The Ultimate Packing List for Italy (+ What NOT to Bring)

Putting together a packing list for Italy can be a daunting task–especially for a first visit!

Italy is one of the most fashionable countries in the world, it’s full of gorgeous views that you’ll likely want to be photographed with, and–to complicate things a bit–the weather and topography vary dramatically, from the sizzling summer beaches of Puglia to the excellent skiing conditions during winter in the Dolomites.

We’ve been lucky enough to spend more than a year inch traveling Italy from top to bottom, visiting 14 of its 20 regions and oodles of glamorous cities, hilltop towns, beach towns, mountain escapes, lovely lakes, and countryside agriturismos along the way.

Trying to decide what to pack for Italy?

This guide will walk you through the process–and also let you know what not bring to Italy.

The Absolute Essentials for Visiting Italy

While it’s understandable that you want to try to pull off the perfect packing list for Italy, ultimately, you could leave literally everything at home except for these four items and be perfectly fine (minus a sore wallet).

Or, as my Grandpa used to tell us before an international trip: “You have your passport? You have a credit card? Then you’re fine.”

Before leaving home, quadruple-check you have the following things in place!

Passport — If you’re traveling internationally, your passport is an absolute must: you won’t be getting into Italy without it!

Travel Insurance — No one like to think about the possibility of canceled or interrupted trips, let alone accidents on the road.

Anything can happen while traveling, though–and that’s where travel insurance can help.

Check travel insurance policy inclusions and prices for your trip here.

Visa (If Needed) — Italy is part of the Schengen Zone, and US, British, Australian, and Canadian citizens (among others) can enter without prior visa approval for up to 90 days.

Other nationalities may need to acquire a visa in advance.

However, regardless of where you are from, always double-check entrance requirements before arriving in Italy!

Money — We recommend bringing two credit cards (one to use, and one to keep as a backup), and two debit cards. Ideally, bring cards with no foreign transaction fees.

We’ve never felt it necessary to obtain Euros before arriving (we just withdraw from an ATM when we get there), but you can purchase Euros in your home country if it makes you feel more comfortable.

International Driving Permit — If you’re coming from outside the EU and plan to rent a car in Italy, you’ll need to make sure to acquire an International Driving Permit in your home country, before coming to Italy.

It is required for all car rentals in Italy, and while the rental company may not ask, it’s not worth the risk of being refused a car once you arrive or getting a fine if you’re pulled over to be without one.

Play it safe and if you plan to drive during your trip, add an International Driving Permit to your Italy packing list!

17 More Important Things to Pack for Italy

While these items aren’t as necessary as the ones listed above, your life will certainly be much easier if all of these essentials end up on your Italy packing list!

Travel Adapters for Italy — If you’re coming from outside of Europe, you’ll definitely need adapters for your electronics.

From a sheer ease of travel standpoint, this is probably one of the best things to bring to Italy in order to make your arrival easier.

Tracking down adapters in-country as you’re jetlagged and your phone’s battery is draining is never fun.

Portable USB Charger — Don’t stress about your phone dying while you’re sightseeing: add a portable charger to your Italy packing list.

Pacsafe — We can’t recommend our Pacsafe enough!

This travel safe is affordable, sturdy, easy to pack, and will help keep your valuables safe in your hotel room (not that you should need to worry much about theft in Italy, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!).

Reusable Water Bottle — You’re definitely going to want to carry water with you as you explore Italy (especially if you’re visiting Italy during the summer).

Cut down on plastic waste and bring a reusable water bottle instead!

Tote Bag — Incredibly light and easy to pack, a tote bag can serve as a grocery bag, beach bag, laundry bag, or just about anything else.

They’re incredibly handy and we recommend adding one to your packing list for Italy.

Apple Air Tags — Air Tags are a relatively new addition to our Italy packing list, but we’ve absolutely loved having the extra security when checking out luggage!

They’ll be traveling with us from now on.

Swiss Army Knife — Want to open wine bottles in your hotel room, slice cheese from the market, or cut up that focaccia from the bakery?

If so, you’ll be so glad you brought along a Swiss Army Knife.

This may be a somewhat unusual thing to add to an Italy packing list, but one that continues to come in handy for us over the years!

Comfortable Day Bag — We currently use Pacsafe’s sleek anti-theft backpack and love it, but if you don’t want to shell out the cash for this trip, that’s totally understandable.

Just aim for something comfortable to wear, not flashy, and medium-sized–we used my Northface Jester backpack leftover from my college days for years and loved it as well.

