Europe packing list: Expert reveals items not to pack

If you want to fit in, swap your shorts for a pair of long pants. Photo / 123RF

When visiting a new country or city, few of us wish to stand out as a tourist. So, we brush up on the local language, perhaps learn a little about the etiquette and try to “fit in” so we can avoid being treated like a bothersome visitor.

Yet, according to one travel expert, a European can spot us as a foreigner before we can even offer a “ciao”.

How? It’s all to do with the length of your pants.

Cameron Hewitt, a tour guide and co-author alongside famous travel writer Rick Steves, has advised tourists on the one item of clothing that instantly marks someone as a tourist; shorts.

In a post made on the website Rick Steves’ Europe, Hewitt explains why a pair of shorts is a red flag in Italy.

Titled Practical Packing Tips for the Unfashionable Male’, Hewitt admits he’s no style icon but has advice for packing outfits that are “comfortable practical, and respectful”.

In some cities, this involves leaving your shorts in the suitcase. Italy was one such country, Hewitt wrote, as it’s considered “silly” when grown men wear shorts.

“It’s not ‘offensive’ or ‘insensitive,’ exactly,” he said, adding that it was just “a little strange” as shorts are considered something only worn by children or at the beach.

“What’s more important to you: being comfortable or not looking silly?” he adds, explaining that if it’s hot, he may wear shorts and accept it looks silly but if it’s only slightly balmy, he’ll opt for long pants.

If you’re travelling around a Catholic country, such as Spain or Italy, long pants are also necessary for visiting certain churches.

Writing to an American audience, Hewitt does admit that clothing often isn’t enough to make visitors blend in.

In fact, travellers could be dressed entirely by a European designer but still be identifiable as Americans simply by their body language, demeanour or gestures.

Travellers also warn against this specific shoe

This isn’t the only thing tourists have been advised against wearing while travelling Europe this summer.

Dozens of people have taken to TikTok to share warnings about a specific kind of shoe.

Adidas Sambas may be considered one of the most popular sneakers of 2024, gracing the feet of many celebrities, but there’s a specific reason why they come with a warning.

Many Europeans and people travelling around Europe have shared warnings on TikTok against wearing the fashionable shoe in old cities such as Paris or Lisbon as it’s sole is too slippery.

In one video, TikTok user @sosooyyammm showed a clip of her sister slipping in Lisbon, wearing “the one shoe I told [her] not to bring”.

@sosooyyammm

now she understands why u can’t walk with sambas in Lisbon

♬ original sound - SpongeBob background music

The video, which has been viewed more than 9.5 million times, was captioned: “Now she understands why you can’t walk with sambas in Lisbon.”

Another TikTok user claimed wearing the shoe in Europe while it was raining was “suicide” and another claimed they fractured their ankle during a girls’ trip to Budapest because they’d fallen wearing their new Sambas.