Packing questions

Best not to have a team cap although without logo it OK, but really he'll fit in better with a flat cap or driving cap . FYI, few Italians seem to wear hats at all but that doesn't mean you should leave it behind. It is good protection.

Athletic shoes are fine. Sandals are not good in cities, but we see many Americans wearing them.

Personally, I am not a fan of zip-off pants. Shorts are not really done in cities, but if it makes him more comfortable, tuck in a pair.

Buy sunscreen there in an Italian farmacia. They have excellent brands and as the quantity will no doubt exceed the 3 oz allowed by TSA, if you are going to carry-on, you'll need to buy it there.

Do pack light and carry on! Be willing to rinse out a few things in the sink or do laundry once. I can not emphasize how liberating it is to have a small suitcase and a daypack as your only luggage. Easy to lift into the overhead bin, easy to lug on-and-off the train, less stuff to manage.

This is all personal experience, preferences, etc. based on our age and many, many years of travel.

First response you will receive is wear what is comfortable who cares if you look like a tourist because you are a tourists.

In all of our travels we have learned that there is difference between blending in and standing out. While it is difficult (maybe impossible) to blend in it is easy to avoid standing out like a "sore thumb." I think you want to wear things that does not call attention to yourself. We tend to dress a touch better than may of the average tourists. When the pickpocket is surveying the crowd for his next target I want them to pass by us quickly looking for a better target.

In that vain, baseball caps with American logo does that. I would not do it. I have purchased a couple of regular hats in Europe that work just fine. Shoes are not a problem the tennis shoe has been common in Europe. We do wear leather shoes but that is our preference for comfort. We would not wear open sandals. A boat type shoe would look OK except I would really question the comfort level for all day walks over rough surfaces.

We avoid wearing shorts in any cities and think that the zip off pants look dorky (personal opinion). Churches require both knees and shoulders covered and that includes male and females. There are lots of light weight long pants that are just as comfort in the heat. I wear light weight synthetic blend knit shirts with a collar in darker shapes - no lime green or black. We avoid any all cotton clothing as being too hot and to hard to care for during the trip.

If only carry on you will need to buy additional sun screen in Europe. It is commonly available and Europeans often have the same needs as we do for things like tooth paste, hair get, deo, etc.

I'll let the others answer your specific questions. It wasn't clear how long you'll be going.
Just follow Rick Steve's packing list--with minor changes.
We just returned from 3 weeks on the road with 21' roll on bags. I actually took too many pants and not enough golf shirts.
One trick I use is sending my jeans and khaki pants to the laundry for heavy starching. I can then wear a pair for extended time and they still look fine.
I'm not beyond wearing a pair of jeans for a week or longer--if I can keep dirt off them. I rotate the golf shirts every day--eventually wearing them a max. 3 days in the rotation.
I tend to wear long pants more in Italy than in some other countries. Often, they won't allow you in churches without having long pants on. And I do wear hats from time to time. But remember that Summer in Italy is very hot.
If I was going for just a week, I could get by with a very small suitcase and a day backpack to handle toiletries and a Chromebook. I wear boat shoes 24/7/365 everywhere I go--including Europe where that's the only shoe I take.
Remember that traveling lightly is better.

Hi,
What a lovely surprise! You can do this with one 22" and a small daybag both CARRIED ON! Laundry is your friend! :)

Don't worry about standing out as tourists....be comfortable and travel light, take at least one outfit that can be used for a nice dress up dinner..even his hiking pants can be dressed up with a nice shirt...button down shirts are cooler than polo's and t shirts..so pack one for him. I suggest one travel shirt with mesh panel which keeps shirt from sticking...Columbia has some solid colors or plaids that don't look very Amazon Jungle LOL...I also like them for the hidden zipper pocket.

I have been to Italy many times and a few of them in early July... it will be hot, lik Arizona HOT...so a hat yes, a plain no logo baseball cap is fine for either of you, I am very fair and always take a packable bamboo/cloth hat that covers my neck and ears.

