Binoculars

we took a lightweight pair on 3 wk trip this fall, and it's the only thing I packed that I never used. We spent most of our time in the 3 cities you name, plus 4 nights in Monterosso in CT. Have a great time!

Jim, I've taken a couple of different pairs of Binoculars on trips in the past, and never used them. Even though they're compact, light and easy to travel with, I've left them at home for the last few trips and didn't miss them. Since I always travel with Camera gear, my long range zoom Lens can substitute for Binoculars if necessary. Cheers!

I find them very useful in churches to see the details on ceilings (like the mosaics in San Marco, Venice), and such. Great for the Sistine Chapel for the same reason.

I also use the telephoto lens on my camera instead of binoculars. Just be careful not to accidentally take a photograph where this is prohibited.

I agree with Chani. I've used them quite a bit and have found that i was glad to have them. The small travel binoculars are light and don't take up much room.

I have a nice pair of pocket binocs and used to take them in my shoulder bag, but they weren't used enough to warrant packing them after the first two trips. We used them to watch dolphins once and that's it.

my main purpose in packing them was to see details on ceilings, esp Sistine Chapel. There, and in other places where it mattered most, we were jammed in with so many others, it was too hard to use them. Kind of a jostling environment. If in these places without the crowds, I'd definitely use them.
Thought they'd be handy on hiking trail to Vernazza, but gorgeous sights were near enough to not require them. Anyone tried a small monocular?

my main purpose in packing them was to see details on ceilings, esp Sistine Chapel. There, and in other places where it mattered most, we were jammed in with so many others, it was too hard to use them. Kind of a jostling environment. If in these places without the crowds, I'd definitely use them.
Thought they'd be handy on hiking trail to Vernazza, but gorgeous sights were near enough to not require them. Anyone tried a small monocular?

I have used a monocular to view the details in churches, etc. The monocular is about 3" by 1.5" in diameter. Brought it along on a three week trip to Italy with only a carry on. I bought it on-line at a hiking/outdoor site, can't remember the name. Cost was about $50. Was worth it just for the Sistine Chapel details.

Thanks for the good info. We will probably take a small pair.

We too packed a small pair of binoculars, but used them only a few times outside, once in Pompeii to look at the Bay of Naples and other times to check out distant hill towns in Tuscany. We never used themincities because of the buildings. But they were of better use checking out ceiling frescoes in churches. We spent a lot of time studying the frescoes at the Orvieto Cathedral and would have missed many great details without the binocs. If you have a pair small enough to pack without too much space, I say take them. It's better to have them and not use them than to need them and not have them.

You can also take a small monocular, it's lighter and smaller than a pair of binoculars. Check out binoculars.com for lots of choices of both mono and binoculars. I've purchased a couple items from this site and received the correct order quickly. I've carried a monocular more than once. They are nice for wildlife, architecture, or getting a closer look when you can't get close, but it really is something you can live without. I made the mistake of getting a 30 magnification monocular but never packed it. Although it's tiny, you really can't use it without a tripod. A ten mag monocular is probably a better choice but small digital cameras can give you the same magnification without packing something extra.

Not worth it. Better to take a nice camera with a good zoom lens and get photos, killing two birds with one stone.