Luggage And Bags: Leave room to bring back purchases & souveniers. I usually pack a small collapsable duffle bag for this. Hire a car/taxi to take you to the hotel. It's really not that expensive and after such a long flight the last thing you want to do is attempt to find your way around a foreign country with luggage. Make sure you are VERY CLEAR on how much luggage your hired car will hold. Cars are incredibly small compared to those in the USA and your idea of packing light might not leave room for you in the car.
Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Bring VERY comfortable shoes. Walking on cobblestones (and that's pretty much all you'll be walking on) is incredibly rough on your feet, so put them in the most comfortable walking shoes you have. Sunscreen was also invaluable.
A friend who spends a lot of time here said to bring mosquito repellant, so we did. And it sat unopened in the hotel room the whole time. Guess it just wasn't that time of year.
Toiletries & Medical Supplies: Put small tissue packs or napkins along with individually wrapped wet wipes in your purse. You will be very happy you have them when you manage to find a bathroom - most bathrooms don't haveTP or soap. Also pack a few band-aids & neosporin for any blisters you get from that marathon day spent walking half the city.
If you get even slightly seasick: pack Dramamine. This city moves. My sister & I both suffered from motion sickness due to the ground refusing to hold still (nope - no alcohol involved). With everything being built on top of something else & the metro running underground it all, it's like standing on a ship at sea.
If you have allergies: we found it helpful to write (in Italian) on a 3x5 card my mom's food allergies and on the other side her medical allergies. This made it much easier when ordering food and if there had been an emergency would have been a huge help in communicating with Dr's. Pack that epi-pen if you're allergic to bees. Lots of beautiful flowers here = a whole bunch of bees.
Photo Equipment: We packed a ton of film, so didn't need any. But, we saw several one-hour film shops with plenty of Kodak film.
Miscellaneous: Sunglasses, washcloth (the hotels don't have any), a small container of liquid laundry degergent for washing out clothes in the bathroom sink (means you won't have to pack as much), clothes that mix & match, a good guide book or three, and a pocket language dictionary. Churches have strict dress codes, so it's easiest to sightsee in pants, capri's, or long skirts and a shirt that has sleeves that at least cover your shoulders.
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on Jun 7, 2006
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