Italy Packing List

Packing List for Italy

If you're planning a trip to Italy, there are many things that will help to make your trip successful.  Here are a few things to pack, in order of importance:

*    passport - be sure that it doesn't expire within six months of your return home.  I also bought a passport card, although it is only useful when traveling between European countries and not flying into Europe from the US.  But it is handy to use as ID when checking into hotels or renting a car.

*    Check ETIAS to see if you need to apply for authorization to visit certain places in Europe, including Italy.  As of now, it will be required beginning in the fourth quarter of 2026:

    European Travel Information and Authorization System

    (Incidentally, England is already requiring US citizens to apply for an ETA to enter England - It only took a few minutes to fill it out and it was approved immediately.  The UK website for ETA is here:  UK.gov ETA for travel to England)

*    euros - I recommend getting your euros from your local bank before going on your trip.  I have gone to banks in Italy to get euros out of the machine, but my debit card did not always work in Italy -- in fact, most of the time my debit card did not work in Europe, even though I had called the bank ahead of time to let them know where I would be.  My bank is just very conservative and cautious, so almost every time I tried to use my debit card in Europe it was declined.  I only used cash euros when I absolutely needed to (sometimes a souvenir shop or a gelateria or taxi driver wouldn't take credit cards, so it was good to have cash ready).  

*    more than one credit card, preferably one that doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee on your purchases in other countries.  I've found that most places do not accept Discover, so Visa and Mastercard are probably the safest cards to bring.  Bring more than one in case you have trouble with one of them.  On my most recent trip to Europe, the metro and train ticket machines wanted a pin number for my credit cards, and I hadn't requested a pin for my cards before leaving on my trip.  Luckily I had cash to use in the machine to buy the metro tickets.  My Capital One card does not charge a foreign transaction fee when I make purchases out of the country, but my other credit cards do.

*    cross-body bag -- I'd recommend not bringing a purse.  Italy is very safe as far as violent crime goes, but pick-pockets are everywhere.  If you do bring a purse, keep it over your neck and arm so that a thief can't just grab it and pull it off your shoulder and run.  In addition to having a cross-body bag, I'd suggest putting a zip tie through the buckle so that a thief can't just unbuckle the strap on the bag and run with it.  I also pin the zipper of my bag to the bag itself so that a thief can't unzip it.  I was in a crowded metro when I was almost robbed, even though I was being very cautious.  I looked down and noticed that a man had completely unzipped my cross-body bag.  He was about to reach inside it when I caught him and loudly said, "what are you doing?!" He moved away very quickly and got off at the next stop.  I was very lucky to have caught him before he pulled anything out of my bag.  This is the bag I bought:  Cross-body Bag  My mom bought a similar no-name bag on Amazon and it worked just as well.  Alternately, you can also get a wallet that you wear under your shirt, like this one:  Money Belt  I used the hidden money belt on my first trip to Italy, and it was a bit of a pain every time I needed to buy something and had to lift up my shirt to get it out.  But it is very effective at keeping thieves away from your credit card and/or passport.  I've also used a bag like this: Drawstring Bag that I would keep papers or my jacket inside.  Lots of places won't allow backpacks inside, but they didn't mind these small drawstring bags.  They also would be hard for a thief to steal items out of because opening them would be very difficult while it's on your back.  I usually didn't keep anything valuable inside it, though.  I also really love thread wallets with a lanyard around my neck, like this one:  Thread Wallet so I can keep my credit cards hidden under my shirt and just pull it out quickly to pay for dinner and put it back. I actually used my cross-body bag in combination with the thread wallet on my latest trip to Italy and kept my credit card in the thread wallet to pull out quickly, and things like my passport and cell phone in the cross-body bag.  I kept my passport with me all the time for a couple reasons: 1) I didn't trust it in the hotel while I was out, and 2) you actually need your passport to get into a lot of places, even with your purchased tickets.  For instance, the Vatican requires your passport & your ticket for admittance. Whatever you choose to hold your valuables, be vigilant about keeping your money and/or passport safe from thieves.  They are very skilled at what they do, and they could be anyone -- even the woman dressed like a nun on the metro.  Being robbed in Italy would really ruin your trip!

*    power adapters - type C is commonly used in Italy, although you might also want to get an L adapter, which has a grounding pin in the middle.  Type C has two pins, type L has three pins.  I brought more than one power adapter, because I often wanted to plug things in in both the bathroom and bedroom of our hotel.  If you're going to be traveling to multiple countries you could purchase the kind of adapter that has multiple different inputs.  I bought these adapters because they have lots of inputs for multiple things to charge at the same time:  Italy Power Adapter

*    portable cell phone charger -- I have a new iphone 16 pro, which stays charged just fine all day when I'm in the states, but being in Europe and using maps, google, and my camera on my phone constantly throughout the day eats up my battery very quickly.  I brought 2 portable chargers with me and I used both of them almost every day of my trip.  I bought two of these kind of chargers:

Portable Phone Charger

*    cell phone charge cords with both kinds of input - USB and USB-C, because I've been in airports that used one or the other, but not both.  Any chance you have to charge your phone, take advantage of it. Believe me, your phone will be losing power like it never does in the states!

