When packing for a trip to Eastern Europe it's important to keep two things in mind: the weather and European culture. Those brightly-colored sneakers and short-shorts may be all the rage in your hometown, but in Europe, they might contribute to you standing out in a negative way.
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Women's Clothing for Summer in Eastern Europe
During hot summer months in Eastern Europe, light dresses and skirts are common outfits for Eastern European women, paired withsandals or heels for footwear. As a traveler, plan to wear comfortable, light clothing that you can layer for cooler days. Slacks and jeans are good, too. Include a couple of nicer outfits even if you don't plan on dining out at special restaurants or attending concerts. You might get some unexpected use out of them. In any case, you won't look out of place if you have to wear something a bit dressier for a day of sightseeing or museum hopping.
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Men's Clothing for Summer in Eastern Europe
Despite the heat in the summer, men in Eastern Europe wear shorts less often than do men from the United States. Instead they'll wear slacks and summer shirts with summer footwear—but usually not sneakers. Pack similar items if you want to fit in, but do note that shorts are acceptable if you do want to stay cool (they'll just label you as a tourist). And if you go hiking? Pants are always better, even when it's hot. One word: mosquitos.
Eastern Europeans generally don't wear sneakers or running shoes as a part of their everyday wardrobes. Comfortable walking shoes are much less likely to signify that you are a Westerner. If you don't own a pair of these, make sure you test and break in a pair before you travel.
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What Not to Wear When You Travel to Eastern Europe
Generally speaking, sneakers, shorts, and to a lesser extent, the typical "jeans and t-shirt" outfit, will make you easily identifiable as a traveler from the United States. The stereotypical tourist's backpack is also a visual clue. Messenger-type bags for men and shoulder bags for women are more in keeping with Eastern European style sense. In addition, you can keep an eye on their contents more easily than you can the contents of a backpack.
Summer travel in Eastern European countries where Eastern Orthodoxy is practiced will mean visiting cathedrals open for public view. Both men and women should have their legs and arms covered (short sleeves are okay), and women should have their hair covered. Men will invariably be asked to take off their hats when applicable.
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Minimizing Your Summer Wardrobe for Eastern Europe Travel
Summer travel in Eastern Europe means that you'll be able to pack more clothing than you would if traveling during cooler seasons. However, you should still pack items easily discarded if you need more room on your return trip—you might end up shopping quite a bit. In addition, try to pack outfits that are interchangeable with each other. Eastern Europeansgenerally don't maintain vast wardrobes, and it's okay to be seen in the same outfit more than once in succession.
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Hiking Clothes for Summer Travel to Eastern Europe
If you venture at all outside the city, you'll no doubt encounter great hiking opportunities. Eastern Europeans take their hiking seriously—what they consider a little stroll might be much more than you expect. Make sure that you wear appropriate footwear, sunscreen, bug repellent, and cotton clothing that is comfortable and breathable.
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Best Packing Practices
Given that you might be lugging your suitcase over cobblestones, then up several flights of stairs (many older buildings don't have elevators), pack light! Get organized with packing cubes, and carry as few bags as possible. But don't forget to pack a range of essentials: for instance, an umbrella or disposable poncho. Summer storms are typical and can catch you off-guard when you're sightseeing. The poncho option will scream "tourist," but it will keep you from walking around in wet clothing after a downpour.
Also consider packing a scarf or a light sweater—even though it's typically hot in the summer, it's not uncommon to have a cool day here or there. And finally, pack some materials like bubble wrap or tissue paper in case you need to wrap any fragile souvenirs.
Think t-shirts, long-sleeved tops, shorts, trousers, jeans, sweaters, and a rain jacket. If you're travelling in summer, you'll need more lighter clothing like skirts, dresses and shorts, and if you're travelling in winter you'll need to rug up with thermals, jeans, woollen sweaters, scarves, beanies and gloves.
Comfortable clothing doesn't have to mean slouchy. Dresses, t-shirts, jeans, button-down shirts, and skirts are all must-pack items. Opt for flowy fabrics in materials like linen or cotton for warmer days. Breathable shorts are great for hot Mediterranean destinations.
To give a very simplified overview, my Europe packing list included: 7 dresses, 2 pairs of jeans, 8 tops (a mix of long sleeves, short sleeves, and tanks), and 3 pairs of shoes. I did wear a couple of things twice, but I think that is better than overpacking and lugging too much stuff with me.
Is Eastern Europe considered a safe destination for foreign tourists, particularly for solo travelers and female travelers without escorts? It is safe in all countries except Poland where there are thieves who distract tourists and you find your bag stolen.
Leave items you're very unlikely to wear at home. Roll rather than fold lightweight garments like T-shirts. Plan your outfits; this will help you determine if you have extraneous items you're unlikely to wear. Pack small items last.
Rolling your clothing when packing also makes it easier to stuff and store within the suitcase, therefore saving MORE space. For example, you can roll socks, and stuff them into pairs of shoes, or roll something and squeeze it into an awkward space where a folded top would not fit.
The trick is to bring versatile basics you already wear at home. 5 x bottoms – this can be 2 shorts, 2 skirts and a pair of jeans, or all pants if you're traveling in colder months, but maximum is 5. And guys, this includes board shorts. 10 x tops – the idea here is to maximise your mix and match potential.
(You can read about why this is important in my post on bra care and maintenance.) Each pair of underwear can only be worn once before it needs to be laundered. If you have unlimited suitcase space and don't want to do any laundry, a two-week trip means packing 14/2 = 7 bras and at least 14 pairs of underwear.
Dear Flat out, It's my opinion you need but three pairs of shoes while holidaying: a pair for walking and/or the gym (if you continue to use it during your downtime), a pair for casual daytime museum visits and a nicer pair for the evening. All should be flat. A holiday is also a break for one's heels.
If you go on a 2-week trip to Europe, there is a good chance you'll need at least a 25” suitcase, and perhaps even bigger 28” luggage will be more suitable. Still, within these suitcases, you want to choose one that weighs the least.
And you'll be walking for miles and miles. So you want comfortable shoes. And you want comfortable clothing that isn't restricting. You also want clothing that fits the season so light and airy during the hot summer and warm/water-resistant in the winter.
The cost of traveling around Eastern Europe for a month on a budget can vary depending on your travel style and the countries you choose to visit. On average, budget travelers can expect to spend around $1,000 to $1,500 for a month-long trip. This includes accommodation, transportation, food, and activities.
Generally speaking, as with most destinations in Europe, peak tourist season falls from May to September, with July and August as the busiest months. If you want to enjoy mild weather and avoid spending top dollar, the best months to visit Eastern Europe are March to May and from mid-September to November.
"These are substantial cuisines, meaty, rooty, smoky – part comfort food, part extravagance." Their main ingredients include eggs, used most frequently in doughs and pastries; dairy products (with yogurt and cheese among the staples); grains, including rye, barley, wheat, buckwheat and millet used in kashas and in the ...
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