When to Go?
The question I get asked more than any other is, “When is the best time to go to Italy?” My usual reply is 1986, but I know that’s not very funny (true, but not funny.) The literal inundation of tourists from Eastern Europe and Asia since Ronald Reagan himself toppled the Berlin Wall has increased the number of visitors to Western Europe exponentially making Paris, London, and Rome burst at the seams during the summer months. Imagine, if you will, the worst traffic jam you’ve ever been in: maybe it’s Friday, 5 pm on the 405 during Carmeggedon; maybe it’s the Long Island Expressway leaving New York for Fourth of July weekend; you’re moving at a snail’s pace and your a/c is broken. Well, pretend that instead of cars, the traffic is comprised of people shuffling slowly in groups of six across rather than single file, and you’ll have a small idea of the concept. To clarify, you’re going to want to avoid summer if at all possible. If you must go in the summer avoid August when many Italians close their shops and restaurants, head for the beaches, and leave the cities to the tourists. This is less like a traffic jam but more like a post-apocalyptic situation.
Spring or Fall? Sure! Your risk of extreme cold or heat is low – rain is the worst scenario that will likely befall you – and the vacationers are smaller in number. Know that Rome is a very popular destination during Easter week, however, so prepare to be squished on the bus ride to St Peter’s. Winter? Perhaps, but with several caveats: Christmas and New Year’s are crowded everywhere in Italy with tourists and shoppers, but Italians love to string lights and garland around their streets and buildings, so it’s a beautiful place to celebrate the holidays. Also, Sunny Italy is pretty cold during the winter months, so from December through February you are unlikely to shed your coat unless you travel south of Naples. One New Year’s Eve in Venice I had the pleasure of seeing ice at the edges of the small canals and they were charging 6 euros for hot chocolate, so you’ve been warned.
My vote for my favorite time to go would be February and March, or October and November. I’d rather suffer in cold weather with small crowds than enjoy nice weather and fight for elbow room at the museums. Historically, airfare has been the lowest during February, so that’s an added incentive.
What to Pack?
You will obviously have to answer the question of when? before determining what? to bring, so let’s start with a list of what you’ll need regardless of the time of year.
3 pair of shoes
Not 2, not 4, and I don’t care how long you’ll be gone. Shoes take up a lot of room in your luggage so don’t overdo it, ladies. Every piece of footwear must be comfortable and you will verify this before you leave. Spend some money on good shoes and orthotics if you think you need them, because you will be spending 99.9% of your waking hours on your feet. (Not counting sitting down to eat, but I’m trying to scare you – you will thank me.) Don’t worry about style because everyone knows you’re a tourist no matter how hard you try to blend in, so just be comfortable. I wouldn’t bother bringing a pair of dress shoes because even though you think you will be dining at fancy restaurants and going out dancing afterward, you most probably will not, and even if you do it will be once at the most, and for that you needn’t bother with the dress shoes.
1 pair of pants for every 4 days, 1 shirt/top for every 3 days
Don’t worry, you will never run into the same person twice except for your traveling companions, and they’ll be so sick of you they’ll stop talking to you long before they notice that you’re repeating your wardrobe once every few days. Stick to solid colors and try to bring things that can mix and match. If you must bring something nice to wear in the evening, I won’t argue with you, but as I mentioned above, you probably won’t end up wearing it.
1 pair of underthings per day
I refuse to rinse my “delicates” in the sink/shower and hang them out for the housekeeping staff to have to contend with. Go out and buy some more panties – they don’t take up much room in the luggage, and you can even throw them away every day as someone I know does. (That had better be a cheap pair of underwear!) For the men, however, I have no idea how this works and I prefer to remain in the dark, so you’re on your own here. Ideally, we will also have a fresh pair of socks every day, but that never seems to be the case and we all know how long it takes to dry socks in a hotel room, so if you must recycle (once or twice only!), you have my blessing.
Toiletries
I don’t know how much influence I can exert but I will say that you should try to keep your electrical devices to a minimum. I traveled once with a good friend who brought: an electric toothbrush, Clarisonic, ultrasonic facial toning device, hair dryer, and flat iron. She looked stunning the entire trip, I must say, but I’m pretty sure that no one would have known the difference if she had manually brushed her teeth. Most 3-or-more-star hotels will provide a hair dryer in the room or you can ask for one at the front desk.
As far as make-up, creams, lotions, deodorants and shampoos go, by all means bring your favorite brands – this isn’t prison! – just buy small plastic bottles so as not to overload your suitcase; these are the things that bring you over the limit.
Now let’s talk about what to bring depending on the season:
Spring/Fall
You are very likely to have a little bit or a lot of rain during these seasons but the temperatures, even in the north, will not be low enough to justify a heavy coat. A leather jacket is ideal for spring and fall and also popular with Italians, so you’ll fit right in. You can bring instead or in addition to the leather jacket a rain jacket or windbreaker, preferably with a hood so you can leave the umbrella at home, which, even if you do need one, you can buy for 5 euros on any street corner whenever it’s raining.
Winter
The most important accessory for your winter wardrobe is a scarf. Italian men and women alike wear a simply knotted scarf (wool or cashmere in cold weather, silk or cotton in less cold weather) at all times. Don’t bother to bring one though; it will never be the right style and they can be purchased very inexpensively from any street vendor almost as soon as you get off the plane.
If you will be traveling in and north of Rome, a heavy winter coat will probably be appropriate – pack for the weather as if you were traveling to New York City, as the weather is comparable. I run cold so I bring gloves and a hat too. I’ve been colder in Rome in February than I’ve felt on ski slopes in Colorado. It is a humid climate.
Summer
Since summer clothes are lighter than winter clothes, I’ll allow you to bring more stuff: t-shirts, tanks, shorts, but please, please, please, do not dress anywhere in Italy like you would dress on a Saturday outing to the Walmart. Italians wear shorts and flip flops to the beach and in the house, but once they go shopping or out with friends, they respectfully and self-consciously change into a more formal dress code. Italian women, especially after age 30, wear light dresses and skirts more often than shorts and even jeans in the heat of summer. Young Italian men and teens wear shorts and t-shirts, older men stick to long pants in the city. Cargo shorts and flip flops are not “done” in Italy, except at the beach, and I have never, ever, seen an Italian man in a tank top. Ever.
You can’t go wrong if you bring subtle, solid colored separates, a few pairs of costume earrings and bracelets, and a pair of good leather loafers if you want to blend in and not stand out in the crowd. Sadly, no matter what you bring to wear on your trip, you will feel out of fashion either because you don’t have the right things, or worse, you’re trying too hard. Italians have the knack of tying a scarf on a handbag and wearing the right t-shirt with the right jeans and always looking stylish. Just do your best, and remember, you can always shop while you’re there!