Camera — We adore our Sony a7R III, but bring whichever camera is right for you!

And, truthfully, for most travelers these days, that’s going to be their phone. If you’re not a photography enthusiast, no reason to overthink it.

Travel Umbrella — Option A: Plan on buying an umbrella when it starts pouring down rain.

Option B: Plan ahead and buy a (probably much sturdier) umbrella before leaving (we own this one and it has held up for years).

Option C: Hope you get lucky with the weather (but fair warning, we’ve never been to Italy and avoided rain entirely!).

Sunglasses — You’ll be glad you put these on your packing list for Italy!

That being said, if you forget to throw in your sunglasses when packing for Italy, you’ll find plenty of places to pick up a pair there, too!

Small Pack of Tissues — Most bathrooms in Italy will have toilet paper, but not all of them (especially in smaller train stations).

Bring a small pack of tissues, toss them in your day bag, and you won’t have to worry about it.

Sunscreen — Because sunburns are never a good look in vacation photos.

Cell Phone — We spent more than a year traveling without working cell phones, just relying on wifi… and while that’s completely fine, we would never go back

Consider purchasing an international plan for your cell phone (most carriers offer them), or, if you have an unlocked phone, you can just buy a local SIM card once you land in Europe.

You can also buy EU SIM cards or E SIM cards before you go, though it’s not strictly necessary!

Purell Hand Sanitizer — We’ve never been sorry to have this floating around in our day bag.

Extra Room in Your Luggage — Italy is the ultimate foodie souvenir destination: wine, olive oil, truffle oil, cheese… the list goes on, and on, and on.

And that’s without even getting to the clothes, leather goods, or housewares you might like to pick up as souvenirs from Italy!

Do yourself a favor and leave a little extra room at the top of your suitcase when you pack for Italy.

Other Travel Gear for Your Italy Packing List

Once you have the basics covered, here are a few other things you may want to consider adding to your packing list for Italy.

Tripod — If you’re traveling with a group and want to ensure that you get pictures of everyone together, a tripod and a remote will allow you to snap non-selfie photos easily!

Not traveling with a camera? This inexpensive phone tripod gets packed on our trips and does a great job.

True, it’s a bit of a pain to carry (and to remember to use it), and we don’t recommend pulling it out in busy areas, but the memories are priceless.

Travel Journal — If you want to keep a travel journal, but can’t commit to a huge amount of writing each night, I can’t recommend the One Line a Day Journal enough!

I’m more than 2 years into my second volume now and love it just as much as when I started traveling with one (and I still regret that I didn’t start it until almost a year into our full-time travels–I would give a lot to have those early days recorded).

Money Belt — This is up to you: we no longer use one, but if you’re more comfortable having your passports on your person in Italy, you can consider bringing one.

We used to use this one and had no complaints.

Swim Goggles — If you’re hitting the beach, definitely add swim goggles to your Italy packing list!

They’re cheap, small, easy to pack, and make swimming so much more fun.

Dry Bag — Any trip that includes time on the water–whether that’s hitting the beaches in Sicily, enjoying a boat ride on Lake Garda, or sailing along the Amalfi Coast, can benefit from a dry bag to keep your camera and cell phone safe (without leaving them behind).

Sea Bands and Non-Drowsy Dramamine — If you’re prone to motion sickness like me, I strongly recommend adding Sea Bands to your Italy packing list.

I use them on many boats and the occasional bus, and if things get really bad, take some Non-Drowsy Dramamine as well.

Basic Medication — Some people prefer to buy medication for basic headaches, fevers, and stomach aches as needed, but who wants to deal with language barriers when they’re sick?

We’ve never regretted packing our own basic meds (and while the cost isn’t enough to be significant, they tend to be significantly cheaper in the US as compared to Europe).

What to Wear in Italy

Ultimately, the clothes that end up on your Italy packing list should be those that make you most comfortable!

Ensuring that you enjoy your trip should always be a higher priority than passing as a local (which you almost certainly won’t, anyway).

That being said, here are a few tips to keep in mind when deciding what clothes should end up on your packing list for Italy.

Baseball caps are unmistakable signs of an American tourist.

… And college t-shirts are pretty high up on that list too.

Is that a huge problem? Nah.

Stick with what you like–if you don’t mind looking like a tourist (I often don’t, and definitely wear a baseball cap on occasion), don’t sweat it.

But, since many people tend to like to blend in as much as they can, it’s worth mentioning!

Comfortable shoes that you can walk for miles in are the highest priority.