Sunscreen start off with at least 2 bottles of 3 ounces as this is the minumum for two people on the first day...then buy some.

As long as your husband will wear pants each day, as this is required for visiting churches and some other sights. Knees and shoulders covered for both genders. He may benefit from zip off just for this reason.

IF your husband will wear sandals or boat shoes ( kinda flat and cobble stones are HARD) bring ONE pair, 2 pair shoes total...sneakers are fine, darker are better for nighttime ...one pair of flip flops will pack flat and work well for beach and slippers for hotel. If he likes sandals, then a pair that is cushioned with one pair of sneakers could work well for him.

For women: I always pack a thin scarf, you will probably buy more there! AND a sarong, very light weight to wear as a long skirt/cover up when visiting churches, can also be used as a ground cloth for beaches,picnics or sitting on steps, or a wrap on the cold air planes, keep it in your daybag.

This has been my companion on many trips for 7 years...Bra stash with two straps..it attaches to the bra strap. The one with a single snap is a horrible design you will lose it...I do not recommend.

.https://www.amazon.com/Nude-Pocket-Travel-Safe-Wallet/dp/B000BQW8AS

I attach it to ONE side only and tuck the pouch into my bra under my arm..you won't feel it as long as you just keep ONE credit card and some day cash, keep the rest of money cards and passport under clothing in larger pouch...this enables me to not worry about pick pockets but be able to reach in and take out what I need right in shops...and it is attached so no one can snatch it and I won't place it on a countertop...where many wallets are stolen...I just make a joke with the shopkeeper about " going to the Banco di Napoli" as I take my credit card out...they love it! :)

Enjoy your trip!

Baseball caps generally for the younger crowd and the Italians usually wear ones with the NY symbol! I have good sandals and I can walk many miles in Florence and Rome daily with them. I see lots of solid colored tennis shoes on both men and women. Wear whatever makes you comfortable and have a great time!

Baseball caps generally for the younger crowd and the Italians usually wear ones with the NY symbol! I have good sandals and I can walk many miles in Florence and Rome daily with them. I see lots of solid colored tennis shoes on both men and women. Wear whatever makes you comfortable and have a great time!

How old are you? I think older Italians (>55 or so) tend to dress a little more conservatively. My wife and I are in our mid-60's and feel more comfortable dressing modestly.

I agree with Frank and some others. Pack light. That means no heavy jeans. LL Bean and others sell nice lightweight pants. I also like the vented shirts by Columbia and others that are sold at Bass Pro Shops. Again, no t-shirts because of weight and being too casual. Pants with zip off legs are dorky. Shorts will work in some places on some days, but I'd rather take lightweight pants.

I take one pair of leather walking shoes. If you take shorts, I'd take tennis shoes, but remember you're trying to save weight and room.

My wife spent 10 days in Scotland and all we took was one classic RS backpack bag each and one small bag. We didn't even check our luggage. When we went on our trip to Italy and on our river cruise, we took one larger checked bag and one carryon because we knew once we checked in, we wouldn't be schlepping our bags every other day.

When we went to Italy, we were mistaken for natives more than once. Other tourists stopped us for directions and began by asking if we spoke English. On the river cruise, there were too many who dressed like typical American slobs.

Thank you all!

Sounds like carrying on is doable.

I will look into a hat with no logo for my husband and probably just a good pair of tennis shoes.

I wear a hat all the time as I burn easily. This time I wore a ball cap with MX-5 on it [model for the Mazda Miata]. No one knew what is was but everyone assumed we were Americans. We are Canadian but I know it's hard for Italians to tell the difference

My husband has baseball-style caps purchased in Italy and Switzerland when the sun got too much for him. There are also other more European styles available at street stores for €15 or less.

