Well, I fold up quite nicely and won't take up much room in your suitcase. Pack me, pack me! ;-)

What a fantastic trip you're planning! I'd love to visit Italy someday. As one who always overpacks, I'll leave the suggestions to others, but just want to say congratulations on your upcoming journey!

Lay out everything you think you'll need on the bed and then put half of it back in the closet. Open up your suitcase and put only half of what's left on the bed inside the suitcase. Put the rest back in your closet. :-)

I am only half joking. You would be amazed at how little you need. I have spent almost a month in Europe and only took carry-on bags. DD just came back from a month in France and only took a roll-aboard suitcase and a large handbag. And she is a clotheshorse!

Even when I pack lightly, I find a usually don't wear several things I did bring along. Everyone's style is different....some would prefer to travel with steamer trunks. But, with all the moving around you'll be doing, going light is preferable, IMO.

I swear by One Bag dot com, linked below. I have taken their list and modified it to my own needs. Whenever I have to pack, my list is always in my nightstand, ready to go. And someday, when the economy recovers, maybe I'll be ready to go, too.

Have a GREAT TIME!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: One Bag

Thanks, auntjen. We're all very excited! Nice to know you're a "kindred spirit" overpacker ;0)

Just an additional thought -- when our friends next door visited Rome and Florence -- they found that many sacred sites have dress codes. In other words -- your arms must be covered -- and you can't wear shorts (but longer capris were okay) She took along a pashmina shawl and a small "shrug" -- to wear into churches etc.

And GOOD walking shoes (and ALWAYS carry bandages in your purse!) and make sure that the shoes have good soles for walking uphill and stairs ..... they did LOTS of walking

Did you know that you can book to get into churches etc. -- make sure that you check online because some tours can actually save you time by getting into sites -- rather than stand in line ....

Jan

Thanks, amysrq, for the advice and good wishes. I'll head on over to One Bag-sounds like a good resource. DD is 18 and is also a bit of a clothes horse so I'm happy to hear about your DD's experience.

Thanks, Jan. Great tips! It's always good to hear from people who have already experienced a similar trip. I've been hunting down some comfortable shoes, but will add a shawl to the list. I think the tour has the highlights covered (even some after hour tours to avoid lines) but will check into other sites we might want to see during tour "down time".

This isn't a packing tip but it is a traveling tip I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer that really pertains to Rome and to a lesser extent other areas of Italy. He said if you rent a car make sure you get one with a GPS- the roads in Rome twist and turn and traffic is horrendous. It's difficult to figure out where you are going. He said a GPS was invaluable on his last trip and he even rented a Vespa with one- and this guy travels a lot!

Have fun!

Oooh, oooh, oooh!!!

DH works for a company in Parma (hence my name) and we're in Italy every year. The only place we haven't been to, that's on your agenda, is Venice. That's because DH can't pack like Amy and you have to take a water taxi. DH's boss's wife is driving me there next year, though.

Yes to comfortable shoes but pack a nice pair for dinner. Italians are very fashionable. Plan your wardrobe for the layered look so you can add and subtract at will. For light packing I have found that Laura Ashley has the prettiest and lightest clothing. You can crumble them up and they won't wrinkle. Territory Ahead has nice travel clothes, also.

Italians are also very nice. Just learn a few words if you don't already speak the language. Watch your purse like you would in any American city, Rome especially. White sneakers scream tourist and that's who the few purse snatchers target.

If you'll be bringing anything with a plug, you'll need an adapter.

You have wonderful destinations, and many of them, and there's 4 of you;
you definitely have to pack minimally. I always take dark clothes to europe, you can wipe off stains, they don't look as wrinkled, etc... I've always tucked in a rolled up raincoat, and a small umbrella, that way you are not stopped by rain.
Great idea about the pashmina.
I usually try to wear my bulkiest clothes for the air travel, jeans and jacket.
A lot of european hotels are tiny, think of how your luggage pieces are going to fit in there. I remember a family of 4 sitting in the lobby with a lot of large luggage pieces, they were waiting for us to leave in order to check in our room in Paris; no way were they all going to fit in there, lol.....

I've never been to Italy during Summer, but I think pretty sundresses, sandals, and some chic sunglasses would work for most everywhere you visit. Carry a light cardigan with you for religious sites, of which there are many.

Check this site out. It's a question and answer format and you may get some helpful tips.

