How I packed for a week in Italy was carry-on only

I love reading how other people pack to travel abroad, so I figured you’d all be interested in seeing how I packed for our week in Italy. Fortunately, their climate is very close to ours this time of year. I check the weather app and southern Italy is in the 60s during the day, with some days maybe close to 70, so layers are great for this trip. We decided to only pack carry on this trip because we really didn’t need that much for 7 days. I thought I’d pick 7 outfits, plus one extra if I needed it. I think for the most part, we dress for the day going into dinner time. On other trips we’ve taken, I don’t always change into a new outfit for dinner, so I’ve been taking things that I can mix and match to make different outfits with pieces that do double duty.

I used these packing cubes EZ Packing I got mine several years ago and they still work great.

I roll my pieces and you can stuff a lot in one of these bags. I’m taking 3 pairs of pants in black, jeans and white, along with a variety of tops and jackets to interchange between them and a dress. I am taking 2 pairs of tennis shoes and a pair of comfortable flats. I will share all the outfits below.

I got all my undergarments in this little bag, as well as pajamas from Soma.

These fit on one side of my small carry on suitcase.

Mon pajama set. I would link these, but they are mostly sold in these pieces. I tried on all the dresses, so you can see exactly what I took and how I wear them. Affiliate links used below.

Of course, I’m dressing for comfort but I also like to look good, so I wanted to look a little stylish even though I was wearing tennis shoes. This short sleeve dress from Amazon I wear tennis shoes, so I took 2 colored tennis shoes, a light pair and a dark pair. Foot comfort is very important while travelling. The aqua linen jacket is old so I can’t link it. I also pick up some basic jewelry to dress up this outfit.

I pack white pants and wear them with a few different tops. I’m wearing 2 different white pants in the pictures, but I only took one pair. This aqua tank is worn under a linen jacket with a leopard belt.

These are Black Faux Leather Leggings From Loft I wear it two ways. This floral top is long sleeved (an old one from Chico’s Black Label) and I topped it off with a linen jacket. These are the cozy blowfish flats I’m getting and they’re old so I can’t link.

These white Chico pants are my pick and it’s a casual knit 3/4 length sleeve top with a coral athletic jacket.

This black knit jumpsuit from Clara Sunwoo is comfy and I layered this long plaid black and white tunic over it and added a belt.

I could wear plaid again with faux leather leggings and a simple black tank.

If it’s a really chilly day, I pack this striped talbot top with jeans and my Adidas sneakers.

I wear a white linen tank and a striped cotton shirt with jeans and sneakers.

Along with the dress here Cross body bag I carry from Amazon. It has lots of zipped pockets as well as slots for cards, so is the perfect size for travel and it comes in lots of colours.

Since I get a little chilly even in 60 degree weather, I’m taking this jacket from Talbot that I bought last year. It’s light enough not to be too heavy, but warm and cozy if I’m cold. I wear it on the plane and don’t pack it because it’s the biggest item I’m taking.

This is my favorite travel outfit, this knit Zenergy top and lightweight pants with an elastic waist from Chico’s, both purchased last year. This is what I wear on the flight to and from, and if I need to, I can wear it on a day trip.

I bought this Sunhat from Amazon And take it on trips. I like to keep the sun off my face as much as possible and have a waistband under the chin to help keep it up.

This Duffle bag My other item is a carry on item and it goes under the seat. It has a shoulder strap and a flap that fits over a rolling suitcase.

This Makeup bag Fits in my carry on duffle, holding my makeup and other things. I decided to pack an outfit in this bag in case they insisted on checking my rolling bag. Ever since Mark’s bag went missing for over a day on our last Viking cruise 5 years ago, it felt smart to do this, so I added a knit jumpsuit and a plaid tunic. I have room here for a few things, including my crossbody bag and this bag goes under the seat.

I love the zippered compartment on the bottom and this is where my shoes go. I wear light colored sneakers and pack these two. I have room to add this tunic top and it all zips up nicely.

So, I’m taking it to Italy. It’s not high fashion, but I need it to be comfortable and somewhat cute for the trip. I’m also adding some scarves and jewelry to dress it up. By the time you read this, we’ve already landed in Italy, ready for our weeklong adventure. Ciao friends!

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