The Essential Packing List for your Puglia holidays and travel to Italy
- Christopher White
- Jun 9
- 14 min read
Based on my experience travelling to Puglia for the past 15 years, I’ve put together a packing list of essentials to take with you on your Puglia holiday.
If you’re intending to travel light, you don’t need to buy all of this before you go! There are plenty of supermarkets which sell a lot of this, and pharmacies for the more medical supplies.
I’ve added links to some products on Amazon to make it easier to add these to your basket quickly – by and large, it’s the same products that I would typically buy myself.
Essential packing list for holidays to Puglia and Italy include:
Hey Reader! For full transparency, these are largely affiliate links – which doesn’t affect the price you pay in any way, but Amazon will send me a very small commission for them, and that will just help me carry on running this website and helping others to enjoy Puglia as much as I do!
Passport
Taking your passport is obviously an absolute essential – as you won’t get far without it. You'll also need to make sure that you have at least 6 months validity on your passport from the return date of your trip. And it’s also worth checking the relevant government website in your country as to whether you need to apply for a short travel visa at least 48 hours before you travel.
Travel insurance
You might be someone who doesn’t believe in travel insurance – and that’s fine if you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants. I’m a very much someone who does believe in it, however, and for a rather insubstantial amount of money, I take out an annual European policy which just gives me peace of mind. I don’t think I’ve ever claimed on my policies, but you never know – flights do get cancelled, injuries do happen…
Print-outs of your car hire voucher & booking credit card
You might expect to simply turn up at the car rental office in Bari or Brindisi airports, pick up your keys and go. And whilst this is broadly the case, I’ve seen people get into all sorts of trouble because they didn’t have their voucher printed (which the rental company send you when you make the booking) – they’re useful to bring with you for reference anyway.
And please, for the love of god, make sure that you also bring the same credit card with you as you used to make the car rental booking! Italian car hire companies usually demand this, and there is a lot of admin (which often takes days to sort out) if you don’t. You also cannot use a debit card to hire the car!
Excess insurance for your hire car
Car hire companies in Italy (and to be honest, the world over) try and guilt you into purchasing their own excess insurance. But it’s often wildly overpriced. The same job can be done by getting third party excess insurance at a fraction of the cost. As I live in the UK, I always use Money Saving Expert’s excess insurance comparison calculator to find a good deal – and it usually costs no more than £15-20 for an entire rental of a week or two.
(sidenote: I have actually claimed on third party excess insurance before, when my rental car was subject to a freak hailstorm one July. If there is any damage to your vehicle, you must make sure you get as many decent photos of it as possible as the insurer will need to see proof of the damage before paying out).
Mobile phone
In my book, mobile phones are now completely essential when travelling anywhere in the world. Back in 2010 when I first visited Puglia, I’m not sure that the Google Maps app was as much of a necessity, and you certainly wouldn’t be using Apple Pay (as it wasn’t yet invented). Now though, they’re needed for everything from your boarding pass to paying for car parking.
Many phone plans have data roaming included with them as standard (most of them allow you to use your plan’s allowance abroad these days) but it’s worth double checking your package and upgrading at least temporarily for your trip.
Don’t forget to bring your charging cable with you (although you can pick these up from shops in town centres if you forget).
Some Euros in cash
These days, you don’t really need to bring lots of cash with you. But I’ve found it quite handy in a couple of scenarios: parking meters (they claim to take card, and most do – but sometimes the payment just doesn’t go through and you are left with no contingency plan to pay for your parking!); and tipping at restaurants, where it’s handy to have 10% of the bill if you’d like to tip for good service.
Take maybe 50-100 euros in notes, and 10-20 euros in coins.
If you’re bringing your debit card, you can always find a bancomat to withdraw cash (but sometimes you find they might only dispense 50 euro notes).
Credit & debit cards
It’s not the end of the world if you forget these, if you’re planning on bringing plenty of cash – but I would say that most cafes and restaurants do take card these days. And many major banks are now catching up to the low foreign spending fees, especially banks like Monzo or Revolut – so you should be able to get a really good exchange rate on there too.
Avoid changing currencies in airports as they offer terrible rates!
As above, you can now generally use contactless (or Apple Pay / Google Pay) in shops, cafes and restaurants.
Open a Monzo account for fee-free spending abroad (and great exchange rate): sign up here
Cabin bag
I used to take a full size 23KG suitcase with me on holiday, but with the excessive fees that some airlines charge for baggage, I’ve now become an expert in bringing the bare minimum in just an ‘under the seat’ free cabin bag. Airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair have slightly different bag sizes that they’ll allow, so here are a couple that will fit current requirements (at summer 2025).
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Suitable light summer wear + foot wear
If you’re travelling to Puglia from June to August, chances are that you will only need shorts, short-sleeved shirts / dresses and a light jumper or jacket (in case of rain).
