Your Packing List for Summer Travel in Spain
With thousands of miles of coastline and a laid-back culture, Spain is the perfect escape for the summer. If you’re wondering what to pack for your Spanish vacation, you’ve come to the right place!
As a former expat and frequent visitor, I’ve come up with a list of the most essential items to pack for Spain as well as the items to leave at home. Here is the ultimate packing list for your summer vacation in Spain.
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This is the fifth post in the Spain Bucket List Series. Here’s the complete list:
Culture: 9 Experiences You Must Have in Spain
Food: 6 Dishes to Eat in Spain Besides Paella and Tapas
Packing tips: The Ultimate Packing List for Your Summer Vacation in Spain
Travel Tips: 10 Travel Tips You Need To Know Before Visiting Spain
Inspiration:15 Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit the Cies Islands
Off the beaten path: 8 Underrated Cities You Need To Visit in Spain
Beaches: The 10 Best Beaches in Spain You Should Visit Before You Die
Solo Travel: 10 Unconventional Tips For Female Solo Travelers in Spain
Barcelona: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Barcelona
Granada: Why Granada is the Best Place to Visit in Spain
What to pack for your summer holiday in Spain
Luggage
When visiting Spain, don’t overpack! You really don’t need much so keep it simple. Assuming you’re not staying longer than a month, you can travel with just a carry-on and one or two additional bags. As I write this, I am in Madrid, on a 25 day trip across Spain and Morocco. Here’s the luggage I brought with me.
- My trusty Cabin Zero carry-on backpack – I put my clothes, shoes, towels, and electronics here. Read my review of the Cabin 36 L carry-on backpack.
- A small backpack – contains my toiletries, books, makeup, and medications
- A small leather purse – for casual days out, going to grab a bite and sightseeing
Clothes
Pack lots of casual, lightweight clothes plus a few cardigans and a jacket. In the summer, the temperature in most of Spain is scorching hot and dry during the day then breezy and slightly cool at night. Given that, you will want to pack mostly shorts, summer dresses, skirts, tank tops, and short-sleeve tops.
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For pants, I would recommend something light fabrics as opposed to jeans. I went out in jeans this afternoon in Madrid and wished I could take them off! Terrible idea! It was about 80 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside. Here’s a rough breakdown of the types of clothes you should pack for your summer getaway to Spain.
- Shorts and skirts (25%)
- Tank tops and short-sleeve shirts (25%)
- Summer dresses and rompers (15%)
- Loose pants (15%)
- Bathing suits (10%)
- Long sleeved tops and cardigans (5%)
- Jeans (3%)
- Jackets (2%)
Accessories
Now onto accessories. The accessories you take with you to Spain depends on what activities you plan to do as well as your personal preferences. Are you mainly going to relax on the beach or tour palaces? There isn’t really any right or wrong when it comes to accessories. That said, it would be a good idea to pack these items, regardless of what your plans are:
- Sunglasses – I love DIFF eyewear because they not only make beautiful shades, but they also donate reading glasses to people in need for every purchase.
- Hats – big summer hats will come in handy for the beach.
- Small umbrella – there may be a few days of light showers
Shoes
It may seem like a no-brainer to pack a bunch of sandals if you’re traveling to Spain in the summer, but I would highly recommend you don’t. Why? You’ll probably be walking a lot – Spanish cities and towns tend to be accessible by foot. Unless you plan to relax at a beach resort the whole time, I would recommend you pack mostly comfortable walking shoes. Here’s a breakdown of the types of shoes you would want to pack:
- Sneakers or athletic shoes (50%)
- Ballet flats (20%)
- Sandals (10%)
- Flips flops (5%)
- Low-heel wedges (5%)
Of course, you can also bring heels if you want to dress up for a night out on the town. I’m all about comfort though so I stick to wedges and flats for fancier outings.
Health and Beauty
I’m going to be a bit of a hypocrite here. As I mentioned before, it gets insanely hot in Spain during the summer. So, of course, you should bring sunscreen! Being a melanated lady, I almost never wear sunscreen. I barely know anything about SPF levels. Don’t be like me! It’s a good practice to wear sunscreen whether you’re a Lupita N’yongo or a Dita Von Teese. Maybe I should take my own advice.
