What to Pack for Vacation in Italy

Pack Light

In many very touristic locations in Italy - think Venice, Florence, Rome, the Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast - you may have to drag your own luggage on cobblestone streets, up stone steps, across bridges, through airports and train stations, and even the final stretch to your hotel. Your vacation rental may lack an elevator (many ancient buildings have no space to install one or are forbidden to do so by law) and even hotels often have very small and slow elevators (if at all). Your driver may not be allowed to pick you up or drop you off exactly where you have to be, luggage storage space on the trains is limited (as it is on the planes anyways), and your luggage is likely to only get heaver after a week or two in Italy. Vacation rentals have space to store luggage only rarely (you often will not be allowed to check in early, check out late or store luggage for the day simply for lack of space) while private luggage storage service charges more for larger suitcases.

Do you really want luggage to hold you back from sightseeing and new experiences on your vacation in Italy? Most likely not. Independently of the season and length of stay, aim packing everything into your hand luggage, possibly a larger backpack or a carry-on size suitcase with (sturdy all terrain) wheels. Laundry at very fair prices is readily available throughout and if you really miss an item from home the chances are that you'll be able to find it here. The less stuff you carry the more relaxing your vacation in Italy will be: less worries, less problems, less physical effort. This is especially the case if your vacation includes multiple destinations across Italy. On the contrary, you will probably want to have extra space for shopping and souvenirs on your way back, so consider bringing an empty suitcase or may be buy one in Italy if needed.

What (Not) to Wear

By law, you must have your private parts covered at all times, beach and public sauna included. Topless sunbathing is technically not allowed but does happen without major issues in practice. However, you do not need to be that extreme to attract unexpected attention in Italy. Wearing skirts and shorts the length of your underwear or otherwise very revealing clothing (no matter how ordinary it may appear back home) will make you noticed. Nothing wrong with wearing what you want but know that showing off too much skin or even body shape away from the beach might be misunderstood as purposeful attention seeking.

No matter how hot, carry something to cover your knees, shoulders and back if you want to enter any churches, visit the Vatican or the summer residence of the Popes. This rule applies to everyone independently of age and gender. To enter catholic monuments in Italy, your clothing must not offend catholic religious decency. The Vatican has a further rule banning entrance to anyone wearing slogans and symbols that could be offensive to catholics or the Catholic Church and you may be refused entrance with no refund at the discretion of the guards.

Generally, Italians do not wear shorts and flip-flops outside beach locations, backpacks away from the hiking trail, sportswear outside the gym, baseball caps and baggy T-shirts in town (fancy fitted Italian T-shirt is something completely different!). Nothing wrong wearing these things anywhere you want if you don't mind looking as a foreign tourist. Italians actually have good reasons for some of these rules. For instance, streets in big cities are dirty so wearing any open shoes will leave with with dirty feet, while wearing flip flops in crowded spaces and on public transport is not even safe (think flip-flops on crowded subway in Rome!)

Backpacks in towns are not recommended both because many museums do not allow them and because they attract pickpockets. Italians wear backpacks in town only exceptionally (kids to school or a man in a fancy Italian tailor suit with a leather laptop backpack to work) so wearing a backpack is likely to single you out as a foreign tourist. If you take any public transport or visit crowded spaces, backpacks are also unkind to people around you as they occupy extra space and could end up in someone's face without you even noticing.

Safety Gear

A usual purse that's not grossly oversize is fine for most museums, although there are some - the Borghese gallery for example - that only allow a tiny cross body bag or nothing at all (the Leaning Tower of Pisa). A small crossbody bag in leather or other material that's hard to cut and with zippers that can be locked or latched together would be your go-to daily item. Consider getting a purse small enough not having to take it off the whole day even when you sit down for a meal or visit a bathroom: it might seem safe to place your purse next to you on the chair or even under the table but this is just an illusion.

Thieves these days are more interested in your iPhone than in your wallet, so consider bringing a chain to latch your phone onto your purse, wrist or belt.

No matter where you go in Italy and even if you have a private professional driver, expect to do plenty of walking on uneven stone surface. A pair of broken-in sneakers or comfortable walking shoes with non-slippery sole is definitely a must. On some trails, namely in the Cinque Terre, you are required to wear shoes that cover your toes for safety (so hiking sandals must cover your toes even in excruciating summer heat).

Between Easter and October, I recommend having a breathable sun hat and sunglasses, especially if you visit ruins, archeological sites, hiking trails or beach locations. I also carry a thin long sleeve cotton shirt to avoid sunburn. And never leave your hotel or rental without a bottle of water!

