Packing Do's and Don't's for Living in Spain

Welcome to my blog! I am Megan Schneider from Wells, Maine in the United States and for one week I have been living in Madrid for the start of my Teach in Spain program. It has been a whirlwind of two weeks with packing, getting here, and settling in. 

Packing was very overwhelming for me, so if you are in the same boat I am here to calm your nerves and give you some tips about what to bring and what you can probably leave behind.

 

What to Bring for Clothes

If you bring a carry-on and one suitcase, pack a week’s worth of clothes in the carry-on and two to three weeks' worth in your suitcase. This way, if you need more clothes, you have time to go shopping for more. I brought two suitcases and a carry-on so sometimes you go to do what you got to do, but I probably could have packed less because there are so many cute stores here.

Pants 

Obviously, bring pants but what kind of pants is the question? Jeans can be worn multiple times so I would only bring about two or three pairs, and you could always get more here if need be. I brought three pairs and have only worn two of them and just keep switching them off.

Depends on how you feel, but jeans can be worn up to 10 times before being cleaned, especially if they are Levi’s, so only bring a couple. And there are so many stores to get Levi’s or other jeans. 

• Magpie Vintage and Friperie Vintage had Levis, but honestly, almost every vintage store I’ve gone into so far has some sort of Levi’s product. There are also plenty of Levi’s stores around. 

Bring a few pairs of flowy pants and skirts. I’ve noticed a lot of Spaniards wearing flowy pants with a blouse or cute top. Also since the temperature can be chilly one minute and then a couple hours later be very hot, light flowy pants can be so helpful. 

Flowy pants or skirts can squeeze into your suitcase so easily and don’t add much weight so they are great for your teaching job or just walking around. 

Layers

Examples of some light layers to bring.

I’ve been here for a week and the temperature has started chilly in the morning and then became warm around 2 pm-ish. Because of this, I have started the day with a long sleeve and ended it with a tank top. 

In this case, bring a light jacket, a couple long sleeve button ups, or a light cardigan to wear over a short sleeve or tank top in order to shed layers throughout the day.

The metro is also extremely toasty, especially when there are a lot of people on the train, so you definitely want to be able to shed some layers.

I would suggest at least three long sleeve button ups and/or cardigans that can easily be taken off if you get warm. And there are so many vintage stores to get cute sweaters and long sleeves here that three should be enough to get you through the beginning.

Sneakers

You walk A LOT. I have been hitting at least 10,000 steps everyday if not almost 20,000. Because of this, it is good to have comfortable sneakers that are durable for a considerable amount of walking.

I would suggest bringing two pairs of good sneakers and then you can always get cute ones that are kind of cheap but fun to wear around here.

These sneakers have really held up for the amount of walking I have done. 

If you are in the market for new shoes, leave some of yours at home and get new shoes here. There are a lot of good shoe stores that are going to be hard to resist.

            

What Items are Helpful to Bring

There are certain items I am glad I brought or wish I had brought, so I’m here to lay some of those out for you.

Shampoo and Conditioner

If you have a specific shampoo and conditioner you like, I would do your best to bring a good amount of it. It does depend on the brand, so maybe do some research beforehand to see if Spain has the brands you like.

I have a hard time switching shampoo and conditioners because my hair takes a while to get used to a new one and can be greasy for a while. If you’re like me, you can attempt to make room in your suitcase. I am happy I did because it was also one less thing for me to hunt for.

A Bag with a Lock

A bag with a lock or a bag that is hard to open is very helpful since pickpocketing in Madrid can happen. It is a big city with a lot of people, so it is something that can happen to you and it is best to find a bag that is safe. 

I didn’t bring a bag with a lock and am trying to get one, but since I've only found them online, it's hard in the beginning figuring out where to send packages if you don’t have an address yet.

This is why getting it at home and bringing it to Spain will just be much easier.

A Kindle or Nook

Books can take up a lot of room in your suitcase as well as add a lot of weight. I would suggest getting a Kindle or a Nook if you love to read but don’t want to worry about bringing or buying books here.

My Kindle is connected to the Libby app which is connected to my library back in the US, so I can get books through there. Also, for the first three months of Kindle you get Kindle Unlimited for free, so you can download a bunch of free books through there.

If you crave the physical book, there are fun bookstores around here, so no need to worry about filling your suitcase with books. 

For the most part, it has been great to have my Kindle especially for my commute to school or on an airplane if I go on a little trip. 

 

What to Leave Behind

Sheets

I heard some people brought sheets, but I would not let that take up space in your suitcase. Here in Spain you can find some cheap sheets so I wouldn’t worry about packing that.

The people who lived in my apartment before me left us a set of their linens. However, it is always nice to get a second or third pair to switch out when washing one.

There are IKEAs all over where you can get some sheets. Most of the things in my apartment that were already here are from IKEA, so it is normal to shop there for housing necessities. 

In addition, Primark has a home section where you can get some sheets as well. That is also a common place for people to shop and get things when they are looking for a cheaper price. 

These are the sheets I got at Primark for 12 euros. It came with one fitted sheet, two pillow cases, and one duvet cover. 

Needless to say, sheets are not a necessity for packing and you can easily get some for a good price here. And same goes for towels.

Too Many Sweaters

I love my sweaters, but it doesn’t get cold for a little while here and you can find some really cute sweaters at vintage stores around.

Maybe bring two or three, but I brought four and I already know I am going to buy some sweaters here meaning I didn’t necessarily need that many.

There are so many vintage stores in Malasaña where you could find cute, non expensive sweaters. There is also Humana which to me seems similar to Goodwill in the US. Everything is very inexpensive while still being good quality.

Sweatshirts, Sweatpants, or Lounge Leggings

Definitely bring one or two sweatshirts that you enjoy cozying up on the couch with, but don’t bring more than that.

I am a sweatshirt girl for sure. I wore them everywhere when I lived in Boston, especially during the fall and winter. However, Spaniards put much more thought into their everyday clothes. They are more likely to walk around in a long sleeve and a nice jacket or a sweater than with a sweatshirt.

I’ve been here a week and I’ve worn maybe one of my sweatshirts. This coming from a girl who has more than 20 sweatshirts at home and wears them everyday.

Needless to say, you’re not really going to need them so pick one or two favorites and bring those. Same goes for sweatpants and lounge leggings. 

I would bring one pair of sweatpants for wearing around your house and leggings that you use for working out if you plan to do that. Otherwise, it is a waste of space. 

 

I hope this helps with what to pack! But remember, if you forget anything, there are always places to get what you need here. I felt I needed to be prepared and have everything I needed the first couple weeks so I wouldn’t have to go to the store much. However, I still ended up having to go to the store and buying new things. You will be here for a year, you have time to get what you need.

Also, you are going to want to shop around here because of all the fun stores so keep that in mind.