tourist76

We leave for a 15 day trip to Italy on Oct. 1st and this is our first time abroad and would like advice on how to pack for it. Should we bring only a few items that can be mixed and matched? Can anyone help? (No responses from M_Kingdom2 please I do not want to haul around too much luggage to change 3 times a day)

rex

<<only a few items that can be mixed and matched>>

While I am square in the middle of the "pack light" crowd, I don't think you need to take fewer clothes than you will actually want. And October can bring the beginning of chilly weather, so I think that a windbreaker over a sweater over a shirt will be your best bet for warmth, when needed. (add a t-shirt under that, and personally, I would be good clear down to wintry temperatures - - you will almost certainly not encounter anything below 30 degrees F, no matter what cold snap should occur; it is just as likely to be 80 F, for that matter!)

I would take no fewer than 12 shirts for a 15 day trip, and that can still be done and "pack light".

A blazer can be a useful alternative to a windbreaker, for certain dinner or evening outings.

Fifteen days is about the upper limit trip length for which I might try to get by without access to laundry services. If it should work out to make time or access to laudry services in the day 8-11 time window, you might find it worthwhile.

Knowing a bit more about your itinerary might help to give beter advice (how much north, how much south, how much higher elevations, how much "resort"; how much moving around and by what means, how much staying in one place and for how long).

Best wishes,

Rex

m_kingdom2

Oh well, here I am!

15 days, let's call it a fortnight.

My instinctive advice is, that, unless you are nudists, take what you'd wear at home for that duration, including a few outfits for dressier evenings. If you wear trainers at casual places normally, don't change, it's your style so stick with it.

As for blazers - please no brass buttoned affairs - a simple black jacket for both sexes (not his and hers though) or a cream/white linen/cotton one is equally suitable.

I'd pack some T-shirts to wear under casual jackets during the day (if that's your style) with some jeans/casual trousers. Shirts, dresses etcetera - don't let an holiday make you deviate from your normal style.

tourist76

Thanks so much for the advice! You even helped MK2! This will help. -Rex we will be in a villa in Tuscany for a week and there will be some day trips planned for the nearby area. As for the next week, a few days in Rome and possibly try to make it to meet some family in Casenza for a couple of days. Does the climate differ like the USA from north to south?

janis

this thread is HUGE - over 130 posts. But it has just about every imagineable recommendation for packing light.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34478022

rex

Asuming that the villa offers you the opportunity to do laundry, then your options are significantly less restricted.

And sure, the northernmost reaches of Italy are going to be cooler than south of Naples - - not the least of which because they are higher in elevation.

Even in Tuscany, your villa could be well higher in elevation than say Florence (at about 400 ft), since thre are places in Chianti approaching 2000 feet. That can mean a difference of 10-15 degrees in overnight lows.

Peggy_D

Hi, Tourist. I hope you enjoy your trip! My best advice for packing light is about fabrics--I like to travel with fabrics that are wrinkle resistant and pack small--usually rayon blends--and these are also the type that wash easily in a hotel sink with a little woolite and will dry overnight. That's easier for women's clothes than for men's, but we found a few shirts in Travel Smith's catalog that my husband loves and they wash easily. I could never travel with 12 shirts--even for a month--but if they are of lightweight fabric, why not? I've found that, no matter what we pack, we always seem to wear the same 4 or 5 "favorite" shirts and pants over and over, and we wash them out as we go. Woolite is my best travel friend. Have a great time in Italy--my longest trip there has been 8 days, so I am envious of your time there. Try to learn some Italian before you go.

SalB

We just pack the things we wear at home, adding a layer or so in case of cooler weather. (We live in S. Cal.) Do remember to pack a couple small folding umbrellas!

We've found blazers take the place of windbreakers. We also take raincoats and have actually used them a couple times.

elaine

Hi
My practices also fall in the middle--a lot more than some, a lot less than others.
I plan into my budget at least one round of laundry or drycleaning, usually done by the hotel. No, I don't use that expensive service for underclothes, but for the jacket(s)or trousers or blouses that I get a lot of wear out of on my trip. If I have to make up the cost I have one of two meals on my own of local bread and cheese, because I'd rather have the clean clothes.

I take some old underclothes with me, the sort that are on their last legs so to speak, and dispose of them along the way. If I run out of those I do a few sink washings during the trip. I pack some little Woolite packets--in a pinch, shampoo works well.

Beyond that, yes, I mix and match. I may get tired of the clothes, but no one else cares, especially when you are moving along to different cities.
I do bring one or two nicer outfits for evening, just to feel that I've still got a little glamor (such as it is) to look forward to when I dine in nicer places. Two pairs of comfortable shoes, (wear one pair, obviously) and one pair of sillier shoes for evenings, even evenings when I'm not especially dressed up. A less clunky pair of shoes somehow dresses up even the trousers I've been wearing all day.

suze

As a dedicated light-packer, I've recently changed my ways about one thing only... To my mind (and feet) shoes are the most important thing (clothes wise) for an enjoyable trip. I take at least 4 pair of sandals/shoes/sneakers, 3 in the suitcase and 1 on my feet. Things to wear (i.e., new sweater if the weather is cool, shorts if you are in a sudden heatwave) are easy & quick to buy, shoes are not. I know some folks swear by one single great pair of shoes, but that would kill me being stuck with only them for two weeks straight. Or heaven forbid they give you blisters, get wet, whatever... Just my 2 cents!

