You’ve purchased your airplane ticket, booked an Airbnb near the Trevi Fountain and reserved a few tours around the city. Now comes the hard part, packing for a trip to Rome where the weather varies and you’re required to follow a certain dress code depending on the cultural sites you visit.
To help out, I put together the following guide to make the packing process easy and effortless, pulling from my own experience having just visited this historical and beautiful city.
Monitor the Weather Forecast
Leading up to the day of your trip, pull up the weather forecast to get a better understanding of what you can expect the temperatures to be. Don’t bother doing this weeks in advance, as I noticed the predictions changed again and again. While the summer months can be extremely hot and dry, the fall and winter seasons are cool (especially at night) and you can expect a higher chance of precipitation.
Layers
It’s essential that you pack clothes that can be layered. I was in Rome last month and while the mornings and nights were cool, the afternoons were in the upper 70s. So, pack lightweight shorts and long sleeve shirts, comfortable bottoms, and a couple of jackets that you can dress up or down depending on the occasion. You’ll also need to cover your shoulders and knees if you’re visiting Vatican Museums or other religious sites so keep that in mind as you choose what to take on your trip overseas. The exact clothes you bring will clearly depend on the time of year you visit the city, but you can always count on layers to be a key to not getting too hot or cold in Italy.
Must-Have Accessories
If you’re like me and only choosing to travel with a carry on and personal bag, you want to be sure that you don’t overpack and have enough room for items like accessories. Pack a hat that can shield your face as you’re touring the Coliseum and opt for a small crossbody bag that you can safely carry around as you walk the cobblestone streets of Trastevere. You also want to have fun with accessories because after all, you’re in one of Italy’s fashion capitals. Bring a silk scarf to wrap around your hair tie, dangly gold earrings, and a pair of cute but comfortable shoes to keep up with the locals’ fashion.
Essentials
Make sure to leave room in the suitcase for things that you’ll definitely need throughout your trip. That includes a portable phone charger, power adapter, cash (you’ll need a Euro or two to use public bathrooms btw!), and sunscreen. Rome is also known for their drinking water so it would be worth bringing your favorite reusable water bottle that you can easily fill up at the fountains found throughout the city.
In essence, packing is everyone’s least favorite task before a big trip but it’s important that you do a little bit of advanced planning and that you only fit in your bag what’s essential. Less is more and that worked out great for me after spending 10 days there.
