Packing Ladies Bag---1st time in Italy in May (25 days vacation)

What you really need is common sense and a bit of caution,,, all the "things" ( pac safe bags or vests etc) won't help if you don't have that. I have gone to Europe many many times over last 30+ years, I have never carried a pac safe bag or worn a vest, and besides travel with my children or friends i have gone solo.
I have a great purse that has a zippered inside compartment, with a fully zipper on top of bag, with a flap that then goes over the top and claps shut. It has a wide adjustable strap that I wear cross body( over the neck) and in crowds or public transport I tend to keep bag up front and hand on top. I would never wear those vests, they are not attractive to me, and they are going to be too hot for Italy anytime after late April -May. GOOD comfy walking shoes are a MUST,, they are the single most important thing you will need for your trip, if your feet get sore or blistered you will not enjoy anything else .. and they must be broken in, do not buy them week before trip,, and wear them around home. There are some nicer looking sandals that are good for walking, and can double as dress shoes.

Thanks Pat for the great advise. As I have traveled to other countries, I keep my eyes widely open with my surroundings. I just need to make sure I don't over pack.

Well thats tough with a cruise,, does this one have formal nights, I know some lines don't and that would be easier.. what about hubby, he can rent formal wear on the ship but the lady wear isn't very nice. I have a black synthetic dress that you can just throw in a suitcase and dress up with nice shoes and a necklace, but it still can be worn casual.
Since the cruise is at the end of the trip you can buy a cute dress or top in Italy too,, its a great souvenir and once you are on the ship you don't have to worry about packing light anymore!

Pat, yep there's 2 foo-foo nights on the cruise. I have that one covered with a very nice "very light weight" foo-foo dress that I can use as "dress up or dress down". I'm taking a wrap to cover the shoulders. I'm not sure yet what Mi Amor is packing yet.

If you have a "little black dress" type outfit to cover the 'foo-foo' nights , then take a pair of foldable black flats (I've seen them in several stores lately, they are designed to fold in half to fit in a purse, and look like balarenia type flats) or other simple low heeled shoes. I'd also take a scarf or two to add to the dress as needed. Other than that, cruise wear that does trip double duty is easy: wear on plane- black or khaki pants, solid color T, 'big shirt' (button up shirt that serves as blazer/jacket, black walking shoes pack- 3-4 pair black or khaki pants (could sub 1 pair of capris), 3-6 solid Ts, 2 'big shirts' that coordinate with Ts, 3-5 bras, 7+ pair undies, 1 windbreaker type hooded jacket, socks, possibly a swim suit, pjs (many advocate yoga pants, shorts or similar that can do double duty.
Yes to some kind of day bag- cross body is good. No to the vest, it will give them more pockets to pick- but yes to a money belt or neck pouch, or similar secured item (there are 'hidden' pouches that attache to belts, inside pockets, etc.- do a search on this site).

Toni, thanks! I just saw those flat fold shoes the other day @ store. Everything I read discourage capri at Italy. What do you think? Yep, my foo-foo dress is "little black dress".

I usually take 3 pairs of cotton capris in neutral colors-black, olive, khaki, one cotton skirt-black or brown, 5-6 v-neck tees in various colors-one black, 2 or more scarves to dress them up a bit, a pair of walking shoes, a pair of hiking sandals-Keens are great- and a pair of flat black strappy sandals to dress things up a bit. The sandals take up almost no room because they do not have a heel and the straps compress to nothing. Add the little black dress and wrap and you have your cruise wardrobe. Take some cheap, fun jewelry to wear on the formal nights. Don't take anything expensive so you don't have to be worried about theft or loss. Don't take a vest. It will be too hot. I wouldn't bother with the Pac-safe. I looked at them very seriously before my trip to Italy last summer and decided that they were a) overpriced b) too heavy for the size and c) not as conveniently constructed as some other bags. Take a look at REI. They have many nice cross-body bags. Get a money belt for "deep storage" of passport, credit card, ATM card and extra cash. Keep a days worth of cash in your cross-body bag. Keep the bag in front of you if you are in crowds, on the subway or bus. Don't hang it on a chair at a cafe. Other than that, you should be fine.

Karen thanks for the info. I guess the vest will stay home. I did look at REI shoulder bags and didn't like them. I looked at others in other stores & found some to be as secure as Pacsafe ones. I did find a Pacsafe on clearance online & ordered it late this evening. We'll see if I'll keep it or return it. If I take sandals I need to figure out which one offers good support. I do have a pair that are foo-foo & love the way they feel (Italian made) but they have a very small heel...so they are staying home too. I love these sandals they would be great on the boat but not for walking on those Italy streets.

