Clothing
1. Shoes
The most important item in your wardrobe is a pair of comfortable, waterproof walking shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking, no fun with wet, sore feet. Break the shoes in before you leave. Old TIE students say: "Leather shoes a must, canvas shoes don't work in the rain."
2. Everyday Clothes
Dress as you would for college: casual but neat... this is what European students do.
Slacks, Nice Jeans, Skirt, Long Shorts
Especially in southern Europe women are expected to wear skirts and tops with sleeves, men to wear long pants when visiting churches. In that situation "wrap around" knee length skirts for women and windbreaker type nylon pants with elastic waist bands for men can be put on easily over shorts. This allows you to be comfortable outside in the sun, and decent inside the churches. Tees and sweats with logos of universities and sports teams are very cool in Europe. On the other hand, baseball caps are considered goony, doubly so when worn indoors. Avoid extreme styles: deliberately tattered clothing is not acceptable. Athletic garb (short shorts and tank tops) is not appropriate wear in cities. TIE standards prohibit wearing clothing bearing rude or suggestive messages or messages making light of excessive drinking while with the group.
Drip Dry Shirts and T-shirts
Avoid items that require ironing or special laundering. Washing clothes while on the go is a constant problem. Laundromats are less common and less efficient in Europe than here, and you'll have better things to do than to watch your laundry spin. If you take everything you now have in your dresser you will end up lugging heavy bags full of dirty laundry all over Europe. It is better to take very few changes of clothing (5 shirts, 5 underwear, 5 pairs socks) and to realize that you will often have to rinse something out in the sink and dry it on the radiator. Bring a small bottle of Woolite, or other detergent, which you can easily replace in Europe. TIE veteran says: "Washable silk is great... dries in three hours max." A portable clothes line, sold in travel stores, takes no luggage space and is very useful. Recent TIE alumni swear buy the product "Febreze".
Be Prepared for the Weather
Weather in Western Europe is somewhat milder than in Michigan. We will catch the end of summer in France, we could have golden, mellow autumn days in Bohemia - on the other hand it could be cold and damp. In any case, it will be cold in the mountains. As we travel south to Italy and Greece, it is apt to get warmer: an average Greek October has 4 rainy days and a mean high temperature of 75 degrees. You will need a warm sweater and a raincoat or waterproof jacket, but a bulky winter coat will not be necessary. A collapsible umbrella will enable you to enjoy walking tours in any weather (we have no rain dates!). Full size umbrellas are not recommended because they must be checked during museum visits, and this takes time.
3. For Business Visits and Parties
You will need to look professional for business visits (Auto factories, advertising agencies, etc.) and sharp for parties (wine tasting, "Formal Night" on the cruise ship).
Women
One professional dress, or pants suit and dress shoes minimum. Weigh your desire to create a sensational impression against the inconvenience of packing and carrying four different dressy outfits. Mix and match is the key!
Men
Suit or jacket with slacks, white shirt, tie. Some men's shoes can pass equally as dress shoes or walking shoes (Rocksports, for instance). However if your walking shoes look like sneakers or hiking boots, bring some dress loafers.
4. On Shipboard
Same as above, plus swimwear. Cheap rope soled shoes (espadrilles) are ideal for the ship and can be bought in Athens.
Advice from Former Students
Pack the bare minimum necessary. "Pack a lot of air": leave plenty of room in your bags for clothing that will tempt you in Europe. "Bring half the stuff, twice the money!" Packing motto: "When in doubt, leave it out!"
Our monitor, Grant Lawson, is very helpful in getting things shipped back to the U.S. from Paris.
Some students felt they brought too many summer clothes, not enough warm clothes. While western Europe never experiences the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter, it can get damp and clammy in late fall. If, as we all devoutly hope, it is very warm in Greece in late October, you can buy beautiful light cotton shirts and dresses in Athens, before we sail for the Greek Islands.
Don't bring any white colored clothes that can be worn only once between washings!
If you are concerned about making a fashion statement, make sure every item of your wardrobe is coordinated with every other. Five tops, three bottoms and two scarves can combine into 45 distinctive outfits!
Luggage
Luggage is strictly limited to the following:
one of these:
- suitcase
- valpack
- backpack
plus one of these:
- carry on
- backpack
- shoulder bag
You must limit yourself to two pieces of luggage you can easily carry yourself. This is an absolute maximum. Space on buses, trains, and ship require this limitation be respected throughout the trip.
Advice from Former TIE Students
Ideal Luggage
Valpack for suits and dressy clothes plus a backpack for the rest: hard suitcases are a pain. Backpack leaves hands free for passport control, handling money, etc. Some students have said that taking only a large backpack would have given them greater freedom of movement. You can buy inexpensive zippered cloth bags when you start accumulating gifts towards the end of the trip.
Handbags
A cross the shoulder type bag is more secure as you do not tend to put it down and it is harder to snatch.
A "Travel Safe" is a zippered nylon pouch that hangs on a string from your neck under your shirt or sweater. It is the most secure way to carry your valuables... though it does tend to give even the most slender person a potbellied look. Furthermore, you should not think of this as your wallet. It's awkward to have to partially undress to pay for purchases, plus it shows potential thieves just where your valuables are.
