rainy days in Italia

I found a poncho very handy last fall in Cinque Terre. I could put my camera and shoulder bag underneath and it would stay dry. It was too windy for an umbrella, to be honest.

As for what to do, try a museum? In venice on a rainy morning, I did the Doge's palace, and in Florence once I ran into a horrible storm and did the Pitti Palace. Rome has hundreds of fascinating and free churches, and all of the cities have fantastic cafes, shops, etc. Trust me, gelato is still deeeeeeelicious in the rain :)

I have one of the lightweight waterproof/breathable shells from Lands End. Many companies sell these types (also LL Bean, Patagonia, North Face, etc); you want the lightest one they make. Look for one that has pit zips (eg. underarm) so that you can get more ventilation if you're walking. I also use mine as a windbreaker in the evenings or when its cool out. Think of layers since the temperature can very day-to-day; you want a light warmth layer, a shell, a t-shirt, etc. I also buy a 5E umbrella in Italy if it rains; as soon as the drops come down every corner will have people out selling these!

When it rains you just make do; you can still walk around, and if it isn't too gusty then the umbrella plus jacket keeps you reasonably dry.

We pack folding umbrellas (souvenirs of an Amsterdam deluge) and those flimsy ponchos like you buy at DisneyWorld or such. They take up very little space/weight and can save the day. BTW,we sloshed through the Forum for nearly 7 hours in a daylong downpour and had the time of our lives. At home, one glance out the window and I'd never have even stepped out of my door.

I have wrestled with this over the years and tried lots of different solutions. The umbrella is not a bad idea but another thing to pack, or if you get it there, carry. Plus they are never cheap when it rains. All of the coats/ponchos seem to be heavy/bulky/expensive. If somebody knows a brand, I'd be interested.

Anyway, my fallback is the disposable clear plastic ponchos you can buy at Walmart for $.88. They take very little space. They are almost impossible to dry and refold, so take extras.

Those shower-curtain ponchos don't keep the rain out and are a steam bath.

Get a past-the-butt goretex hooded rain jacket from Bean, REI, Lands End, etc. Don't skimp on the price. They might be eighty to a hundred bucks.

The umbrella and poncho sellers come out with the rain. We brought one umbrella and bought another today for 3 euros. The Walmart plastic cover did fine for covering the backpacks from the train station in Florence today. This afternoon we went out and it was pouring, but we only have a day and a half here so we would not be detoured. When it got bad we sat for a coffee and people watching and it had stopped when we were finished. We could see people at the top of the Duomo even in the rain!

What wonderful advice and fun stories about your experiences in a rainy Italia. Maybe it won't be so bad after all. Looking forward to gelato in the rain and ducking unexpectedly into nearby shops, churches and cafes. A friend recommended wearing Tevas instead of shoes since they dry overnight. We'll be making a trek to Rei to check out their $5 and $30 panchos as well as the spiffy light rain jackets. Grazie tutti!

I bought disposable ponchos at Target for $1.99. They were somewhat thicker than the ones from WalMart and we were able to hand them up on hangers at night to dry off. They could be refolded back to their small size. We needed them off and on during our trip and the fact that we could re-use them was great. At the end of the trip, we just tossed them.

Museums are perfect for rainy days and take taxis on those xtra wet days.

Adrienne, since you are planning a visit to REI, you might look for the Sierra Designs Hurricane HP jacket. It's waterproof/breathable (and has pit zips for extra ventilation, as well as some nice pockets). They have men's and women's, and there's a 15% discount if you buy more than one of their products at the same time. My women's jacket was $58 after the discount ($69 without). I think it fits well, and the hood is very well designed. This is good price for that type of jacket, and in my shower test, the jacket and pants kept me totally dry (I'm going to Scotland--rain is a foregone conclusion!). Have fun in Italy :-).

Ponchos are best - the cheapie ones. They protect your belongings and keep your hands free. After the rain, just put them in a plastic bag and pop them into your bag. I was in Italy in February and the rain didn't stop people from eating gelato while strolling.

Actually, on further reflection (and recalling my own summer trips to Italy), I wonder if you might not find an umbrella a very useful dual-purpose tool. You can use it for rain, of course, but you might also want to use it for shade. I recall the sun when visiting the Forum and other places to be unrelenting. A little portable shade might be nice.

Rainy day here in Florence today after hot, sunny humid weather in Rome. The rain definitely changes the atmosphere one expects in Italy. Most people have umbrellas, some have light rain jackets with hoods. It's not cold -- check the temperature on the weather reports -- so don't feel you need to overdress. The ponchos look hideous, IMHO. Getting a little wet isn't the worst thing when it's relatively warm out.

The outdoor restaurants have some awnings and umbrellas, and people are out and about, but it's different, no question about it. Sounds like it's going to be clearing up; hope it does by the time you're here.

Andrea, I agree that getting wet isn't necessarily a bad thing (I remember being in New Orleans in July once and praying for rain as a respite), however, for me photography was a crucial part of my trip to Italy last fall, so I had to do something to keep my camera dry if nothing else. that's why I found that a poncho worked well. I hadn't brought one from home and when I read that a storm was coming I found one in the tobacco shop at the Ferrara train station. It was supremely overpriced but despite the fact that I had a lightweight waterproof jacket from LLBean, I was glad to have that poncho to go on top of it. luckily I only really had one rainy day so re-usability wasn't an issue but I was really glad I had that poncho.

And while it may sound silly, the worst part of rain - for me anyway - is actually the impact on the clothes. Traveling really light means trying really hard not to get clothes too too dirty and rain creates mud which splashes up onto pants no matter what you do, really. It's not a solution for Adrienne, as there's not much you can do about it, but it doesn't make it less of a pain!

Don't buy Gore Tex! It doesn't allow your body to breathe...it gets very clammy. A plastic poncho will do as good a job!

I'm an outdoor woman, so I have my Cloudveil Snaz jacket (10 years old and works perfectly) that I pack on every trip I take, summer, fall, winter. I layer under it for colder season travel.

I can suggest the Marmot Precip jacket for $99 at REI, and elsewhere. There are others on the market, but this is a proven jacket that works. Jackets with EVENT are also very good, but more expensive. You are just a traveler, so you don't need a fancy smancy jacket. Do get something with a hood. A cheap umbrella is a good add to your luggage, it won't take up much room and is nice in addition to your jacket. When the vendor appear on the street during a rain with umbrellas, I can promise they will charge 5Euro or more and the umbrella will probably last 5 minutes!

Much appreciated advice from everyone,both here and direct from Italia. This helpline makes any travel challenge manageable and fun. It's changed our attitude. We feel like we'll be ready for anything, rain or otherwise. We've packed a small travel umbrella each for light showers and unrelenting sun, my husband has decided to go with the $5 poncho from REI and I'm still looking for a rain jacket on sale. I cannot believe how knowledgeable I've become about rain jackets in a matter of days, thanks to you all. I feel really good about this trip! Grazie, grazie!

We had very light sprinkles in Venice one night, not enough to need an umbrella or rain shell.

Our last night in Rome, it rained enough to get the streets damp but didn't keep anyone indoors - most got a little wet, others had umbrellas.

I always look at averages. I figure if it's raining now, it's less likely to be raining when I get there. :)

Yes, the rain looks like it's letting up in Rome and a tiny bit in Venice but Florence is constant. We both ended up buying Columbia rain jackets at Sports Basement for about half the cost of ones from Rei, which were beautifully made and of the highest quality but didn't warrant purchasing for a brief three night stay in Florence. Grazie tutti for your help!