BarbaraJ

How you pack will also depend how you travel. We just did two weeks with each of us taking a 22" rolling suitcase. We took light fabrics and did wash out our clothes in the bathroom sink. We were also there in the summer and changed clothes more often than we would in the fall. Halfway through our trip we did got to a laundry in Florence as my husband was attending a meeting and didn't want too many wrinkles. Okay - to my original point. We traveled by train from Rome to Florence and then to Pesaro (on the east coast) and then back to Rome. We were so glad we packed light, especially when we saw so many people struggle with large bags. Also some of the trains didn't have space for large pieces of luggage. If you are driving or only going by train between two cities (and going on the Eurostar trains) a larger suitcase would probably work.

We just brought "corporate casual" type clothes and two pairs of shoes. If you are planning on going to an upscale restaurant, you may need something more. In most restaurants we went to, people dressed casual, but nice.

caroline_edinburgh

Yes, assuming your villa has a washing machine (and I've never stayed in one which didn't - but you should be able to check) wash and dry as much as possible before leaving the villa : this could cut your packing by almost half. Then, if you are at the Rome hotel for long enough, you could get shirts/dresses/etc laundered there too before you move on again. I agree re not paying hotel prices to launder underwear : buy a traveller's clothesline which you can hook up in the bathroom and a small tube of special travelwash or just a small, decanted bottle of your regular detergent. So you shouldn't need more than 8 or so shirts for 15 days, at the most.

Yes, the climate can differ considerably from north to south, even within a relatively short distance. For example on our most recent trip which started on June 10th, it was hot in Rome but sometimes quite cool even in southern Tuscany. I would take basically summer clothes, plus two sweaters or fleeces (one to go with daytime clothes & one dressier for evening) and shoes and socks for cooler weather. I wouldn't take a raincoat, just a small folding umbrella.

lindilindi

I went on a 3-week trip with a pair of jeans (dark navy, not ripped or stone-washed), a pair of shorts and two long lightweight skirts (made from very nice-looking synthetic material), and 5 tops (3 short-sleeved, one long-sleeved and a sweather). Plus 2 shoes (fake-leather sandals and black leather city shoes suitable for hiking).

I washed the clothes that needed washing every 2 or 3 days in the sink. I bought 2 tops when I was there which will always remind me of my trip when I wear them here at home.

All of my things fitted in my medium backpack and while everyone was huffing and puffing with their bags I was busy enjoying the sights. I could also hop on a train or bus easily and could pass as a local with a backpack instead of a tourist.
It's amazing the variations you can make from a few tops and bottoms.
The only thing I wished I had was an extra pair of shoes after one pair got soaked on a hike.

I had to pack light because I went backpacking and took buses, but based on that experience I will do this on different trips also.

Eleni

lindilindi -- what are black city shoes suitable for hiking? brand?

m_kingdom2

" what are black city shoes suitable for hiking? brand?"

Prada's black trainers are very comfortable and are equally at home on Rue St. Honore as they are on some rustic country trail. If I'm having a casual evening I may wear Prada trainers with darker coloured clothes, they don't look out of place at all and help with the overall smart casual level of the outfit.

lindilindi

The brand is not important - mine are fairly cheap shoes ("Predictions" brand I think). They are not hiking shoes but have fairly thick black non-slip soles with deep grooves; they lace up and are easy to clean. They don't offer ankle support, but I've used them on a 7-hour hike without a problem. They are black leather and would pass with anything but a skirt or business suit. The style might be more suitable for young people (I'm 23), but I think it's ok for everyone.

highledge

My advice- lay out every item that you "want" to bring with you. each item of clothing MUST match with 2-3 other pieces to make the trip. A pair of pants has to go with a few tops and vice versa. Can each pair of shoes b worn with a varity of pieces? Dump the rest. The exception (for me) is a comfortable outfit/loungewear for longer trips (more than a long weekend).
You can wear the same clothes day after day and no one will notice. I think that I'm a very good packer- I still bring one for two items that don't pull their weight because I think I "need" to wear this skirt/shoes/pants while in france/Italy/United States.

Also- no linen!!!!! Or white pants ANd almost every hotel will lend you an iron if there isn't one in the room (great for speeding up the drying process!!!)

m_kingdom2

Linen is a fabulous fabric for summer holidays - have it pressed if it's far too creased. Linen silk blends tend to be more practical and of course far more luxurious.

highledge

My linens and silks are lovely- but might not be at day 13-14 of a 15 day trip! Come onand admit it- there are some items of clothing that don't travel as well as others!!! Getting things presses is a wonerful concept- but I would rather not waste time on coordinating this effort or worrying that the "staff" have not done a proper job (good staff is so hard to come by these days).
To recap- linen and *some* silks do not travel well and other items of clothing might be suitable for a peson looking to packing light.

m_kingdom2

My dear, if I am to go away for a long time, I have a wonderful packing service that I use. They fold and press all my garments before I travel, and then fold them into the suitcases with tissue paper. Using this method, I have never had one crease that hanging for a day or so doesn't remove.

If I pack myself and find some creases upon unpacking, then I place the garments in the laundry bag and within twelve hours they are back, pressed and refreshed!