My daughter used a Pacsafe bag almost the whole time she was in Sicily (husband military), but by the 2nd year, the metal strands started poking out in places. Big ouch! I suppose it's fine, so long as it's on you, but like any item, it can be gone in an instant if you set it down somewhere. If you decide not to keep the one you ordered, you might take a look at Baggallini products. The company was started by a couple of flight attendants. The bags are available from many online vendors. You can see some in town at Alan's shoes. Ebags has a sale on them today at a very good price. Last year I made do with a very small bag, mesh shopping bags and my money belt (always). This year I'm trying a Baggallini Paris Bagg and the expandable tote they make. The Paris Bagg is cross-body. The tote will be used for shopping, carrying a water bottle, guidebook, lunch, etc. The important stuff always goes in the money belt. Nobody's going to stick their hand down my pants in the front without me knowing they're doing it. Have a great trip!

You don't say what cruise line. We did a 7 nt cruise from Venice, stopping in Dubrovnik, Greece and Turkey in the middle of a 5 week Europe trip. We were on Royal Carribean and they had one "dressy" night. I don't think my husband or son had a suit jacket with them and Ihad a sundress and sandals. We were prepared to get dinner on the dressy night at an native place on the ship or from room service, but our waitstaff and fellow tablemates convinced us to come anyway. There were certainly folks way more dressed up than we were, but others who were not. I felt a bit "underdressed" but not enough to care. I think my point is that there was no dress requirement (on RCI anyway), just suggestions. If you go to the cruise forums, this will get major discussion and you will find people who think everyone should abide by the "suggested" attire, but you will also find the majority say to each his own. You'll also find that the med cruises are the most "relaxed" from a "dressy" standpoint. Also, I wore capris everywhere, but did not go to Rome.

Thanks Lo for the great information will go by and check out Alan's place. Had a brain fart...I've gotten things there before for traveling. Thanks Kathy for the info...we'll be also going with Royal Carribean on the cruise. Mi Amor will not be taking a jacket just a nice shirt. I agree there are times on these cruise when folks look very foo-foo then some less foo-foo. We just want to be comfortable.

We travel in Europe for two months at a time, using only carry on luggage. Our most recent trip included one month on a Holland America cruise, two weeks on a river cruise, and the rest of the trip on our own. We visited many countries, including those on your itinerary. For more dressy occasions on the ship, I wore light weight black ballet flats (that fold into a pouch) & black travel knits that I dressed up with jewelry. We opted out of the more formal dining room, & ate in the more casual lido deck restaurant...along with countless other seasoned travelers who did not feel the need for formal wear. Of course, you will see some people in tuxedos & glitzy gowns, but you will be happy that you packed lightly & avoided all of that. The problem with Pacsafe is that it is heavy. I would suggest wearing a silk money belt (like the ones sold by Rick Steves) under your clothes & carrying a light weight bag when you need one. You will not need the money belt on the cruise, as you will probably have a safe in your cabin. You definitely need comfortable walking shoes (even though you will see lots of Italian women in high heels). Vest of many pockets is great if you are comfortable with that look & if you don't mind looking more like a tourist, rather than blending in with the natives. Italian women of all ages tend to be very stylish and well dressed, even in casual situations. Bon Voyage!

I think there is a topic on shoes on the Graffiti wall. Do a search as they have been discussed several times at length on the helpline. I bought several pairs of Ecco sandals last year at OnlineShoes.com while I was in the U.S. I returned some of them (free returns) with no hassles whatsoever. There are several styles that are quite attractive as well as super comfortable. Teva gets a lot of good reviews but they run wide and never fit me (sad as they are made here). The most important thing for walking in Italy is THICK SOLES. The cobblestones are murder otherwise.

Finally got back from our 25 days vacation to Italy (Venice, Florence, Siena, Lucca, Pisa and Rome) which also included 7 days cruise to Sicily, Greece & Turkey. I decided to buy/take Pacsafe Anti-theft shoulder bag instead of using my vest with many pockets. The shoulder bag worked awesome for me. Was able to carry $$, camera/tripod, stuff & any small goodies we purchased. I felt very secure without having to worry about pickpockets. I laughed many times when I saw lots of tourists wearing "white tennis shoes", when I read in many articles/comments not to wear them. Articles/comments stated you would stand out as tourist...gee...I saw MANY folks from all over the world wearing them. LOL I didn't take any. I took Airwalk sandals for everyday use & worked awesome. Also took my very comfortable black-Italian sandals w/small heel w/me. It did work great for those evenings on the cruise. Do have to tell you...I took 1 pants & 2 shirt too many even if they were light weight clothes! Oh well...live & learn. We had a blast, WALKED A LOT, saw a lot, learned a lot, ate a lot & drank plenty of great vino! ~~Arrivederci