Italy Packing Guide: 12 Tips for the Ultimate Travel Experience

When packing for a dream trip through Italy's iconic cities, plan for comfort and flexibility to fully immerse yourself in the country's captivating culture.
Written By: Andrea Spallanzani
Reviewed by: Rick Orford
How & Why We Created This Article

This article has been written, reviewed, and fact-checked by Rick and I. We live in Italy and travel throughout the country to help you make the best choices for your trip. We wrote this piece to ensure you have the best trip possible on your next trip to Italy. Portions of this article have been written using assistive AI tools to help with tasks like research, spell-checking, grammar, and translation.

Last Updated March 22, 2024

In this article, you'll learn how:

  • Pack light and bring a carry-on bag or backpack to easily move between train stations and cities. Lugging large suitcases over cobblestones and upstairs can be difficult.
  • Bring comfortable walking shoes as you'll be on your feet a lot sightseeing. Leave the flip-flops behind.
  • Check the weather forecast and pack layers accordingly. Italy's weather can vary greatly by region and season.

Are you planning a trip to Italy and don’t know what to pack? Well, you might consider this article before starting your journey. We will tell you packing tips and all you need to bring with you to visit Italy!

Traveling to Italy will surely be exciting and fun as you will visit places with so much beauty and art. However, your journey will never be that so good if you are never ready, especially with the most specific things you need to bring, just like the things you need to pack for Italy.

As they said, better be ready than never. In this article, we’ll guide you on what to do, pack, and be prepared for your trip to Italy. So let’s begin our Italy packing guide.

12 Tips To Put Together Your Ultimate Italy Packing List

Let’s face it. You know what you can’t live without. For me, I can’t live without the skincare products that I use at home. So, instead of telling you what you should bring, we’ll attempt to cover this at a slightly higher level.

Pack Light 

If you plan on visiting multiple cities in Italy, especially by train, the first thing you must remember is that to get on and off the train, you must carry your bags. This gives you already an idea of what to bring on your trip. Most trains have steps to get on board.

If you have a large suitcase, it would be difficult for you, especially if you will walk any distance over cobblestone streets. Surely, you don’t want yourself to be hassled and stressed. For this reason, we strongly recommend you pack light. If you are planning to carry a suitcase, bring it but ensure you can handle it easier to avoid problems.

Carrying bags in Venice Italy

Also, if you are planning on visiting Venice, you will have to carry your bag up and down the stairs on many bridges, or you will need to hire a porter. Our favorite way of traveling is to use a light and easy carry-on to stroll around. We also use a backpack for travel documents, toiletries, electronics, cameras, laptops, and all chargers. We also do laundry anytime that is possible.

As much as you can, do not bring any more unnecessary stuff that will only cause delays in your trip. This will surely save you time and have a smooth transaction.

Best Luggage To Take

Carry-on bag for travelling

As I’ve mentioned earlier, In visiting Italy, you need to feel comfortable to enjoy your Italy vacation. One way to achieve it is to make you have your ultimate Italy packing list. With this, it is necessary to ask yourself “How much luggage should I take?” ” what should I bring when I start my Italy trip to different places?” These questions will be answered if you follow this packing list. While strolling in different cities, you just need to have either:

Crossbody bag. It is practical to bring at the same time, makes you stylish. Having a crossbody bag is enough to secure your small things like your phones, wallet, and hotel key close to you.

Tote bag. It can also be your choice while you are starting your Italy trip. It makes you so much more comfortable as it is very handy.

Carry-on bag. When you visit Italy, choosing a carry-on would also be one of the best things to decide if you want to enjoy your stay while exploring Italy.

Double Check Your Travel Documents

You should consider your travel documents as your top packing tips for your trip to Italy. You cannot start your trip to Italy without bringing with you the travel documents. Your Passport, Visa, and Travel Insurance.

Check your passport’s validity to take action if necessary. It should have six months validity. Having with you your travel insurance protects you against losses during travel. Another reason to have your trip insurance for Italy is that it covers emergency health and repatriation costs should you have an accident but remember, policy costs vary by your country of residence when it comes to what is being covered by the insurance, age, and the existing conditions and the insurer. And, of course, your in-flight essentials should be ready and not forgotten.

Also, be aware of foreign transaction fees, if there are any so you to not shocked. Doing this will free you from any possible problems you might encounter.

Pack The Best Accessories You Can

As you start your journey in Italy, surely, you want it to become memorable, so if time passes, you can have some photos and experiences to reminisce about. Thus, you should not forget to bring a selfie stick and your tripods.

