Extended stay packing tips for Rome

Hi Genna,

First, congrats on getting accepted to grad school (and in Rome, too!). I went to college 3000 miles away from home, so maybe I can help.... You probably already know some of this, though, as you have lived in Italy before. Do you know if bedding/kitchen stuff will be available? Those things are usually heavy/bulky, and would be good to find in a second hand or budget store over there. Books are really heavy, too. You might want to do some research into the type of cell phone you'll need, along with if you need any converter/adaptor for your laptop, iPod, camera, etc. Music from home is good, too. For clothes, bring some basics that can be mixed and matched. Plain/colored T-shirts or sweaters can be very versatile. :-) It would be fun to buy accessories like scarves and costume jewelry in Rome. Don't bring things you can't replace, like jewelry or sentimental items. Bring pictures! New friends will like to see where you're from, your hobbies, pet, etc. Contd..

The trouble is that you probably do not know exactly what you need. Therefore, if you buy a few things state side that you don't need then you savings is lost. I would go with min, buy it as you need it and sell it when you leave. Our son spent a semester in Spain and that was the exact advice we received from the school. And it worked very well. And I have seen flea markets were used stuff was available.

....contd.

....and try to be patient with people who tease you about your accent and ask questions about your hometown. Other students asked me things like "Do you have movie theaters in Seattle?". I also tried to refrain from saying, "Well, where I'm from...." unless someone really wanted to know. But that's just me. :-)

Oh, and don't forget to set up a blog where you can post pictures and make everyone back home envious!

Congratulations Genna!
What a great experience you will have.

I would buy a hair dryer when you arrive
& any other sm electronic appliance you may
need -ie curling iron (?)so you don't have to hassle with adapter & converter every day.

If you are not used to using metric cooking measurements & don't want to convert your recipes from home, bring sm measuring utensils. A friend mentioned this while living abroad - minor issue but frustrating! fyi: There are online sites that convert recipes. Your new kitchen may be well equipped. Find out if u can what will be available.

Pack your eye prescription, any med prescriptions, & your insurance info. etc

I like to take a few picture postcards from my home to show new friends where I am from. If you are a photographer, you could join a online photo share community ie Flick'r & post your photos for family & friends (or have a blog like the previous idea)

If you wear contacts: You should bring items such as contact lens solution to last your stay. Though this is available in Italy, it is usually more expensive and many pharmacies do not offer the whole range of options available in the US. Be sure to bring an extra pair of contacts or glasses,along with your eyeglass prescription.
Do not have computers, cameras, video cameras, various
technological equipment, etc. mailed to you while in Rome because you will be required to pay an enormous tax on them once they arrive in Italy (they are not duty free—subject to 30% tax).
• Do not have over-the-counter or prescription medication sent to you in the mail.

Congratulations Genna!

We live in Rome and faced the same challenges. My wife came over before me and fortunately for her, the school she works at paid for her to bring whatever she could carry. Foolish on their part as she brough NINE 30" suitcases! Well over $700 in charges back then.

Alas, I was much more limited. The previous posts have been great. You can get almost anything here. I agree with the small electronics, hair dryer, etc. Just get those here as converters are a challenge, and if your converter goes out it's hard to find one to "trust" your appliances to!

I bought many of my "needs" on ebay BEFORE I left... an inexpensive cell phone, a SIM card for that phone, etc. If you have a laptop w/o a webcam, purchse the webcam and get SKYPE. You may be familar with it but it's a godsend for us to stay in touch with our kids/family via the FREE video-conferencing. Change your email to a hotmail, yahoo, or universal type account if you haven't already. Good Luck!

Bring warm clothes because it can get really cold, especially between December and January.
Also when I lived in Rome my apartment didn't have heating, it was too old, so all we had were these plug-in radiators that we only turned on at night. Therefore I recommend fleece and warm slippers, and silk long underwear because buildings just aren't heated as warmly as they are in the US. I remember never feeling totally warm, even though the climate is much warmer than the one I was used to in the US.
Bring your favorite brand of deodorant because here it is very hard to find one with anti-persperant in it. I always have my mom bring me Frizz Ease when she comes to visit.
As for the eye solution, I don't think you should haul nine months worth. they sell solution at supermarkets, so you unless you have a very specific kind you have to use, bring a bottle and buy the rest here.
And to save money, shop at supermarkets outside the center.

