Packing for Greece | How to travel as light as possible | Traveling in the Spring and Summer
If you can’t travel in the summer then you have to think of versatile clothing and booking several places that either do your laundry or have washing machines
For April in Greece
A lightweight down or thinsulate vest or a lightweight fleece jacket
a rain jacket
a poncho
Convertible pants such as the Columbia Women's Saturday Trail Ii Convertible Pant
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1RC06I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1 (note these run small - order a size larger than you normally wear)
or the REI Co-op Sahara Convertible Pants - Women's
While these options are probably way less stylish than anything your teenagers would wear, they are lightweight and dry quickly when washed
A skirt
A pair of nicer looking lightweight pant
Lightweight sweatshirt
A mix of long-sleeve, sleeve-less, and sleeved tops
Trail shoes (you will probably live in these) — https://www.zappos.com/new-balance-fresh-foam-more-trail-v1
Watershoes that can also be worn as shoes https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MFWWS62/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Sturdy Walking Flip-flops
Lightweight canvas shoes that are a little dressier than the other footwear
For the summer in Greece
see above but nix the vest, and fleece jacket also select either the rain jacket OR the poncho
While the chance of rain during the summer months is very small, rain does occasionally happen. I generally pack a lightweight rain jacket that can also be used as a windbreaker. While not as stylish as a little blazer, it offers the advantage of rain and wind protection. This is something to consider bringing if you plan to take a night ferry to or from any of the islands because on the open water, when the sun goes down, it can feel chilly.
As far a tops, make sure to have at least one light-weight long-sleeve shirt that will serve both as sun=protection and as something you can wear into a church or monastery. While long-sleeves are not required, some type of sleeve is.
In Greece, as in most of southern Europe, the streets are marble cobblestone. Stiletto heals can get caught between these stones. So I strongly suggest that you leave the heels at home.
Since Greece is one of the sunniest places on earth, at least according to the locals, clothing dries quickly when washed as long as you wring it out well. Because of this you will not need an outfit for everyday.
Most places will have a drying rack but to supplement the rack and for those that don’t a nice light-weight clothesline works nicely. Having purchased several of these, my favorite is:
I always bring detergent with me. For a long time I would find small plastic jars and fill them with liquid detergent and then I went to the pods. More recently I found the best solution, detergent strips.
If you are in NJ, General Store Shops & Cafe, 1875 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ 07040 where you can purchase the Good Bottle LAUNDRY STRIPS - 30- 50 STRIPS
Another nice option for laundry strips is: True Earth https://www.tru.earth/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwkeqkBhAnEiwA5U-uM2DH75WcPenlBYZ6TMJ9aCyuid8xD1kSlfiTzxMlvUutJeysjXv4-RoCcLkQAvD_BwE
Growing up we always wore hats to church, now they are seen as disrespectful. No one, regardless of gender should wear a hat, especially one that looks like it belongs on the beach, into a church in Greece. That being said, to protect yourself from the sun, a lightweight foldable hat should be brought with you.
Happy travels. Let me know if you find this helpful.