We are currently in Florence on our first trip to Italy. We are going to Sicily and Rome over the next 2 weeks. As far as luggage it was nice to just have carry-ons so I'd highly recommend it. My husband and I had the backpack style and my dad had the wheeled carryon. No problems for any of us.

Sunscreen - I bought a stick type sunscreen on amazon just to give us a start as it didn't count as a liquid (Neutrogena-Beach-Defense-Sunscreen-Spectrum).

Hats - I would wear whatever you want - we have seen everything in Florence. My Dad wears a Columbia baseball cap and I think he looked fine and I didn't think he stuck out. My husband wore a Columbia brand sun hat. There are tourists everywhere so you are not going to stick out.

Pants/shorts - We got the Columbia brand zip-off shorts and I think they looked very nice and are very comfortable. No point in trying to look "stylish" if you aren't comfortable. They have many styles where the zippers are not as obvious if you really care about that. I wore dresses, capris and the pants w/ zip off shorts. My husband and father had the pants/zip off shorts. It has been hot here in the day and cools down in the evening and those pants are very comfortable. My Dad is 80 and he keeps saying how comfortable the pants are. I would suggest a scarf of some sort for your dresses to wrap around your shoulders in a church.

Shoes - again - we saw everything. I don't think people are looking at your feet very much. My dad wears a pair of athletic sandals with white socks but with his zip on pants who notices? I have a pair of sandals and a pair of walking shoes. My husband has a pair of rockport walking shoes that are super light and comfortable and they blend in as they are black or brown (he has both).

Have a nice time and I hope your husband enjoys his surprise. Don't overthink it. I was doing that and when we got here i realized that it didn't matter.

We just gotalked back from Rome and we are from S. California and dressed for hot weather, what we did not anticipate was the humidity! A hat and sunscreen are vital. We do carry on only and take our own sunscreen (Neutrogena sells 50spf 3..5 Oz we took two of these-double pack sold at Costco)
because we know what we like and hubby brought a hat. So true about the NY symbol on ball caps! Ball caps everywhere but also lots of hats for sale on the street. Shorts are fine, my hubby wore cargo shorts, even in churches as they covered his knees, even in strict ones were I had to put my scarf over my bare shoulders he was fine. Besides the scorching sun you will be walking a lot so wear something that will allow movement. I wore jeans and skirts aND tanks and did great, I also got a great tan while there, your sundress choice is great! Just pack a light scarf you can take in your daybag for church cover up. We both wore sandals and now have weird tan lines on our feet but we were comfortable. I could not believe all the horrible footwear I saw ladies wearing, lots of flats with no support and the hobbling that came with them or massive heals (whaaaatttt?). I also saw lots of Birkenstocks, which have great support. We also take our reusable (contigo) water bottles and fill up in the fountains, have to stay hydrated! I can't stress enough the sunscreen , hydration and hats, how horrible would it be to get heatstroke while there?

Yup, birkenstocks! With luck they will think you are a German tourist. OP....Since its a surprise, hes going to need to take shoes that he has that are broken in.....

I'm an old man,age 61.Wife and I are heading over to Europe next week,and I just wear what I wear here. Atlanta Braves and G.B. Packers t-shirts and blue jean shorts. If they don't like it,that's tough.

Is your husband's passport valid? That's a surprise you don't want.

When all the paring down is done and you zero in on what you are really going to take, pack 1/2 of your stuff in his bag and 1/2 of his stuff in your bag. That way if one of the bags is gate checked (and it sometimes happens regardless of bag size) and goes on it's own vacation, you will each have at least 1/2 of your stuff so you can get by until it finds you. TC

FastEddie, that's just what I was thinking!

Also, Italy Surprise, you'll need his credit and debit card info to alert the banks that you'll be out of the country.

Max, if you're old at 61, a lot of us here are in deep doo-doo.

Ah, Max. I'm sure the pickpockets love the way you advertise yourself as an American tourist target. I hope your wife is as comfortable with the way you dress as you are.

