Hi Wendy! It was great to chat with you the other night and meet a fellow Pinay!!

Judging from your dates that you plan to be in Spain, some of your clothes seem to be excessive. I would reduce the number of long sleeved shirts and cardigan sets by half (bring only one of each) and bring an additional short sleeved or sleeveless top. I would also reduce the number of pants and increase the number of skirts (depends on if you are more a skirt or pants person). You will be more comfortable in the heat.

When I travel, I often bring an old oversized t-shirt as pijamas that I can just throw away at the end of the trip without feeling guilty. I pair that with a pair of lycra exercise shorts which then doubles when I want to do my exercises.

Rather than cotton, I would recommend other material for clothing that is light and packs easily without much wrinkling. Polyester is always a good choice and dries quickly.

Don´t forget a good moisturizing sunscreen for the face. Bandaids are indispensable for those pesky blisters.

Not sure how much you are into make-up, but I only take the bare necessities...waterproof mascara (essential in the sweltering heat of southen Spain), pressed powder, a lip gloss or sheer lipstick and a darker lip pencil for those nights out. Don´t forget the pencil sharpener!

Instead of traveling with a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, I travel with a combo product of the two.

Frankly, I´d forget the travelers cheques. The last few times that I traveled here (before actually moving here), I just brought my ATM card and a credit card. The travelers cheques (in my opinion) in this day and age of electronic banking are just a hassle. Your first day in town, take out as much cash as you think you will spend in 4 days. Store the extra somewhere safe. Pay all big purchases with your credit card (hostals, gifts, etc.). I am a big advocate of not carrying a lot of cash.

As a PDA fan, I use mine daily. The batteries generally last me about 3 months. As long as you have fresh batteries (I like the new longer life ones) in your PDA you should be fine. I know I have mentioned it before...but I´ll mention it again. If you don´t already have it, there is free METRO software available from many PDA sites where you can pick the cities you want and get the metro system and local train systems right on your PDA! I use mine religiously in Madrid.

Have a great trip WYNDYL!

I looked at the 5-day forecast for Madrid AND Galicia and it seems they'll be in the low-to-mid 70ºs so I packed an EXTRA short sleeved shirt. Looks like PERFECT temperatures!

Saludos, MadridMan

Yep! The weather today is just beautiful and it's going to be summery all weekend long!!!

'La primavera ha venido, y nadie sabe como ha sido' (old saying)

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!!!

P.

P.D.: the most famous saying about spring though is '¡la primavera la sangre altera!' :p

Travel laundry tip from a confirmed bachelor: see what the front desk will do it for! Some years back in Jerusalem, $10 did all the laundry I needed, and bought me a free evening in a wonderful city (so sad what is happening there now!). I suppose there may also be local laundries not too far from some hotels. My point is with the cost of travel, paying someone to do your wash may be a very good investment, especially if your time is short.

As a solo traveler, I use a medium roller bag and a day pack. If I check the bag, I put a clean pair of briefs in the bottom of the day pack in case of lost luggage. I've learned (the hard way) to keep a stock of cold tablets and other OTC stuff that I might need and not be able to get on a long flight. Not a lot--I usually take one of the aluminum/plastic punch sheets & tear off the instructions and keep it all in a sandwich ziplock bag.

I like to read, and have discovered books can easily outweigh everything else I take. I've banned hardcovers from my daypack, and leave finished paperbacks at hostels/hotels that have bookshelves. I've occasionally found used bookstores in Europe with things I'm interested in, but I don't count on it. I don't photocopy my tour book, but tear out the sections I want, bind them with some duct tape and leave the rest at home. I glue it back together when I get home.

Souvanier-wise (how do you spell that word?), I bring home ties, cds, and maybe small artwork. I like things that are usable over stuff that will gather dust.

Had my billfold lifted in Copenhagen bus terminal a couple of years ago. I was glad to have a stash of cash secreted & locked in my roller bag--not keeping it all in one place paid big dividends that day. I learned to not only copy the credit cards for this kind of problem, but to have the number of my calling card copied elsewhere--hard to use when it's been stolen! Finally, contact the credit card companies and find out how to reach them from the country you're visiting--the toll free number they give you is difficult to make work in other countries. Thankfully, my phone card company was very helpful in the situation and gave me some gratis calls to reach the credit card companies. Likewise, AMEX had a card for me the next day.

Sorry to drift from packing into security, but I guess it's pretty related!

JP

There's one thing I always like to take with me on a trip, but am disappointed that it now has to be part of my checked luggage.

I'm referring to my Swiss Navy knife.

Although it's not as well known as the Swiss Army knife, with its million blades, etc., the Swiss Navy knife has only one blade. When extended, it can also serve as a paddle for kayaking.

Wolf (Whose travel philosophy is Be prepared! For anything! - )

Wolf, who'd have thought a landlocked country like Switzerland would maintain a Navy?

Are you sure you didn't pick that knife up in some shop up north in WI? You can't believe the stuff Ole and Lena tell you about where they get their knives, man!
Tara (who always brings her Swiss Army knife, because it has a CORKSCREW!!!!)

Like Wolf, I'm disappointed that I have to check my Leatherman. Before Sept. 11, I always felt confident I had it in my purse or carry on. Whenever I travel out of state or out of the country I take it with...

Like Wolf, I believe in being prepared..let's see, I've a file, scissors, screwdrivers, knife, ruler, pliers, etc...What else could a girl need

Wyndyl

I recall on a flight back to the USA about 7 yrs. ago from Caracas, Venezuela almost not making it onto the plane on account of my purse-sized mace can attached to my key chain. I had a hard time explaining in Spanish (back then) to the security guards what the heck was in the can and that I did NOT intend to use it to hijack the plane.

Boy was I redfaced when they attached a bright pink tag to the key chain that read something like "DANGEROUS MATERIALS. HAND CARRY ONLY BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL" . Geeze, I felt sooo conspicuous asking for my keys back at the end of the flight. I sure got some funny looks when going through customs!

Tip: Girls, for Spain leave the mace at home, or pack it in your suitcase!!

Yes, every member of the Swiss Navy was issued one of these knives. It's main purpose was for picking and flicking pimento out of olives, and the eyes from smoked herrings. Even today, in some remote villages in Switzerland, they have their annual picking and flicking contests, where the winners are awarded trophies made entirely of swiss cheese.

Over the years, it evolved into such exotic usage as a paddle for kayakers and canoeists. The most ingenious usage was from sailors who used them to replace broken rudders on 3 meter yachts during races. It can be easily carried in any six foot long pocket, and is hardly noticeable -

Long before American Express came out with their famous; "Don't leave home without it!" phrase, Swiss housewives were saying, "Don't leave home without taking that damned thing with you!", in regards to the knife. Chances are AE copied this catchy phrase for their advertising.

Wolf (Who has franchises available for anyone interested in marketing the Swiss Navy knife in their area - )

I've found the lesser-known yet just as reliable Lichtenstein Marine Knives work just as well at half the price. (and size...)