Anyone going to Italy this week? Taking a coat?
 

I know, I know. We've gone over this before. But I am packing and leaving in 36 hours and I've solved my purse dilemma and my shoe dilemma, but now, the coat. We will be in Venice, Verona, the Dolomites, Bellagio, and Milan. I bought a windbreaker for the Dolomites, based on the recommendation of someone on this board. Got that packed. Am wearing a cardigan on the plane. The question is - do I take my hip length lined jacket? The weather forecast is some chance of rain, sun, temps are in the 70's and 80's during the day (Verona is showing 89 degrees F) for our visit). I have two pashminas to wrap around my shoulders when needed. Last time I was in Venice I brought only a white jean jacket type jacket for mornings and evenings. Maybe I should bring that instead???!!! Help??? (The old me would have thrown them all in, but I am packing light for the first time in my life - see thread where I came back from 6 days in San Francisco and had to suffer the humiliation of dragging my suitcase off the luggage check-in because it weighed OVER 50 pounds! And it was just clothes! No more having to stuff clothes into my purse in front of irate flyers! Hahaha) Help?

A thin rainproof jacket (I hope your windbreaker is rainproof?) plus a warm sweater/fleece/cardigan that can be worn underneath the rain jacket if temperatures are colder and you'll cope with all bad weather conditions. Layers do the trick and allow most flexibility.

If you weant to look a bit more fashionable in cities on dry but chilly mornings/evenings the jeans type jacket plus pashmina sounds good to me.

These two jackets are IMHO all you'll need.

I'm with quokka . . . your rain jacket, plus our cardigan. If you're really concerned, pack some gloves. The gloves will help you feel a lot warmer if it gets cold without having to take another coat.

I would not take a coat unless you're used to very very hot weather all year (over 100 F). I would never wear a lined coat if the temps were in the 60s. You state the temps will be in the 70s and 80s so a coat will not be needed. I agree with quokka on what to bring.

Fleece? Gloves? I live in Minnesota and when the weather is in the 70's and 80's, we are in shorts and t-shirts! I know the mornings and evenings are cooler, but the days look hot. I hate to schlep that extra coat if I don't wear it. The windbreaker is rainproof, but I can't see me wearing a bright blue windbreaker in a city. I have an umbrella! Thanks for the advice! Anyone else?

Lordy - a coat? I was in the UK two weeks ago during much cooler weather and didn't take nor miss a coat. And I took a fold up raincoat which never saw the outside of the suitcase (even in the rain and small umbrella is all I needed)

A light jacket that, you can layer underneath if it actually gets cold enough, is much more practical.

From your post I thought your were already bringing what I called your rain jacket but meant your windbreaker. AND your have a cardigan. I think that's enough. The gloves are if you were concerned about chilly weather, which it seemed you were, but perhaps I read wrong. I would add gloves before I would add another jacket.

(But I probably wouldn't have chosen a windbreaker as one of my outerwear choices since it's more casual than I care to be. I'd probably bring the jean jacket before the windbreaker since for me the jean jacket would seem more appropriate in more places you are visiting.)

If you're from Minnesota you won't need any jackets or coats! Even in May I pack a sweater but don't wear it sightseeing. You mention the Dolomites. If you're high in the mountains in the evening/night you'll want something warm. The rest of the time the stuff will sit in your suitcase. Who cares about the bright blue windbreaker in the city.

Have a great trip!

Hello rbn, I don't wear windbreakers so I cannot comment on that. I would take your white jean type jacket and wear it onto the plane rather then packing it. Wear your cardigan underneath the jacket. You can take the jacket off or the cardigan off depending on the temps on the plane.

I always take a waterproof jacket, midthigh and black, sort of a peacoat style, very lightweight and crunches up to nothing. I take a few cashmere sweaters which I find comfortable be it warm or cold weather. The waterproof jacket can be worn over a sweater or even a blazer due to the way it is cut. But you don't want to go out shopping at the last minute so I suggest forget the windbreaker and take your jean jacket. If it is chilly you can buy a great scarf in Italy, stylish and a good souvenior. I wouldn't bother with gloves. And no matter what the weather, have a wonderful time in Northern Italy!

Well, thanks! LoveItaly, I have a mid-thigh black cotton jacket that is thin and goes with everything! Hey! Forget the jean jacket. The windbreaker (have never worn one - someone here had to tell me where to get one) is already packed at the bottom of my suitcase. So what I did was toss the lined jacket back into the closet, got out the black jacket and stuffed a black long-sleeved Cuddledud top into my suitcase in case of cool weather. Done. Yipppeeeee!

Can't begin to imagine what you would do with a coat in the summer in Italy.

I think I should have used the word jacket, not coat. We usually go to the south of Italy and it has been Africa hot in June but since this is the north, I'm thinking I will need a jacket, especially with going to the Dolomites. We shall see!

If it gets unseasonably and uncomfortably cold in the Dolomites or elsewhere, you can get over your concern about being fashionably dressed and wear multiple layers under the windbreaker and tough it out. The likelihood is so minimal, that packing an extra, heavier jacket makes no sense. Besides, if you're from MN (as was I at one time) it should take a whole lot more than 60 degree temps to make you cold. Enjoy.

A windbreaker and a cardigan is all you need. I've been going to Italy every June for I don't know how long, now take a cardigan and a linen jacket, wear one or the other occasionally but usually not. A cardigan plus windbreaker is the most you may need, and then only in the mountains.

P.S. I'm going to Venice on Friday & just checked the forecast - the good news is it should be 26 degrees C, the bad news is I'd better pack a brolly :-(

I'll be there on Friday also. Very minimal chance of rain, no? Thanks for the advice about jackets. The temps in Venice, Verona, even Bolzano is showing mid to upper 80s.

I got a terrific trench coat in Copenhagen that has a zip-out fleece lining. The coat itself is water-repellent, so warm, moderate, or cold weather (down to below 0°C), wet or dry, are all accounted for.

As long as you have a sweater and a lightweight jacket you will be fine. If necessary you can wear both - but can;t imagine you would need it as except in the middle of the night at the top of a mountain.

(And I've been to Italy - mid and northern at least a dozen times, almost all in May - when it was always pleasantly warm. We even took a train to the top of the Jungfrau in June - over 12,000 feet and a permanent snow cover - and a shirt, cotton sweater and light jacket was enough to stay warm outside.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/foreca...0&region=world

Looking better from Saturday, though.

Out of a total of 3 weeks spent in Venice in June, I've experienced two days when it rained, heavily, for about 3 hours each time. This week has looked unusually bad.

We are back. Didn't need a coat at all. Hot and sometimes humid. Wish I had brought more sleeveless shirts and skirts instead of capris! Thanks for the good advice, though.

I found the first few nights in Venice cooler than usual so wore my linen jacket when sitting outside, but didn't need it the rest of the time. One day was grey but never rained.

I just got home from Italy last Friday, and I did not need a jacket or sweater of any kind. It was hot. I was in the SML and Cinque Terre area.

ah woman I can relate to.......wondering if she needs a coat in the summer in Italy. I was wondering the same thing!!!! (Memo to self-chuck the coat)