Travel Tip Tuesday: Summer Travel Tips for Your Trip to Calabria

Ahhh, the dog days of summer – hot days, cool beaches, and if you are lucky, even cooler summer vacations to southern Italy. If you are planning a trip this summer, you’ve probably done your homework. You’ve narrowed your must-see list, settled on hotels, and chosen beaches, mountains, and villages you’d like to explore. But are you really ready?

Here are five Calabrian travel tips that will help you make the most of your trip to southern Italy.

1. Properly Pack Your Day Bag

Most people use some sort of day pack when they are traveling and having one in Calabria is definitely a good idea. However, as opposed to major cities where you can easily pick up something you forgot, you’ll need to pack everything you need, while keeping your bag as light as possible. A few things I always have in my bag are Tylenol or other medications, tissues, chapstick, water, light snacks, my camera, an ID, wallet, and coins. If you are carrying a guidebook, tear out (or make copies) of the pages you need and leave the heavy books at home.

2. Carry Sunscreen and Mosquito Repellant When Traveling in Calabria

Speaking of what to put in a day bag, you should also be armed with sunscreen and mosquito repellant. The skeeters are fierce around here – as is the sun. So make like a boy scout and be prepared!

3. Wear good socks and comfortable shoes

Unless you plan to get to a beach and stay there, you’ll likely do a fair amount of walking during your Calabria vacation. Many of the villages have uneven brick streets and the lungomares are unfriendly to tired feet. Wear good socks and comfortable shoes to avoid getting blisters.

4. Pack a Beach Towel

If you are staying in a hotel or B&B that is *on* the beach they might have towels available for you to use. Or they might not. Pack your own beach towel or plan to buy one – a nice souvenir of your trip perhaps? – from one of the strolling salesmen on the beach.

5. Don’t Over-Plan Your Itinerary

It is true that Calabria is less touristy than other parts of the bel paese, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be crowded. In the summer, the beaches fill up with northern Italians, Calabrians who have “come home” for the summer, and the locals who wait all year to hit the beach. If you over-plan your itinerary, you’ll likely get stressed by slow-moving traffic or transportation delays and you’ll feel rushed and frustrated throughout your trip. If you aren’t sure if you’ve planned the best itinerary, then the Trip Doctor itinerary review service – just $100 when you are spending thousands on a vacation – can give you peace of mind and ensure you are making the best possible decisions for your southern Italy trip.

Are you heading to Calabria? Browse our range of Small Group Tours of Calabria.