Florence: Spring Edition

Packing for living in a foreign country for four months can be an intimidating task. I was only allowed to bring one large bag (up to 50 Ibs), a rolling carry-on (18 Ibs), and a North Face backpack as a personal item to place under the seat.

The best piece of advice I can give is to pack LITE! Take an honest look at what you think you will wear and make additional cuts. Overpacking is the last thing you want to do, especially if you buy clothes abroad (which you will) or bring gifts back to the USA.

I saw a bunch of students throwing out BRAND NEW clothes in the airport on the way home because their bags were overweight. If you plan on bringing back clothes to the States, consider shipping clothes or buying an additional bag to check, which can sometimes be less expensive.

My Packing List

• 4 Pairs of pjs
• 7 Pairs of pants 
  • 3 Jeans
  • 2 Dress pants
  • 1 Leather
  • 1 Linen
• 14 Tops
  • 6 Tank tops 
  • 3 Shorts Sleeves
  • 5 Long sleeves 
• 3 Sweaters (crew neck, cardigan, blazer)
• 2 Coats (Rain & heavier coat)
• 4 Pairs of Shoes 
  • Black boot
  • Walking sneaker
  • Sandal
  • Flip flops (beach/ shower shoes)
• 3 Dresses
• 1 Bathing suit
• 2 Scarves (winter & hair scarf)
• LOTS of underwear
• Crossbody purse

Highly Recommend

• Luggage scale
• Packing cubes
• Outlet converter (multiple)
• Thin laundry bag
• Britta filtered water bottle
• Portable charger
• Cold medicine

Nice to Have

• Quick dry towel
• Travel toiletries bottles
• Apple Air Tag to track luggage
• Hand sanitizer (to-go size)
• Small makeup mirror
• Travel journal
• Eye mask (to sleep on trains, buses, etc.)

Weather in Italy

I was in Florence from late January to early May so it was important to take the weather into account when packing. Florence’s winter temps tend to be slightly more mild and drier than the snowy, New England winters I normally experience back home.

Average High & Low Temperature in Florence, Italy

For the first three months, I was consistently wearing a coat and or long sleeves (of course some days would randomly be warmer). The last few months were significantly warmer and I was thankful for the tanks and shorts sleeves. I did bring a variety of clothes that were easy to layer or switch around.

Washing & Drying

My apartment had a washing machine in the kitchen for the four of us to share. It is not very common to have a dryer for your clothing in Italy. The building’s residents all use drying racks to hang clothes to dry. Not having a clothes drying was a little shocking and took some time to adjust to. It would take more than a full day for thick clothes to dry out entirely; unless it’s over 70 degrees Fahrenheit clothes would dry a little faster.

Athleisure

When going to another country its important to be aware of cultural difference to respect the new environment and not stick out like a tourist. In the USA, it is very normal to see people walk out in leggings or sweats, but in Europe, their day-to-day attire is a little more formal.

You will never see anyone walk down the street in Italy in athleisure unless they are coming from the gym (which I didn’t even really see). I personally knew that I wasn’t planning on working out abroad so I didn’t bring athletic sneakers or athleisure sets (it seemed like a waste of weight in my luggage). My peers did bring sweats to wear during travel or lounge around the house in.