- Places
- Plans
- Itineraries
- Experiences
Even Roman gladiators know the importance of packing into a single, carry on–sized bag (and are fashion-conscious enough to make sure their rolling suitcase matches their togas.)
You've planned your dream vacation to Italy, your plane tickets are booked, you've got the perfect itinerary, and you're raring to go...but wasn't there something else to do?
Ah yes, pack. And not just pack: pack light. Say, if I pack light enough, can I fit everything into a carry-on bag? And wait: what do I do about my camera charger, cellphone, and other electronics in Italy? What about those specialty travel gadgets and gear? Do I need a sleep sack and a moneybelt? What about luggage? Oh, and I should definitely buy a few good guidebooks.
While we're on the subject, what about all those other annoying details: passports, visas, customs, health insurance, and trip insurance? What's more, how can I keep all my important documents safe while on the road? Shouldn't I leave copies of everything with someone back home?
Unexciting as all these things are, they're an integral part of getting ready for a trip. This section will try to make handling these details as easy and painless as possible.
Along with pointers to where to get download passport forms and shop for health and travel insurance there's a comprehensive section on precisely what you'll need to travel, so you can pack your entire world into one bag and have twice as much fun on the road as people who brought four times as much stuff.
GEAR, CLOTHES, & BAGS
Gear & clothing: REI.com, eBags.com, Backwoods.com, Travelsmith.com, LLBean.com
, Magellans.com
Luggage: eBags.com, REI.com, Backwoods.com
Electronic converters: REI.com, Travelsmith.com
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
State Departments & Foreign Offices:
U.S. State Department (Travel.state.gov)
British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (Fco.gov.uk)
Canadian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade (Voyage.gc.ca)
Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (Smartraveller.gov.au)
Ireland Deaprtment of Foreign Affiars (Dfa.ie)
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Safetravel.govt.nz)
Passport/Visa expedite service: RushMyPassport.com
Foreign consulates in Italy: USA (Italy.usembassy.gov), U.K. (UKinitaly.fco.gov.uk), Canada (Italy.gc.ca), Australia (Italy.embassy.gov.au), Ireland (Embassyofireland.it), New Zealand (NZembassy.com/italy)
Embassy finder: Embassyworld.com, USembassy.state.gov
U.S. Customs: Cbp.gov
ISIC cards/study abroad info: Ciee.org
Pack for ultimate mobility, versatility, and necessity. Make travek an exercie in simplifying your material needs.
When in doubt, leave it at home. Whatever you forgot or discover on the road you need (sunscreen, bathing suit, sandals) you can also just buy it in Italy—and have a nifty extra souvenir of daily life to bring home (I often come home with odd, foreign brands of toothpaste).
Speaking of which: you shoudl have a little space in your pack for accumulating souvenirs.
If, as you travel, you find yourself running out of room, stop at any post office to ship home the personal items you've found you didn't need, or just before flying home, mail your dirty laundry to yourself. This way, you can carry your new purchases instead of entrusting them to the Italian postal system.
Trust me, you'll be thankful later when you easily shoulder you bag and zip off to your hotel while the guy who sat next to you on the plane gets a hernia just trying to get his luggage out of the airport.
Remember: Clothes take up the most room in your luggage, so be stingy with what you take. Take a maximum of 2–3 each of pants and shirts that can all mix and match toegther.
Believe me, it's easier to do a bit of laundry in your room every few nights than lug around a ton of extra clothing.
Only your immediate traveling companions will know you've been wearing the same outfit for the past three countries.
Socks, T-shirts, and underwear—the clothes that ripen quickly—are the easiest items to wash out and dry overnight.
Keep your all valuables in a moneybelt: one of these large, flat, zippered pouched you wear under your clothes.
A moneybelt is like a wearable safe for your passport, credit cards, bank/ATM cards, driver's license, plane tickets, railpass, extra cash, and other important documents.
In your wallet, carry only a single day's spending money—maybe €40–€60. (Replenish this as needed from your stash in the moneybelt.) » more
Share this page
Search ReidsItaly.com
GEAR, CLOTHES, & BAGS
Gear & clothing: REI.com, eBags.com, Backwoods.com, Travelsmith.com, LLBean.com
, Magellans.com
Luggage: eBags.com, REI.com, Backwoods.com
Electronic converters: REI.com, Travelsmith.com