My husband is a bit the same way, although he's an all-jeans, all-the-time guy and doesn't wear shorts, even in hot AZ. He's also a T-shirt guy, but his are typically plain in conservative colors or have nothing to do with US sports teams. In fact, his Joe Bonamassa tee caught the eye of a German guy staying at the same hotel as us in Nafplio, Greece. That guy had been at a Bonamassa concert in Germany just the week before, so it was a conversation starter.

My husband will be 69 later this month and is overweight, but he still looks good in jeans and tees. I must admit that the way he dresses has made me a bit uncomfortable at times, primarily because of my "target" concerns. He is sensitive to that, so his jeans are dark and fit well.

No way of dressing will guarantee that pickpockets will pass us by, but I can't help but think that subdued is better than obvious.

I'm an old man, age 61.Wife and I are heading over to Europe next week, and I just wear what I wear here. Atlanta Braves and G.B. Packers t-shirts and blue jean shorts. If they don't like it, that's tough.

I think it's a matter of honor and respect. The little Episcopal church I attend is pretty informal and I don't have any problems wearing jeans to the service. When we visit my son, who attends a larger and more formal church, I wear something a little dressier.

I regard ourselves as guests when we visit another country. Europe isn't just a big Disneyland with the citizens there only to cater to American tourists' whims and demands. I think it's only polite and respectful to act and dress in accordance to their norms. I prefer to be an ambassador, showing Americans at their best. This has led to making some fast friendships and allowed my wife and I to have some wonderful interactions with the citizens of other countries.

Well said, Doug Mac. I tend to dress better in Europe - or even traveling in the US. At home, I'm quite likely to wear a raggedy T-shirt and paint-stained pants to the grocery store.

I do clean up for church, though. And I have been appalled at what some people consider appropriate church attire. I usually attend a Spanish language service, and the Hispanics as a group are much better dressed than many of the folks at the regular services. A couple of weeks ago I had to go to one of the non-Spanish services, and the fellow sitting behind me had a T-shirt that said "If you see Kay..."

I am also visiting Italy in July. I understand that it is difficult to fool other people and make them think you are a native of Italy.

Hats: I don't wear baseball hats. I own a Colombia sun hat - it will block the sun better than a baseball hat but it will not prevent me from "standing out as a tourist".

Shoes: I currently own a pair of black Clark cloud stepper shoes, which I wear almost everywhere. They don't look like dress shoes but don't have a noticeble brand logo. I would pick a flat soled, closed toed, lace up walking shoe with a flexible sole that fits well, feels soft to you, won't make your feet sweat too much, and so on. If it happens to be an athletic shoe, so what? Don't make yourself wear something that is not adequate for walking long distances or which doesn't quite feel good just because you like the style. I don't wear sandals, and I wouldn't want my feet to be exposed. Boat shoes don't seem like adequate walking shoes to me.

If you pack sunscreen, make sure it is less than 3 ounces, or the security people at the airport in the USA will make you throw it away.

Pants/shorts: I don't own any shorts, nor zip off pants. I own kakhi pants, and the kind of lightweight pants I bought at an outdoor store that are vented and have 5 "hidden" pockets.

Summer dresses: reminds me that crossing one foot or leg over the other is bad for you, it inhibits your circulation or worse.

DougMac- it sounds like you give out some really positive energy and appear to be approachable, which may also be a contributing factor of your being able to have conversations with locals. Many, many people have these experiences when traveling and it has nothing to do with what they are wearing, more a testament to their openness and approachability. My husband can find common ground with anyone and he can usually strike up a conversation wherever we are, and he wears shorts and t-shirts and just has the best smile.

Once you say buongiorno, you will be pegged as a foreigner. I can say it all day right after the Rosetta Stone lady, and she says it's perfetto, but I am always pegged as an American. I wouldn't sweat it. If they want to talk politics, do so, but remember, politics there is not as intense as here.

Be a tourist. Don't sweat it. It is who you are.