Benches are being progressively removed from popular tourist destinations and venues across Italy to encourage faster movement of crowds. Consider getting one of those folding stick-stools if you need to sit down frequently during the day.

Euro Cash

Having some cash in Italy is always a good idea. May be you can survive without cash but there are many things that can be done in cash only and you will often get better deals (and friends) using cash.

Cash means physical Euro bills. Leave other currencies at home because the exchange agencies and even banks charge an arm and a leg for money exchange. For this reason, rarely anyone will accept non-Euro cash. Rather than exchanging your home cash for Euro in Italy, it is actually cheaper to just withdraw Euro cash at a bank ATM directly from your account back home. Just make sure it is an ATM situated at an actual bank branch (not a random ATM in shop or on the street - these are unsafe and very expensive) and choose the amount without exchange rate so that your banks gives you the best rate of the month.

Italy is the most taxed nation on Earth. Everything paid by card or wire transfer is taxed up to 80%. By law, most merchants are obliged to accept credit cards (although American Express is rarely accepted due to very high fees) but cash is king and will get you further than any credit card. Cash gives you more bargaining power on the outdoor markets, in small shops and restaurants. Cash is also the only way to tip in Italy as anything added on the bill will be taxed and never make it to service staff.

Some large non-Italian organizations, for instance Museum of the Duomo in Florence (managed by a foreign country called the Vatican), no longer accept cash or have an upper limits on cash payments (Apple Store). However, this is still a rare event in Italy. On the contrary, some very desirable services might not accept cards, one famous example being gondola rides in Venice.

Italy offers tax return on shopping for visitors from outside the EU. This takes form of a refund on your card when you leave Europe provided the necessary paperwork was processed by the seller at time of purchase (you have to ask for it). However, most small shops will offer a tax-free price to anyone right way, no wait or paperwork needed, if you pay cash. This is also a reasonable bargaining margin for cash payments in family-run establishments: 15-20% off if you pay cash, more in an outdoor market.

Jewelry

Not all jewelry is created equal, and also the destinations across Italy vary greatly. You can safely wear pretty much anything in central Florence and central Venice, and on bullet trains during the day. However, on other public transport, regional trains, at the train and bus stations, and in big cities (Rome, Naples, Palermo, Milan) I would avoid any gold jewelry and generally anything that is too flashy like an expensive designer bag. Not because it is unsafe to wear them but because like in any big city, you do not want to attract too much attention to your persona. Big cities have different areas and not being a local you will not necessarily know which areas are safe and which ones should be avoided. Both for clothing and jewelry, my principle of basic safety is not to stand out from the crowd as much as possible.

Gifts for Locals

It is a kind thought to bring your local host, guide, driver etc a little gift from home. Real estate is very expensive in Italy compared to Italian wages, so Italian homes are usually very small. Any items you gift to locals need to be really tiny. It is a good idea to make an inscription on your gift so that it is easier for your guide, host or driver to remember you. In many cases, for service staff, a small tip in cash will be appreciated more than a gift - unless of course your gift is really unique, like an artwork you made yourself or an item not available here. Italians work for wages, not gifts or tips, so nothing more than the service payment is required or expected and anything over that is totally up to you, usually welcome as a pleasant surprise. The more unique is your gift and the easier it is to store in a tiny home the more appreciated it likely will be.

If you are invited for dinner at a locals' home, coming without a gift can be considered rude. A standard and welcome gift in such cases would be a bottle of good wine or some nice pastries (home made or from a pastry shop). Most Italians are very proud of their culinary traditions so (unless you are French) food items from home can be a tricky gift. If you come from Russia or Northern Europe, things like real rye bread or salmon roe could be appreciated because they are not easily found here. Other exotic food could also make the mark, like chili from Mexico, curry from India, rose petal jam from Armenia, wasabi from Japan, or real hummus from the Middle East.

Personally, my favorite gift is new clients, the word of mouth. People are a real treasure in life and those of us who work with clients cherish each new contact as a precious gift, no matter how short a tour or itinerary they may need. Even a contact that does not end with business is precious because it can bring more clients to come (and unlike tangible gifts, I definitely do not need to find real estate space to store them!)

Personal Items

Washcloth has not made its way to Italy and your hotel or rental will not provide one. It is considered too personal an item so you need to bring it from home together with a toothbrush and a comb. It might also be difficult to buy one in Italy: Italians use sponges instead of washcloth.

Food in Italy is generally not very spicy, the only exception being the nduja and chili olive oil. So if you are into spicy food, you may want to carry a portable spice with you to flavor dishes.