Gia's Italian Kitchen's Podcast

Episode 3.25 - Traveling abroad…or want to? What should you pack?

• Gia's Italian Kitchen • Season 3 • Episode 25

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We recently went to Italy and I thought it would be helpful to brainstorm with you on what to PACK!  

I review in detail the clothes I brought, the suitcase, what I put in my carryon, etc....for a seamless overseas travel experience! 

Questions?   Email me kelley@giasitaliankitchen.biz 

In the coming weeks, I will post VIDEOS of our travels through the Amalfi Coast and Sicily for your enjoyment…maybe you will plan a trip in the future!

All of my links are here…please follow, share, comment, like: https://linktr.ee/giasitaliankitchen


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Speaker 1:

so what to pack when traveling overseas, of course, specifically Italy. I mean, I've got all my standard stuff, the you know pajamas, and I've got shorts and light pants for pjs and then a light cover-up. Um, obviously depends on what time of year you're going, but if you're going in the spring, summer and fall, I feel like for Europe that I need multiple seasons, even just if I'm going at, like, june or July or May, um, because it's beautiful during the day, it should be upper 70s. If you're in May or September, those are my really my two favorite times to go. But if you go in the summer, um, yeah, hotter than crapola and humid, so, but then in the evenings it does cool down sometimes, um, not always. So like you want some, maybe one pair of pants, light pants, a light top, especially if you're gonna go to a restaurant, maybe a light sweater or a light um cover up or something shawl or little little zip up and I don't know that. But then, like, your suitcase can't be more than well. If you're doing a domestic airlines it's 50. But once you get over there, if you're flying to and from within Europe, usually those are 40 pound limits. Within Europe, usually those are 40 pound limits. So I got a pack for the 40 pound limit so that my suitcase follows me, right, okay.

Speaker 1:

So then I've got a couple nice outfits for going out to dinner. So I'm doing a sundress for one with a little cover up, and so I'm doing a sundress for one with a little cover up and super cute fancy shorts with a nice top. But then you've got like shoes. So you can't bring 10 pairs of shoes Well, at least I can't, because I'm bringing the one checked bag and one carry on. So you need shoes that are going to go with multiple outfits. Man, the shoes are a whole different deal, because you need shoes for walking. If you're going to go for a run or any sort of exercise, like they have to be running shoes, so I'm probably going to wear those because those are going to be the biggest shoes. Then you want shoes for the pool or the beach, which are not going to be the same shoes that I would go out to dinner with. So I need some dinner shoes. And then I need some casual sandals for kind of walking that aren't going to give me blisters but, uh, are still cute and they don't look like uh, you know, utility shoes. So, yeah, I'm probably going to have at least four or five pairs of shoes, and it's just going to have to be that. But the sandals should be light, right, they're tiny and if I wear my running shoes then that takes that weight off, okay.

Speaker 1:

So then pool or beach we've got at least two swimsuits, right, because a lot of places over there do not have dryers. They have washing machines but they do not have dryers. So you're hang drying a lot if you're going to wash stuff, or if it gets wet because you're in the pool, or if you're at the beach and sandy, you got to rinse it off, et cetera. And if it's really humid, from experience, even hanging stuff overnight, it does not dry sometimes if it's super humid. So, definitely, I would bring two bathing suits, two cover-ups, so that you have that time gap. But if you want a wetsuit, I guess who cares Because it's hot out, so I guess who cares?

Speaker 1:

Okay, so then some cash outfits um, some shorts, some cute tops got a new one here. Did some shopping um, just a little bit to try not to be excessive. Um, yeah, but like cute walking shorts, but very comfortable walking shorts. Some light shirts um, for walking around the town doing the tours, but again like a cover-up, because if you're going into museums or churches, restaurants, a lot of times, you know, once you sit down and you stop moving, then I get cold. So then you want that cover up in your day pack. So, okay, so I think I have enough outfits. So then like a few pairs of shorts and then multiple shirts, because you can wash the shorts if they get sweaty. The shirts are flimsy and they don't weigh anything, so I'm trying to do multiple shirts with the same pairs of shorts or capris. I love capris and you got to mix and match, right, so you don't bring an outfit for every day.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so then I've got, so that'll go, all that'll go in my um checked bag and in my carry-on. I'm actually bringing two carry-ons, because most airlines you get, um, a carry-on and a personal item, so a purse. I'm bringing a backpack and a purse. Um, my purse is RFID, so I would highly recommend that, which basically is that which basically is gonna protect your wallet, your credit cards, from someone like coming and swiping your purse and stealing off those magnetic strips, so you don't get your credit card stolen without it even leaving your purse. So I have that I love this thing. It's um, what brand is it? I don't even remember what brand this is. I'll have to, I have to find a tag on this I can't find a tag and post it because it is really um, and post it because it is really a great travel brand with, like, a water bottle pocket. It's got three pockets on the outside, like a bunch of pockets on the inside, yeah, and a water bottle holder in the purse, and it's a cross body strap. So that is essential.

Speaker 1:

Whatever you bring, no-transcript. Okay, then I, oh, I just found these. Then I have these space bags where you put your clothes in them and suck the air out of them so that you have more space in your suitcase. So those are kind of a double-edged sword because it's actually giving you more space, but then you still have to stay under the weight limit. So I'm going to try those again. I did use them last time for more bulky things where it's just air anyway, to give you the more space. But you may or may not use those.

