packing light harder for woman

Cinque Terra is on the water and it has a more casual vibe to me. There are people who are going to the beach, hiking, or just stopping for the day to check out the town. It may depend on what you are wanting to do and what time of the year you will be going. I have been several times in May and June and have seen women in shorts, beach attire, nice pants, or flowy skirts. If you are planning on hiking I think that would be more acceptable to be more casual than it would be in some of the larger cities. If you are wanting an easy day of walking around and just enjoying Cinque Terra I think that a casual knit dress would be fine. I hope that I answered your question. Other people may have different opinions.

Enjoy Cinque Terra.

Thanks, Amy. I do want to dress appropriately for the activity, but I don't want to seem like an insensitive tourist.

It's not that hard. I've been to Italy several times, I
take: 2 pair capri pants, 1 skirt, 1 pair long pants,
6-7 tops (depending on time of year, short sleeve, one sleeveless, one long sleeve) a light weight sweater.
One pair of sandals, one pair of closed toe shoes. Add under garments, just a touch of make up and I'm done.

it's not harder to pack as a women, it's just that we are bombarded with images of women dressed to the "nines" in beautiful clothing everyday, so we feel we have to keep up, but we don't.

Grace, packing light is only harder for a woman if the woman has the attitude that the woman NEEDS more than the man. A travel-sized blow dryer with a power converter is the only extra thing that my wife ever brings with her that I don't when we go.

Remember some things, 3 pairs of women's undergarments takes up the same space as one man's. It takes 2 of her t-shirts to take up the same room as one of mine (she's a size 10-12 and I wear a L-XL). My buttoned shirts are bulkier than hers.

Look for form and function over fashion. This does not mean that you have to wear awful clothes. But instead of a couple of knit dresses, try skirts. You can match shirts with either skirts or slacks. Also, my wife has one pair of black shoes that goes with everything she brings.

FYI, think NYC when you think of what women wear. Some dress VERY well. But not everyone. And nobody looks at them funny when they don't. They don't stick out. Dressing "high-maintenance" isn't the norm or practical.

Thanks for the tips; I'll rethink my packing list. Part of the problem is that we are starting with a cruise around Sicily, so we will be with the same people for seven days. I was assuming that I needed dressier clothes for dinner there, but I have sent a message to inquire about that. But I am definitely there to see Italy, not have Italy see me (as another poster put it).