Packing for Spain and Portugal

I'm headed to Spain and Portugal for 15 days (13 days not counting travel days). DH and I will be visiting Madrid, Salamanca, Porto, Lisbon, Seville, Costa Del Sol, Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. We'll be doing a lot of walking, sightseeing (cathedrals, castles, Picasso's childhood home - I'm really looking forward to that one - and of course lots of eating and wine tasting).

Temps are forecasted to be in the 60-80 F range, with cooler temps in the early mornings and evenings.

I figure I can wear each pair of pants and tops two or three times, so here's what I'm bringing:
5 pairs of long pants and one pair of capris
3 lightweight long sleeve tops, 2 button down shirts with tab sleeves that can be folded up, and one short sleeve top.
1 fleece lined raincoat
1 sweater
1 pair of waterproof sneakers, and one pair of slip on sneakers

In the photos, I grouped everything by tops and bottoms that go together (the green pants in #3 are light olive and the coat in #4 is darker burgundy). I forgot to include the sweater, but it will either be black or navy. I also didn't include my travel outfit, but it will be something comfortable for our insanely long flights/travel days.

Your thoughts/recommendations? I appreciate your input!

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1 month ago

Irina

Veteran

I would suggest a cardigan that goes with most tops. I also find ligh weight wool scarves useful - they provide warmth but don’t take space in a purse once removed.

Runcarla

Love the floral top stacked on the pink one. Agree with Irina regarding a sweater, or possibly a lightweight puffer - for when the raincoat proves too warm - or not warm enough! (I see you wrote about a sweater, but didn’t include it in the photos.) If you want to go really pared down, you could get by with 3 bottoms. I find I usually wear pants 3-5 times before they need to be laundered, especially jeans. Then maybe a skirt for PM restaurant visit or if you get a warm, sunny day, or a couple of additional tops.

Sounds like a wonderful trip.

Star (Lise)

I would go for less bottoms or as CARLA suggests a skirt in place of one pair. Maybe a couple of more tops. I like a ratio of at least two tops to one bottom, or even a few more.

Sisi

Lovely capsule! My suggestions: less pants, one dress, one more pair of shoes. Safe travel !

RobinF

Great capsule! I would maybe add a few tops. And what about a lightweight vest that could add extra warmth under the raincoat? For chilly mornings and evenings? I would also need more shoes than that but I am a shoe person

We have been to Valencia on a cruise - loved it!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Agree with Irina! Need a few more insulting items like knitwear, scarves, and pack a beanie just in case.

Throw in an extra top or two. And lounge comfies!

I think you're bang on money with 5 bottoms. You probably won't wear the capris, but good to have them anyway. Maybe a pair of jeans instead of pants?

Add non-sneaker shoes.

Have a smashing trip, Karie!! Safe travels.

avebabe

Active Member

Sounds like an amazing trip! This is slightly off topic…please include time in Valencia to spend time at the City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava. It’s a group of stunning, modern buildings and has revitalized Valencia. We easily spent 1/2 day just wandering through the buildings on a long trip to Spain last fall.

Stella

Make sure your sneakers have good tread. The cobblestones in Lisbon and Porto (especially in the rain) are treacherous!

Suz

Oooh, such a fun trip, Karie! I was in Spain in late October just before Covid hit and it was lovely -- we were in Mardrid, Granada, and Barcelona. Granada and especially Barcelona were warmer; Madrid was cooler. We loved it all.

I suggest layering for sure. Scarves and cardigans are good additions. And if you are on the go all day you need a bag or backpack that allows you to put those things into it, along with water bottle, etc.

Sneakers are great but/ and you might want a different type of footwear also. I think I had a pair of booties with me that I wore quite a lot. It seems I didn't create a Collection for my trip then but I can look at my old threads and see if I can find what I brought.

I hope you have a fab time!

Joyce

I did a similar trip from Barcelona to Lisbon in October. The weather started to change and there was quite a mix of seasons including wind and rain. Agree with the others, a sweater and scarves for insulation plus booties with good soles to wear at night or during the day to dress up your pants and maybe a dress or skirt?

Karie, for what it is worth, here is my travel capsule -- obviously some styles have changed but these items all served me really well.

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....sule-spain

Lisa

Sounds like a wonderful trip. I echo others to add some more layering items. I also like to bring a scarf//shawl on a trip, they can come in handy and fold up small to pack.

Karie

Thank you everyone! I appreciate you all for taking the time to answer. Most of you suggested adding more layering options, so I did that. In addition to my navy sweater, I added a fleece jacket and a few long sleeve tees/Cuddle Duds/Uniqulo that can be worn under my tops. I threw in a knit hat and scarf, too. I also added a few more shirts. I did not add a skirt or dress, though, even though I love them - last year when we went to Switzerland I only wore the skirt I brought once, so it did not earn its place in my suitcase. Suitcase real estate is a at premium, as we're doing this trip through a tour company - Insight - it's a small group tour, and we are only allowed one large suitcase each.

Than you again!

UmmLila (Lisa)

Sounds like a fabulous journey ahead of you. I like the color and pattern mixes that you’ve planned out.

I live in southern Spain and it’s already getting into sweater weather here in the mornings and evenings, so as others have suggested, I’d recommend you substitute in one or two more sweaters to the mix.

If you’re interested in blending in more as opposed to straight up comfort for walking around, I’d avoid wearing too much athletic/trek looking clothing at one time. I’d also not bring two pairs of sneakers but maybe have a pair of comfy boots or oxfords with a non-slip sole for cobblestones.

pil

Have a great time, Karie! I have no packing suggestions but Porto was the last stop as part of a Road Scholar’s Camino de Santiago tour. This rainbow greeted us after dinner on the last day.

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