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!