Clothing questions

Sue M

Hi-
My husband (Marty) and I will be on the England/Scotland/Wales tour that begins on August 14th. We have been on many Tauck tours and are excited about this trip. We will be arriving in Scotland on the 13th and are looking forward to meeting everyone.
I am wondering how dressed up folks get on this tour in the evenings (for the welcome and farewell dinners as well as the theater night in London).
I am also wondering if most men will be bringing sports jackets.
Unfortunately these days with airline regulations, we are all aware of weight limits on luggage.
On another note...are there laundry facilities in the hotels (not dry cleaning...just the availability to send out clothes to be washed, dried, and folded).
Thanks!
Sue

Claudia Sails

Can't help with the dressy question - although interested since this tour is on our bucket list - but all European hotels we've stayed at with Tauck had laundry service. Here on Taucks website for your tour in the "Before You Go" section under "What To Pack" is the following:

In Europe, especially in finer restaurants, it is generally customary to dress somewhat formally. Slacks or a dress for women and a jacket and tie for men are acceptable dining attire, although not required. It is advisable to avoid wearing jeans, sneakers or shorts for dinner. You may also wish to dress up a bit for the welcome reception and the farewell dinner, but by all means be comfortable.

You will find a hair dryer located in your hotel guest room. Irons and ironing boards are available upon request. Valet laundry and dry cleaning services are also available for a fee.

You can also check the websites for the hotels on the tour and see what amenities they provide. Always interesting reading in any case.

njtravelers

Hope you give the answers to your questions after your trip. We're takind this trip September 18th. Have a great time, stay safe.

AlanS

Pictures worth a 1000 words? July 2013 E,S,W small group. Many were first-timers traveling with Tauck.

Welcome dinner. Probably dressier than more recent tours.



10 minutes later- quite a few ties and/or jackets have already been removed:



Farewell dinner. Nice shirts but very few ties and/or jackets. Ladies, if you look closely you'll notice the lady in the center wore the same outfit to both dinners. I just noticed that myself! Who knew, and if they did, who cared?

Claudia Sails

Awesome pictures Alan. And you're right that nobody cares if you wear the same outfit multiple times. My rule now is that if I'm not going to wear it at least twice and preferably more it doesn't go in the suitcase.

British

I'll just be getting ready to leave England when you are arriving. I'll be in Yorkshire and then London. If our group gets to the theatre, I know no one will be dressed other then in tourist clothes. Maybe 25 years ago when we lived in England, we went to the theatre in London to see Dame Edna. (We go to the theatre here in the US 30 to 40 times a year. We go to New York quite frequently and it's mainly tourists as it is in London.) The reason I remember this time is that there was an American family all dressed to the nines in tuxedos and evening dresses and everyone else was in tourist clothing, so at least there is your answer on that question.

judy05

Years ago when we saw a musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane we were shocked at how most people were dressed. Tank tops -- shorts -- flip flops. Then when the show was about to begin they closed all the doors -- there was no air conditioning -- and it was hot. And I mean HOT! As in no air. I don't know how the actors were able to perform under the lights. Wonderful old theater -- but it only took us about a minute to understand why people were dressed the way they were. We have seen many shows in London and now check about a/c before booking if we are going in one of the warmer months. The Prince Edward Theatre is one theater that comes to mind that does have a/c. Others do as well.

jdurkin

One of the strangest mis-dressing come costume malfunction situations I've ever seen was in Rome, back in the mid 80s. Picture this. It's a Sunday and the regular Papal blessing and drive around at the Vatican. It's high summer, so it's hot! There was an American woman close to me in the crowd who'd taken her styling guidance from press pictures of Grace Kelly meeting a previous Pope. This lady did lack Grace's tiara (and spectacular beauty) but otherwise she was the "full catastrophe". There's no shade in St Peter's Square, either. I've often wondered what she made of the motley tourist (and religious) throng around her. She wasn't in any part of her comfort zone.

TravelingNow

We were on the June 12 tour and loved it. We dressed for the opening and closing receptions, in Wales once, in London twice (for dinner and the evening of the play) BUT don't go crazy. I brought one pair of nice black pants and five nice tops. Many of the women wore black pants. A couple wore dresses but I would say this group was a little more casual. I notices some of the men had on suits but it isn't necessary. I nice jacket with nice pants will do. As for the laundry, I don't know. I never use it. I was out a few undies and wear tops twice if I need too. It isn't a strenuous trip where you exert yourself. Make sure you bring your rain gear so you are prepared. I had a jacket, umbrella and poncho. I only used the poncho once when my umbrella didn't work.

Sue M

Thanks everyone for your feedback...Tauck travelers are the best!!
Any suggestions as to how to spend the time in Scotland before the tour begins?
We will be arriving on August 13th, a day before the tour begins.
We don't want to duplicate anything Tauck will be doing.
All advice would be greatly appreciated, as well as restaurant recommendations.

Sue M

Thanks everyone for your feedback...Tauck travelers are the best!!
Any suggestions as to how to spend the time in Scotland before the tour begins?
We will be arriving on August 13th, a day before the tour begins.
We don't want to duplicate anything Tauck will be doing.
All advice would be greatly appreciated, as well as restaurant recommendations.

AlanS

Sue M wrote:

Thanks everyone for your feedback...Tauck travelers are the best!!
Any suggestions as to how to spend the time in Scotland before the tour begins?
We will be arriving on August 13th, a day before the tour begins.
We don't want to duplicate anything Tauck will be doing.
All advice would be greatly appreciated, as well as restaurant recommendations.

For things to see there is a wealth of posts in the forum archives which include some by me- We arrived late morning, and after dropping our bags at the hotel, took a bus to the waterfront and toured Her Majesties Yacht Britannia. We ate sandwiches or fish and chips at a casual restaurant in the adjoining mall. The next day, before the welcome reception and dinner, we took a local (Midlothian) city bus to Craigmillar Castle (Queen Mary's retreat), a partial ruin located in a natural park on the edge of town, across the street from the Royal Infirmary. Then we continued on by bus to Rosslyn Chapel which was featured in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code before returning to the hotel by bus. (The Lothian buses are frequent and numerous)

crackers54

Brittannia, tennament house, Georgian house, museums and walk the streets to explore.