What to pack for Rome in November: rain and cobblestones

The story

Rome in November, and it rained in the night. The sampietrini, the small black paving stones of the old center, shine like glass, and on the slope down from the Quirinal they’re as slippery as they look. Your shoes have rubber soles with grip; the person ahead in smooth leather ones takes the steps sideways.

By nine the rain is back. Within a minute, men appear at the corner selling umbrellas. You don’t need one: your jacket is waterproof and has a hood, and it’s 11 °C, cool enough for a sweater under it.

The queue for the Colosseum is short, one of the good things about November. In the afternoon, you visit St. Peter’s; shoulders and knees must be covered, and a scarf in your bag does the job over a T-shirt. Outside, the clouds break and the sun comes out on the square.

At 16 °C, you stop for an espresso, standing at the counter as Romans do, and refill your water bottle at a nasone, one of the city’s cast-iron fountains of cold, drinkable water.

The sun sets before five. By the time you walk to Trastevere for dinner, it’s 9 °C and the streets are damp again. The sweater stays on, and the walk back along the Tiber is quiet.

Rome in November is mild, often wet, and much calmer than in summer. Pack a waterproof jacket with a hood, layers for cool mornings and evenings, and shoes that grip on wet stone.

What to pack for Rome in November

Pack for rain, a mild afternoon, and a chilly evening in one day.

Clothes

A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain often comes in heavy bursts.
A warm sweater or fleece for the mornings and evenings.
Long-sleeved tops and a few T-shirts for mild afternoons.
Trousers or a skirt below the knee, and a scarf or top that covers the shoulders, for churches.

Shoes

Shoes with rubber, grippy soles, ideally water-resistant: wet cobblestones are slippery.
A second pair, so a soaked one can dry overnight.

For the day

A small bag that closes, worn in front in crowds and on buses.
A compact umbrella, if you prefer one to a hood.
A refillable water bottle for the nasoni fountains.

Documents, money and tech

Passport, or a national ID card if you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.
Your timed tickets for the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, on your phone.
A plug adapter if you come from outside continental Europe: sockets are types C, F and L, at 230 V.
A power bank for maps and photos.

Good to know

Weather: November runs from about 7 to 16 °C (45 to 61 °F). It’s Rome’s wettest month, with rain on about one day in three, often heavy and then gone.
Daylight: the sun sets before 5 pm, so plan outdoor sights for the morning and early afternoon.
Churches and the Vatican: covered shoulders and knees. The Vatican Museums are closed on most Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month.
Holidays: November 1 (All Saints’ Day) is a public holiday, and some shops and offices close.
Water: the nasoni fountains run with drinkable water all over the city.
Plugs: types C, F and L, 230 V.
Money: euro (EUR). Hotels add a city tax per night, often paid on the spot.
Entry: Italy is in the Schengen area. If you’re not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, check whether you need a visa or a travel authorization before you go, and expect the EU’s biometric border check on your first entry.