How to pack for Rome in mid-November?

Hi,

We were there during 2012. We had a mix of weather. I would bring some short sleeve shirts, there were a number of days it was very warm, 75 to 80 during the day, colder at night. Bring a rain jacket, it rained a lot. I also used my skarfs at night when the tempature dropped.

It actually is a great time to go. Lines were not bad a little less touristy.

Mary

I was in Paris last November for 3 weeks; there were a few warm days so I suggest a couple of short sleeved shirts too. These could be layered with long sleeved shirts and a sweater. Perhaps one mid-weight sweater too. Check wunderground.com historical weather; that site used to have a trip planner that could tell you weather history for the last 10 years but I did not see that just now. Definately a raincoat! Enjoy.

I'll add a sturdy pair of shoes with a good tread to the pile. Regardless of the time of year, stone surfaces can become very, very slippery when wet!

layers and definitely a rain jacket. If you want something weather-proof but cheap, go to Walmart. They have jackets and pants that are far cheaper than anywhere else, and can be worn over regular top (or even another jacket) and pants. Ugly, but cheap and incredibly light. Can be stowed in your day pack when not needed. I wish I had had something like it when I was in Rome in October - early November - a miserable rainy, cold day on a R. Steves trip when we were touring the forum. I bought the Walmart pant and jacket duo and used them on a trip to Patagonia. Was so glad I had them, and as a bonus, folded them up and used in a pillow case for an extra pillow when not in use.

My only (thus far) trip to Rome was in November and I found the weather very pleasant. I packed a light rain jacket with a hood, but only needed it during the evening when it got cooler. During the day I wore a light-weight sweater over a T-shirt and was quite comfortable. Didn't have any rain at all for the 10 days I was there.

You have gotten great advice; bringing layers is the right approach. I find that a Precip waterproof shell (eg, from REI) can be really helpful if it's a little bit cold – it makes a great windbreaker. In the winter, I also throw in some silk long underwear – it weighs nothing and can really help if it gets chilly. And plan on buying some pretty scarves/shawls in Rome – they're inexpensive, available from street carts for a few euro, and warm. FYI, I live in the San Francisco bay area, and I find that winter weather in Rome is pretty similar to this area.

I got this information from Holiday Weather by Googling ... Rome weather November. Many other results came up to explore.

The averages are cooler than I would've expected although we were near there between November 5 and 11 last year and we experienced everything imaginable, including hail. Click on Daily Averages for November and on Fahrenheit if needed. You can see how the weather gets cooler as the month progresses.

As you get closer to your departure time, click on the more current information on the right of the screen like Weather Now and 14-day Forecast. I would suspect that the latter gets much less reliable as it gets farther into the future.

You will find information on packing by going to Travel Tips on the left side of this page, then to Packing Light.

I like the Vivienne Files for examples of wardrobe coordination, especially the sections on Packing and 4x4 Wardrobes linked just under the picture. Keep in mind that she shows way more items than many people take and they are usually way more expensive, although the last couple of postings do use some things from LL Bean.

I hate layering, but I'm religious about it for trips. It's the only way I can pack for a week and a day using a carry-on and personal item only and have enough of the right stuff for just about any weather. I also hate umbrellas and prefer to take (actually wear on the plane) a hooded rain jacket. It seems like no matter where we are, if it starts raining the street vendors come out armed with functional but cheap umbrellas that can be left behind at the end of the trip.

For me, a lot of the fun of a trip is figuring out my wardrobe. I try to do the best coordination possible so that everything works with everything else and I can just grab what's clean and go. Everyone has their own list. Mine, including all the basic exterior garments, is: 3 pairs of pants, 6 tops (usually 2 tanks, 2 tees and 2 blouses with different sleeve lengths), 2 completers (vest? cardigan?), 2 pairs of shoes (one for serious walking) and that hooded rain jacket already mentioned. Another part of the fun is realizing that I need just one new thing to make those combos work even better!

Doing laundry once a week, I could travel almost indefinitely with these few garments. I used to take a bit more (it still fit in my carry-on), but on an April trip to the Netherlands and Belgium when it was quite cold part of the time and damp all the time, I discovered that fewer items of different types worked best for me. I should've known that already, but somehow I haven't been able to travel as light as I did on my first trip to Europe when I traveled for 4 months, September to January (obviously was pre-Schengen) with 2 pairs of pants, 2 turtlenecks, 2 pairs of shoes and 1 down jacket. I had to buy a warm cable knit sweater at the beginning of that trip for when the down jacket was too much, or not enough alone.

Have fun on your trip and have fun doing the prep work for it.