Italy has definitely a lot to offer. Some amazing and jaw-dropping historical sites, beautiful sceneries, and architecture could be a perfect background for your photos and videos. Always have a selfie stick and tripods, and you’ll always be picture ready.

Be Familiar With The Different Places To Visit To Know What To Properly Pack

Manarola Cinque Terre Italy

If it is your first time visiting Italy, it is recommended that you become familiar with the different places so you know what things to pack when you visit varied places. While you are in your hotel room, you can have google maps and try searching for your desired places. This gives you an idea of what to bring and pack.

Bring Comfortable Shoes

Another useful packing tip is considering what type of shoes you will wear. Remember, when visiting Italian cities, you must walk quite a bit. For this reason, we strongly recommend you bring a pair of very comfortable shoes to walk in. Also, avoid using flip-flops because many streets in most city centers are very uneven. You can bring a pair of dressy shoes if you plan to go to a nice restaurant, but for every day walking around use the most comfortable walking shoes you own.

Wearing comfortable shoes is incredibly helpful as it gives you an advantage and comfort as you feel free to walk around because comfortable shoes are extremely easy to wear. So, avoid impractical shoes to also save space for your luggage.

Pack Travel Style In Each Desired Place

Visiting churches in Italy is one thing that you should consider. Remember, the Vatican church is located in Vatican City, Italy. So, if you plan to visit different religious sites, you should include “what to wear in Italy” in your Italy travel packing list.

In most of the churches in Italy, you need to wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. For example, you can not wear a tank top, short shorts, or miniskirts to the Vatican. Thus, pack at least one set of clothes to visit those great sites.

Also, wearing jeans when you walk around is fine, visit a museum such as the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, which is located in Southern Italy.

Have a Weather Check For Each Destination You Plan To Visit

Always think about it when you start visiting Italy. It would be so much nicer if you visit many places when you are weather-ready by having a weather forecast to be prepared for lovely temperatures.

In Italy, weather conditions vary depending on the time of the year and the place you are visiting just like during Spring and Fall, Rome can experience hot weather, while places in Northern Italy can be quite cool and can have cooler nights, and Southern regions such as Amalfi coast can be very warm.

Make sure you include this in your Italy packing and plan your outfits accordingly.

Check Restaurant’s Dress Code

On your Italy trip, you should try eating their delicious food by visiting different restaurants. Most trattorias, pizzerias, and regular restaurants in Italy don’t have a dress code. Polo and shorts in the summer are perfectly acceptable, especially if you are going to be seated outside. It is a different story if you plan on going out to a fine dining restaurant or a Michelin-star restaurant.

In this case, they will likely have a dress code, and you should check with the restaurants about what it is appropriate to wear. So, always be reminded to include your clothing items in your Italy travel packing list.

Don’t Forget To Have Your Italy Packing List Essentials

I suggest you make your ultimate packing list to bring all the essential items. You need to pack your passport, all your tickets, reservations, and even your travel insurance. Those items should be with you all the time while traveling. Don’t ever put them in the checked luggage. Also, don’t forget to pack some essential items such as sunglasses, contact lenses (if you wear them) with the contact lens solution, and all the medications you take, especially if you have motion sickness with a couple of extra pills in case you lose some or your trip has a delay.

Also, in the summer, don’t forget to pack sunscreen for sun protection and use sunscreen every day before leaving your room. The sun can be very strong in the summer, and it is not uncommon to see sunburned tourists walking around in Italy. If you forget sunscreen or contact lens solution you can buy it in Italy. Almost every supermarket has this stuff, but it will take time away from sightseeing. On the same note, you should pack a hat to use when walking around and waiting in line for some of the attractions. 

Remember To Pack a Portable Charger

It is very important to remember to bring all the charging cables for your electronics, such as cell phones, tablets, cameras, and laptops. Also, you will need a plug converter for Europe. We have a universal one with 4 USB ports to charge all our electronics. We like to pack all the chargers in our backpacks, especially if we check our bags. That way, we can always charge our phones or tablets on the plane, and in case our bags get lost, we can charge our phones.

Speaking of phones, before you leave, you should check if your carrier at home has an affordable roaming package. If not, you can always purchase an Italy cell phone plan for tourists that also works all over the European Union – for very little money.

