Rick Steves' Best Clothing Tips To Look Like A Local While You're In Europe

Packing for a trip to Europe might seem like a no-brainer process. You're going for a week? Pack a week's worth of clothing. However, this isn't like visiting Disneyland in Florida or strolling the streets of New York City for seven days where you can get away with bringing a big suitcase and leaving it at the hotel. You might be taking a train between cities and countries every day or two and carrying everything with you. If you visit certain religious buildings there are often clothing rules you have to follow. Plus, there are items to dress in that will make you blend in rather than stand out as a tourist. Enter travel pro Rick Steves, who has plenty of advice for packing the right items to make you seem like a local as well as other really important tips for packing light.

From the length of your shorts (or whether to skip them entirely) to covering your shoulders and knees at churches, there are a lot of things for you to know before you go. We've also got a few tips to keep toiletry bag light as well. Here's how to avoid some easy-to-make clothing mistakes as a tourist in places like Italy, France, Spain, and the rest of Europe.

The first thing Steves mentions is how dressy to be. As he wrote on his website, "While Europeans do wear casual clothing, their definition of casual is a bit dressier than ours." However, you don't have to wear a ball gown to the theater. Steves explains, "I have never felt out of place at symphonies, operas, or plays wearing a decent pair of slacks and a good-looking sweater or collared shirt. Some cultural events require more formal attire, particularly outside of high season, but the casual tourist rarely encounters these. Women who don't pack a dress or skirt will do just fine with a pair of nice pants."

One thing to leave out of your suitcase is shorts. They're not really worn unless it's really, really hot, particularly by older women. That doesn't mean you can't wear them if you love them. It's just going to make you stick out a bit. What Steves recommends instead is Capri pants or a skirt, which might get more air to your body to cool you down anyway. In fact, anything that shows a lot of skin outside of the beach isn't common in Europe. Leave the athleisure wear at home. Bring a scarf to cover shoulders and knees at churches or your head if you're a woman at some mosques and synagogues. It's advice he shares with fellow travel expert Samantha Brown who calls them the Swiss army knife of travel clothing.

Another tip Steves has for European travel is to pack light. Bring pants and skirts that are neutral in color so you can cover your knees and blend in with locals while wearing them several times. You can do laundry at a laundromat, which Steves says helps you get the feel of a place, or in the hotel sink with the free shampoo. That gives you more room to take home souvenirs. 

Another thing he mentions is being prepared for changeable European weather. "Don't let the weather dictate your sightseeing" is one of the best pieces of advice Steves has for us. You can pack a collapsible umbrella and a light rain jacket. It's worth it, as he says the weather changes quite a bit from day to day and country to country. Go out anyway and see the city. Steves also says to bring one pair of shoes (if you can manage it) that are comfortable. Remember, Europe has a lot of uneven cobblestone streets.  

Another place you can save space so you can lightly trek all over the continent is in your toiletry bag. Use the shampoo/conditioner/soap in your hotel, and bring only what you'll use. Do you wear makeup? Pick one cream product to work as blush, lipstick, and eyeshadow for a natural look (which will also help you look rested in pics). These are just some of the many tips Steves offers for common clothing mistakes.