Here is a link that might be useful: Italy forum

When selecting shoes for traveling, pay attention to the soles. If the sole of the shoe flexes, you are going to feel every cobblestone you step on. I wear ugly black shoes with a thick sole for traveling. It is part of my all black and white wardrobe - white blouses, black pants, black shoes. No pretty sundresses and sandals for me.

I was going to Italy a couple of times but it didn't work out. I have distant relatives in Naples and plan to go before it gets too late.

Oh Goldengirl you are so lucky. I would try and pack things that you can mix and match and that wash out easily. I heard it cost five bucks to get your underwear laundered according to Oprah. Of course I am sure she stays in a 5 star hotel at least.
You will probably buy a few things to wear while you are there.

Have fun!

....Jane

Following up on Mitch's advice, we bought two rolling duffles for a barging trip a couple of years ago. European hotel rooms are small....boat cabins even smaller. We have continued to use those duffles because they collapse flat and roll under a bed, out of the way. Even in a cabin in VT, we rolled them, still half packed, under a bench and used them like drawers. The only downside is that they are less stable to wheel around and they don't stand up on their own.

This is a matter of personal taste, but we never wear shorts or jeans or sneakers or t-shirts while abroad. (Hardly even wear them here, come to think of it...) I take my best clothes (usually Eileen Fisher knits) and wear a lot of black. You know...city clothes. I cringe when I see groups of tourists running around in shorts and stupid t-shirts. (Flog me if you will....it's JMO.)

I'll never be as sophisticated as the Europeans (or Mitch or Parma, for that matter!) but I like to not stick out like a sore thumb. I do believe we are treated better when we dress up a bit.

amy, I agree with you, city clothes, ( a lot of black for me); people live and work in these cities and dress well, it's a fact. One must not forget the Griswalds and their trip to Europe, lol.....
No white thick sneakers please ; the italian fashion police is on every corner.

I think it's possible to be comfy and decently dressed without overpacking;
it always kills me to leave my fun shoes and purses behind though.
I like a small purse that I can put the strap diagonally across my chest so I'm hands free; I then carry my ccards and $, no wallet.

amy, thanks for the compliment.

goldengirl, Florence, Venice and Rome are amazing; can't wait to hear your impressions when you return. Quatro Stagione pizza is something I had for lunch every day, 4 different toppings, one of the toppings is usually mozzarella de buffalo, they make it fresh every day, out of this world.
ah, the crust, the sauce, we have one restaurant in mtl that makes a pizza almost as good as the ones in Italy. They are not heavy like american pizza, it's something totally different.
Of course, that's only pizza , imagine the rest of the food........
gelato I did not find better than what we have here.
ok so I got carried away talking about Italy, lol.....

Thank you, thank you, these responses are very helpful. I do have a lot of black and white in my wardrobe so I might be in pretty good shape establishing a color scheme. But after reading the descriptions of the food, I might want to make sure to include some elastic waist pants LOL!!!

Travelsmith carries a lot of easy-traveling, non-wrinkle clothing for men and women. I like the ensembles where you can mix and match the pieces, and they're so easy to accessorize with pretty scarves or jewelry. I carried several pieces like this with me to England, and they worked beautifully.

Here is a link that might be useful: Travelsmith

I went last summer for the first time, (DH was born and raised in a small town in Abruzzi). A couple of things I would have like to know, Don't fall for the Gladiators posing for pictures in Rome, They pose with you and you take the pictures with your own camera, and then they charge you for the honor.lol. Bring tissue in your purse for rest room stops. For some reason they're a little short on the TP. Don't forget your international cell phone. All in all it was the trip of a lifetime we all had a blast. Have fun safe trip!

If you're using a debit card, take 2 with each having its own account in case an ATM machine eats one. This happened to us the first night in Rome and having another debt card to use was a life saver!

You've received a lot of great advice on here!!

My husband and I usually take backpacks---it's much easier to move around with, get off and on trains, etc especially if you are hitting a lot of cities like you are.

We wear dry-wick clothing (dark) that you can find at REI, etc. It dries quickly if you get rained on or if you have to wash it in your room. (REI carries nicer dry-wick clothing that doesn't look like gym outfits btw.) It also rolls up nicely and doesn't hold wrinkles. (I throw a few Bounce sheets in between my clothes to keep them smelling fresh.)