Bring Some Cash

One hundred euros per person should be more than enough. You can use your credit card pretty much for everything in Italy, and there is no reason to bring a lot of cash that can be lost or stolen. If you need more cash, you can use any major bank ATM to get some cash. Speaking of which, we get asked about exchanging money all the time. Don’t use the money exchange stores. Those are way too expensive. Instead, use your debit card at a local bank ATM. 

In addition, having a money belt is very important. We want to enjoy ourselves as much as we can but in some instances, if you experience being pickpocketed while having your travel, you worry less because you have stored cash and even concealed some valuables.

For the cheapest rates to exchange currency, I like to use Wise. With Wise, you can transfer in any currency from your bank account in any country, or credit card, then convert it into euros at the BANK rate.

And Wise sends you your very own Visa debit card, which you can use right away online or on your phone, and they mail you a traditional plastic debit card that you can use to withdraw Euros from any of the local ATMs, with no foreign bank charges. And if you run out of money, you can instantly transfer more dollars from your bank at any time using the app. Of course, if you have some extra Euros at the end of your trip, you can convert them back and deposit them back into your US account or spend them… the choice is yours.

What To Pack For Italy Based By Season

Now that you have a pretty good idea of what to pack for Italy, we should also consider the seasons you’ll visit. Clearly, if you’re visiting Rome in August, you’ll pack differently than if you were Skiing in the Dolomites in January.

Summer

Italy in the summer is hot. In the last few years, the temperature in July and August reached 40C (104F) during the day. Expect that it is generally warm sunny days. For this reason, you should pack light clothes. Linen is your friend. It rarely rains in the summer, when it does, it is usually a thunderstorm.

Along the coast, at night, it might get windy; for this reason, pack a light sweater or a light jacket. Also, don’t forget to pack a swimsuit if you want to swim in the Mediterranean.

In addition, consider wearing sundresses that double as a swim cover-up and wearing flip-flops or water walking shoes. This is very helpful if you plan to go to a rocky beach and of course, do not forget your beach bag, including your beach towel and other beach-related stuff on your beach vacation.

If you plan to visit the Alps, Lake Garda or Lake Como a light jacket is necessary at night.

What To Pack For Spring And Fall Seasons In Italy?

If you consider your trip to Italy in this season, remember that Spring and fall are Italy’s two most unpredictable seasons. They can be warm and sunny one day and cloudy, rainy, and cold the following day. So, better expect temperatures that might change anytime. This is especially true at the beginning of spring (March and April) and the end of fall (mid-October to the end of November).

For this reason, you should bring clothes that you can layer. This way, you can remove layers of clothes if it gets warm and vice versa if it gets cold. You can also bring a warm hat, and scarf. Also, bring something for rain, such as a small portable umbrella, a rain jacket, and even boots just to be ready.

What To Pack For Winter Season In Italy?

Winter in Italy can be quite cold; sometimes, it might snow in the northern part of the country. This could happen in early December, January, or in the month of February. The last couple of years were unusually mild, but that is more the exception than the norm.

wearing winter clothes in Italy

So, for your trip to Italy in the winter, you should pack a warm jacket and sweaters or winter coats. Also, don’t forget warm shoes and socks. If you plan on visiting the Alps in the winter, chances are that the temperature at night falls way below 0C (32F), so bring warm clothes. In the southern part of the country (Naples, for example), the temperatures range from 12-14C (53-57F), but it might be windy. 

If you consider visiting Amalfi Coast, you can enjoy relaxing walks while breathing in the salty air because, in the winter season, it has a mild temperature.

What Not To Pack On A Trip To Italy?

Some items that we suggest you do not bring are hair dryers for several reasons. First, it might not work because Italy uses 220V, and most North American hair dryers use 110V. Reason number two is that they are bulky and take up much room in your bag. The room can be used to bring more clothes. Reason number three is that almost every hotel has one in the bathroom that you can use. We are sure that it is not as good and powerful as the one you have at home, but it will work for a short period of time.

Leave Some Room For Shopping!

Italy is the land of fashion, and for sure you will want to do some shopping while visiting. For this reason, we strongly recommend leaving some room in your bag for items you will buy! 

Conclusion

Indeed, traveling to Italy is a great choice. With the packing tips given, your trip to Italy will surely be full of fun with no worries, just pure happiness.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and that we hope that this will help you decide the best things to pack for your trip to Italy. Hoping that you are now travel-ready after reading this blog post.

As usual, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, we love to hear from you and answer your questions. In the meantime, we will see you in our next blog post.

Thank you for reading.