If you are planning a trip to Italy, one of the first things to cross your mind is probably “what on earth should be on my Italy packing list?!” While it doesn’t really matter what you wear in Italy (in terms of style) since the goal is to see the country, it still helps to have can Italy packing list for two reasons.
First of all, an Italy packing list will help you make sure you don’t forget any essentials and will help you pack correctly for the season. Second, let’s be real – if you didn’t photograph it, it didn’t happen, and you probably want your photos to look awesome. I won’t tell if you don’t, but we all know that’s probably one of the reasons why you’re googling what to wear in Italy.
Below, I give an in-depth Italy packing list for each season, including which clothes and beauty products to pack. However, there are a few travel items that I bring to Italy no matter what the season, and I will list those first below.
Italy Packing List: Essentials for Every Season
Camera
First and foremost, I always bring a camera, spare camera battery and charger with me when I travel. Italy is one of my favorite countries, filled with incredible historical buildings, food and culture – and you’ll definitely want to get it all on camera. I’ve listed my favorite camera below, although a good mobile phone can also work in a pinch. While phone photos are definitely not on the same level as a real camera, they’re still photos! We have compared Samsung and iPhone cameras on past trips, and currently the iphone X seems to be taking the best pictures for us.
Cross-body Purse With a Zipper
That might sound like a weird item to add to your Italy packing list, but trust me when I say you need a cross-body bag that zips shut. You will likely do a lot of walking while in Italy, and a cross-body bag allows you to wear your purse, rather than dragging along a large bag on your arm with 50 of your favorite lipsticks in it. Don’t roll your eyes, we all do it.
Second, your cross-body bag allows you to keep your purse (and possessions) in sight and close to your body, which can help you avoid the many pick-pockets in Italy.
Finally, a cross-body bag that zips shut will allow you to not only keep your bag in sight, but to also ensure that your possessions (like your money and ID) are not sticking out of your bag, tempting thieves to have a go at it. I know that might sound like an exaggeration, but my friend had her wallet and passport stolen out of her open, shoulder bag while in Italy, and we had to go through the process of filing a police report in Italian (fun), locating a U.S. embassy for a replacement passport hundreds of miles away (more fun) and paying hundreds to get the passport replaced, without the money that was stolen (most fun). Do yourself a solid, and just get a decent bag.
I’ve listed my favorites below, which all come from Kate Spade and Michael Kors. They all cost around $200 dollars, but to me it’s worth it for the quality. I also tend to count how many times I would use an item versus the cost – I definitely use these bags more than 200 times, meaning it costs me less than $1 per wear.
Italy Packing List for Spring (March-May)
Let’s just start at the beginning. While some things remain the same, you really should have a different Italy packing list for each season, due to the area’s changing temperatures.
Located on the Mediterranean, Italy’s temperatures in Spring sees a wide range of temperatures, with highs of about 55-72°F (13-23°C) and lows in the 40s-50s°F (5-15°C). Nights are often cold, getting down sometimes to as low as around 5°C (40°F). Keep in mind that if you’re at a very high elevation location, the temperatures will be colder.
When coming up with an Italy packing list for spring, keep in mind that layers are key. Because the nights are often much cooler than the days, it’s a good idea to bring a good jacket to wear in the evening, while wearing a shirt with a light jacket or no jacket during the daytime. When I was in Italy in the spring, we also experienced a lot of rain. Keep in mind that rain is common in Italy in the spring, and you will likely want to pack accordingly.
When deciding what to wear in Italy for a week-long trip in the spring, I would recommend the following:
- 3 dresses
- 7 shirts
- 1 pair of leggings for travel days
- 2 sweaters for travel days
- 3 pairs of pants
- 1 pair sneakers
- 1 pair boots/booties
- 3 scarves
- 1 waterproof jacket with hood
- 1 warm jacket
- 1 pair tights
- 1 warm hat
- Gloves for nighttime
- Umbrella
If you’re going for less or more time than a week, obviously modify your Italy packing list. Below, I have listed my favorite picks for each of the items above, which are what I take when I’m putting together my Italy packing list for spring.
