5 Packing Tips for a Summer Holiday (Including Shopping)

Mark and I just got back from Barcelona and northern Italy. We toured museums, oggled magnificent architecture, met friends, and hiked around Lake Como. And of course, we shopped! Here are 5 tips I gathered for a summer trip to awesome shopping destinations like these. And I’ll be sharing a few gorgeous images, such as my future home 😉 on Lake Como (see above).

Varenna and Lake Como

Here are the 5 shopping vacation packing tips:

1) If you’re on a budget like me, cut off clothes/shoes spending a while before the trip.

If I wanted something for the trip, I figured that I could find a much more stylish option in Spain and Italy. That way I could really get have fun shopping (with a little extra to spend!) And just as planned, I found an Italian-made bright yellow dress for 13 euro our second day in Barcelona! I wore it everywhere.

2) Leave as much empty space in your luggage a possible for new purchases.

Shoes

Shoes are normally our heaviest, bulkiest items. I recommend packing two pairs and wearing a third on the plane. If you’ll be hiking, you’ll need sneakers. After that, one pair of low-heeled, super comfy sandals – nude works fabulously! – and a high-heeled pair are plenty sufficient. Chunky heels – whether high or low – make navigating on cobblestones much easier.

Next to Ohla Barcelona, decorated with EYES. I actually packed two pairs of low-heeled sandals, but unfortunately, these black ones – although cute – have zero arch support!

Clothes

Pack a skirt or shorts that you can wear with lots of tops. Once I got to Spain I noticed that one of my dresses was ripped and another – dry clean only! – got an olive oil stain. I ended up wearing the same blue skirt with multiple tops. And it worked beautifully! Come to think of it, why not take two of these skirts/pairs of shorts?

Accessories

While you may want to cut down on clothes and shoes, go ahead and go crazy with accessories. I brought all of my large, dangly earrings and some scarves. They added a touch of style to even the most basic outfit.

3) Okay, this is obvious, but take a very large bag, preferably a lightweight one with wheels.

And slip in a couple of fabric totes. Mark and I ended up using these as carry-ons when we ran out of space in our luggage. We put our regular carry-ons in them and stuffed in more clothes. oohoo!

What a treat it was to see Julia in Piacenza. And she helped me to do fabulous damage with summer sales!

4) If bringing a hat, make sure it’s wind-proof.

A hat is a great skin protector – and look stylish. However, be sure the hat fits before buying! I soon realized that mine couldn’t withstand even the smallest gust of wind. I was constantly flinging my hands up to my head – and often hitting it, owch! – or chasing after it down the street.

I learned this great trick from a saleswoman in Barcelona. If you can turn your head upside down and the hat doesn’t fall off, you’re good to go. Or, you can just get an adjustable hat with a drawstring inside.

5) If going to Italy this summer, pack WHITE clothes.

It’s all about WHITE! White is simply what Italians wear in summer. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stand out too much while traveling abroad. As I mentioned, I stopped spending money on clothes a while before our trip. As a result, I had lots of black and navy, reflecting a strong (former) shopping tendency.

I let my hair go wild!

Fortunately, I did discover I had packed a white tee and an ivory-colored dress. Then I found a beautiful Audrey Hepburn-ish all-white dress in Bellagio – 30% off!

Now if your vacation includes a shopping destination in Europe, my last suggestion is that you do so in mid-July. It’s sale season – Rebajas! SALDI! –  and people haven’t yet abandoned the city to go on their vacation.

I hope you benefit from my recent mistakes, I mean shopping vacation packing tips. And I hope you are enjoying a fantastic summer!