Packing for Italy doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In fact, if you plan well, use your packing list and research the weather it can almost be a breeze.
I said almost.
Although, like my Travel Tip Tuesday counterpart, I advocate carry-on only travel, there are a few things you absolutely must include on your packing for Italy checklist.
And here they are – five things every traveler should pack for their trip to Italy.
1. Comfortable, dark shoes
Walking shoes. Running shoes. Tennis shoes? Take your pick, but whatever you choose, make sure those babies are comfortable. Those charming cobblestone roads are hell on your feet, so pack a pair of your favorite, previously worn in shoes-in a dark color-and your tootsies’ll be good to go.
2. Sweater
Ok, so this is a no-brainer if you are traveling in the winter months, but you will need a light sweater even in the summer. Nights can get cool in some places and many churches require sleeves, so grab your favorite cardigan and wrap it around you. For extra benefit, use it as part of your travel outfit to keep you warm on the plane and to avoid packing extra luggage.
3. Light Day-pack
Select a small backpack you can easily roll inside your suitcase to serve as your day-pack when you are in Italy. It needs to be large enough to carry your camera, guidebook or photo-copied pages, journal, pen and water, but light enough that you can carry it all day without getting overly tired.
4. Money Belt
I know they are super-cool and you’d likely have packed one anyway, right? Well, ok, so they aren’t “cool,” but they are useful for traveling around Italy, especially if you plan to spend any time on the subway in Rome or on the train. I made the mistake of thinking I was too cool for a fanny pack once, too, and it cost me the equivalent of a few hundred bucks, a couple of credit cards and a day of my vacation.
5. OTC Meds and Contacts
You already know to pack your prescription medications, but don’t overlook little things like Advil, Tums or cold medicine that isn’t easy to find in Italy. Additionally, if you wear contacts, pack an extra pair. They will be difficult to replace while you are traveling and could cause an unsightly (he he) delay in your vacation.
Have you been to Italy? What do you think Italy-bound travelers need to include on their lists?
Until next time … Buon Viaggio!
Great suggestions, laughed when i read about ‘dark coloured’ comfortable shoes. Anytime anywhere in the world when I see someone wearing nice shiny new white sneakers i immediately think ‘american’.
The one thing I would tell people is to bring a SMALL suitcase/ bag. I don’t know how many people have come to visit me who complain that their luggage did not fit in the luggage racks on trains, was too big for elevators and almost always too big to fit in the trunk of my car!! Pack LIGHT!
Ha, that is funny re: the shoes. And yes-PACK LIGHT!
Here’s another suggestion to add to your great and “must follow” list…a wash clothe. Hotels in Italy do not provide them. I’ve stayed in many throughout northern Italy and never ever has there been a wash clothe.
Great list and as one who spends 4 months a year in Italy, I can attest to the value and practicality of each of the five you’ve mentioned.
Ooooh, GREAT tip. Great, Great, Great! You are right, they don’t have washcloths in Italy. We bought some in America that we can offer to our American guests, but we don’t use them often, so sometimes, uhm, we forget. đŸ™‚
Good ideas. Add a flashlight. A must if you are staying in the country with us and good for the renassiance style lighting in most hotel rooms when you drop something.
Nice tip! Grazie.
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A small travel alarm clock– I have never seen one in an Italian hotel.
A booklight is useful if you like to read in bed (and can double as a flashlight to light your way to the bathroom).
A list of addresses for postcards.
I can think of lots of things NOT to pack!
Oooh, I like it! We should do a list of what not to pack!
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good list, Cherrye! Along the same lines as a sweater I always tell women to pack a light scarf to keep in their bag that they can throw over their shoulders on very hot days when entering a church.
Great idea on the scarf. They are also nice in the winter so you can change your look without packing lots of different colors of clothes.
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