What would your packing list look like?

We were in Florence and Bologna (along w Rome and Cinque Terre) recently in shoulder season, and my list contained the same items it always does for central and southern Europe that time of year: 3 merino tops (2 short sleeve, 1 long...for cooler evenings), 1 pair new-ish dark indigo well-fitting stretch jeans (I won't wear faded or frayed or baggy in Italy) which I actually wear on the plane, 1 pair light weight nylon dress pants (NOT cargo or athletic type) for emergency in case I need to launder thr jeans, 1 pair dark black or brown ultra-light trainers (again, for emergency in case something happens to my everyday Mephisto walking shoes...pita to have to shop for my size whilst on holiday), 3 pair sink-washable quick-drying undergarments and walking socks, plus a long-sleeved button top to use as a layer (mostly to protect my marino tops from abrasion by the backpack), and a light-weight rain shell. That plus my cosmetic kit (the small classic RS), 2 small nylon zipper cases for cords, chargers ear pods and battery bank, and my 3kg camera kit. All fits neatly in an RS back-door bag and comes in just shy of the stringent weight limit for hand carry on airlines such as TAP . I also carry a Civita backpack as my personal item, with meds, spare spectacles, Bose headphones and a light jumper.

I'm a frequent shoulder season traveler. You will need layers for changeable, varying temperatures - merino T shirt as an underlayer, a vest to layer on top of the underneath layers, a midweight coat that has enough ease for a warmer garment. I don't know if it is rainy/damp that time of year, but I know cool temperatures and dampness make it feel colder. If there are warm days you can wear a thinner /light layer underneath the coat.

For travelling, I wear flat, comfortable shoes as I will be walking for a good part of the day. That means running shoes or something similar.

Usually, I don't take jeans when traveling. I have other pants to take that aren't as heavy/bulky.

I pack pretty much the same regardless of the season, but shoulder season is my preferred travel season…or winter. I take 9 pieces of main clothing: 4 tops (prefer merino wool, 3 LS, one SS), 3 slacks (2 jeans: dark wash and black; 1 black yoga pant that looks like dress slacks), one casual mid layer and one blazer (generally). Then, of course, unders. Also I will pack trench rain coat-Eddie Bauer presently. Two shoes at the most. From these, on the plane, I wear the SS tee, blue wash jeans, largest shoes, unders and blazer. I do make sure the blazer and raincoat will fit in my carryon for moving around in Europe.

I found even in February I didn’t require warmer clothes in Italy. I remember wearing shirt sleeves there on that trip, but I needed a mid layer on the Amalfi coast. I am from Massachusetts, you might need warmer mid layers if from a warmer climate.

I will hand wash my unders in a reinforced food storage bag (suds up, shake, leave to soak, come back later to rinse. It takes less than 5 minutes in total. I send my jeans out to hotel laundry, if available.

Oh, a couple of light scarves to dress up the outfits, preferably silk, but not always.

You’ve received great advice. I always pack a 32 Degree micro-thin long sleeve scoop neck top (weighs less than 5oz.) for layering (I’m allergic to wool) or even to just use as a top with a scarf in Summer evenings. For my recent Christmas Market trip, I brought four of them in different colors to use as my top each day (to have more room for shopping items) and wore two of complementary colors with a necklace one day because it was warm enough to skip the winter coat. I see you have a washer. I just handwash & they dry very quickly; I probably wouldn’t put them in the dryer.

March 9th and return on March 20th - I know it can still be rainy and chilly at that time of year, though of course may be glorious! I would add a waterproof raincoat, there are many packable options on line. And the following items are super light so would add - a Smart wool headband, lightweight gloves & a wool scarf. Also, I wear silk long underwear under my summer Mountain Hardware pants for an extra layer. Sounds like a fabulous trip!

@GPB: What's in your camera kit? Just curious.

I second the advice to take a headband/hat, gloves and warmer scarf. MANY years ago, my husband and I were in Italy (Milan, Florence, Siena, Perugia and Venice) in early to mid-March and it was surprisingly cold! I broke down and bought a lovely pair of wool gloves in Siena that I treasured for years afterward. You might also consider something cozy to sleep in, depending on the type of accommodations you have: we had the unexpected pleasure of staying in a 15th century palazzo in Siena....in those days, we travelled without hotel reservations (!!!;); when there was no room at the hotel suggested by our guidebook, the clerk made a phone call and a very elegant older gentleman showed up and led us through the streets to his home, where we found ourselves staying in a lovely, huge apartment, for a song!). It was such a wonderful place to stay but it was COLD and we froze at night. Just a thought.

Hope your weather is fabulous and you have a wonderful trip!

We always do treks. We've gone on hiking trips to Greece, Italy, (Umbria), Germany and Peru. So, I know what to bring for hiking including boots, a sun hat like a Tilly hat, Outdoor Research pants that dry quickly and a long sleeve white hiking shirt to wear over a tank top or t shirt and a windbreaker/rain jacket combo. We always add on extra days for city sightseeing and so I pack nicer slacks and a sweater or vest for urban travel. The sweater and fleece vest can be used on the trails too. Many of the areas we have hiked in have big temperature swings during the day so layering is important. I like a silk base layer for colder climates.

I take only 2 pair hiking pants and 1 pair trousers like these "turn it up” pants. https://www.thisisaday.com/collections/best-sellers-1/products/turn-it-up-pants-midnight.

I like to take 2 pairs of shoes and sometime add sandals and a bathing suit if it's summer. The bag weight might come in over 8kg if I include hiking poles. So I sometimes take less tops and toiletries. I've pared down bag weight over the years from when I used to take a heavy jacket and jeans. I carry a backpack on the plane as my personal item and it has headphones, reading glasses, medication, a kindle, phone and their various chargers.