What to Wear for Your Spring Italy Trip: The Essential Packing List | The Italian On Tour - Small Group Italian Tours (2024)

Spring in Italy can be a wild card, depending on the month and region you are visiting. Many travelers expect warm weather in the spring but are surprised when they encounter colder temperatures and wet, rainy conditions especially in the earlier months of Spring.

Preparation for the best trip to Italy starts in your suitcase! The stress of packing and knowing what to bring with your limited luggage space can cause vacation burnout before you even arrive in the Bel Paese. And there’s nothing worse than realizing something you’ve forgotten while trying to enjoy your time in Italy.

As seasoned Italy travel experts who have experienced every region of Italy in many different seasons and conditions, this is the essential packing list for a spring trip to Italy!

Is spring right for your Italian vacation? Find out the best time to visit Italy!

What You Need to Know about Italy’s Spring Forecast

Weather in Italy depends on the region and the month you are visiting. In Central Italy and Ascoli Piceno of the Le Marche region, where our tours are based, the weather is windier and wetter than many expect. Average temperatures from early March to late April are 43° – 59°F. This is why Italy’s Epicurean Journey is often offered at the end of May as this is the time of year when Spring begins to warm up in Central Italy and mother nature showcases that beautiful Italian Spring weather many of you are seeking out.

Dreaming of the Dolomites and above? Temperatures will be colder on average in the most Northern areas of Italy, like the Alps or Lake Como, and hotter in the Southern regions, like Puglia or the Amalfi Coast.

Puglia or the Amalfi Coast? We’ll help you decide!

With any region or month you visit, it’s best to be prepared for anything in this season!

Light Jacket or Trench Coat

While you won’t need a heavy coat in the spring for most Italian regions except possibly in the Northern regions, you will undoubtedly want to bring a light jacket or a trench coat for crisp mornings and evenings.

This item applies to both women and men! Women can bring light jackets in varying colors to add a vibrant spring element to any outfit. Men can bring tailored sports coats to dress up a dinner ensemble.

Rain Jacket and Travel Umbrella

Springtime means rain in Italy, especially in the Central regions! Although rain is often in the forecast, in Central and Southern Italy, it is rare that it rains all day. Usually there are spurts of Spring shows.

Getting to know the charming medieval villages and wonderful small town escapes means you’re going to walk to enjoy some walking tours and being exposed to the elements. Make sure to pack a reliable rain jacket and a travel umbrella so some April or May showers don’t put a dent in your travel plans and leave you wasting a perfect Spring day because you’re afraid to get wet.

Pro-tip: If you are trying to save room in your suitcase, bring your light jacket with you on the plane and pack your rain jacket. Or better yet bring a dual purpose item like a trench coat that is waterproof and can take you from day to night.

Dress like an Onion

Italian fashion is all about layering. This is especially true in the springtime when temperatures change from hour to hour! Versatile pieces you can take on and off as the day goes on will be your best friend on your packing list.

Both women and men should bring tried and true items like button-downs, long-sleeve t-shirts, light sweaters, cardigans, and denim jackets. Some of our personal favorites are light merino wool sweaters or underlayers for the early Spring months as they keep you warm and don’t take a lot of space in your suitcase.

Pro-tip: Adding layers to your Spring Italy Trip Packing list is essential. With cool mornings to temperatures rising in the afternoon you also want to bring a day bag that can fit your layers when you need to peel them off to stay comfortable.

Scarves

Scarves are a great addition to any spring outfit for both men and women, whether for warmth or style. An item that works double time to keep you warm and stay within the cultural norms.

For women, scarves can be layered as shawls to cover the shoulders when entering cold churches or as a pop of color to a more neutral outfit.

For men, scarves can be layered under a tailored jacket for cool evenings in the square.

Didn’t remember a scarf or need a better day bag for your trip?

No problem! When you join us on select tours we’ll take you to our favorite shops to get locally made Italian leather goods and point out the exact days you can visit the outdoor markets.

Comfortable Walking Shoes

If there is one thing on this list that you should not leave off your packing list, it’s comfortable walking shoes. Italy is best explored on foot, whether you’re strolling the plaza heading to a cafe or on a wine tasting at a vineyard.

The shoes you bring should be broken in and durable enough for all-day wear. Water-resistant shoes are also a plus in the spring to avoid that wet sock feeling on potential rainy days.

For men and women, a pair of tennis shoes is essential. And you don’t have to go for a full-on running shoe that will cramp your style. Many brands have stylish tennis shoe options in neutral colors that will go with a wide range of outfits and still look smart and not like you’re headed out for a full on sweat session.

Additional shoe options for women include comfortable sandals in the warmer months, classic white sneakers, or stylish leather loafers.

For men, a leather or suede loafer goes perfectly with khaki chino pants.

Sunhat

While rain is frequent in an Italian spring, the beating sun is also something to consider if you are visiting Southern Italy or are visiting Central in late May.

Are you dreaming of a beachy Puglian getaway? Get on the waitlist for the 2025 Passport to Puglia!

There’s nothing worse than slathering on sunscreen for a day in the sun only to get home with a searing sunburn on your scalp! A stylish sun hat can protect your scalp and be a fun accessory with a spring dress for women or paired with a casual button-down for men.

Bottoms

Versatile bottoms that can be paired with layering pieces on top are essential for your spring trip to Italy.

For both men and women, jeans are often worn in Italy and can be an excellent piece for casual days roaming the city or on an excursion, paired with button-downs or dressier blouses.

For women in particular, flowy is the key to Italian fashion! Whether it’s a dress with a cardigan layered over or a flowy pants, you’ll want to bring several options for casual and more formal attire.

For men, chino or khaki pants perfectly pair with linen button-downs for a casual day. Dress it up at night with a sports coat!

What to Leave at Home

The most important thing to consider when packing for your trip to Italy is your comfort and personal style. But it’s also normal to wonder what is customary in Italian fashion!

If you want to blend in with the locals, leave branded graphic tees, gym clothes, short denim shorts, and overly revealing clothing at home. Although you might be shocked at what the teens are wearing these days, acceptable fashion has become more racy in recent years. However, for the older generations, classic put together looks are still going strong among the locals.

Pro-Tip: For women, many historic churches and museums require women to cover their shoulders and wear at least knee-length skirts/dresses. Keep this in mind when packing!

Leave Room to Shop!

While you don’t want to leave anything behind, overpacking can prevent you from bringing home that beautiful artisan leather bag or one-of-a-kind boutique item.

Bring only the essentials, and plan out your outfits based on what you will be doing each day of your trip. Choose one or two jacket/coat options and two or three shoe options, and bring layering items that can be repurposed. For example, select one cardigan you can wear in the evenings for several days.

There’s truly no bad time to visit Italy! However, packing these essentials and considering the weather beforehand ensures you won’t have to worry about any wardrobe mishaps while soaking it all in.

But the stress of packing has nothing on the stress of planning the logistics of a trip to Italy, whether it’s your first-time to Italy or one of many trips. The terrain, the local culture, and the food, among many other things, varies from each region to region. Which is why our past travelers choose to travel with us again and again from Northern to Central and Southern Italian regions,

When you tour with us, you only need to worry about packing your bag and boarding your plane on time. The moment you arrive in Italy, you’re family. We host every single one of our tours to translate the Italian experience for you so that you can finally see the real Italy and enjoy world-class wines, phenomenal cuisine and curated experiences giving you the trip of a lifetime you’ve always dreamed about.

Ready to escape the crowds and experience Italy like a local? Click here today to get started!

PLANNING A SPRING TRIP TO ITALY? SAVE THESE ITALY PACKING TIPS FOR LATER!

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