the end of August and am wondering what to pack for a woman? I was going to bring slacks for the most part because it is easy to match up with tops. However, I know it will be very warm there. Wondering if bringing black pants is ok??

I would appreciate any advice. I don't want to pack the wrong clothes.

Thank you!

mamilw ~ Tours are not formal at all & comfortable is the order of the day. Capri's are perfectly acceptable if you feel slacks would be too warm. Just ensure that when in churches knees & shoulders are covered. Black pants? Are you thinking of night time wear? If so than yes, they will be just fine. I always take a pair of black trousers & a couple of blingy tops for more dressy dinners. The most important thing of all is to have comfortable walking shoes.

Have a look at: www.weatherbase.com

This will help you temps that you may expect.

Hello mamilw and welcome to the bulletin board.

I find that to be comfortable in a warm to hot climate it is best to wear loose fitting cotton clothing, cotton pants or shorts with sleeveless or short sleeve cotton tops, layering is the best way to travel especially in the shoulder season.

Good luck, I hope you have a wonderful trip.

Thank you both for the advice.

I was thinking of bringing black pants for day or evening because it would be very easy to match up with loose fitting tops, or something more dressy. I was just nervous about what to wear.

Comfortable shoes is of key importance.

I'm looking forward to the trip however maybe I should have chosen a different time of year.

mamilw ~ Don't be nervous about what to wear, Coach tours are very casual, the black pants will be fine for evenings, but might be a bit hot in the daytime as black attracts the heat.

Dress as you would at home in hot weather. I agree comfortable shoes that breathe would be good, make sure they are well broken in before the trip.

quote:

Originally posted by Dimpz:
... I always take a pair of black trousers & a couple of blingy tops...

Blingy? Not in any of my dictionaries. From Google, I thought it might mean B*** or overloaded servers. Advice from bearded IT expert in the next room was that it is US colloquialism from the 1980s gangster world.

Dressy? Bejewelled?

You understand that, even with the net, it takes a while for modern English to make its way across the Darling!

quote:

Originally posted by Mallee:
Dressy? Bejewelled?

Mallee ~ Yes that is is! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bling-bling

For me it just means anything with a few sequins or a bit glam

quote:

Originally posted by mamilw:

I was thinking of bringing black pants for day or evening because it would be very easy to match up with loose fitting tops, or something more dressy. I was just nervous about what to wear.

Yes black pants could easily be dressed up for evening with a scarf or some costume jewellery. I have a very cool cotton pair of black pants with a draw string waist, which is comfortable for travelling. Also don't forget to take a hat, perhaps a calico type one that can be easily scrunched into a bag. I did a tour one time with a lady that bought along a huge straw picture hat. LOL what a pain that was.

Not sure of your fitness levels, but if (like me) not great, do start taking a walk each day & make sure you wear the shoes & socks you will be taking away with you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dimpz,

Nothing dressy is required and it will be VERY hot. May I suggest sleeveless tops and light cotton capris or crinkle cotton skirts or sundresses will work. Any "city" type clothes will be much too hot and not serve you well in the high heat. 5 minutes of walking around will leave your clothes wet and pasted to you so be sure they are really lightweight.

Hi mamilw,
welcome to the BB, and it looks like you have already gotten lots of good advice.
What tour are you doing? I am on the Aegean Odyssey, but leave a short time after you. I am packing very light-coloured and lightweight cotton clothing for day time but also have 1 pair of black pants and a couple of dressier tops for the evening.
I usually pack a couple pairs of shoes. My feet swell and it takes a day or two after the flight for them to return to normal so a pair of adjustable shoes is a must for me.
Hope you have a wonderful time!

I just returned from Greece.

The long, but not too long, cotton crinkle skirts are perfect for both night and day wear; just vary the tops, etc. That way, you can pop into any church, as long as your shoulders are covered. Our TD usually had a lightweigth scarf in her bag that she could throw over her sleeveless top.

Most of the women wore shorts at least part of the time. The day we went to the Acropolis it was 100F, and I was glad that I had lightweight shorts and a very light cotton short-sleeved shirt. Those wearing tank tops got a bit sunburned.

I have a wide brimmed straw hat that I purchased from Talbots many years ago which folds up nicely.

I brought one pair of white pants, and one pair of black; both a lightweight cotton with a bit of spandex. Just make sure that you test them at home first to see how quickly they dry, and if they wrinkle.

Hi Mrs Toad,
Did you pack a swimming costume & towel in? I can't find that anyone has had time to go swimming...

Yes, I brought a swimsuit, and a very sheer, print coverup, along with very lightweight flip-flops. I wore the coverup over a black tank and pants one night on the cruise, as a tunic.

All of the hotels except the one in Olympia had pools. We definitely went quick dips, especially after touring the Acropolis and Athens in 100 degree heat!

The ship has a small pool, but I didn't use it. However, many others in our group did. I found it to be full of college aged kids having games, etc. We did walk to the beach in Rhodes one afternoon.

All of the hotel pools provided towels at poolside, and a beach towel was placed in your cabin on the cruise. You would be charged a significant amount if it was missing at the end of the cruise, but otherwise you could bring it to shore with you, as we did.