Seriously, if there is one clothing item that will make or break your Italy packing list, it’s having shoes that you’re comfortable walking around all day in.

Trust me–I once broke in a pair of new boots by walking around Florence for several days, and it was painful.

I’d recommend sticking with no more than 2 pairs of shoes (possibly 3 if you include a pair of flip-flops for the beach).

I love simple leather boots like these for fall and winter in Italy, and tend to opt for comfortable, well-broken-in flats or sneakers during the spring and summer.

During the spring and summer, these white sneakers have been my go-to for the last couple of years.

Bring at least a couple church appropriate (or adjustable) outfits.

Don’t end up being turned away from visiting a church (yes, it has happened to me in Italy, and no, it’s not even a little bit fun)!

Bring at least a couple of outfits that both cover your shoulders and reach your knees, or at the very least, outfits that cover your knees and make it easy to throw a scarf over your shoulders.

Maxi dresses are perfect for this kind of thing–I have this one and love how comfortable and photogenic it is while also being church-appropriate (just pull the sleeves up onto your shoulders).

This does tend to apply more to women than men (sigh), but men will still be turned away for wearing a tank top, and from a particularly conservative church, possibly for wearing shorts above the knee.

If you like to dress up a bit, this is the time to do it.

Italy is a fashionable place, so if you’d like to dress to the nines every day, go for it!

You won’t look out of place, especially in cities like Milan and Rome.

When the weather cooperates, I tend to almost exclusively wear casual dresses similar to this one while in Italy.

They’re easy to pack, easy to throw on, comfortable for me to wear, and manage to make me look reasonably put together with little effort.

Check the weather before you go.

Italy’s weather varies dramatically depending on where and when you visit. Sicily in July is worlds away from Bolzano in December!

Be sure to check the weather before finalizing your packing list for Italy, as it’ll be the most effective way to ensure your Italy packing list is suited to your trip.

Bring a jacket, even in the summer.

When the air conditioning turns on in Italy, it really turns on–especially on trains.

You’ll be much more comfortable if you have a jacket with you during longer journeys!

I generally bring something simple like this for travel days in Italy, along with a trusty fleece pullover.

Jeremy loves this jacket and always packs it for Italy (and basically everywhere else, too).

When we visit Italy in the winter, we tend to wear peacoats like this one and this one, though puffers like this are also extremely popular.

Italians tend to dress for the season, not the weather, so if you want to fit in, bring a coat during the winter even if it will be fairly warm!

Toiletries to Bring to Italy

I’m not going to launch into a detailed description of how you need to bring a toothbrush and toothpaste (I sincerely hope everyone has that covered for themselves), but there are two things in particular that you should keep in mind regarding toiletries when making a packing list for Italy.

First, the bathrooms and showers tend to be much smaller than in the USA with limited counter space, and second, Italians like to look lovely.

Essentially, you’ll want to carefully pare down your toiletries as much as you can… while also keeping some luxuries (I travel with all my makeup in Italy, including my eyeshadow palette).

You can find most major brands of toiletries while in Italy, so if you’re traveling for a while, don’t worry about refills for anything drugstore quality (unless you’re really picky–then, it might be better safe than sorry).

To cut down on luggage weight and liquids, you may consider using a solid shampoo and shaving soap, or simply purchasing those when you arrive.

What to Leave Off Your Packing List for Italy

Some things just don’t need to make your Italy packing list, either because they are outdated or just not needed.

Traveler’s Checks — You really, really, really do not need these anymore.

If you’re very concerned about maintaining access to your money, consider buying some Euros at your bank before you arrive in Italy (but that’s truly not necessary for most travelers).

Hairdryer — Particularly with the need for a converter (an adapter isn’t enough in this case), a hairdryer is more trouble (and weight) than it’s worth.

Most hotels and Airbnb’s will stock one, anyway.

Impractical Shoes — As beautiful as they are, Italy is not the place for high heels or brand-new shoes of any kind.

Stick with simple, classic styles that are comfortable, otherwise, you’ll grow to hate your beautiful shoes very, very fast.

Read More About Visiting Italy

If you found this Italy packing guide helpful, we’d love to continue helping you plan your trip to Italy here on Our Escape Clause!

Planning a trip to Italy–especially your first–can be overwhelming, but this step-by-step checklist is designed to make it easy.

Our top Italy travel tips, recommended 2-week itinerary, advice on avoiding the most common travel mistakes in Italy, and detailed itineraries for cities including (but definitely not limited to) Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan are just a handful of the topics we have covered.

You can browse all 100+ Italy blog posts we have published here!