Wearing high heels in Europe - Specifically Venice, Athens and Dubrovnik

[SF]

Some advice please. In a few weeks the wife and I will be taking a cruise beginning in Venice, to Athens, Dubrovnik and eventually ending in Roma. I would like to bring and wear a few pair of high heels while on the trip.  

Would I have any difficulty in those cities or that part of the world wearing high heels??  I am curious as to what anyone in those areas would think or could advise. 

Thanks in advance     sf

 

[Shyheels]

I don't know how the cruise company with whom you are travelling operates their shore excursions, but I have been an expert/ guide on a great many cruises to a great many parts of the world and from my experience in how shore excursions are run, I would be stunned if you had any problems.  

[Bubba136]

A few years ago, one of our members here toured-through several cities Italy with a group of his friends.  He wore his 4" high heeled boots on his trip and related that he had absolutely no problems anywhere the group traveled. 

[Jkrenzer]

I'm sure you'll be fine,  you mentioned Dubrovnik, tell please you are not on a game of thrones tour.  Also, a friend of mine and his wife just spent 3 weeks in Croatia and said it's amazing,  all over the country but stayed away from Dubrovnik on cruise ship days.  To save both time and money I advise look into the excursions but take your own taxi. You get off the ship first, don't waste time on busses and don't wait on idiot people who don't listen. You will double your experience,  see more  (at your own pace) and actually save $.

Have a great trip.

[Shyheels]

I would second that. Having led many a shore excursion in my time (a guy's got to earn a living, eh?) I have often thought that anybody with sense and initiative and a guidebook could do much better and have more fun, and save a lot of money, just by arranging things for themselves. It's so easy to do on line these days. True it takes effort, while just showing up for the shore excursion is simplicity itself, but the rewards would repay the effort.

And you'd be away from your fellow tourists. I have dined out on the tales of some of the idiotic things I have witnessed or experienced while attached to these shore excursions. Or on land tours in general. Everything from an absurdist slapstick routine of husband and wife taking turns getting separated from the group in Tallinn Estonia (truly unbelievable!) to a vile 80 year-old Connecticut woman getting drunk and racially abusing and physically assaulting a Chinese tourist for obstructing her view while on a tour just last January in Melbourne. If you can, truly, avoid groups. And I can tell you from abundant first hand experience (twenty years' worth) a particularly expensive high-profile tour outfitter to avoid too, if you're interested. 

Edited September 20, 2017 by Shyheels

[SF]

I let you know.....    Wish me luck.....    sf

[HappyinHeels]

SF,

It's the European Union so I believe everything will taken in stride   The same confidence you wear with your heels in California will serve you well in Europe. The same way the identity shown in your  passport shouldn't change from country to country (unless you're Jason Bourne) your inner identity should also not change going to Europe. To do anything quite different is to suggest you're doing something wrong and we all know you're not.  Heels up and wheels up!  HappyinHeels

[Shyheels]

THat's great in theory, and in Europe, but just try stepping off the plane in heels in Dubai and see what happens.  

Edited November 5, 2017 by Shyheels

[jeremy1986]

On ‎20‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 6:45 AM, SF said:

I let you know.....    Wish me luck.....    sf

So how'd it go? 

Edited November 5, 2017 by jeremy1986

[SF]

Thanks for asking, things went quite well thank you.  Since we were going to be gone for 21 days, the first decision was which heels to bring??  Shoes are bulky and hard to pack, so I sadly limited my self to one pair of heels, a pair of “dressy” black wedgie thongs with a 2 1/2 inch heel.  I also brought a pair of flat gals thongs that I wore all over.  I even got a nice pedicure with a neutral, but noticeable pink shade..

Another concern I had was wearing heels while walking on the cobblestone streets that are everywhere.  I don’t know how the gals (and guys) do it “over there.”  

Most of my heeling was confined to the cruise ship, in the afternoon, at dinner and at the casino or shows.  As usual, I got a few looks but no one said anything or seemed too bothered with my heels.  The wife was cool with it and a lady friend who was traveling with us (and knows I like gals shoes but has never seen me in heels) made one comment that she liked my “fancy” sandals.  

I did venture out in the heels once while in Venice and Rome for some dinner and shopping.  In both cities the previously mentioned cobblestones were a concern, but careful walking and the more stable wedgie heels helped.  

I can’t really say that the Italians reacted to me more than anywhere else.  Again, no one said anything but I did get a “feeling” that I was being looked at and/or talked about behind my back.  Maybe it was just being paranoid in the confines of a different culture, who knows.   

In any event, we had fun on the trip and I was glad that I did some of it in heels with my wife!!  Cool, very cool......    But it’s good to be back home.  Have fun all......   sf

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jeremy1986]

That's great - thanks for the report back. Keep it up!

[Tacchi Alti]

Good to have some detail about Italy. I might go to Venice for a few days next year so it's good to hear I'm unlikely to be beaten up! I'd probably wear my wedge sandals which have wide rubber  heel/sole units so they wouldn't make pistol noises on the cobbles!