*    rain coat or umbrella - I prefer wearing a rain coat with a hood because it seems to keep me more dry than an umbrella.  I usually visit Italy in the spring, and I usually get rained on.  One time I brought an umbrella and just a regular jacket.  I got so drenched that I just wanted to come home -- and that is really sad to be in Italy and want to go home.  :(  I wasn't ever really cold in Italy, but I did quite often get rained on in Italy.

*    small water bottle.  Italy is different than the states in many ways, and one of those key differences is that you don't go to a restaurant and ask for water expecting it to be free.  Restaurants all serve water, but they served either still (natural) or sparkling water in a bottle, and they charge you for it.  I got used to just ordering still water with my meal every time.  When you're walking around visiting the sites, you might want to have water because there aren't drinking fountains like you find in the states.  There are, however, fountains that you'll find occasionally and can fill your water bottle.  Or, at breakfast in the morning at your hotel you could fill your water bottle before you leave for the day.  I found a water bottle that fit perfectly in my cross-body bag.  This is the one I ordered, and my husband and mom ordered a similar one of the same shape and size:  Water Bottle

*    carry-on suitcase with wheels that can easily turn in every direction, an extendable handle, and expandable zipper.  I recommend only bringing a carry-on.  If you're used to traveling heavy with a giant suitcase and a million different outfits and pairs of shoes, you might want to reconsider this when traveling around Italy.  It's fine if you're going to be staying in one spot your whole trip, but when you're traveling around to multiple locations like I do, dragging a giant suitcase everywhere you go is a HUGE pain!  I have only done this once and I will never do it again.  I have lived out of a carry-on suitcase for a 3 week trip to Europe before and I was fine!  I was just very careful about how I packed, and I wore my outfits on more than one day.  I also totally filled my backpack as tight as I could as my personal carry-on item.  When checking in at the airport, I checked the size of my carry-on and it didn't fit in their bin, so the airline attendant checked my carry-on bag for free.  I had unzipped the zipper that allowed the suitcase to expand so my carry-on ended up being pretty big.  By checking the bag I didn't have to worry about it in the airport or worry about lifting it into the overhead bin on my own.  Be sure your suitcase locks, or add a lock like this:  Luggage Lock

*    air tag in your suitcase in case the airline loses it.  This is what I bought:  Air Tag

*    international drivers license if you plan to rent a car.  Bring your regular drivers license as well.  We got an international drivers license for my husband when we rented cars in Italy, and they didn't ever ask to see it when we picked up the cars.  But then when I went without him and rented a car, I didn't bother to get an international drivers license because I didn't think I really needed it.  But then they did ask for it at one of the places I rented a car from.  They said that if I got pulled over for some reason, I might receive a hefty fine for not having the international drivers license.  You can get your international license from AAA for only $20, and you'll need two passport photos with the application.  The AAA website is here:  International Driving Permit

*    clothing appropriate for Italy -- I packed enough underwear for every day, because I knew that it was unlikely that I'd be able to do laundry the whole time.  Sometimes if you stay in an Airbnb they'll have a washer, but not often will they have a dryer (we never had a dryer in anywhere we stayed in Italy, and laundromats are uncommon).  It works to air dry your clothes if you're going to be staying at the same place for multiple nights, but if you're moving from city to city like we often do, it doesn't work to wash your clothes in the sink or washer and expect them to be dry by morning.  I wore the same outfits more than one day.  I like to wear skirts in Italy because they are breezy and comfortable, and appropriate for the many churches that we visited or concerts that we attended while we were there.  I packed almost enough socks for every day, but I like to buy socks as souvenirs so I purposely didn't bring enough for every day.  I also like to buy shirts as souvenirs, so I didn't pack as many shirts as I normally would have.  Keep enough room in your suitcase for souvenirs to fit on the way home.

*    really good walking shoes!!!  You will do a lot of walking in Italy.  Be sure you have comfortable shoes.  I brought only one pair of shoes, usually keens, and I did not pack an extra pair in my suitcase.  Shoes take up a lot of space.  Keens are great to walk around in and worked even when going to churches.  On my most recent trip to Italy, the straps on one of my keens broke.  I was really lucky it didn't happen at the beginning of my trip!  Keens are also very easy to take on and off at the airport when going through security.  

*    I usually printed off all of our tickets  at home before leaving on my trip, even when I also had the QR codes on my phone.  If your phone dies when you're trying to enter a tourist destination, you'll be out of luck.  I brought a folder full of my tickets for the entire trip, and I threw them away after I used them.  This cleared up some space for souvenirs on the trip home.  

*    Sunglasses

*    Toiletries - personal care items aren't the same in Italy as they are in the states, so if you're really attached to a particular product, bring it from home.  You will unlikely be able to find the same product in Italy.  Markets in Italy are very different from stores in the US and carry a lot fewer choices of products.  

