What Clothing to Pack for a Vacation in Italy

Italy is a dream vacation spot for many people due to its wealth of tourism possibilities. Where else can you go from the spot where Federico Fellini filmed 8 ½ to ancient Roman ruins to the birthplace of La Cosa Nostra? Important things to keep in mind when planning your trip to the land of Da Vinci and Caesar is that Italy has towns and villages ten times older than any town or village in America. Italy also has quite a long history of violence both in terms of regular criminal activities and modern day terrorism. For these reasons and others, packing for a trip to Italy involves a few elements that must be kept foremost in mind.

Proper Attire
You know the routine so well you have heard it a million times. As a general rule the Europeans are far less uptight about sex and sexual morality than the prudes in charge of modern day Puritanism in the States. Well, that may be so, but Italy has some very definite attire suggestions by which you should abide. Skirts that rise too high, shorts that are cut too close to the edge, blouses and dresses that plunge too low: all of these things are okay in certain situations in Italy, but should be avoided when you are headed out to the tourist sites during the day. Needless to say, you should not show up at the Vatican and expect to be welcomed in while wearing a pair of shorts that barely cover the curvature of your buttocks, but this is also pretty good advice even when in Rome and away from the Pope. Go ahead and bring along some tight dresses, short skirts and other revealing clothing for when you head out at night for the Italian discos, but during the day you should try to dress a little more closely to prim and proper.

Dangerous Attire
Any clothing that immediately identifies you as an American should be avoided. Terrorism is alive and well in Italy and though the overwhelming majority of tourists will never know if they are in the presence of these thugs, it is always better to be safe than sorry in today's highly charged atmosphere. The best advice is to get a feel for what natives are wearing and then dress accordingly, leaving behind any obvious signs that you are a representative of Uncle Sam and Oprah.

Footwear
Those towns and villages in Italy that trace back thousands of years ago are not designed and built for those who race around modern day American towns in hard soled shoes. You are just as likely to come up against a cobblestone street as you are concrete and pavement. For this reason, buy some sneakers, but avoid those that point out the fact that you are an American. While American sneaker stores overflow with white Nikes and black Reeboks, Italians are more likely to wear vividly colored sneakers. A popular choice in sneaker colors are those that salute the national flag: orange, white and green. Once again, the rule for packing for a trip to Italy is to fit in more than stick out as an American.

Climate
Packing for a trip to Italy is just as wide ranging in terms of preparing for climate differences as it would be for Italians to pack for a trip to America. That long, sexy boot that is Italy features the extreme cold of the Alps and the sinfully relaxing heat along the Mediterranean. This means packing for a trip to a particular region rather than packing for a trip to the country at large. Those who are going to be sticking to the north of Italy should pack for much cooler weather than those who may be taking in Sicily as part of their route along the south. Also keep in mind that the dog days of summer in the lower regions of Italy can often get as uncomfortable as summer in heart of Dixie. For this reason, you may want to reschedule your trip from summer to fall or the next spring.