*I do wear foundation with SPF 15 or 30 sometimes so my face is protected. I just need to protect the rest of my body.*
Here’s a full breakdown of the beauty essentials you should have in your carry-on, not including makeup:
- Face wipes
- Antiperspirant
- Lip balm
- Sunscreen
- Shea butter
- Toiletry kit
- Hand sanitizer
- Shampoo
You may also like:
Beauty products to leave at home:
- Hair dryer
- Shaving cream
- Nail polish
- Curling iron
Electronics
What gadgets should you take with you to Spain? The bare minimum. Again, you don’t want to pack too much. Given that electronic devices are normally heavier than clothes, it’s especially important to be picky about what you take. Here’s all you’ll need.
- Portable wifi – I just started using the Tep Wireless portable wifi for my travels. It’s reliable and works great in Europe. It didn’t work in Morocco, but that’s going to change with their new upgrades. Just in time for summer travel, you can get a new Teppy in one of three colors – pink, blue, and green. Use the code ‘somtoseeks’ at checkout to get 10% off your order.
- International adapter – I’ve been using the same Newvanga international adapter for 5 years! I use it to plug my electronics into different types of sockets in other countries. This adapter works in 150 countries.
- Camera – you could just use your phone but I always recommend the Nikon D3400 camera for beginner photographers. The features are easy to navigate, and the quality of the photos is superb.
- Noise-proof headphones – I swear by the Sony noise canceling headphones I purchased in Japan last year. The sound quality is way better than Beats, which I think is a waste of money.
I also take my laptop with me because to get work done on the road. I take my IPad to watch Netflix but could easily just leave it at home if I wasn’t so addicted to Netflix.
Guides
Google maps tend to give terrible directions in Spain. Sometimes it will direct you to take the longer route. Other times, it will send you in the wrong direction! A better alternative for getting around is the Moovit app. It’s much more accurate with directions and timing. Here’s the complete list of useful guides:
- Moovit app – don’t let Google maps send you wandering around the city – it’s not that great for finding directions in Spain. Download the Moovit app. It’s available for both iOs and Itunes and it’s completely free!
- Spain Travel Guides -You may have a list of destinations to visit in Spain already, but have you considered lesser known destinations like the Cies Islands? If you want to learn what to eat, see, and do in Spain, you can also check out my Spain Bucket List series!
- Lonely Planet Spanish Phrase Book – all the basic, essential Spanish you need to express common desires and questions.
There you have it: the ultimate packing list for your summer vacation in Spain. Now you’re ready to make the most of your Spain getaway. Any questions? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you soon.
Thank you so much for your. Info. I being a 62 year old black man from SW Florida have been really thinking of spending abour 6 months in Andalusia which like you for some rason is calling to me. Racism I know living in the south. What I didn’t read you say was that anyone ever got violent or made you fear for your life like they do here in Florida so i can handle Spain. I may have cancer so I want to do this very soon. Where would you recommend I set up first in the Andalus? Is it reasonable? I’m a 100 percent service connected veteran Air force but i can get around on my own with a cane. Could I do all of my business with a credit card? Thanks for everything my dear God bless you and get back to me when you can. Yours Tom.
Hi Thomas,
I’m so sorry to hear about your possible cancer diagnosis. I hope that’s not the case! In Andalucia, there are a couple of cities that would make a great home base – Sevilla, Granada, Malaga, and Cordoba are some of the top choices. I probably wouldn’t settle in any of the smaller towns. You can shop at most establishments with a credit card although I’d carry cash as much as possible. It’s just easier to pay with cash in Spain. I hope that helps. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
Any additional tips for a study abroad student that’ll be traveling to a new city/region every three days or so? I loved the list and I’m definitely going to use your advice!! Also is there anything I should know as a first time solo (ish) woman traveler?
Hi Olivia,
Traveling every three days? That’s a lot! If you’ll be moving around often, my advice would be to pack extra light. Make sure you carry a backpack and not a roller bag because a lot of accommodations don’t have elevators. As a first-time solo female traveler, I would say just relax! The first time I traveled solo, I was so scared, but I didn’t need to be. Some tips would be to research where you’ll be staying, make a copy of your passport and other important documents, and let friends/family know your itinerary. Have fun!