Take a look at my guide below for inspiration on how to pack for 10 days in Italy. Spending 10 days in Italy lets you tour a few major cities and see some top sights without rushing from point to point.
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Toiletries and Accessories
Toiletries and accessories are the primary essentials; they can either make the trip smooth and enjoyable or frustratingly difficult. Here’s how to pack for 10 days in Italy in your carry-on.
Revlon Travel Compact Hairdryer
One item I insist on having with me anytime I travel is my Revlon Travel Compact Hairdryer.
This travel hairdryer comes with cool shot, a diffuser, 2 heat settings, and a foldable handle to make packing easy.
Forget about hotel hair dryers if your hair is high-maintenance like mine. Hair dryers in hotels are anemic in power and sound like they’re going to seize up at any moment. The Revlon Travel Compact Hairdryer even comes with a diffuser attachment so I can blow dry my hair until it’s smooth (I have notoriously frizzy hair). The handle also folds in to make packing a little easier.
Moisture Sheet Masks
The Garnier Moisture Bomb Super Hydrating Sheet Masks did me well in Italy. After touring the Colosseum under the hot sun all day, my skin was parched.
These facial sheet masks are individually packed and kept my face hydrated and moisturized.
These sheets are a lot more convenient to pack into your carry-on luggage instead of liquid facial masks. Buy a few packs and use one sheet a day to keep your skin hydrated and feeling good.
Burt’s Bee Lip Balm
Travelling, as exciting as it is, can stress out the body. Burt’s Bee Moisturizing Lip Balm cures my chapped lips every time.
Each pack comes with 3 fruit scented lip balms .They’re small, easy to carry, and prevent my lips from being dry and cracked. I highly recommend Burt’s Bee lip balms especially if you’re going to be on a long haul flight.
Sleep Eye Mask Cover
A good sleeping eye mask is like a portable blackout curtain: it instantly blocks out light and lets you sleep well. The Hochoek Silk Sleep Eye Mask helped me sleep well on the plane and in hotels.
Sometimes the curtains in a hotel just aren’t good at keeping out light and having an eye mask works wonders to help me sleep on a long-haul flight. A sleeping eye mask is especially good if you’re in a hostel and you don’t want to be woken up by late-night party-goers turning on the lights at 3 AM.
The Body Shop Shampoo and Shower Gel
Limits in the amount of liquid you’re allowed to pack in your carry-on means packing as precisely as possible. The Body Shop sells travel size body wash and hair care products (the bottles are 60 mL or less) that I find extremely convenient to grab and go for a trip.
Conveniently packed in bottles of 60 mL or less, the Body Shop shower products are great for travelling.
Yes, it’s not always the most eco-friendly or cost-effective in the long run to buy travel size products, but it can save time and hassle of squeezing liquids into small bottles if you’re short on time or stressed from packing. I recommend buying travel size products every once in a while and keeping it handy in case travel planning gets too tough. Simply recycle the plastic bottles in the new country to avoid bringing it back on your return trip.
Kitsch Refillable Travel Sets
Refillable travel bottles are a great option for saving money and doing good for the earth instead of relying on travel size items. The Kitsch Travel Bottle Set bottles are convenient to travel with as most of them lay flat when empty.
The set also comes with tools to make it easier to refill the bottles for every trip.
Medicine and Bandaids
No matter where you’re going in the world, you should always stay safe and healthy. I always recommend bringing a little medicine kit with the following (note that I am not a doctor. These are just recommendations that have worked well for me):
- pills to counter fever or headaches,
- throat lozenges (for any pesky sore throat developed from the stress of travelling),
- pills for motion sickness or nausea,
- band aids for minor cuts and burns.
It’s always important to have some medicine on you; don’t rely on pharmacies to be open in the middle of the night, or worse, there might not even be one close by depending on where you are. So prepare a small medical kit and enjoy the peace of mind you get knowing it’s there just in case.
Gadgets
Make sure you have all the plugs and cords you need so you can spend your hard-earned travel money on actually travelling versus worrying about whether you’ll be able to charge your phone.
European and Universal Plug Adapters
A single universal adapter is definitely convenient if you’re continent hopping a lot during your trip. However, If you know you’re travelling to one continent (Europe in this case), I recommend investing in several European plug adapters versus simply lugging around a universal adapter.
Amazon sells some 2-pack European Plug Adapters with 2 USB ports on each of the plugs. I like carrying one in my travel purse so I can charge my devices anytime I find a plug on a bus, train, or plane.
