My husband and I will be arriving 9/4 and staying thru 9/22. We'll be covering the Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Rome. What should we pack? What should we leave behind? Any tips (especially those on clothing and shoes) will help! A million thanks in advance!
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
Hi Brandy. My husband & I will be in Italy at the same time as you (9/4 through 9/19)...can't wait! The temperatures have been pretty hot in Italy so my advice is to dress in layers. I am taking cotton capri style pants & cotton shirts & of course comfortable shoes (I have to wear tennis shoes due to foot problems but any comfortable supportive shoe will do). I will also take a light weight sweater that I can wear if I'm cool, otherwise I will keep it in my daypack.
Lake Como will probably be the coolest of all the places you're visiting but it will still be warm especially in early Sept.
If you're going into churches, shoulders must be covered so I wouldn't wear anything sleeveless or if you do, take a sweater to cover your shoulders.
Don't know what other things you're thinking of taking, so if you can give us some idea then we can let you know whether to take it or leave it behind.
Also, if you are monitoring the weather/temperatures in Italy, keep in mind that they only tell half the story! The other variable is humidity which we're not really used to in So Cal. I was in Venice a few yrs ago in May & they were having a heat wave and while the temperatures themselves weren't that different from what I'm used to in the Inland Empire (CA), the humidity made it at times unbearable. We took a lot of gelato breaks due to the heat! Happy travels...maybe I'll bump into you in Italy!!
Posted by
Laguna Niguel
31 posts
You may want to check out Rick's information regarding a packing list for women here:
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/womenpacking.htm
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15788 posts
Take sunscreen and hats, comfortable sandals, lightweight clothing. I was there last October (Milan-Venice-Florence-CT) and I don't remember being cold once in 13 days. In Venice, Florence and Rome, it's best to wear clothes you can go into churches in. Even when you aren't planning to visit one, you often will want to just pop in for a look as you pass by.
Posted by
spokane
46 posts
My husband and I were there a year ago, and it was hot! We never used our jackets!
Posted by
OP
Ventura County, CA, U.S.
12 posts
Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I am planning to bring lots of linen and cotton to stay cool. The weather looks much like southern CA right now: hot in the day (although it will be much more humid there) and cool by night. I like it!! :-)