Let it be heard: packing for a long weekend in Italy is not an easy task. It would appear – in a somewhat unfair turn of events – that everyone who lives there is simply born to be chic. So when I first booked my long weekend to Lake Como – one of its most famously elegant destinations – the main question was: What do I pack for Lake Como?
Firstly, I’d need a boat trip outfit, as we had booked a tour of the lake and its famous celebrity hangouts for the Saturday. I had visions of a silk headscarf and skinny black sunglasses but they were quickly interrupted by the memory of Bridget Jones in the convertible sports’ car. After romanticising all the personas I could create when deciding what to wear in Lake Como, I settled on none of the above. The only way this was going to work was if I toed the line of my personal style, and tweaked it to fit the location.
Something I wasn’t aware of was how unpredictable the weather in Lake Como is and when we landed on the first Friday in August having left a heatwave in London behind, there was a thunderstorm. I don’t use the word lightly – all hotel pools were closed and tourists were wandering the streets in clear plastic ponchos. Chic, it was not. But fast-forward two hours, as we emerged from the hotel spa after two indulgent massages, and the sun was shining. My Italian travel essentials were relevant once more.
I’m a Type A traveller, and inside my suitcase, I had broken down my looks based on our itinerary, and curated each outfit to suit our plans. I bought nothing new for this trip, but worked with what I already owned and mixed and matched practical pieces with items that felt a little more special.
For mornings spent at the hotel’s own floating pool, I filled my trusty, works-everywhere Muun basket bag with sun cream, headphones, my book and my Frank Green water bottle; for a ferry ride to Bellagio and a wander through its steep, cobbled streets, I wore my Xero hiking sandals with a floaty, ruffled H&M Studio dress and for the boat, I swapped my headscarf dreams for my 2026 accessory of choice – the pillbox straw hat.
I’m proud to say I wore absolutely everything in my carryon, and if I were to book a spontaneous last-minute trip back to Italy, there’s not much I’d change. Below is my Lake Como packing list, plus a few wishlist items that I think would work well in any Italian destination.