These plugs have 2 USB ports on each of them making them convenient to have in your travel bag for quick charging needs.
In addition to the European plug adaptor with 2 USB ports only, I also like to bring a European plug adapter with universal sockets. Amazon has a European plug adapter with 2 sockets, 2 USB A ports and 2 Type-C ports which is super convenient for charging several devices requiring different charging ports in your hotel room.
The multiple sockets and charging ports make it easy to charge multiple devices at once.
Depending on space in my carry-on and destination, sometimes I might simply bring a single International Power Adapter Travel Plug from Amazon which comes with 4 USB slots allowing you to charge multiple devices at a time.
With 4 USB slots, this international travel adapter lets you charge several devices at once. I find it plugs securely into the wall; none of that annoying trait where it plugs in and hangs off the wall socket.
Money Belts
Keep your valuables safe. My advice is to always use the hotel safe in your hotel room to lock up passports and extra cash. Simply keep some petty cash you’ll use for the day and keep the rest locked up.
If a safe isn’t available (as in if you’re staying in a hostel with 8 other people in a dorm), then use a hidden money belt to carry your valuables on your body. Do not simply carry it in your purse or jacket pockets.
StashBandz Unisex Travel Money Belt
The StashBandz has a hidden zipper for cash and passports. Any pickpockets would have to work pretty hard to get under your shirt and unzip a tiny zipper on the band to get to the valuables.
Outerwear
The lighter the outerwear the better it is for travelling, but it also has to be warm when needed and breathable. So far, I’m quite satisfied with windbreaker jackets from Eddie Bauer. They’re slim, packable, lightweight, and breathable around the waist and under the arms. It kept me warm during cooler nights in Venice.
Outfits
I like to bring half the amount of clothing for the number of days that I’m going to spend on the trip. So if it’s a trip for 10 days, I’ll most likely bring 5 outfits. With some planning, it’s easy to create combinations of outfits without having to pack a lot of clothing.
Bottoms: A couple pair of sturdy pants
Always pack a pair of sturdy pants that you’ll be comfortable walking in or sitting in. Planes, trains, and boats can get cool and a pair of sturdy long pants makes all the difference. Also, keep in mind your departure and arrival destinations. One place might be warm but another could be freezing.
Midi dresses and long maxi dresses
Midi dresses are great as they hit just above the knees. They’re light and easy to wear and have the added advantage of hiding any belly that’s appearing from too much pasta. A maxi dress that’s long and flowy is great for the hot days of summer. You’ll look great and still feel cool.
Jumpsuits
A good pair of jumpsuits is a thing of beauty and convenience. It’s nice to pack one piece of clothing that’s easy to put on. And yes, it can be slightly inconvenient in matters of going to the washroom but it’s not a big deal once you get the hang of it.
Tops: long and short-sleeved t-shirts
This is where it gets fun to mix and match the tops you want to bring with the bottoms you’ve chosen to make combinations of outfits for 10 days. I like a mix of long and short-sleeved tops so I’m prepared for hotter and cooler weather. Invest in some wrinkle-free tops that are easy to wash and dry so you can wash and blow dry them in your hotel room if you need.
Shoes
Mobils are the sandals I wear for walking in Italy. They’re cushioned and light weight and make long-distance walking easy and enjoyable. They’re a sub-brand of Mephisto which are by far the best shoes I’ve ever worn for long-distance walking. Yes, they’re pricey and will set you back a few hundred bucks, but your foot health is worth way more than a couple hundred dollars. I find Mephisto are THE shoes to wear if you know you’re going to do a lot of walking. I walked close to 12km a day for 10 days, and yes, I had tired calves and feet but the shoes fit me extremely well that I didn’t get any blisters or sores. The orthopaedic and
air-cushioned soles make it feel as if you’re walking on cotton candy.
I always recommend bringing a pair of sandals and a pair of closed-toe shoes. I’m slightly paranoid and don’t want to be caught without a pair of shoes if one pair goes bust during a trip.
Travelling and exploring a new place is always exciting, but how and what you pack will make or break the experience. So pack light but effectively and you’ll have a wonderful time without being (literally!) weighed down by baggage.
Enjoyed this post on how to pack for 10 days in Italy? Then check out my posts on Essential items to pack in your carry-on and The best types of bags for travelling.
[…] Once you’ve packed all the essential items that you must pack in your carry-on bag, relax a bit, and then go ahead and start packing the fun stuff. Are you going to Italy for 10 days? Also check out my guide on How to pack for 10 days in Italy […]