Yes, you can wear shorts in Italy, but people living there usually dont. But most likely you’ll look like tourists anyway, and walking around sweating in warm clothes isnt going to prevent that Im afraid…

Your daughter can of course bring her t- shirts and cargo shorts, if it’s what she likes wearing. Buying her some expencive travel clothes is just a waste if she never wears them…

1. For a 14 day trip (which is probably only 11 or 12 days by the time you take out flight time and jet lag recovery), I would not plan on doing laundry in sinks — it isn’t worth it. You can easily pack for a 2 week trip in a fairly small bag. Get used to the fact that some clothes can be worn more than once before they’re washed and take 2 weeks worth of underwear. I also would not invest in "travel" clothes — really not worth the expense and VERY unstylish by European standards. Whatever you wear at home will be less noticable that "travel" clothes.

2. The teenage girls you see in Europe will be more fashion concious and girly-girl than your daughter sounds. We watched the summer runway shows from Paris on a Monday in May (they actually run "Fashion TV" in the bars) and by Thursday the girls in Ukraine were wearing the new styles — the new skirt styles didn’t even show up in the US until the fall lines came out. Just like at home you will see anything and everything on teenagers. Cargo pants and t-shirts will be fine, "American" (assuming you’re talking loose T-shirts as opposed to short, fitted "girly" T-shirts — those are everywhere) but fine. Traveling in a group you can hardly expect to look like a local, anyway.

3. Anybody wearing shorts in Rome or Florence is a tourist, but there will be enough shorts around that you won’t stand out. You won’t get into some churches in Greece wearing shorts (even the guys put on wraparound skirts) and the Vatican allows shorts that are nearly knee-length but no tank or sleeveless tops or "shorter" shorts. I pack shorts if I’m going to be at a beach location, but not if I’ll only be in cities. It can still be fairly cool, even in Southern Europe, in May, so take a light jacket and don’t assume it’ll be wear shorts weather all the time.

Thank you so much for the replys. I plan on wearing long cool skirts most of the time – I am more of a girly girl. Some of her shirts are fitted but she also wants to take her concert shirts. I did tell her that she would need to take at least one skirt and one pair of pants for the churches plus we are going to a Greek taverna one night.

Since we are going with a tour — we will look like tourist – I just wasn’t sure if shorts were worn in the cities.

Thanks again.

Shorts are fine. T-shirts and cargo shorts are fine. Whatever you’re most comfortable in – or what your daughter is most comfortable in – is fine. Special travel gear is not necessary for the kind of trip you have in mind.

As for laundry, you’ll find it much easier to pay a few euros to go to a laundromat rather than using a sink. Or just pack enough for the 2 weeks. No problem.

I would agree with the above posters that washing your clothes will probably not even be necessary for this length of a trip. I packed for three weeks earlier this summer in one regular suitcase and one carry-on sized one. This included both casual clothes and business attire, and I’m a pretty high maintenance girl. The key is to pack items that can be reworn, mixed, and matched. My best advice would be to invest in Febreeze and Shout Wipes, or other similar products, which pretty much eliminate the need for washing clothes. When I was in Belgium and Rome, the clothes of young people tended to vary quite a bit. Although many of the girls tended to be quite fashionable-looking, there were also quite a few that were not, so your daughter should be fine!

Happy Travelling!