I will be leaving for Italy on Tuesday. I think I'm all ready, but I would appreciate it if someone will look over my list to make sure I have all the essentials for a 12 day trip to Italy (including travel).

Undies for a week
Socks for a week
Turtleneck (3)
Sweatshirt and pants
T-shirts (a couple)
Jeans (4)
2 sporty wool sweaters
Semiwaterproof parka
Denim jacket
Boots (2)
Towel (1)
Personal toiletry items (should I include TP?)
Powder detergent (travel size)
2 phrasebooks
3 travel books
Videocam
4 hrs of mini-DV tapes
1 electrical converter
1 hairdryer for drying clothes and other things

If I had forgotten anything else, please feel free to add to the list. Thanks in advance!

Lil

hi lil,

Don't take this the wrong way, but since you didn't mention your gender I am not sure what to advise you. (you don't mention makeup or anything like that which would normally be a giveaway (grin!), and I don't want to assume just because of the name "Lil" or "lilley", that you are female.

So, with that said, if you are male, I would add a nice shirt and trousers with a tie just in case you need it for evening. Cut one pair of the jeans and add another different kind of pants.

If you are female, I would add a nice blouse, 1 dress slacks, and a skirt, and one or two nice scarves that could be mixed/matched with the turtleneck for evening. You also may be taking too many pairs of jeans. I would probably cut one or two pair and add different pants.

For either sex, cut one of the sporty wool sweaters for a nice soft crew neck pullover sweater....this could be used for day or evening over the blouse or turtleneck if you are female (or over the turtleneck or shirt and tie if you are male.) it could also be worn over a tee shirt during the day if you are cold.

the key for either gender in these suggestions is to make sure these pieces co-ordinate with your colors.
The key pieces are the dress pants and skirt (or trousers for male) must go with the blouse or dress shirt and can be coordinated with the turtleneck and pullover. for female, taking 1 or 2 scarves which will coordinate can make a different look any night.

Also a suggestion, instead of the powder detergent, which could break open and get all over your suitcase, I recommend the Wisk quick disolve tabs. You can usually find these in the samples section at places like walmart or any dollar store. they are individually packaged (or two per pack) and do not break open or spill. take a couple of ziplocks. Also include sample size packets of fabric softner. if you do not have access to a clothes dryer this will keep your clothes from being stiff if you have to hand wash/dry.

Another suggestion...many people wait till late each day to wash out their clothes. if you are on a tour this means that nothing dries by morning. try to wash out your stuff before dinner and do not hang in the damp bathroom. instead take a small line with you and string it up fom desk leg to chair. hang your clothes on it. bathrooms are too damp to dry things quickly. since most hotels have a fan/heater in the room place your clothes somewhere near there. your clothes should be dry by morning ready to iron or pack. don't wash jeans if you are only in town 1 night..wait for a 2 nighter to do that.

I do not know what the weather is like this time of year in italy, but I don't see pj's or robe, or thermals...you might want to add a pair.

hope this helps!

I think it depends on what you are planing on doing while you are there. Mostly outdoor activities?
Dining at nicer restaurants?
Hiking?

If you plan on nice restaurants sometimes, you should add one nicer/dressier outfit.
I would cut down on the jeans if they are all blue jeans and add black jeans or cords instead.

You may not be the scarf/dress/skirt type though, but you can be tailored and still look nice.

As to TP, I always just take the little packets of kleenex and use them when I am not in the hotel. You can use your shampoo for personal laundry too.

Assuming you are a woman.

Universal Paking List

http://upl.codeq.info/

Packing List from Doug Dyment's "One Bag" website

http://www.oratory.com/onebag/popups/what2take.pdf

Keep your passport, other essential documents, and main money supply in a security pouch (sometimes called a money belt) that you wear under your clothes. Keep out just the money you think you'll need for a given day.

Lilley, you don't say what your itinerary is going to be. If you're doing a tour and only staying a night or two in each place, you won't have much time for washing/drying clothes and, if that's the case, I'd say you've got it about right.

OTOH, if you're only visiting two or three different cities, I think you could cut down a little on socks, undies and tops, which can be rinsed through each evening and left to dry. (As Chardonnay says, shampoo, shower gel or even soap is fine for this.)

A couple of items I'd think about adding, unless you are staying in expensive hotels where they are usually provided, would be a lightweight bathrobe (or long shirt) and a pair of flip-flops for slopping around the hotel room. Of course, if you're on a busy itinerary, you'll not have much time for slopping around, so these are just a suggestion.

