Unless you are coming to Italy with a butler, packing light is essential. Part of Italy’s charm is its old-worldliness, but that comes with some uncomfortable compromises to your comfort sometimes. Many hotels do not have elevators, and if they do they are extremely slow and small, so cramming a suitcase in isn’t always an option. That being said, try to pack things that are multi-use, and only bring clothes that you know you will want to wear to avoid adding bulk to your luggage.
The next thing to keep in mind is that you will be walking, a lot! Even if you’ve hired a private driver to take you from town to town, many small beautiful towns and cities are not accessible via private car unless you live in them. Which means your driver will have to park. And you will have to walk. That being said, Italy is not the place to wear your stilettos from morning to night. It’s nice to dress up and go out, but flats and comfortable walking shoes are crucial. Asics makes nice, lightweight slip-on sneakers, and Toms are great too. Sandals are tempting but be sure you will be able to rinse your feet off after a day out walking around because city-walking can be quite dirty!
Voltage in Italy is significantly higher than it is in the United States, so plugging your American hairdryer in an Italian socket will most likely result in disaster and melted plastic. Power comes out of the wall socket at 220 volts alternating at 50 cycles per second. In the US, the power is 110 volts, 60 cycles per second. So if you do want to use your laptop, battery charger, or other electrical appliances in Italy you will definitely need plug adaptors, and possible a step-down power converter or transformer. Plug adaptors are good for many of today’s small electronic devices and laptops, but you will need a converter if you plan on using your hair dryer or curling iron. If you buy a power converter, make sure its power rating meets or exceeds the power rating of the single device you will use with it. This information is usually found on the body of the device near the power cord.
It is also worth mentioning that Italian power sockets come in two different sizes. There are normal power sockets, and Schuko Grounded sockets for larger appliances. An adaptor plug will work in either socket, but if you are using a product purchased elsewhere in Europe, you may need a larger plug adaptor to make use of the larger plug sockets.
A corkscrew may be helpful if you plan on buying wine and picnicking! Save the 20 Euro you would have to spend on a junky opener in the small hill-town local grocery store (which may or may not even exist!) and pack a good metal corkscrew in your carry on for when you find yourself with a beautiful view, a nice bottle of wine, and nobody to open it for you. Most wines in Italy are not equipped with screw-tops, like they are in the United States. So embrace the old world and pop some corks!
For women visiting Italy in the summer, you will need to bring some kind of cover-up or shawl in case you plan on visiting any churches. Most churches won’t allow women in with very short shorts, or their shoulders exposed. Some churches may provide you with some kind of cover-up, but having your own balled up in your bag is much more hygienic and you can pick one that matches your outfit!
Be sure to bring some photocopies of your passport. Italy is a very safe country, but there is a lot of poverty and a lot of pick-pocketing going on, especially during the summer months near bus or train stations. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times, and be sure to leave your passport in a secure place while you are out sightseeing. A copy of your passport should be sufficient in most situations where an Italian authority may ask for official identification. So make a copy, stick it in your wallet, and leave your passport at the hotel!
Be sure to check up on the different weather conditions where you will be traveling. With its temperate Mediterranean climate, variations are frequent and despite being reputed as “sunny Italy” there do tend to be heavy downpours at certain times of year. Packing an umbrella however is not essential, as you will soon notice that they are for sale on every street corner if drops start falling!
On that note, please read on to the Seasons and Weather in Italy. We’ve already done a lot of the research for you!