I love Merrell shoes---they are very comfy even brand-new.

Also, I don't ever carry a purse. I always wear a money belt around my waist that fits beneath my pants. My passport is *always* in there and on me, and I have copies of my passport stored in my locked luggage.

My large backpack has a detachable day-pack that I wear when doing touristy stuff. I keep an anti-septic handwash in there, a hard plastic water bottle with a wide mouth (for water, or else I can slip emergency granola bars or sunglasses in there so they won't get crushed), my guide book, maps, etc.

I keep TSA locks on *everything*---on all my backpacks when wearing them, on my camera bag, etc.

Also, I don't worry about looking like a tourist, lol. I'm there to have fun and be comfortable and take my pictures with my big-honking camera! The Italians will know you are American, no matter how hard you try to "dress up", lol. ;) Just be sure you and your family are dressed comfortably and you wear your sunscreen.

Have fun---Italy is a beautiful country with a warm and friendly people. :)

Ha, Amy. Don't know how sophisticated but I am lucky to be able to travel so much.

Goldengirl, you certainly don't have to pack only black and white. You'll see a lot of color there, especially in accessories. In fact, when you're in Milan, which is a big time fashion capital, pay attention to the predominant colors they are showing. You'll be fashion forward in clothing and even decorating colors. They usually trickle over to the US in a year or two.

Mitch's quattro stagione is a favorite of mine, also. The toppings stand for the four seasons of the year. If you are near the Piazza Navona, in Rome, the best pizza I've ever had in Italy is served in a little hole-in-the-wall called Da Baffetto. Extremely light and crispy crust. Another of my favorite toppings is squash flowers. Rome is also known for delicious fried artichokes.

In Milan, the specialties are veal cutlets, pounded, breaded then fried, risotto (with saffron), and osso bucco.

In Florence, try bistecca Fiorentina. It's grilled beef steak that's sold by the kilo and splashed with olive oil and sometimes herbs.

I think that Sienna is far enough north to serve another of my drool worthy dishes, tortelli di zucca. It's pumpkin or squash stuffed small ravioli type pasta.

Venice is pretty much known for their lousy food.

If you are vegetarian, there are plentiful options. Pastas, rice and veggies are plentiful.

Mitch, if you're ever in Bologna you'd change your tune about Italy's gelato. A place there serves the best chocolate and/or hazlenut in the world!

You might be surprised that you won't find pasta drowning in thick tomato sauce as that's a predominantly southern style of food prep.

Parma and Bologna are known as having the finest food in all of Italy. :)

Wow, I knew this was the place to post! Not only have you given me packing tips, but great travel tips as well! I'm taking notes and making my lists. Thank you all ;0)

Wow, I don't know if I can add any travel tips since I haven't been there since 1993 when DH was working for NATO. But be prepared for bathrooms down the hall from your room (we did the hostel thing traveling around when he was through with assignment) - and bring a broken-in pair of shoes or two for walking - you can always throw them out at the end of the trip if they're worn out or you just need room :-). Bring a length of clothesline if it's not against TSA regulations now and a tiny bottle of Woolite if you have room, you can wash/rinse out lightweight items/delicates in your room - there's usually a sink even if the bath is down the hall. Or maybe you're staying in nicer places than we did ;-)

Be forewarned - the steak by the kilo has a minimum weight! We ordered "un etto" (sp?) (quarter kilo) and were paying cash, we got a half a cow and ended up (after much discussion in broken Italian and broken English) paying with emergency credit card, I was so upset I was in tears, and luckily the hostel let us freeze the meat and we ate roast beef sandwiches the entire week. But Florence is amazing - I'm assuming you'll visit the Uffizi and the Accademia? The Ponte Vecchio is nice - they sell things there by weight too ;-)

Rome is extremely hot in August, and of course the entire country shuts down for vacation that month so I hope your tour group has booked dinner reservations. We had a hard time finding places to eat in Rome in August. The tourist sites are open - it's just the restaurants and shops that are short-staffed or closed for 3 weeks or so. Go see Pompeii if you have time but it is horribly dusty. Traffic is horrible - I wouldn't drive there and I used to drive in DC. We always used to cross the street with a nun or a baby stroller so we'd be sure traffic would stop for pedestrians LOL. Whatever you do, don't make eye contact! It's like a dare.