Springs Dresses
Spring Shirts
Leggings
Travel Day Sweaters
Spring Pants
Sneakers
Boots/Booties
Scarves
Waterproof Jacket with Hood
Warm Jacket
Warm Hat
Gloves for Nighttime
Tights
Italy Packing List for Summer (June-Mid September)
Coming up with an Italy packing list for summer is totally different than spring, since temperatures are way up in the Mediterranean. From June to mid-September, you can expect highs in the 70s-80°F (20s-30s°C) and lows in the 60s-70s°F (10s-20s°C). Summer is an amazing time to be in Italy, which is why much of the world flocks to the tourist attractions popular cities like Rome. Italy can be fairly humid in the summer, depending on location, so plan to pack light-weight, comfortable clothes. You will also probably want to bring hairspray or other products that guard against humidity, since humidity = frizzy hair.
When choosing what to wear in Italy for a week-long trip in the summer, I would recommend the following Italy packing list:
- 3 sleeveless dresses
- 7 short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts
- 1 pair of leggings for travel days
- 2 tanks or loose shirts for travel days
- 1 pair of pants
- 1 pair sneakers
- 1 pair comfortable sandals
- 3 light-weight scarves
- 1 light jacket for evenings
- 2 swimsuits
- 1 Hat
- Hairspray/anti-humidity product
- Invisible sunscreen
Summer Dresses
Summer Shirts
Leggings for Travel Days
Loose Shirts for Travel Days
Pants
Sneakers
Comfortable Sandals
Scarves/Head Scarves
Swimsuits
Brimmed Hat
Invisible Sunscreen
Anti-humidity Spray
Italy Packing List for Fall (Mid September-November)
When planning what to wear in Italy during the fall, keep in mind that Mediterranean falls are often more mild than much of the world, and you will likely still see nice weather, even in November. From mid-September to November, you can expect highs ranging from the 50s-70s°F (10s-20s°C) and lows in the 40s-50s°F (5-15°C). As with the other seasons, keep in mind that it will be colder in higher-elevation areas.
When visiting Rome in November, we found that it was warm enough during the day to walk around without a jacket, but that warmer clothes were definitely needed in the evenings. You may want to aim more for short-sleeved shirts during the day in September and long-sleeved shirts during the day in November, but other than that the fall Italy packing list should remain pretty much the same.
When choosing what to wear in Italy for a week-long trip in the fall, I would recommend the following Italy packing list:
- 2 warm dresses
- 4 shirts
- 3 sweaters
- 1 pair of leggings for travel days
- 2 loose shirts or sweaters for travel days
- 3 pairs of pants
- 1 pair sneakers
- 1 pair booties
- 3 scarves
- 1 light jacket for daytime
- 1 warm jacket for evenings
- 1 Hat
Fall Dresses
Shirts & Sweaters
Leggings
Fall Travel Shirts
Fall Pants
Sneakers
Boots/booties
Scarves
Light Jacket
Warm Jacket
Hat
Italy Packing List for Winter (December-February)
To absolutely no one’s surprise, winter is the coldest season in Italy. From December to February, you can expect highs in the 40s-50°F (7-15°C) and lows in the 30s-40s°F (0-7°C). While the winter is cold, it is also the best time to visit Italy if you don’t want a lot of tourists (except for at the ski resorts). Dressing in layers is the best policy when deciding what to wear in Italy in the winter, but make sure the layers are all warm.
When choosing what to wear in Italy for a week-long trip in the winter, I would recommend the following Italy packing list:
- 2 warm dresses
- Tights
- 8 sweaters
- 1 pair of leggings for travel days
- 2 loose sweaters for travel days
- 4 pairs of pants
- 1 pair sneakers
- 1 pair boots
- 3 scarves
- 1 warm jacket
- Gloves
- Umbrella
- 7 Warm socks
- 2 warm hats
Warm Dresses
Tights
Sweaters
Travel Leggings
Travel Shirts
Pants
Sneakers
Boots
Scarves
Warm Jacket
Gloves
Warm Hats
That wraps it up for my ultimate Italy packing list guide for any season! If you’re still debating where to go in Italy, check out my guide to 4 days in Rome – one of my all-time favorite cities.
Do you have questions about what to wear during your visit to Italy? If so, please comment and I’ll be more than happy to answer!