Speaker 1:

So, also in my purse, well, I guess, purse or carry-on, bring some essentials like bring a couple pairs of underwear, bring a toothbrush, bring your medications if they are not liquid, just in case that checked bag doesn't make it on day one with you to your destination. You have your essentials. So, like one little change of clothes, I would recommend You've got a pair of shoes, maybe an extra pair of socks, underwear, undergarments and definitely any medications that you are going to bring. I mean, I'm bringing, like some Benadryl and some Advil, just in case we have some allergic reactions or headaches. You're not stuck buying those at the airport or Again, if the bag doesn't make it. You've got those things as the just-in-case. I'm the just-in-case person, so I don't want to leave that stuff to chance.

Speaker 1:

Okay, the other thing that is awesome instead of doing for seasick, carsick, planesick, instead of doing Dramamine or other nausea medication that might have other side effects, we found several years ago these things called C-bands, s-e-a C-band, and they're literally like little Jane Fonda wristbands that are kind of fabric-y but you put one on each hand, one on each wrist right, and there's a little pulse dot and you put that, you know, in the appropriate place on your wrist and it literally helps your equilibrium so that you don't get car sick. It's so weird, but they really work. So I have a pair for each of our family members, because it may not maybe not in the airplane. The airplane's probably fine, but when you get there and you're driving around especially if you're going to well, really, I mean any country, europe, asia there's a lot of hills and if you're driving in a car or a bus, I don't know we get pretty seasick, carsick, whatever you want to call it. Now, the trains if you're taking trains, uh, for public transport, that's awesome, um, they're faster, they're super easy, um, and usually you don't get the seasickness that you would, um in a car or a bus, but we're bringing those for sure. Then, um, wall chargers so, depending on what your country you're going to, the power outlets are not the same. So, like your phone charger is not gonna plug into their wall, you need a European adapter so you can go onto Amazon or, I'm sure, many other sites and find the adapter appropriate to your country. But I would recommend probably at least two of those, or one per person, so that everyone has space to plug their devices in or whatever you're bringing, because none of our stuff works over there. And then, if you have a new iPhone, you need that adapter too, because your old plugs don't work in the new phones. So you got that too.

Speaker 1:

Um, let's see what else. Oh, and then another purse. So then I have a little purse once I get there for, like, going out to dinner. So just one cute little tiny purse so I don't have to bring my big RFID purse everywhere. Um, but on day trips, like I pretty much do, cause I bring my passport with me, I always keep it on my body because, um, you know, you don't know who might have access to your hotel room or Airbnb or whatever. Um, so I keep that in on my body. Um, and you know, any, your money, your valuables, I always take those with me and just leave them in my purse, my big purse.

Speaker 1:

Um, then I would recommend a collapsible day pack so that if you are going to go to a beach, or um day pack so that if you are going to go to a beach or, you know, on a hike or a picnic or whatever, you don't have bags laying around your house like you would at home. So a little collapsible backpack or satchel or something like that, or beach bag that folds up, rolls up. You could use that for a variety of excursions when you want to go out and obviously you know you're not going to bring your suitcase, so what are you going to bring? You need a little bag, so then you don't have to buy one over there, but maybe you want to just buy one over there because that's fun too. Man, I think that covers an awful lot of um, some of the tips for flying international.

Speaker 1:

Um, what else on your device? Your podcast, your audibles? Download those now while you're on wifi, so that when you're in the airplane, if you don't want to purchase their wifi, you have access to things. Bring your earbuds. Make sure those are charged so that you have something to listen to or read. You know, if you've got the Kindle, download some books, so all of that is or movies ready to go when you're at the airport and on the airplane. Our flight is flight to Italy from Chicago. I think is eight hours there, maybe nine on the way back, so you might sleep, but probably not the whole time. So you want some electronics queued up ready to go If you are able to sleep or you're doing that overnight flight.

Speaker 1:

The other thing that you're going to want to either pack or attach, like with one of those what are those called the clips, the claw clips that you can attach to your bag and hang a neck pillow. There's so many good neck pillows out there. We probably have three different kinds. It really depends on what you're comfortable with, cause some of them like wrap around and your head has to go back or to the side, but there's some that, um gosh, it's almost like a, like a structured shelf that you can put in the front of your neck and just rest your chin on it. Um, that's actually. It's kind of goofy, but it's actually pretty comfortable, because then you're actually getting less of a crick in your neck when you wake up. So check those out.

Speaker 1:

If you're in an overnight flight or, you know, just want to take a nap on the flight, those neck pillows make a huge difference in getting comfortable, especially if you're not in first class which we will not be and you're sitting up, you're not laying down like the folks in first class. But you'll want it to attach, I would think, because, yes, that there's like a clippy on it, so that you're not having to make space for it, because you can attach it and they let you bring that on. It doesn't count, like, as another thing if it's attached to your bag. Um, that's a lot, maybe some cards. What else on the airplane airport? Some a card game or two? Um, if you're sitting around, if your family our family loves to play cards, so if your family does, that's good to just throw in there. That's tiny, throw in your carry on. Um, even for the adults. Obviously, if you have kids, you're bringing a load of of stuff for them. Keep them occupied, but, um, the adults need something too, that maybe isn't a screen all the time, right? So cards are a great way to pass the time, spend time with your family, get a little friendly competition. And yeah, I mean, I guess that's my packing. I think I'm doing pretty good. Hopefully these tips have helped and happy to answer any questions if I can help with any packing advice.

Speaker 1:

Email kelly K-E-L-L-E-Y at geositaliankitchenbiz B-I-Z. Or put a comment. Put a comment in any of my social posts and I'll get that notification and get back to you. So all my socials geositaliankitchen, you know at something, whatever, but I'm on all of them Instagram, facebook, youtube You've got my website, gia's Italian Kitchenbiz. I do have a TikTok. I haven't posted there in a while. Linkedin is under my name, kelly Cole, and hopefully we'll see you again soon. Hope you enjoyed this episode and safe travels.