I have never been very good at packing light, and packing for summer in Spain last year seemed particularly daunting, since I knew I was going to have to haul my own suitcases through hotels and train stations in Barcelona and Valencia before heading to the US (with those same suitcases)! Plus, since I was traveling with my BFF Melissa–who is as into taking photos as I am–I knew everything in my suitcase had to be cute!
My first two considerations when packing for any trip are comfortable shoes and a good bag. Then, I try to figure out several outfits that will work with each pair of shoes and/or bag.
Because it is very hot in Barcelona and Valencia in the summer, and I knew we’d be outside a lot, I also wanted to make sure all my clothes were lightweight/breathable. For me, that means lots of dresses (with shorts underneath), a pair of white shorts, some white jeans and a bunch of summery tops. Some people stick to all neutral items that can be mixed and matched, but that doesn’t really work for me–I love color too much! I do always try to bring dresses or outfits that are nice enough to wear all day and then to dinner at night, but we got so hot walking around that we ended up changing before dinner every day anyway!
For the times when I’m not in a dress, I really love embroidered Mexican tops like this blue and white one — perfect for hot weather. And, as these photos (and my off-the-shoulder look) make clear, I’m obviously a fan of blue and white in general.
Finding a good summer travel purse was another struggle. Most of my bags are colorful (and therefore don’t go with everything), and either too big to lug around all day or too small to hold everything I need. I actually bought this one during our trip, at a Spanish chain store called Desigual, and it is awesome. It has a little hook inside so it can be converted to a different shape, it comes with a matching clutch-sized bag, and it has a different pattern on each side.
So, my main tip for packing for summer in Spain — or anywhere hot — is starting with your shoes and bag(s), and then choosing versatile and light-weight clothes that go with them. I recommend packing at LEAST two pairs of comfortable walking shoes when you’re going to Europe or somewhere else where you’ll be walking a lot. You’ll be happy to be able to switch them out from day to day. And I wouldn’t plan on re-wearing clothes without washing them, unless you are a magical fairy without sweat glands.
Do you guys have any tips on packing for summer trips? And do you have a favorite pair of travel shoes? I will link some of my go-tos below, along with some more outfit details. But I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Outfit details
Top: Siren (that links to the exact one, but there are tons of colors and styles available!), Shorts: Pilcro (old, but these are similar), Pink sandals: Birkenstock (Old, but these are very similar), Maxi dress: Anthropologie (old, but lots of cute new ones to choose from), Lace-up sandals: Dolce Vita (old, similar style here and here), Bag: Desigual, T-Rex coin purse: Kate Spade (old, but they have a ton of adorable keychains that also work as bag charms, including this pineapple and this peacock), Sunglasses: Gucci
Some of my favorite travel shoes!
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