Have fun! I can't wait to take DS there when he's older. DD might never be a good enough traveler to take (though she's already a clothes horse at 5).

These are all great recommendations for clothing, food, luggage, sites and security -- thank you, thank you! I'm drooling already over the food and have made note of ALL of your recommendations. One of our other big concerns about this trip is coming home and having someone say "did you see..." "how could you be so close and miss it?" So I'm taking copious notes on all of the additional info so many of you have provided.

All of the suggestions for luggage types brings to mind another BIG question. Do you check your luggage or carry it on? Usually when we travel we each take a carry on and then check a larger bag with the heavier/bulkier items such as shoes and larger toiletries. The ongoing debate is whether to stick to our old system of carrying on or upgrade each of our bags to the next size, eliminate the extra-large one and check it all. Any input?

We always carry on a bag with an extra set of clothing and underwear in it.

We checked medium sized bags for our trip to Italy. My cousin and her DH checked an extra large bag rather than 2 mediums and were socked with extra charges at every airport because of the additional weight.

Bring an extra foldup carry on bag, as you won't be able to resist buying something. I wouldn't bother bringing shampoo and conditioner, etc, as you can get wonderful brands there, for less than here.

And if you don't got to San Crispino in Rome for ice cream and gelato, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

Here is a link that might be useful: San Crispino

Good reminders about the extra clothes, caution about additional charges and foldup bag. I followed the link to San Crispino and have added it to the list--sounds yummy!

We were in Italy two years ago in March. As far as I can tell, no one in Europe wears shorts, and as others have said, especially not white sneakers. A shift sundress & comfortable flat sandals would be perfect. Clarks Privo, Merrill, J-41 all make really comfortable and fashionable foot wear  very Euro. You can most like buy nice pashminas on the street. Go to the leather street markets in Florence for purses, jackets & wallets and yes, haggle the prices. Terrible food in Venice, but oh what a place  like no where else. Rome was very friendly to us. We stayed in B&Bs mostly, breakfast included. Usually we were staying in someoneÂs house with a locked room with a bath  there are websites to find places that include very helpful reviews. We like to stay with the locals, and itÂs cheaper too. We found that not many merchants took Discover card but Visa, MC, & AMEX were easily used. They say you get a better exchange rate with a card, but one of my cards has added a surcharge, so check with your provider. The smaller B&Bs took cards through PayPal. We checked our luggage, but took a change of clothes in a carry-on  and they did lose our bags but fortunately on the way home. My advice to anyone traveling  donÂt take more than you can carry by yourself.

Thanks, kitchenwitch ~ more great advice. I think I'm beginning to make a mental packing list for myself and DD, but packing for DH and DS seems a bit more complicated. Does the no shorts rule pertain to DS and DH? They have purchased good comfortable slip-on walking shoes/boat shoes for the times when sneakers are definitely inappropriate . Also, do you have any thoughts on the wearing of jeans?

Jeans are in, specially paired with a nice top or jacket ; I remember thinking that men over 50 did not seem to wear them but DH did with nice long sleeve striped cotton shirts and I thought he was fine.

You know, men might get away with city shorts. And men & women both wear fashionable jeans, but it will be pretty hot there in August. And as someone else said, some of the religeous sites like the Vatican have dress codes, but I think they mostly pertain to proper coverage.

DS and DD can get away with shorts--if they're teens. She'll need to be covered at the Vatican,etc. but that can mean a miniskirt and a biggish scarf, which is also very fashionable. She'll want to shop. Teens look the same the world over. There's a lot of trendy sports related clothing shops for guys, and the Rome soccer (AS Roma) stuff is very fashionable.

Rome has a zillion boutiques but even the big dept. stores (not nearly as fancy as Paris, London, or NYC) have well-made things for not a ton of money.

In Rome, people tend to eat late and its fun to wander around. It's one of my favorite places. If your kids want to see what Italian high school kids are like before you go, rent But Forever in My Mind or Night Before the Exams).

Here is a link that might be useful: Rome at Night

Thanks mitch and kitchenwitch~the jeans info is very helpful and the city/dress/walking shorts are just what I was thinking might work for my guys.

Thanks ideefixe ~ great input. I'm trying not to get too crazy with the kids packing, but I'm trying to make sure we don't get turned away from anywhere either. Of course,DD and I do love to shop so thanks for the input on that as well. I'll check out the link and look for those movies, too.