It doesnt matter, they'll know you're a tourist. and other Rome, Italy Packing List Tips

Luggage And Bags: Romans dress up for everything. Italians don't wear shorts or flipflops. Most women wear dresses all the time and the men always wear slacks, never shorts. Seeing how nicely they dress can make you a little self concious. Don't worry. Just pack some of your nicer, more comfortable clothes and you will be fine. In the evening a nice dress will blend in and for men a nice pair of pants with a button shirt will always work.. As far as shoes go, bring something that is already "broken in". White tennis shoes are not very popular in Rome. I bought a tan pair that were very cool looking and did fine. You can get great walking shoes at any mall, and believe me, you will need them. Dont wear heels while exploring Rome or you will pay the price. All the cobbles make it a really bad choice not matter how nice they look. A hat in the summer is a good idea also, and not just for men.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Clothing that can be layered is the way to go in Rome. For women, in the summer, sleeveless tops for outside with a large scarf or a lightweight shirt ( with sleeves) for churches will do fine. Capri pants or a skirt is also a good choice, as you are not allowed to show your knees inside church out of respect. For men, those pants that have the zip off legs is a great way to go. Just put the legs on for any church and you're set. In the winter, layering is a must. The mornings and evenings can be quite cold, yet the afternoons can warm up quite a bit. I have found that long-sleeved T's, cardigan sweaters and a mid weight jacket work well. Again, dont forget good, broken in shoes!!

Toiletries & Medical Supplies: Don't forget to bring the sunscreen! The sun in Rome is very strong. Not only will it make you very hot, but it will easily cause you to burn. As for shampoo, soap, etc.... email your hotel and ask if they supply these and other toiletries. If you don't need to bring them, it makes it much easier to pack.

Photo Equipment: As far as photo equipment is concerned, I bring my digital SLR and two 512 memory cards. I also bring a laptop that I can download all my pics to at night. I have stopped taking my film camera because I hated carrying around all that film. Memory cards, card reader and laptop are much easier for me carry and I can play games on the plane on the trip over. If you don't have a laptop or are hard up for space, you can use an ipod as a storage device instead. Any ipod will work, but the ipod videos are the only ones that will let you view your pics in color. Just download your memory card as needed and you're all set. The more memory the ipod has, the more pics it will hold. This is a great solution if you are on a daytrip to pompeii and are worried about a small memory card. Just take your ipod with you and download as needed. You can listen to music on the train and store all your photos during the day so you never miss a shot.



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Other Contact: monorail@zbzoom.net

Luggage And Bags: When I pack I usually leave some empty space in my suitcase for souvies. Now we are not the "statue, ashtray, tacky souvenier" type. We usually buy clothing, jewelry or other small, easily packable items. Because of this, I don't need an extra bag in order to get my new things home. However, if you do like to buy big things, or a lot of things, then consider putting a colapsable bag inside your suitcase for the trip home. This way you wont have to send anything or worry about how large your carryone will be. Just check it with your normal suitcase. I always bring a change of clothes in my carry-on(usually just a fresh blouse). This way I can change before the plane lands and feel a little fresher than I would after sleeping in the same clothes all night.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: I usually travel in the off season. This means cooler weather. I always check the weather the week before I leave. I check it every day to see what the weather trend is, this way I know how heavy a coat I will need. I always pack in layers. I bring 4 or 5 t-shirts, 2 or 3 long sleeve button up shirts, 3 or 4 sweaters (lighter weight ones will be fine), 2 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of khakis, and a mid weight jacket. It doesnt get very cold in rome, so just layer your clothing. It is easier to adjust what you're wearing if you dress in layers. Now for the shoes: don't wear new shoes to Rome!!!!! Invest in some GOOD walking shoes. I cant stress this enough. Rome will tear up your feet. It is a city to walk in, and you do walk a lot. Do not wear heals as you can twist your ankle on the cobblestones and ruin your whole vacation.