A "fanny pack" is good for camera, film and accessories, but not for your valuables... again it is a prime target for would-be thieves.
"Test-carry" your luggage before you leave. Sure you can lift it in your bedroom... but how does it feel to carry it around the block? Try this, then decide if you need everything you packed. Opinions are divided on those little suitcase wheels. Some people swear by them, others say they make luggage unwieldy and hard to stow. In any case, you should realize that there will be many situations where wheels won't work such as getting on and off trains, going up and down stairs, and walking on rough cobblestones or through sand.
Phone/Fax/Mail
Before departure you will be sent a listing of our addresses, phone and fax numbers during the trip. This listing includes instructions on how and when to call different places and what mail delays to expect. Before you leave you should shop around to various long distance phone companies (AT&T, MCI, LCI, Sprint, etc.) for the best rates and equip yourself with the right service for calling home. Some services offer especially good rates if you will be calling the same few numbers a lot (parents and girl or boyfriend, for example).
There are internet cafes everywhere in the cities we visit. You should set up an e-mail account before you set out.
Packages
In the past, mailing heavy, bulky, unneeded items back from Europe has not been a problem. On the other hand, packages mailed to Europe are often delayed in customs. In some cases, TIErs have had to spend whole afternoons at central post offices attempting to collect packages shipped to them. On one occasion a student was asked to pay a 100% import tax on a video camera his family sent him in Greece. It is not recommended to have things sent to you while you are in Europe.
Miscellaneous
- Bring a towel and washcloth. Some student hotels do not provide these. Some women from previous trips suggested a pair of lightweight plastic "bath slippers" would be nice to have in some hotels with communal bathrooms.
- Travel light: bring small size toothpaste, makeup etc. Good brands of cosmetics and toiletries are available in Europe.
- Medicines: If you are on any special medication, bring enough to last the term, as well as your prescription. Carry medicine and prescription on your person, not in checked luggage. Medicines cannot be mailed practically from the US to Europe. The red tape involved in the importation of medical supplies is prohibitively complicated. Generic prescriptions, however, can be filled in Europe.
- Electric Current in Europe is 220 Volts. 110 Volt devices will burn out. Also American plugs will not fit European outlets. If you plan to travel with electrical devices (hair dryers, curlers, shavers, etc.) bring converter/adapter plugs (available in travel stores) to fit the baffling variety of European outlets. Hair dryers are cumbersome in your luggage and tend to blow circuits in hotels wired before the hair dryer came into vogue. Kay Davenport suggests that ladies consult with their hairdresser before leaving and invest in a smart "no care" cut or perm. This will save you a lot of time and trouble, and can easily be renovated half way through the trip by a German or Italian hairdresser. If you absolutely cannot get along without a hair dryer, at least share it with a friend.
- Do not bring any valuable heirloom jewelry you couldn't bear to lose. Although the crime rate in European cities is actually much lower than in American cities, it is foolish to tempt thieves - or fate!
- Laptops: In recent years a few students have brought their laptops, hoping to link to the internet and send home e-mail. This has proven more difficult than expected, mainly because most of our hotels have antiquated phone systems. Carrying the laptop around in a backpack proved burdensome, as was worrying about such a valuable piece of equipment. The students who brought along laptops said that they ultimately regretted it. On the other hand, there are internet cafes everywhere. You should set up an e-mail account before you set out.
- Cameras: Weigh your desire for professional pictures against the labor and worry of carrying heavy, expensive equipment all over Europe. Professionally shot postcards and slides, some of them very beautiful, are readily available everywhere we visit. Some of the best souvenir snapshots I've seen were taken with lightweight, inexpensive viewfinder cameras. Some TIE veterans suggest buying all the film you will need in the United states, as it costs more in Europe.
- A small pair of binoculars is nice to have to see details of sculpture or stained glass high up on buildings.
- A walkman gives you the opportunity to escape into your private musical world from whatever music the majority has decreed shall be played on the bus tape deck. However, any student wearing earphones during a lecture or guided tour will be shot on sight.
- Swiss Army Knife and salt seller. A great way to save money on meals is to picnic, and shopping for bread, cheese, fruit, pastry and wine is a good way to soak in local culture. A pocket knife with a corkscrew is a must. Heightened airline security measures since September 11, 2001 require that this knife, as well as any sharp instrument (even a nail file) be packed in your checked luggage, nor on your person or in your carry on bag. This may seem eccentric, but I carry a small salt-cum-pepper shaker fitted with lids in order to get maximum enjoyment out of those luscious Mediterranean tomatoes.
- Musical Instruments. If you play a portable instrument, by all means bring it! In 1996 one student decided not to bring his guitar, then missed it so much he bought another one in Paris. As he traveled through Europe he met many people through his music, and his playing was a delight to his fellow students. This note is included at his suggestion. If, however, your instrument is priceless and irreplaceable, see Cautions on heirloom jewelry, (5) above.
