A Week at an Italian Farm Stay: What to Pack and Buy Before You Go

There's a moment, a few days before leaving for an agriturismo - Italy's countryside farm stays - when it hits you: this isn't like booking a hotel. No minibar down the hall, no front desk open around the clock, and often not even a shop within walking distance. If you forget something, the nearest fix might be twenty minutes away down a country road.

But that's exactly the point. Fresh air, quiet, animals, real vegetable gardens, and unhurried dinners. All you need is to arrive prepared, and the week turns into one of the most relaxing trips of the year.

Here's what to add to your list before you leave.

First question: half-board or your own kitchen?

Many farm stays offer full or half board, while others provide a shared kitchen or a small kitchenette in the apartment. Worth checking with the property before you shop, it changes everything about what you need to bring.

If you'll have kitchen access, even just for breakfast or extra snacks:

• Coffee, tea, sugar
• Long-life milk (handy if the fridge is small)
• Biscuits or crackers
• Oil, salt, a minimal set of spices
• Pasta or rice for a quick backup dinner
• Nuts and energy snacks for hikes

Clothing for life outdoors

In the countryside the weather shifts fast, and days are spent mostly outside, walking trails, tending gardens, meeting animals. Layering is the way to go.

• Hiking shoes or closed-toe shoes (for gardens, barns, trails)
• More spare clothes than you'd think: things get dirtier here than in the city
• A light jacket or fleece, even in summer, for cool evenings
• Swimsuit, if the farm stay has a pool
• Hat and sunglasses
• A light rain jacket or poncho

Basic first-aid and travel pharmacy kit

Away from town, a small mishap - sunburn, an insect bite, an upset stomach - is much easier to handle if you've already got the essentials with you.

• Insect repellent and after-sun lotion
• High-SPF sunscreen
• Disinfectant and plasters
• Basic antihistamine and pain reliever
• Regular personal medication, enough for the full week

Travelling with kids

Farm stays are often designed with families in mind, with animals to help care for, open spaces, and hands-on activities in nature. A few extras make everything easier.

• Rubber boots for mud and farmyards
• An extra change of clothes (mud, animals, and outdoor play add up fast)
• Snacks for long days outside
• Simple outdoor toys: a ball, a bucket, a butterfly net
• Kid-safe insect repellent

For evenings and downtime

Evenings at a farm stay are often spent without a TV, over long dinners and under a proper starry sky. Worth bringing something to go with that.

• A board game or a deck of cards
• A flashlight or headlamp, useful if the paths aren't lit
• A power bank, for anyone far from a convenient outlet
• A book or magazine for quiet moments

A small gesture for your hosts

Many farm stays are run by families who live there year-round. A small gift on arrival - a regional sweet, a bottle of wine from home - is a simple gesture that's genuinely appreciated, especially if you're planning to come back.

Organise everything with Spesary

Before you leave, build your list on Spesary and sort it by category: food, pharmacy, clothing, kids' items. If you're travelling as a family or with other couples, share the list in real time, so everyone knows what to pack or what to bring for the shared kitchen. No duplicates, and nothing forgotten at the last minute.

Because a week away from it all should start without any worries.