01 Oct TRAVEL TIPS – PACKING FOR YOUR NEXT ITALIAN ADVENTURE
There’s an old piece of advice about packing for travel – pack your bag, open it up again and take half of it out. The less you have to carry around with you, the easier your travel will be. And the more room you’ll have for shopping, particularly if you’re addicted to Italian shoes!
We’re often asked by clients what clothing they should pack and what else they might need in their suitcase, so we’ve put together a short list of some things we recommend you bring on your next trip to Italy.
CLOTHING
We suggest packing layers. In spring and autumn, when we take most of our tours to Italy, this means including short and longer sleeved shirts, a cardigan or sweater and a light jacket in case it gets cool. In the north, you may even need some warmer layers and a lightweight down jacket.
Italian streets are often paved with cobblestones so don’t plan to walk around in flimsy shoes.
And don’t forget your swimmers and a pair of soft slippers for around the hotel room after a day on your feet!
Most people like to hand wash some of their clothes during the trip and a travelling clothes line and a couple of inflatable coat hangers make drying your clothes much easier.
DOCUMENTS
Make two copies of your documents, one to carry with you and one to leave at home in case you need to ‘phone a friend’. And don’t forget your Medicare card; if you do need to see a doctor in Italy, it’s useful to have this with you.
OTHER BITS AND PIECES
You will need to bring your own European two pin adaptors so you can use your Australian electrical devices. Universal plugs can be useful, particularly if you are stopping over somewhere on the way to Europe.
Bring your own prescription medications with you; your local prescriptions are not valid in Italy. It may be useful to get a doctor’s letter listing the medications you are using and any allergies you have. Over the counter medicines are readily available throughout Italy and Italian pharmacies are excellent. although you might need to take Luca with you to help translate!
We also recommend that you bring spare glasses, sunglasses, and don’t forget the appropriate chargers for your technology.
There are many small items that may come in useful: ziplock plastic bags, spare luggage locks, a small pair of scissors (not in your carry-on bag!), earplugs, a notebook and pen, headache tablets, safety pins, antiseptic hand gel and band aids to name a few.
Finally, don’t fret about packing something for every contingency. You can pick up anything you’re short of, like an umbrella if it rains or replacement toiletries, anywhere in Italy.