You may also want to consider first aid kit, waterproof pen, item to put your critical information (such as passport, ID, $) under your shirt or in your pants, gum/mints/favorite candy.
Have a safe trip. Italy is awesome.

A lightweight black umbrella. You can get a cheap one once you hit the ground!

Have a great trip.

Hi
Yes, it's hard to advise without more details, but I'll take a stab as well.
Since you seem to be trying to pack light, I think three travel books is two too many. Take your favorite and photocopy some essential pages from the others, or photocopy from them all.
Do buy some city maps, even on a tour, you will want to perhaps go off on your own at some point. "Streetwise" maps for Rome, Florence, etc are sold by most bookstores and by Amazon though your time is short.

I'd leave the videocam home, but that's me. I'd take a still or digital camera, or at least buy a couple of disposables.

No need for you to bring tp unless you are camping. I do bring my own tissues because budget places seldom provide them, and I also bring some individually wrapped hand wipes which come in very handy. If you use a washcloth, budget places (even more upscale places) often don't provide those.

In addition to the electrical converter
(a dual-voltage hair dryer would eliminate that need) you also need a plug adapter.

Yes, an umbrella is essential imo. Also gloves at this time of year.

I'd eliminate one wool sweater and change it for a nice cardigan or a wool blazer for slight dress up and equal warmth.

4 pairs of jeans? I'd drop two, and add non-jean trousers. Not just for possibly dressing up a bit more, but also because jeans are heavy and impossible to wash out anyway.

I'm assuming you are planning on doing laundry along the way?

You mention sweatshirt and "pants." Do you mean sweatpants? Are they meant to be pajamas? Otherwise, what is the purpose of the sweat pants?

I don't like to hang wet laundry in the bedroom (from desk to chair etc) because I'd rather avoid water drips etc on the carpet or furniture. I hang drippy things on a hanger around the shower head, or on the shower curtain rod, or on the hook on the back of the bathroom door if there is one. I agree
that things may be damp the next day (Jeans absolutely will be!) , your own wash cloth will also be, so bring some plastic bags or dry cleaner bags for wrapping.
The flip flops or slipper socks are a good idea also.

Personally, I think you're taking too much. I would trade a couple of those pairs of jeans for a some nice slacks that can dry overnight. Then you could ditch the hairdryer, since it doesn't seem to be for your hair. Will you really need the sweatshirt and pants?
Normally I wouldn't say anything about what people lug around on their vacations but since you asked.

We're the type that have quiet evenings at home. That's the reason why I didn't pack any nice slacks or skirts. I did have a crewneck sweater that can double as a nice top, and I am bringing black denim.

As for the shampoo as soap, great suggestion! Will ANY shampoo work?

I was thinking of using the hairdryer to finish off drying out socks and undies a bit. This will also help one of us who does use a hairdryer.

I am bringing a security pouch with the necessary passport, tickets, etc.

I guess I can ditch 2 of the travel books....

I was planning on using the sweats as PJs--not sure how warm the rooms will be...

I just ran out and bought a folding umbrella. I will add gloves to the list.

Thanks everyone!

Lil

I would get some more DV tapes - 4 hours is only 20 minutes per day

Best thing we took on our last trip was a small notebook to use as a travel journal. Great way to spend a bit of your evening jotting down thoughts of the day and remembering those special travel finds. Also a small bottle of Fabreeze was great for a quick fresh up of clothes.

Not meaning to sound overly critical, have you ever been on holiday before?

I look at the time of year, and pack the new season's clothes, very simple, and effective. If you've no intentions of doing smart on holiday just pack casual, as for toiletries, take the things you use at home. Do I need to tell another adult this? I hope the the answer is NO, sincerely I do.

"powder detergent (travel size)" - would an huge box of it be beneficial?

Please, use common sense in these instances. 2 phrasebooks for one language? buy one decent one etc...... It's only an holiday not an operation of a military nature.

Otherwise enjoy Italy, have fun, and remember your tickets after all that!

test

Add a headscarf.

And a sick bag for readers to use!

One of the most useful things I brought was a small ziplock with a few paper clips, small binder clips, post-it flags, a couple of pens, etc. Great for clipping pages in books, marking spots on maps, things like that. Came in handy many times, and took very little space.

Anne

Clothespins can serve double duty. You can pin your laundry to a hanger to easier drip drying. You can also securely close hotel draperies that have that extra bit of light.

I would only take a one pair of jeans (possibly two) but might take a pair of smarter trousers too.

I would add your tickets and passport in place of the jeans!

Also, do you need a towel? Even cheap hotels provide towels. Or are you camping or staying in a hostel? Tjhe beaches will not be that warm in Italy at the moment.