The definitive guide to packing for Italy: a suitcase for summer and winter, the right shoes, clothing for the churches, luggage weight, mistakes to avoid.
90% of the tourists who arrive in Italy bring the wrong things and forget the right ones. The problem isn't the contents of the suitcase, it's that no one has told you the truth about what you really need walking 8-10 km a day on Roman cobblestones, waiting 40 minutes in line under the August sun, or trying to enter a Sicilian cathedral in shorts.
Una sola: half the clothes and double the comfortable shoes. Italy is walked, even the "small" cities require 7-10 km a day on foot. The wrong shoes ruin a trip better than any mishap. The right shoes, sturdy, already broken in, with a cushioned sole, save the trip.
The second rule: the Roman cobblestones (the lava-basalt cubes that cover 40% of the historic center of Rome) are incompatible with heels, with flip-flops, with flat thin-soled sneakers. They require a sole with lateral cushioning. Whoever arrives with inadequate shoes realizes it by the first afternoon.
| Category | What to pack | Quantità |
|---|---|---|
| Shoes | Sneaker ammortizzate già usate + sandali chiusi comodi | 2 paia |
| Pantaloni/gonne | Light, knee-length or below, for the churches too | 3-4 |
| Top/camicie | Tessuto traspirante, evitare 100% cotone (impiegatrici) | 4-5 |
| Strato leggero | Cardigan/light sweater for museums with AC | 1 |
| Abito/outfit sera | Italian "smart casual" for restaurants | 1-2 |
| Borsa/zaino | Cut-proof with secure closures | 1 |
| Cappello | Wide brim for the summer sun | 1 |
| Category | What to pack | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproof shoes | With a non-slip sole for the wet sampietrini | Priorità assoluta |
| Strati termici | Base termica + maglione + giacca | The churches are freezing |
| Impermeabile compatto | Foldable in your pocket, frequent rain in Rome and Florence | Non l'ombrello |
| Sciarpa grande | Dual use: warmth + shoulder cover in church | Multifunzionale |
| Calze termiche | For the unheated stone churches | Also in autumn |
1. L'asciugamano da spiaggia grande. The Italian beach clubs rent it out (€2-5). It weighs and takes up needless space if you do more than 2 days at the beach.
2. Più di 2 libri cartacei. In Italy there are bookshops with English sections (Feltrinelli, Mondadori), or the Kindle.
3. Phon da viaggio. Every Italian hotel has a hairdryer, even mid-range B&Bs. It's required by law in accommodation businesses.
4. Convertitore di tensione pesante. Italy uses 220V/50Hz, almost all modern devices (MacBook, iPhone, cameras) are universal. You only need the socket adapter (Type F/L).
5. Giacca impermeabile pesante. Per l'estate italiana, basta una giacca a vento compatta. Il calore estivo rende inutile qualsiasi protezione pioggia pesante.
6. Farmaci generici in quantità. Italian pharmacies (green cross) sell almost everything without a prescription, ibuprofen, antihistamines, ointments, bandages. Bring only the specific prescription medications you need.
7. Cintura da viaggio porta-documenti sotto i vestiti. In Italy yes, pickpocketing exists (especially in Rome and Naples), but the belt under the shirt is uncomfortable and doesn't eliminate the risk. Better: an anti-cut crossbody bag with zip closures.
The official rule: shoulders and knees covered. The practical rule: many minor churches don't check. The UNESCO sites (St. Peter's Basilica, San Marco in Venice, the Duomo of Milan) check strictly and will refuse you entry. The Sicilian and Apulian cathedrals in summer often check.
The universal solution: a large multifunctional scarf (€5-10 in the Italian markets) that you wrap around your shoulders or waist like a sarong. Practically endless in Italian summer contexts. Whoever arrives without one buys a replacement outside the church, usually at triple the price.
Ryanair and Wizz Air have the most restrictive cabin-baggage policies in Europe, and they fly to very many Italian airports (Rome Ciampino, Milan Bergamo, Bari, Bologna, Catania, Venice Treviso, Pisa). With these low-cost carriers: the larger cabin bag (55x40x20 cm) requires paying for the Priority service (€5-15 extra), without it the bag must go under the seat (40x20x25 cm). Ryanair weighs and measures bags at the gates more than at other European airports. ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France: standard policy of 1 free cabin bag (55x35x25 cm).
Italy has two types of sockets: Type F (European two-pin at 4.8mm, universal EU) and Type L (Italian three-pin at 4mm, Italian-specific). Modern hotels have both or universal sockets. Apartments and private homes may have only Type L sockets, the universal adapter (€5-8 on Amazon or at the airports) solves everything. USB-C sockets in the walls are rare but growing, bring a multi-port USB-C hub.
For 10 days in Italy with a washing machine in the hotel or apartment: 4-5 tops, 3 pants/skirts, 5 sets of underwear, 2 pairs of shoes, 1 extra layer. If you don't have a washing machine: 6-7 tops, 4-5 pants, 7-8 sets of underwear, 2-3 pairs of shoes. Most Italian hotels have a laundry service (€10-20/kg) or a shared washing machine. Airbnb apartments almost always have a washing machine.
