Boy that is for certain!! It is amazing how much nicer you are treated in ALL airports when you dress nicely!!

About the tennis shoes though, I was surprised to find tennis shoes to be quite common. Three of the Spanish families we stayed with wore tennis shoes on a regular basis with their jeans and shorts(especially those age 30 and under!!) After reading the threads here, I almost made my kids leave theirs behind. I was glad I didn't!! Our Spanish hosts laughed when I explained the tennis shoe information I had read on this site. I guess, like everything, it varies from location to location. Perhaps tennies are becoming more acceptable.

Sel,
Yes, the tennis shoes depend on location... and occasion. What sticks out the most is the all white tennis shoes that were ever so popular with americans in the 80's and still seem to be with older people. But if you're in the center of Madrid for example, especially girls/women, sneakers stand out much more than in the outskirts for example. Guys get away with more in this sense- bummer for me because if I had my druthers I'd pull a Cybill Shepard! I love my sneakers! However in Spain, I only use them for going to the country or exercise :p

As for the dressing nice, oh definately! I got bumped up to first class once! And all because I was dressed to fit the part! :p It was verrrrrrry nice! (its also a little travel tip I read somewhere- aside from the fact that in my family you better come out from a trip looking like a million bucks! :o - that travelers who dress better get treated better and are more prone to 'perks'- Champagne before take-off anyone?!?! :p )

Sounds like fun! I think I'm only going to bring fleece and layer it up. Although i plan on buying wonderful leather boots and jackets while vacationing!

I used to worry about dressing well so that I wouldn't look like a tourist, and I know that Spaniards (and all Europeans it seems) dress up more than we do...perhaps because the paseo is such a social thing. Anyway, last summer I wound up traveling with two Spanish couples who dressed in more casual clothing than I did and came across a group of French women on tour who were wearing white or beige sneakers!!! What folks wear when they are in their home town is probably vastly different from what they wear when they are living out of a small suitcase for weeks. The Europeans I traveled with packed fewer items overall than I did, and I assure you, I never caught any of them in clothing I would call elegant! Maybe I'm just getting too old to worry about it, but if I'm going to be shlepping up and down metro stairs and walking from one end of the Prado to the other, I'm doing it in the most comfortable shoes I can...even if that means Cybil shoes!

The fact of the matter is, we ARE tourists and as soon as most of us talk, everyone knows we are tourists. Just don't be a stupid tourist!!

I really worried about this before last summer's trip, but in the end, I took what I was most comfortable wearing and never regretted it!! I found being respectful and neatly dressed was sufficient. We each had a carry-on gym type bag so our wardrobe was very limited!!!

Madrid was the most dressy town. Every place else was casual including Barcelona. However, we were not dining in the elegant locations where a coat and tie would be required and we did MILES and MILES of walking!!!

It was unusually cold in Madrid and we wished we had brought a warmer layer!! Next trip I do not want to be cold so I am curious to hear what types of coats people are using!!

Sel, we mentioned it before. A wool coat like you would in the US, or Leather, leather leather! I'm telling you, its a no miss!

Actually the later in the winter it gets, the longer wool coats are the norm. Of course people wear 'plumas' (feather jackets) but with the wool coat, you have the option if you need/want to go somewhere a bit more dressed up. When I go I usually use the wool coat, and that way I avoid having to pack an additional jacket for more 'casual'-the wool coat works for everything! The classic pea coat works if you have one!

I live here in Spain....just north of Madrid in Segovia (amongst the mountains) where it is a tad bit cooler than the capital city itself. We already have had some snow!

Anyway, I am in Madrid on a daily basis....leatherware is the way to go. I wear a midthigh length leather coat and when it´s a little milder, a hip length suede jacket. The leather is great for breaking the wind gusts that kick up every now and then. Top it off with a big fluffy scarf and gloves and you are set for Madrid in December.

Ladies -- wraps are also big here....faux pashminas can be bought in a rainbow of colors from the street vendors, or you can venture into El Corte Inglés and buy something a bit more fancier trimmed in fur. They come in all sorts of fabrics, I would recommend a heavy wool one if you intend to use it instead of a coat.

Chica you are not kidding when you said that Segovia was a tad colder than Madrid. I almost froze last December! And I was wearing a cotton camisette, a wool/acrylic blend sweater and a leather coat, gloves and boina. What got me was my legs, my coat only reached mid thigh. I plan to go back to Candidos for cochinillo and I will wear leotard type legging under my slacks! My son had to stop at the Adidas(sp?) store to get some gloves. So if you are heading for Segovia be sure to cover those extremities, head, legs and hands!

The pea coat sounds good. It will look good in the airports and not be too bulky. I think I'll include my Patagonia long undies just in case my legs need a bit of warmth. I hate being cold!!!