May and September are still very warm for the most part, but you might find the evenings are slightly chillier as it gets later, so pack a pair of trousers and another jumper.
It can sometimes rain too – so perhaps bring a travel umbrella and/or light rain jacket.
If you’re heading to Puglia in the shoulder months of March, April, October or November, the days will mostly be quite nice and warm, but evenings will definitely need some warmer clothing.
From November to February, pack for a relatively cold winter, sturdy footwear and some waterproofs.
Battery-powered handheld fan
During the heat of the Puglia summer (July & August), it can feel oppressively hot – although holiday rentals and hotels do usually now have air conditioning. But when you’re out and about, or even relaxing by your villa, or pool, you’ll definitely find yourself thankful for bringing a small handheld battery-powered fan with you (and bring some replacement batteries if you’re travelling for more than a few days).
One other quite nice item to bring in conjunction with the fan is some compressed water which you can spray on your face to give you some temporary respite from the heat!
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Can be purchased from an airport.
Europe AC multi-adaptor
Puglia – and Italy in fact – is a bit of an oddity when it comes to power, as they seem to have two slightly different socket types for their mains electricity.
The European adaptors that you get the world over actually only fit one type. The other type looks remarkably like this, having two round prongs, but those prongs are just slightly wider, and slightly thinner too. Bizarrely, there are usually a couple of standard European power sockets in a hotel or apartment – usually you’ll find one in the kitchen with the appliances – so you won’t be completely without power.
But for ease, consider purchasing a multi-adaptor (with USB outputs too) which should contain configurations for both.
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Travel guide & map
Depending on how old-school you want to go, a paper-based map can be a good idea if you’re not planning to use your phone and Google Maps. I’ve got some good suggestions for Puglia travel maps on another blog post, here. You’ll also find some options for travel guides which help you explore each specific area and town in Puglia.
Italian phrase book
Do you need to know any Italian on your Puglia (or Italian) holiday? I’d say yes - it can come in useful just to know some key phrases, like ‘where is the bathroom?’, or ‘the bill, please’.
Often in larger towns the restaurant staff will speak English, but in smaller towns where you need to make a prenotazzione (reservation) for dinner, just knowing how to say that (and the time you need) would be a huge help. Knowing a few words here and there is also in my opinion a very respectful thing to show your Pugliese or Italian hosts!
These days, there are apps like Google Translate which do a marvellous job – and personally I learnt the most from the Michel Thomas Method which you can get on a phone app. But the hard copy Italian phrase books are still a good investment if you’d prefer not to be on your phone a lot.
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Phone holder for car
Many rental cars in Puglia are quite modern and come with Car Play for you to plug your phone (and Google Maps) into. But just to be on the safe side, I usually take a clip on phone holder just in case the car either doesn’t come with Car Play, or some other issue like forgetting to bring the right cable to plug it in with!
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USB to lightning & USB-C cables
It’s definitely worth bringing a couple of USB cables for your phone and other devices – both USB to lightning for any older iPhones, and USB-C. You never know what connections you’ll find out there, and it’s handy to have one permanently at your rental or hotel, and one in the car or on the go.
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Can be purchased from an airport or town shop.
Rechargeable power bank
My iPhone is now rather ancient, but as I refuse to replace it until it quite figuratively dies on me, I have to make sure that I can charge it up when I need to. A decent rechargeable battery pack is really useful here, so that you can get some extra juice at the beach, on a long day out, or en route to the airport so that your phone doesn’t expire when you need to use your boarding pass.
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Can be purchased from an airport.
Portable Bluetooth speaker
You’ll usually find that your holiday rental or hotel won’t have any music facilities on offer, so I like to take a small portable (and rechargeable) Bluetooth speaker with me on holiday to Puglia. They’re really useful both at the beach (although beach clubs usually have sundowner chill music playing during the day), and in the daytime and evenings when you’re relaxing by the pool, or enjoying some wine on your terrazzo.
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Can be purchased from an airport.
Headphones
Not really an essential, but if you like your own music then do pack some suitable headphones or earphones. If you’re travelling by plane, then getting some noise-cancelling headphones could be a great idea to block out engine noise…and other people.
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Can be purchased from an airport.
High strength mosquito spray + bite cream
I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been singled out by mosquitoes in Puglia! They often leave you alone for a few days, and you think you’ve cheated the system – only to find that on the 4th day that you wake up looking like a join-the-dots worksheet.
Mosquitoes in Puglia are not dangerous, but they are persistent – and even during the day when you’re sunbathing, you will want to make sure you apply a good spray every 4 hours or so. During the evening, I recommend wearing ¾ or full-length trousers and dousing with mosquito spray any skin on show around your feet, ankles and arms.
However no matter how much of the stuff you apply, you will still find yourself with bites. So for the morning after, bring some soothing bite cream to help reduce itchiness and inflammation.
