Wow, what a SMART idea, to scan the important dox, send them as an email and be able to access them anywhere in the world!! would have never thought of it, but i am going to send myself if not a scanned version, a numerical one... What do i bring? why, a plastic corkscrew in my purse (metal would get confiscated), for those spontaneous bottles that get consumed in hotel rooms! I also bring: a small collection of every med I might need; a portable umbrella; earplugs; ziplock bags (essential!); left over pesetas from the year before, along with maps, addresses, etc; half the clothes I thought I'd bring; really comfy broken in shoes. If you plan on going to the beach or are staying in a pension/hostal: bring a towel. You'll be glad for the extra. Bring one you can just leave when you go home. Also, i ALWAYS bring small bottles of shampoo, lotion, some hotel soaps, a mini bottle of dish washing liquid: these are often essential. And a sponge. NOT KIDDING!! For washing dishes in apartamentos. that's it!!!

One thing that i´ve bought to my trip to Spain and i think it´s very nice is a "traveler´s diary". It has lots of useful informations, check-list, places you HAVE to go and of course lots of lines to write all about the trip.

In addition to almost all of the above, I carry at least two swivel-necked plastic hangers: great for hanging laundry to dry. (Cheap hotels tend to have wire hangers, and expensive ones tend to have hangers that can't be removed from the closet.) And if you do find yourself in a wire-hanger-only hotel, it's nice to have a decent perch for more fragile items. Also, Woolite and a small sewing kit.

Masking tape has many uses, including emergency repairs of all kinds. I've even used it to hold my camera together when I lost a critical teeny-tiny screw.

Couldn't agree more about carrying extra camera batteries and film. They're usually more expensive in Spain, and if you're in a small town, they may not even be available, especially for you SLR users and slide shooters. Lens tissue is essential, even for point-and-shooters.

A travel iron. Rarely necessary in the U.S. because just about every type of lodging provides an iron and ironing board. But in six trips to Spain, staying in all types of accommodation, I have never found these in my room. (Then again, I've never stayed in an American chain in Spain; maybe they provide them.)

Plastic letter- or legal-size envelopes are ideal for protecting and organizing all the brochures and other papers I tend to collect. Staples sells them in multi-color packs.

Lest you all believe that I travel extensively with a member of the Swiss National Guard, I'll correct my post:
I do NOT travel with a Swiss Army LIFE, but rather a Swiss Army KNIFE.

And yes, MM, I do pack it in the checked luggage. My sister isn't quite so bright though...she came into Miami from Buenos Aires with a 6-inch gaucho blade in her carry on...