Holiday clothes

[janeite]

We're going to Greece at the end of July, for our first ever family beach holiday. Currently I have very few suitable clothes, so will need to go shopping!

If I tell you what I already have, could you please tell me what else I will need and maybe suggest specifics? Thanks!

I have -
One bikini (black and white flowery pattern)
One tankini (sorry!) - black
One pair of short shorts - black
One pair of knee length linen shorts - black
Camisole tops in black (!), purple, green, red, lilac plus a couple of lovely bright silk ones for evening)
One just above knee denim skirt (maybe no good?)
Black linen trousers
One kaftan thing in multi coloured print
Two silk dresses for evenings
One pair of flip flops.

I know I'll need some footwear of some sort and maybe a sarong? Also, how many beach towels do you think we should take for 2 adults and 2 children? Could we lie on sarongs instead, as they take up less room and are lighter?

What else do I need to know please?!

And how many clothes will the children need - both girls 13 and 11.

[janeite]

Thank you! Yes I seem to remember my ex burning his feet years ago - not nice!

I have bought a huge floppy hat, that was actually small enough to fit my head, as it had loops and a cord that pulls to tighten it. Have got flip flops and flat comfy Clarks sandals. DP is sorted. The girls are sorted. Mozzie stuff is sorted!

Will have a look for the Speedo towels. I've bought the girls a beach towel each but might wait until we get there to buy cheapo ones for dp and I and then just leave them.

Don't have any yoga trousers but have a pair of Gap capri pant things that are a bit big for me, so nice and loose and comfortable around the waist - maybe they'll do for the plane, with a cotton cardi?

[ninedragons]

Oooh, and don't buy new shoes before you leave, unless they're flip-flops. Your feet will not be the same size in 40' Greek heat that they are in drizzly 20'C England.

Remember to apply sunblock to the tops of your feet and the tops of your ears.

[ninedragons]

Take thin scratchy towels - they dry almost instantly. If you're really, really trying to avoid lugging towels around, you could use swimmers' chamois for the kids (i.e. if they don't need a towel to lie on). Speedo do them. They come in a tube about the size of a can of Pringles and are very efficient.

If you are like me and burn from the light of a reading lamp, take a cloth hat you can wear in the pool or in the sea. For walking around, get the straw hat with the widest brim you can find and BIG sunnies. Little delicate ones or ones with graduated tinting will not do the job and you will end up with a blinding headache.

If it's going to be baking hot, realistically you won't wear several cardis. Just wear one on the plane. I usually wear something along the lines of yoga trousers on a plane, rationale being you're never going to see any of these people again so why waste a stylish outfit?

Your DP is right about his wardrobe. Don't overthink it - you're not going to North Korea so they will have shops there!

[Monty100]

Travel in clothes that match this climate, when you get there hang them up for the journey back or for an emergency if there's a cool evening.

It will be roasting!

Strappy lightweight cotton dresses, a couple of short casual skirts, shorts & lots of vest tops.

One/two cardi.

Couple of bikinis/swimsuits/sarongs

Couple of straw hats/casual/beachy

trendy sunglasses (one white?)

One towel each for beach.

One flip flops for beach, one flat smart, one high smart shoes.

Accessories.

done.

[janeite]

Bump please?

Especially re: cardigans and travel clothes, as this is the style section! Linen trousers presumably a no-no for flying in?

[janeite]

Hello again! I'm reviving this thread as I have more questions please!

Spending money - how much did you/would you take for a fortnight for a family of 4?

Normal towels - how many? It's a self catering apartment. I really don't want to have to take loads of towels. Can you buy skinny little ones that pack down to nothing and if so, where please?

What sort of cardi/cover up things do you take for evenings and how many?

Dp insists that 3 pairs of shorts, one pair of lightweight trousers and 6 T-shirts will be plenty for him - is he talking nonsense?

What do you wear on the plane? - tis a v early morning flight.

[janeite]

That's a good idea - last time I went to Greece, years ago, I bought espadrilles when there and just wore them until they fell apart!

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

An afterthought - the nicest leather flip-flops I ever owned came from a shoe shop on Poros and cost about tuppence (in pre-Euro everything-a-bargain days).

[janeite]

Oi - come and tell me more about clothes, ladies!

[dinny]

God, hope it's as nice as the Sani

who did you fly with? another stress of mine is we are going with Olympic...would feel less terrified if it was BA, is that crazy?

[dinny]

oooh, was it nice?

heard anything about Oceania?

[dinny]

Malory - wherabouts? don't suppose it was Oceania Club...?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

Could be an adaptor but could be the mozzie-killer itself - one of mine is a ball that plugs into the wall, with a slot for the mozzie-killing pellet. Looks a bit like one of those wafty air fresheners.

[dinny]

can someone link to the Converse shoes you mean please?

Janeite, snap - we are off for first family beach holiday in Greece at end July! Going to halkidiki - soooo exciting!

[janeite]

Brilliant advice - keep it coming! Just thrown out a load of skanky towels unfortunately.

Mozzie zapper thing is on my shopping list. What's a ball that goes in the wall thingy? Is that the adapter plug thing?

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

I bought a plug-in mozzie killer extremely cheaply in a Greek supermarket (no need then to take adaptor plug).

I've never done it, but my SIL recommends taking scruffy old towels for the beach (or even buying some from a charity shop) and then binning them at the end of the holiday. Frees up luggage space for souvenir shopping!