Claire - you make a great point about the heat. In our building on the Cassia the heat is turned on and off daily and by the season. When it's off, well, it's off! About 10 days ago they notified us that the heat is NOW OFF for the season - until late October! And we've had some nights in the 40's here - so yes, Genna bring slippers, sweats, and WHATEVER else you can to stay warm.

Even during the "SEASON" our heat is only on about 8 hours a day... So you will need to bundle up if you're in the same situation as us - which I hear is very common in Rome!

My wife always brings a supply of peanut butter back from the States as it costs a fortune here! Bring your favorite pillow on the plane with you! If you have a king-size pillow, better bring your own cover as that size is tough to find here! Most US Videos, DVD's, and video games (NTSC) do not work on European systems or TV's (PAL) so be aware! Your US DVD player will not play Euro video...

Ciao,
Ron

Thanks everyone! This is all great advice!

IMO pack only the basics and work from there. I would go over with a carry on, buy the occasional bargain in Italy and plan to check a bag (and carry one) on my way home.

Even if you pack a lot, you'll end up shopping and buying things over there and will have to either throw a bunch away on your return or pay a lot for extra baggage.

Even with the low dollar, it's still possible (albeit harder) to find bargains in Italy. My wife bought a beautiful wool sweater in Verona. The material and style were great, the cost was considerably less than we would pay here and she can tell people she bought it in Italy.

When I lived in Austria for a year, I took 2 good size suitcases - one bigger than the other and nestled them. I just put all my essentials in the inside suitcase. Then I had room to buy stuff without having to ship it home.

Contact lens solution was a must. Also, any over the counter medications that you know work for you that you might need over the course of your time there. It's nice to have your Nyquil or whatever when you need it and not having to go to the pharmacy and figure it out.

Also, depending on your build, you might need to have warmer clothes sent to you if you can't bring it with you. My female friend who's tall (5' 11" and of average build) has a really hard time finding clothes in Rome. The people and clothes just tend to be smaller. So that's something to keep in mind, as well.

Have a great time!!!

Genna - one suggestion for something that has worked for us... Many folks have to come to visit us - friends, family, etc. We keep a "wish list" of anything we can't find here (or it's too expensive here). These visitors are always asking us, "Whay can we bring?"

Okay, so some of the things have been silly - ice cube trays (ice is an unknown comodity here!), hot chinese mustard, peanut butter, a western digital hard drive from Best Buy (1/2 price in the US), index cards, jolly ranchers, etc. You get the idea!

So keep a list of what you miss... and when anyone says, "What do you miss." or "What do you need"... you'll be ready!

In addition, we've sent things back to the States with these folks that we found out we just did not need - You'll find what works for you! Good Luck and again, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Ciao,
Ron

I second Mary's comment about clothing sizes. The pants are always long enought, but, the sizes run on the small size. Luckily, we now have H&M and Zara, and another chain called Combipel,(with fairly "reasonable" prices) all which carry "normal" sizes, going up to a 16. Don't know if this even applies to you, you might be a size 2 for all I know.

First of all LUCKY YOU. We will be spending a semester in Italy (still don't know where in Italy) for the 2010 school year. Find out if your apartment has kitchen stuff and towels. If not you can get most of that from the street markets. For clothes think mix and match pick a couple of color chords and keep stuff in that range. Think layers-- turtles t's sweaters. I LOVE the Mossimo t's and sweaters from Target. Rome has thrift shops just like here. You can fill in with second hand stuff and donate it back when you leave.

Any OTC meds you use on a regular basis--- I ended up paying about 11 dollars for 20 ibuproffen in Rome last year--- I could have got about 300 of the store brand here for that price.

You might consider a couple of American towels and half a dozen washcloth's since they aren't available there

Budget a little splurge for something nice and stylish to bring back home. Maybe a great jacket or dress a fabulous scarf or piece of jewelry.