Suggested:
125ml Jungle Spray Maximum Strength multipack (contains Deet)
Incognito Insect Repellent Spray - 3x100ml - Travel-Sized Natural (DEET Free Formula)
Can be purchased from an airport or pharmacia.
Antacids
Anyone reading this list who is in their 40s (or above) knows that it can only take one nice dessert with dinner to cause an uncomfortable night of sleep. And in Puglia, you’ll want to be trying lots of lovely local wine, rich main courses at dinner with all of the meat and cheese, not to mention the antipasti, or mouthwatering desserts…so bring plenty of heartburn/acid reflux tablets or treatments with you!
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Can be purchased from an airport or pharmacia.
Imodium
It’s unlikely that you’ll need these, but sometimes the change in diet – especially if you’re used to a more plain variety of food and drink – can cause an upset tummy. Just ask my 75-year-old father, who I plied with far too much wine and antipasti on a trip to Puglia last summer, and then paid the price.
You should also be aware that if you’re staying outside of a town or city, you likely won’t be able to drink the tapwater – as most properties in the countryside have their tap water delivered into their cisterna. This water is used for washing up, and showers/toilets – but it’s not safe to drink. So the Imodium could be useful if someone forgets and drinks the tapwater.
(sidenote: bottled water is super cheap from supermercatos, in multipacks at something like 0.29 euros per 2 litre bottle; alternatively you can fill up empty bottles with drinking water for free at your local community water pump or fontanella).
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Can be purchased from an airport or pharmacia.
Painkillers
I’d suggest taking some paracetamol (Tylenol in the US) and ibuprofen (Advil in the US) with you for a variety of uses – including overdoing it on the vino from your local enoteca!
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Can be purchased from an airport or pharmacia.
Hayfever tablets
Many of us suffer from hayfever at various times of the year, and as you’re stepping into a new country with its different array of grasses, trees and flowers, you may get another dose of it – even if your typical hayfever period has been and gone where you live. I like to bring some tablets (the Allevia ones are the best we can get over the counter in the UK); and a nasal spray like Beconase for instant relief.
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Can be purchased from an airport or pharmacia.
Hand sanitiser
Depending on your propensity for cleanliness, you might like to take some small bottles of hand sanitiser with you. They’re useful especially when out and about, if you aren’t able to access a bathroom freely – at the beach, for example.
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Can be purchased from an airport or pharmacia.
First aid kit
Like any holiday anywhere in the world, a small first aid kit can come in useful – especially when you consider that you’ll be at the beach for some of it, or if you have children with you.
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Can be purchased from a pharmacia.
Sunscreen
The sun in Puglia (especially during the summer months, June to August) can get very intense, so I recommend at least an SPF 30 sunscreen, or SPF 50 if you are more likely to experience sunburn, plus some aftersun cream.
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Can be purchased from a supermercato or pharmacia.
Beach towel
Any towels provided in your Airbnb, holiday apartment or hotel are for accommodation use only, and you tend to only get one large towel per person. You may already own a beach towel – so take that with you. You can also buy online, and I’d opt for thin ones to help with your luggage allowance.
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Can usually be purchased from a supermercato.
Swimwear
You’d be mad not to go swimming in Puglia on your holiday – the sea is genuinely warm, and trust me, I am not a fan of sea swimming anywhere else, as it’s too cold for me. But I always go for plenty of swims in Puglia.
Can sometimes be purchased from a supermercato.
Sunglasses
Taking a pair of polarised sunglasses is an absolute must for your Puglia holiday travel packing list. Although it can sometimes rain in the summer, it’s more likely than not that you’ll get mostly sunny days.
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Can sometimes be purchased from a supermercato (but don’t rely on this).
Hat
Again, as it’s usually super sunny in Puglia during the summer, you’ll want to consider buying a good hat – whether it’s a baseball cap, or a wider-brimmed one. It doesn’t take long to get a sunburnt neck, ears or nose in the height of the day!
Can sometimes be purchased from a supermercato.
Slides / flip-flops
For the most part, the beaches in Puglia are sandy – but you’ll often find little coves and stretches of beach where there are some rocky elements too, or where the sand might have slightly larger bits of rock in them. So it’s definitely worth packing some slides, flip-flops or similar to get you around the beach (and they’re handy to wear as slip-ons at your holiday rental, and around the pool if you have one).
Can sometimes be purchased from a supermercato.
Read next
Thank you for reading this essential packing list for holidays to Puglia and Italy travel! Hopefully this article has given you what you need for visiting Puglia, or for your holidays further afield in Italy.
You might be interested in my Travel Guide: 7 Day Puglia Holiday Itinerary (for flying into Bari)
Do you need something a little bit different?
I can help you with a custom travel itinerary for Puglia. Just send me a message and I'll be pleased to help!
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