Should I take an umbrella to Italy for sun protection?
How much would it cost to get it locally and is it easy to find a decent one from say a street vendor? Or does one have to find a department store / general store? Can anyone suggest such a store in the heart of Rome?
Just coming out of the heat wave in UK (!). Rome should be a breeze!
Do you have a sun hat? It might provide protection and be easier to manage in crowds.
In addition to managing an umbrella in crowds, places like museums might not let you carry it around. A hat is much easier.
Please, don't buy from street vendors. It's not just illegal, they are killing regular shops that pay taxes and hire people. The factories that make the stuff they sell are known for exploiting workers and for polluting.
A hat is much easier.
I would agree. Get a soft hat with a big enough brim to keep most of the rays off your face and neck. Umbrellas are a pain to deal with in heavy crowds, and there is that previously mentioned inconvenience about having to check them in some of the museums. We try whenever possible never to have anything on us that we have to check, although that was pretty difficult at the Borghese. You will need to remove the hat in some museums, such as the Vatican's, but if it's foldable or collapsable, you can put it in your bag or carry it.
Pay attention to what Dario had to say about street-peddled merchandise as well; good reasons to avoid buying that stuff.
thanks for the tips
any suggestion of a specific store/
has anyone bought such a hat in Rome? Is it easy to find/. Or is it better to get before going?
We try whenever possible never to have anything on us that we have to
check, although that was pretty difficult at the Borghese.
why is it difficult at the Borghese? Are they very strict about what you are allowed to carry?
Borghese requires you to check all your belongings which is what Kathy means by “difficult” to avoid
https://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en/info/servizi/
A hat would likely be easy enough to find in Rome but that will take time that you have so little of.
Get one before you go
And here's the list of what you can't take into the Vatican Museums:
https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/organizza-visita/consigli-utili.html
Also note the rules of dress, if you haven't seen them already.
Currently in Italy and I would recommend bring an umbrella. It’s brutally hot and hat gives you protection but umbrella helps so much better. When in crowd, close it. We had small compact and would store away in a tote bag. No questions from any museums. Saw plenty of people using in Rome, Florence, Venice.
Get a fancy colour and you can pretend to be a tour group leader and you may get a following.
Are they still using this as an indication for their groups?
Yes! Bring a hat AND an umbrella. For Rome and Pompeii, I took my soft and squishable Scala hat. You can get them from Amazon in many colors and sometimes at places like TJ Maxx. It can fold up and go in your bag while inside museums and restaurants. But when out in really hot sun at sites like the Forum or Pompeii, where there is little shade, the umbrella makes a huge difference. I have a Totes Sun Guard one (I think I got it at Walmart) that keeps you about 20 degrees cooler. It really does work and folds down pretty small, easily fit in the bottle pocket of a Baggallini type bag. My husband scoffed when I packed one, but he stood very close to me while out in the hot sun.
Watch some livecams from Rome? I see lots of hats and zero umbrellas, not that there couldn't be a couple outside of camera range.
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma.html
I had a big hat, which worked just fine. I would have worried about hitting people on crowded streets with an umbrella. I also brought a cooling neck scarf (just off amazon). I'd run it under the nasone. Not very chic, but sure helped.
I'd run it under the nasone.
Lotus, if you don't know what nasoni are:
https://devourtours.com/blog/tap-water-rome/?cnt=US
They are great as they're all over, and the water they dispense is safe, cheap (as in free) and very good to drink! We bought one bottle of water each at the market and refilled them from nasoni over our stay. Tap water is fine too. Water from famous, ornamental fountains, like Trevi, is not for drinking, and you shouldn't consume water from any source labeled acqua non potabile :O)
I would suggest the umbrella shouldn't be black or it wouldn't help much
Get a big travel hat that folds or rolls. You can always pick up an umbrella along the way and probably a hat -- but hats are tricky and I like to be sure I have one in case I can't find one there.
Lotus, if you don't know what nasoni are:
https://devourtours.com/blog/tap-water-rome/?cnt=US
thanks! so good to know. the article also says that in a restaurant they won't give you plain (tap) water, only bottled - is this true?
We plan to take a water bottle each and fill it up before leaving our room. Still I thought in a restaurant one would be able to get water for free (along with the meal).
Will remember to look for these water fountains which I now know to call nasoni.
Custom is not to ask for tap water at dinner but to pay the small fee for bottled. It'll be big enough for you and your daughter to share, or was in our case, anyway. You certainly CAN ask for tap water but please don't use your personal water bottles at the table.
Still, if wanting to do as the Romans do, go with bottled!
A fun discussion about eating in Italy:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/eating-in-italy-4db602bf-ea69-43af-a56a-eb124a370c50
Bottled water in restaurants cost a euro or two and one bottle is always enough for the 2 of us
Most Italians drink fizzy water( frizzante)
If you don’t want fizzy, ask for “still”
I would bring a wide-brimmed hat. If you really want to bring an umbrella, bring from home. Decent umbrellas are expensive in Italy. The cheap ones fall apart in a day!
I have seen people ask for tap water, but not in the last ten years of visits. I suppose you can ask for it though. Many Italians drink bottled water at home, so it's not common to drink tap water at a restaurant.
Borghese requires you to check all your belongings which is what Kathy
means by “difficult” to avoid
https://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en/info/servizi/
does this include a purse? I have both a small (7" x 7" square crossbody) and a medium (10" shoulder) purse and trying to decide which to carry. Latter could hold a small water bottle as well.
would a fanny pack be allowed? If I keep my passport on my person then I would not want to have to check it in anywhere.
Wear pants on the Borghese Day and keep your passport in the back pocket. I doubt anyone working there would steal a worthless chipped passport when they could steal a Caravaggio worth millions.
You passport should be in a money belt or secured deep on your person in some fashion
took one umbrella which we both shared. very useful esp in Colosseum, Forum & Palatine which is a LOTof walking in the sun
also took towels (Indian towels, which are light muslin), soaked in water and kept on our heads and shoulders to serve as our own personal coolers. So great to have water fountains everywhere!