*    Medications - I brought small travel containers with ibuprofen and Tylenol and that came in very handy!  Bring your prescriptions and any other medications that you need a particular brand of from the states.

*    Hair brush, barrettes, pony tails, etc.  I actually brought my curling iron too, although the humidity and rain prevented my hair from holding curl very well.

*    Snacks for the flight and as far into the trip as you have space for.  You will probably not be able to find your favorite snacks in Europe.  When I went to visit my son's family, who were living in Belgium, I brought an entire suitcase full of the snacks that they missed most from the US.  

Murano, Italy

In March of 2025 my daughter and I visited Murano, which is a small island near Venice.  Murano is famous worldwide because of all of its many glass factories.  Historically, the glass factories had been located on the island of Venice, but in 1291 they were all moved to Murano because of the threat of possible fires that would destroy the many beautiful and historic buildings on Venice.  You can purchase Murano glass all over Venice, and even more of it in Murano.

There are a few different ways you can reach Murano.  Probably the easiest is with the 4.1 and 4.2 vaporetto lines.  They run in opposite directions and make many stops.  The first thing I'd recommend is that you download the AVM app on your phone:

AVM Venezia Official App

On the AVM app you can click on the "Solutions" tab and list where you'd like to go and where you'd like to start, and it will provide a variety of vaporetto lines that will get you where you want to go.  You can also click on the Timetables tab and input your particular stop and see which lines stop at your vaporetto stop and at what time.  This came in very handy when planning how to get to Murano.

In our case, we were staying closest to the S Marta vaporetto stop.  It takes about 45 minutes to ride the 4.2 line from S. Marta to the first Murano vaporetto stop, which is the Colonna stop.  I would recommend getting off at the Colonna stop so that you can walk through Murano and see all the different shops and factories.  You can easily walk through Murano in just a few hours.  Then you can ride the 4.1 line in the opposite direction back to Venice.  The closest vaporetto stop on Venice to depart towards Murano is the F. Nove stop, so you can take a variety of vaporetto to reach F. Nove, and then switch to one of the lines going to Murano.  That's why the app is so useful, so that you can see all the different options.

Lines 12 and 13 are the most direct way to get from Venice to Murano, but you'd need to leave from F. Nove, and you'd need to study the timetables because lines 12 and 13 don't run as often as 4.1 and 4.2.

The vaporetto ride from Venice to Murano is beautiful.  Lines 4.1 and 4.2 stop at the Cimitero stop on the way, which is the island cemetery.  The cemetery is now full, so people are buried on the mainland now rather than on Venice or on the cemetery island.

The Scalzi Bridge, or Ponte degli Scalzi, which crosses the Grand Canal at the Venezia Santa Lucia train station

Ponte della Guglie

The F. Nove vaporetto stop, which is the closest Venice vaporetto stop to Murano

F. Nove stop

Cimitero Island, or Island of San Michele

The Cimitero Vaporetto Stop

view back at Venice

The Colonna Vaporetto Stop

You can hop off the vaporetto at the Colonna stop and walk along the canal, looking at all the shops.  We arrived before 9 am and walked the empty canal, with only an occasional shop worker making his way to work and mostly solitude as we looked in the shop windows and enjoyed the silence.  

workers were removing the Christmas lights the morning we were there

The garbage service was also out and about, collecting garbage and putting it on the garbage boat

One thing we noticed was that the items were more highly priced closer to the Colonna vaporetto shop than further onto Murano.  I suspect this is because some people just hop off and look at a few shops near the stop, and hop back on and leave.  I found some really great deals at some of the shops further in.  Even if you're not shopping, it's worth walking along the canal and looking at all of the beautiful glass artwork.

This bridge is called Ponte San Pietro Martire and the bridge behind it is called Torre dell'Orologio, or the clock tower which is in the main square on Murano, Campo Santo Stefano.

This bridge is Ponte Longo, which connects two sides of Murano

The Venier vaporetto stop

We headed off the canal road into the residential streets and found yards that looked like this

a small soccer field in a residential neighborhood

My daughter

The Museo Vaporetto stop

We visited the Murano Glass Museum, which costs ten euro per person.  The museum opens at ten a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. in the summer, and 5 p.m. in the winter.  Their official website is here:

Murano Glass Museum

We also visited a glass factory and watched a demonstration.  We visited Wave Murano Glass Factory.  It was free to enter.  Their website is here:  Wave Murano Glass

discarded pieces of glass

Only within a few hours the streets were full of people

I purchased this tiny nativity set in Murano.  It cost 120 euro and had many very tiny pieces.

The Colonna vaporetto stop is at the bottom point of Murano.  We walked up that small canal, crossed the bridge, and explored the larger part of the island.  Our visit was only a few hours and included shopping, visiting the museum, and watching a factory demonstration.  Murano is definitely worth the time to visit!!