What to take on a trip to Italy? 

Italy is one of the most popular travel destinations! The bustling north, the enchanting vineyards and mountainous landscapes of central Italy, up to the calm, sunny south - every traveler will find something for himself here. Whether you plan on visiting Roman museums, relaxing and sunbathing in Rimini, or maybe a culinary journey through mountainous Sicily, in this article we have compiled the most important tips for you to prepare for your holiday in Italy. Check out what is worth packing!

Guide

• Travel information
• The most useful items
• Packing list
• What should you eat when visiting Italy?
• How much money should you take with you?
• Safety
• Useful information

Travel information

The most useful items 

• Masks and antibacterial gel - be sure to pack them with you so that your Italian holidays are as safe as possible.

• Comfortable shoes - visiting Italian cities and towns can take you all day, and Italy is full of museums, churches and galleries. New, non-worn shoes are, unfortunately, a recipe for abrasions and blisters on the feet.

• Cream with an SPF filter - a minimum of 30, because the Italian, southern sun can give you a hard time.

• Power bank will ensure that your phone does not discharge at the most unexpected moment when taking photos of beautiful monuments or checking the recommendations of local restaurants.

• Electric adapter - attention! Pack the adapter for contacts with you - usually in Italy we will see contacts adapted to plugs other than these from the rest of Europe.

• Scarf - you can cover your head, shoulders or knees with it when you enter churches.

Packing list 

LUGGAGE TYPE: Suitcase

•      Travel insurance
•      Wallet
•      Health insurance
•      ID card
•      Credit card
•      House keys
•      Cash
•      Hotel booking confirmation
•      Plane tickets

•     Socks x7
•     Pants x7
•     Sleepwear / Pajamas
•     Bikini / bathing suit
•     Bra x2

•     Flip-flops / slippers
•     Comfortable shoes
•     Sandals

•     T-Shirt x5
•     Leggings
•     Trouser belt
•     Summer jacket
•     Hoodie
•     Trousers

•     Shower gel
•     Hair conditioner
•     Shampoo
•     Toothbrush
•     Toothpaste
•     UV cream
•     Face cream
•     After sun cream
•     Perfume
•     Antiperspirant

•     Bronzer
•     Eyebrow gel
•     Eye pencil / Eyeliner
•     Lipstick / Lip gloss / Lipliner
•     Foundation / BB Cream
•     Powder
•     Make-up removal products
•     Cotton pads
•     Under-eye concealer
•     Highlighter

•     Earrings
•     Watch

•     Contraceptives
•     Prescription drugs 
•     An anti-diarrheal drug
•     Painkiller
•     Pills for sore throat
•     Patches with dressing

•     Beach towel
•     Hairband
•     Glasses box
•     Sunglasses
•     Telephone
•     Luggage tag
•     Cotton mask
•     Inflatable pillow
•     A large suitcase
•     Headphones
•     Phone charger
•  

What should you eat when visiting Italy?

Each region of Italy is famous for its distinctive dishes that are worth testing. This is a true gourmet's paradise! Of course, the first thing that comes to mind about Italy is pizza, but the types of it differ drastically depending on where we go.

• It is impossible to talk about Italian cuisine without mentioning the two most popular types of pizza - Neapolitan and Roman. The first one is characterized by a very thin, maximum three-millimetre dough, parched edges with typical bubbles and a small number of additives. Roman pizza, on the other hand, has a thicker dough, raised edges and is quite crunchy.

• Italian cheeses are another culinary showpiece of this southern country! Be sure to find out how real parmesan is different from grana padano or pecorino romano. Also, test out mascarpone and real, milky, soft mozzarella or di bufala mozzarella, that is the one made from buffalo milk.

• Italian fresh pastas are nothing like our store-bought dried pasta. They are most often served as the first course, before the main course, and after the starters. If possible, try a real Italian carbonara - unlike in popular, European recipes, you won't find cream in it, but only yolk, cheese, spices and bacon.

• If you are going to the regions of Sicily, be sure to try the local, world-famous eggplant dishes, such as arancini or pasta with eggplant.

• Ossobuco alla Milanese is a famous Milan dish that consists of veal drumsticks boiled in white wine and broth. A treat for fans of refined flavors!

• Panzanella is a simple, hot-weather dish that is a tomato salad served with fresh bread. Less is more! The dish comes from sunny Tuscany, and tastes best there too.

• If you venture into Puglia, don't forget to try burrata - the world-famous cheese made of fresh mozzarella and cream. Melts in your mouth! It tastes great on sandwiches, and even placed on a baked pizza.

How much money should you take with you?

• The north of Italy is a more expensive region, and the lower we go on the map - the less money we’ll spend.

• In large cities and seaside resorts, we must be ready to spend much more than in small towns inland.

• Italy is a relatively expensive country compared to Poland, but you can travel there at a low cost if you choose small, local restaurants or decide to travel out of season.

• It's a great idea to go to the local market - we can buy fresh, ripe vegetables, fruit or fish there. We will pay around 2.2 euro for a kilo of tomatoes. A kilogram of mozzarella costs around 18 euros. 100 grams of olives costs about 1 euro.

• Warning! From 2019, EU citizens between 18 and 25 years old can visit all public museums for EUR 2.

• The prices in the restaurants are very different. We usually spend a minimum of 8 euros for dinner, the average price is around 15 euros, but in larger and touristic cities, such as Rome or Venice, we have to be ready to spend about 20 euros. For breakfast paninis we will pay about 4-6 euro, for coffee - from 1 euro upwards, and for dessert about 5-8 euro. 

Safety

Italians are very open and friendly, they will be happy to help us, but we must be aware that larger, tourist cities are full of pickpockets and scammers.

• Warning! Be careful on the roads. Italians, especially those from the south, are known for their daring driving. They often don't use turn signals. It is also standard to drive into the front and rear bumpers of cars while parking. You can often spot cars parked in forbidden places, and running red lights is quite common.

Useful information

• Remember that during the day smaller shops and restaurants (especially in the south) are closed between 1pm and 3pm. Most shops will be closed on Sunday. Warning! Rome is an exception - restaurants are closed on Thursdays.

• As in most European countries, Italian museums are usually closed on Mondays.

• Remember that in virtually every restaurant, the so-called copperta will be added to our bill, i.e. a service fee of 1 or 2 euro.

• In most cafes, coffee drunk at the bar will be cheaper than the one brought to the table.

• In many Italian churches, photos are not allowed.

• In popular attractions, it's easy to come across scammers who will try to sell you tickets outside the queue. Not only will we overpay, but it may also turn out that the purchased tickets do not entitle us to admission.

• Be careful when crossing the road. Italians drive quite recklessly and sometimes run a red light.

• If you plan to travel by public transport - check whether multi-day or weekend tickets will not be cheaper than single-use ones. This is especially profitable when traveling by subway. However, watch out for scammers who can offer to help you buy tickets from a vending machine and then expect payment, or try to sell you fake tickets at a bargain price. The metro employee will always have a document proving his identity with him.

• In big tourist cities, watch out for scammers who offer you "free" flowers or "free" jewelry. After accepting them, you will likely be asked to pay a fee, and if you refuse, the scammer may become aggressive.

Italy delights with the richness of culture, gastronomy and wonderful, sunny weather. It is a dream holiday destination for demanding travelers. Regardless of your budget and which region of Italy you plan to go to - download the MyLuggage app before you leave, so we can prepare a personalized packing list for you. Thanks to this, you will not have to worry about forgetting something and you will focus on planning your dream vacation!