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🛒 Top picks for this trip
✅ Essentials Checklist
- Passport (UK citizens can use passport or national ID for EU travel — check current rules post-Brexit)
- GHIC card for state medical cover in Italy
- Travel insurance
- Comfortable walking shoes — cobbles and hills in every historic centre
- Sunscreen SPF50 ↗+ — even spring/autumn sun is stronger than the UK
- Modest cover-up for churches and the Vatican (shoulders and knees covered — enforced strictly)
- Light breathable clothing for cities, warmer layers for evenings
- Reusable water bottle — Rome and Florence have free public drinking fountains everywhere
- Cash in Euros — smaller trattorias and markets are often cash-preferred
- Skip-the-line museum/monument tickets booked ahead (Colosseum, Uffizi, Vatican — booking on arrival often means hours in a queue)
🛒 More kit for this trip
👕 Clothing Checklist
- Comfortable walking shoes — broken in, not new
- Light layers for city days, warmer layer for evenings
- Modest cover-up (shoulders/knees) for churches and the Vatican
- Smart-casual outfit for evening dining
- Swimwear if visiting the coast (Amalfi, Cinque Terre, Sicily)
- Sun hat and sunglasses
⭐ Nice to Have
- Small daypack for museum and city days
- Portable fan for peak summer heat (Rome/Florence in July–August is intense)
- Phrasebook or translation app — helpful outside major tourist areas
- Reusable shopping bag for markets
- Water shoes for the rocky Cinque Terre coves
Skip-the-line museum & monument tickets
Colosseum, Uffizi, Vatican, Pompeii — book ahead and skip hours in the queue.
Browse tickets ›Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Italy?
A week covers Rome, Florence and Venice at a reasonable (if brisk) pace — roughly 2–3 days each with travel between. Two weeks lets you add the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre or Sicily without feeling rushed. Trying to combine more than 3–4 cities in a week usually means more time on trains than in any one place.
Do I need to book museum tickets in advance?
For the Colosseum, Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel) and Florence's Uffizi Gallery — yes, essentially mandatory in peak season. Walk-up queues regularly run 2–3 hours; pre-booked skip-the-line tickets turn that into a 10-minute wait. Book at least a few days ahead in summer, and confirm the specific entry time slot, which is usually fixed.
What is the dress code for the Vatican and Italian churches?
Shoulders and knees must be covered for both men and women — this is strictly enforced at St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, with staff turning away visitors in shorts, vests or short skirts. A light scarf or shawl that can be draped over shoulders is the easiest fix if you're caught out in summer clothing.
Not sure which suitcase size or clothing sizes you need? Check 247Sizing's luggage and clothing size guides before you pack.