06/08/2026
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What to Pack for Italy — and What to Leave at Home
Most tourists do not pack badly because they are careless.
They pack badly because most Italy packing lists are too generic.
They say “bring comfortable shoes,” but they do not explain what Italian cobblestones do to your feet after 20,000 steps.
They say “bring a European adapter,” but they do not tell you that Italy has its own socket type.
They say “pack light,” but they do not explain what happens when you drag a huge suitcase across a train platform, up three flights of stairs, or through a medieval street with broken wheels.
So here is the practical version.
Pack this. Leave that.
PACK THIS: The right adapter
Do not just buy a generic “European adapter” and assume it will work everywhere.
Italy uses Type C, Type F, and Type L sockets. Type L is the Italian three-pin socket, and you still find it in many older buildings, hotels, and apartments.
Look for an adapter that clearly says Italy or Type L.
Bring two.
Also bring a small multi-port USB charger, because many Italian hotel rooms and apartments have fewer outlets than you expect.
LEAVE THAT: Hair tools you have not checked
Italy uses 220–230V electricity.
If your hair straightener, curling iron, or travel hairdryer says 110V only, do not plug it into an Italian socket. It can overheat, spark, or blow the fuse.
Check the label before you pack it.
If it does not say 100–240V, leave it at home and buy a cheap one in Italy if you really need it.
PACK THIS: Mosquito repellent
Nobody warns visitors enough about mosquitoes in Italy.
In summer, especially from June to September, tiger mosquitoes can be brutal. They bite during the day, they love ankles, and they can ruin a beautiful dinner outside faster than you expect.
Florence is bad for them. Rome has them too. Many apartments also do not have window screens.
Bring a small bottle of repellent from home.
If your accommodation has mosquitoes, go to an Italian supermarket or pharmacy and buy a plug-in mosquito device. The common brand is V**e, and it can save your sleep.
LEAVE THAT: The idea that Italian pharmacies sell the same brands as home
Italian pharmacies are excellent, and pharmacists are trained professionals.
But the brand names are different.
Tylenol is not what people ask for here. Advil may be sold under different names. Pepto-Bismol is not a normal product you will find in Italy.
Pack your basic medication from home: your preferred painkiller, stomach medicine, allergy tablets, cold medicine, and anything you already know works for you.
For prescription medication, keep it in the original labelled packaging and write down the generic drug name, not only the brand name.
PACK THIS: Shoes you have already tested
Italy is not the place to break in new shoes.
You may easily walk 15,000 to 25,000 steps a day without even trying. Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Siena — they all punish bad shoes in different ways.
Cobblestones are uneven. Some are slippery. Some streets are uphill. In summer, the stone reflects heat back into your feet.
Bring shoes you have already walked in for real.
Not “comfortable in the shop.”
Not “cute for photos.”
Shoes that have already survived long days.
Bring blister plasters too. Even good shoes can create hot spots after several days of walking.
LEAVE THAT: Full-size toiletries
You do not need to bring your entire bathroom to Italy.
Italian supermarkets and pharmacies sell shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, sunscreen, deodorant, razors, and almost everything else you need.
Pack small sizes for the first day, then buy locally.
It saves luggage space, weight, and stress at airport security.
Also, do not bring a big hairdryer. Most hotels and apartments already have one.
PACK THIS: A lightweight scarf
This small item can save you at churches.
Many churches in Italy require covered shoulders and appropriate clothing. This matters at places like St. Peter’s Basilica, the Duomo in Milan, San Marco in Venice, Santa Croce in Florence, and many others.
A scarf weighs almost nothing.
It covers shoulders, helps with dress code, protects you from sun, and works on cool evenings too.
LEAVE THAT: Expensive jewellery and flashy watches
Italy is beautiful, but pickpockets are real, especially in crowded tourist areas, stations, buses, metros, and around major monuments.
Do not make yourself an obvious target.
Leave expensive watches, flashy jewellery, and unnecessary valuables at home.
Use a zipped crossbody bag worn in front of your body.
Do not keep your phone in your back pocket.
Keep one backup card separate from your main wallet.
PACK THIS: Printed ticket confirmations
Yes, keep your tickets on your phone.
But also print important confirmations when possible, especially for places like the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Borghese Gallery, Uffizi, Accademia, and major train journeys.
Phones die.
Screens glare in the sun.
Apps fail.
Internet disappears at the worst moment.
A printed copy can save you from panic at the entrance.
At minimum, download and screenshot everything before leaving the hotel.
LEAVE THAT: Half your wardrobe
You do not need as many clothes as you think.
Italian hotel rooms are often small. Elevators can be tiny or missing. Train luggage racks are limited. Cobblestone streets are horrible with heavy suitcases.
Pack for four or five days and wash.
Many apartments have washing machines, and Italian cities have self-service laundromats.
You will move faster, stress less, and hate your suitcase much less.
PACK THIS: The small things that save real problems
A reusable water bottle.
Rome has free public drinking fountains, and many Italian cities have places to refill water. You do not need to keep buying plastic bottles all day.
A portable phone charger.
You will use your phone for maps, photos, tickets, restaurant searches, train times, and messages. It will not last as long as you think.
A pen.
It sounds silly until you need one for a paper ticket, a form, or a small travel problem.
Offline maps.
Download Google Maps or Apple Maps for the cities you are visiting before you arrive. Signal can disappear in old streets, hill towns, trains, and thick stone buildings.
High SPF sunscreen.
Italy’s sun is stronger than many visitors expect, even in spring and autumn. Pompeii, the Roman Forum, the Amalfi Coast, and long walking days can burn you quickly.
Quick-dry clothes.
Many Italian homes do not use dryers. Clothes dry on racks. Heavy cotton can take forever.
The simple version:
Pack the right Italy adapter, mosquito repellent, tested shoes, a scarf, basic medicine, printed tickets, a reusable bottle, a power bank, sunscreen, offline maps, and fewer clothes than you think.
Leave at home the 110V hair tools, full-size toiletries, expensive jewellery, new shoes, huge suitcases, beach towels, and the idea that you need to buy water all day.
Italy is much easier when you pack for the country that actually exists, not the perfect postcard version of it.
