How to Pack for Spain/Portugal in the Winter

In a few days, I’ll heading off to Lisbon, Portugal and making my way through Portugal and Spain for two weeks, which might sound familiar if you read my last blog post. Spain and Portugal tend to be around 50 to 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) during the day around this time of the year, and can drop to around 30 degrees at night. So think spring weather.

Packing for two weeks in just a carry on and a backpack isn’t as hard as you might think it is, and warmer weather helps (because you’ll be wearing less clothing). And to help with packing light, you might want to consider just buying shampoo and stuff like that when you get there (but definitely bring some soap just in case!).

So here’s a general packing list for two weeks in Spain/Portugal in the winter.

Clothing

• At least four casual short sleeve shirts or tank tops (think thin fabric that’s easy to pack super small in a suitcase)
• A cardigan or two to layer
• Three or four long sleeve shirts/thin sweaters
• Two pairs of jeans
• Three or four pairs of leggings
• undergarments, however many you think you’ll need
• A thin jacket
• A heavier jacket to wear to the airport
• A rain jacket (think of those thin, easy to pack ones)
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Flats, if you’ll be going somewhere nice
• Combat boots or booties
• A dress or skirt, if you’ll need to dress a little nicer for something
• Socks
• Pajamas

Bathroom Things

• Makeup
• Toothbrush
• Razor
• Comb
• Hair ties
• Contacts and case (if you need them)
• Travel size contact solution
• Glasses (if you need them)
• Advil or whatever type of aspirin you use
• Bar of soap
• Travel size shampoo, body wash, etc. (unless you’re going to wait to buy shower stuff until you get there)
• Pepto Bismol

Personal Items

• Passport
• Prescription medications
• Forms of identification and copies
• Money
• Health insurance card
• Boarding passes for plane
• List of medications (if needed)

Other Things

• Camera (if you want)
• Adapter and voltage converter
• Chargers for electronics
• Laptop (if you’ll need it)
• Small purse and wallet

Happy packing!