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Classic Italy 9-26
I’ll be on the Classic Italy trip in October. I haven’t done a land trip in a while, and this is for two weeks. Any recommendations on how to pack and/or handle laundry?
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No matter the trip, a versatile mix and match wardrobe works best for us. You can research the venues to determine appropriate attire, especially if planning dinner on your own.
I can’t offer guidance on laundry since we do light hand washing of undergarments only.
Monitor weather forecasts as your trip approaches and modify your packing accordingly.
If you search, you will find a number of threads on this topic, and lots of opinions, but basically:
The most important thing is sturdy shoes that can handle cobblestones and a little rain.
A lightweight but effective rain jacket.
Black slacks with 3 different tops for dressier evenings. In my observations, any type of top from business casual to “professional office attire” to cocktail type attire is popular. Some people never get dressed up. My husband refuses to bring a dinner jacket ever.
Some people get even dressier for the final dinner.
Some hotels are fancier (think marble everywhere and chandeliers) and during the day if you dress too casually, you might feel self-conscious but you are among travelers so don’t sweat this one too much. I just try not to look sloppy.
You can go a long way as far as dressy with jewelry and scarves.
It is helpful not to pack anything that needs pressing. Older hotels may not have an iron in your room.
Laundry is really expensive in Italian hotels. Try to bring as many items as possible that can be easily washed in your sink or shower.
Your Tour Director will be able to let you know where you can buy inexpensive clothing items (like Target) in case you need them.
As mentioned in another laundry thread, you can use google maps to find laundromats near your hotels. Florence might be your best option.
I am not a light packer. For a 2 week trip I can manage in a 25 inch check in bag and a large backpack. (Full disclosure, I also cheat, and often will stick an extra pair of shoes in my husband’s luggage.)
Make sure to bring a scarf to cover your shoulders in churches if you have a sleeveless top plus it can be a fashion accessory. It can be warm even in late September or early October, so a hat would be helpful. Swimsuit if you will use the pool. Laundry is a personal choice, we just do ours in the room if needed. You will need to make sure if an item takes a little longer to dry you have more than one night in the hotel. This is true even if you are sending it out. Some Italian hotel sinks do not have stoppers. You can bring a small silicon/rubber sink stopper disc that will do the trip. Reusable water bottle. There will be luggage pulls on the days you are changing hotels. These can be early in the morning, before you want to get up. They will take your bags to the bus for you but if there are any items you want during the day or you want/need prior to boarding the bus, you will need to handle them yourself. Typically we have a small day bag we throw our toiletries, pajamas and anything else we need for the day and handle that ourselves. We also use this bag when we are on the bus for excursions. You will be taking the train to Venice and then a water taxi. Make sure you can handle what ever luggage you choose not to have pulled. On that day, your luggage will meet you at the hotel and will not be accessible at all even in case of an emergency. You will be in first class and there are luggage areas at the end of the car but any luggage put there is unattended. The racks above the seats typically are not large enough for the maximum airline carryon.
When in Florence, if not included, try to get Duomo tickets in advance to go to the top of the dome. Have a great trip.