Yes, but not for the summer heat. You need it for the Italian museums (the big museums like the Uffizi and the Vatican have intense air conditioning, you can go from 38°C outside to 18°C inside), for restaurants with aggressive AC, and for evenings by the sea (the evening breeze can be cool even in August at altitude or on windy coasts). A light sweater or a foldable cardigan solves everything without excessive weight.
The best shoes for Italy according to the unwritten guide of the Roman tour guides: running sneakers with lateral cushioning (not flat fashion sneakers), broken in well before the trip. As an alternative: Birkenstock-style sandals with a cushioned sole for summer. Traditional men's loafers hold up badly on the cobblestones. Sandals with any heel are to be avoided on the Roman streets. In winter: waterproof Gore-Tex shoes with a Vibram sole.
Things worth buying in Italy rather than bringing from home: sunscreen (Italian supermarkets have excellent brands at normal prices, buying 10 tubes causes overweight in your suitcase), shampoo/shower gel (free in many hotels, buyable at the supermarket, not worth carrying), food (obviously), souvenirs (leave space), emergency clothing (the Italian neighborhood markets sell basic clothes at €5-15). What's NOT worth buying in Italy: specific prescription medicines, contact lenses with a non-Italian prescription, specific footwear if you already know you won't find it easily.
For winter packing in Italy versus summer: waterproof shoes with a non-slip sole (wet cobblestones are slippery), thermal socks for the churches too, a thermal base layer (the stone of the medieval churches is freezing even with 12°C outside), light gloves for the mornings, a warm hat. Rome in January is 7-12°C, it's not the Arctic, but the unheated streets and unheated churches make it feel colder. Florence and Venice in winter have high humidity that amplifies the cold.
Experienced Italy travelers use the "bag within a bag" system: a checked suitcase (or large backpack) for the main lodging + a cabin backpack (35-40L) that works both as supplementary luggage on the flight and as a day bag during the trip. In the day backpack: the toiletry bag (to change in case of a flight delay), the original documents, the chargers, a change of clothes for 2 days. This way, even if the checked suitcase is lost or delayed, you have what you need for 2 days without panic. This system has been adopted by professional tour leaders, who often handle the logistics of 20+ people with luggage of all kinds.
For those traveling with cabin baggage only (7-10 days in Italy): the Osprey Farpoint 40L backpack or the Tortuga Travel Backpack 30L are the most used by minimalist-traveler communities. Both fit within the IATA cabin-baggage measurements, have a rigid structure that protects the contents, and are carried as a backpack, no trolley to drag over the cobblestones.
Wine and spirits go in the hold (never in the cabin, over 100ml is banned in the cabin). Pack them in specific protective sleeves (Wine Skin, GoToob wine protectors, available at the airport or online) or wrap them in soft clothing in the center of the suitcase. The US customs limits: 1 liter of spirits per adult; for larger amounts you pay customs duty. The best approach: buy the oil and the wine in the last days of the trip to minimize the risk of breakage during the itinerary.
Direct booking is almost always cheaper. For the main museums (Vatican, Colosseum, Uffizi, Borghese): the official sites have the same price or slightly lower than the third-party platforms, with the only advantage of the third parties being the English interface. For guides: the provincial associations of licensed tourist guides (every Italian provincial capital has one) offer certified guides at regulated prices, search "guide turistiche autorizzate [city name]." For transport: Trenitalia.com and Italotreno.it have the lowest prices; platforms like Trainline add a 10-15% fee.
Yes, Italy is one of the easiest solo destinations in Europe. The public-transport networks in the big cities work well (metro in Rome and Milan, vaporetti in Venice, trams in Florence). The historic centers are pedestrian. The language: Italian isn't English, but Italians in the tourism sector speak enough English. The essential apps for the solo traveler in Italy: Google Maps (also offline), Trenitalia, Google Translate with the camera for menus, and a hotel-booking app with free cancellation (Booking.com or Hotels.com).
Several fundamental things: the restaurants that serve authentic food are recognized by the presence of local customers at lunch (not by menus in 8 languages); the most beautiful churches are often not the famous ones but the hidden neighborhood ones; the local civic museums (not the national ones everyone passes through) often have extraordinary collections with no lines; the Italian supermarkets (Esselunga, Conad, Carrefour) have excellent-quality products at normal prices, there's no need to buy oil and pasta in tourist shops at triple the price; the Italian breakfast at the counter is always cheaper than the same product at the table (the coperto is real).
The most reliable sites for planning: ENIT (national tourist board, www.italia.it) for official information; portale musei.it for up-to-date information on the hours and tickets of the state museums; Trenitalia.com for the official rail timetables; Protezione Civile (www.protezionecivile.gov.it) for weather alerts. For independent planning: the Slow Food guides for local restaurants; the maps of the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) for the trails; the sites of the provincial Tourism Promotion Boards for local events.