Toiletries & Medical Supplies: As far as toiletries, the usual will do. Bring a bar of soap just in case. You should email your hotel and ask if they offer items such as shampoo, hair dryers, wash clothes, alarm clocks, tissue.... Whatever they dont supply, you will need to bring with you or buy when you arrive. Also, bring some travel packs of kleenex. I carry these with me all day because most of the public restrooms in rome are disgusting. Some don't even have toilet paper. I also bring 5 extra pair of contacts, just in case. As far as medical supplies, some athletic tape, some tylenol, some immodium, and some dramamine (I get air sick).
This is most of the stuff that I bring when I travel. I do tend to travel with a lot of electronics, but that is another subject and post.

Photo Equipment: Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to cameras. I now use my digital almost exclusively. It's the one I take when I travel. I have two 512 memory cards and a 2 gig card. If I am going on a day trip (Pompeii, Florence, Naples...) I take the 2 gig with me. For out and about in the city, the 512's will do. I also take an extra battery with me just in case. If you have a digital slr, invest in a circular polarizer filter. These are usually around 30 dollars and will make a big difference in your pictures. They reduce the reflexions that you see when looking in windows or in water. They also make the sky more vivid.
Take some kind of storage divice to download your pictures to. We take our laptop and download all our pictures every night. This also lets you review your pics to see how they came out. It's better to find out while you're still there and can retake the pics, then to find out when you get home.



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Other Contact: monorail@zbzoom.net

Luggage And Bags: Romans dress up for everything. Italians don't wear shorts or flipflops. Most women wear dresses all the time and the men always wear slacks, never shorts. Seeing how nicely they dress can make you a little self concious. Don't worry. Just pack some of your nicer, comfortable clothes and you will be fine. In the evening a nice dress will blend in and for men a nice pair of pants with a button shirt will always work.. As far as shoes go, bring something that is already "broken in". White tennis shoes are not very popular in Rome. I bought a tan pair that were very cool looking and did fine. You can get great walking shoes at any mall, and believe me, you will need them. Dont wear heels while exploring Rome or you will pay the price. All the cobbles make it a really bad choice not matter how nice they look. A hat in the summer is a good idea also, and not just for men.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Clothing that can be layered is the way to go in Rome. For women, in the summer, sleeveless tops for outside with a large scarf or a lightweight shirt ( with sleeves) for churches will do fine. Capri pants or a skirt is also a good choice, as you are not allowed to show your knees inside church out of respect. For men, those pants that have the zip off leg is a great way to go. Just put the legs on for any church and you're set. In the winter, layering is a must. The mornings and evenings can be quite cold, yet the afternoons can warm up quite a bit. I have found that long-sleeved t's, cardigan sweaters and a mid weight jacket work well.

Toiletries & Medical Supplies: As far as toiletries, I first check with the hotel to find out what they supply, and I bring everything else. Heres the list: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, spare contact lenses, lense case, solution, spare glasses, brush, hairspray, moisturizer, make-up, razors(in checked luggage only!!) tylenol, immodium (just in case),and pepto (again, just in case), mole skin (for blisters-haven't had to use it yet!), band-aides, sound machine, current converter and dramamine (for plane and train trips). If your hotel doesn't supply theses you will need, hair dryer, wash cloth, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and flip-flops.

Photo Equipment: For photo equitpment I take a good camera bag with a large strap that can go across my body not just over my shoulder, my camera, different lenses (if you have an slr or dslr), memory cards or film, storage device for photos with card reader and battery charger. PLEASE!!!!DO NOT check your photo equiptment with your checked luggage, carry it on with you.


Miscellaneous: Here's what goes in my suitcase: Name and phone number of hotel where I am staying (in case luggage is lost), 4 pairs kahkis, 2 pair jeans, (pants in winter and capris in summer for all), 6-7 shortsleeve tops (summer), 6-7 longsleeve T's with 6-7 button up or pullover tops (winter- for layering), 1 bathing suit, 6 sets of undies, 2 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of flip-flops(for going to and from the pool), 6 pair of socks, 1 midweight jacket (winter), canvas shoulder bag and umbrella. In my carry-on: 1 book, 1 puzzle book with pencil, ipod, headphones, laptop, make-ep, contact stuff, toothbrush and paste, brush, dramamine and a change of clothes. I usually change into something more comfortable after the flight has taken off and change back just before landing. On overnight flights, this helps me sleep better.

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