The Carry-On Edit

Packing for Spain in May taught me a lot—and now, as I get ready for Italy in September, I’m realizing that even though both trips involve Europe, a carry-on, lots of walking, and moving between cities, the packing strategy is definitely not the same.

Spain in May: What Worked

Spain was my first real test of packing for a longer European trip while still keeping things manageable. May gave me fairly warm weather, especially in Andalusia, so my wardrobe leaned heavily toward:

• Linen pants and shirts
• Lightweight dresses
• Tanks and tees
• Comfortable sandals
• Sneakers
• A couple of layers for cooler mornings, evenings, and travel days
• Scarves to change up outfits without adding bulk

One of my biggest takeaways was that I didn’t need as many completely different outfits as I thought I did. When you’re moving around, nobody cares—or even notices—that you wore those black pants three days ago.

For Italy, I’m leaning even harder into a capsule wardrobe.

Italy in September: Layers Matter More

Late September in Italy is a different packing challenge. We’ll be traveling from Perugia to Siena, Lucca, Florence and Rome, so I need clothes that can handle warm afternoons but also cooler mornings and evenings.

Instead of packing for “summer,” I’m thinking transitional fall:

Lightweight jeans. Linen pants. Black trousers. Tanks. Dresses. Linen shirts. A cardigan or light jacket. Scarves.

The goal is to have almost everything work with everything else.

And because we’re changing cities every few days, I’m also thinking more carefully about what I actually want to unpack and repack five times.

The Biggest Lesson From Spain: CHECK YOUR BACKPACK

This deserves its own section.

Before an international trip, inspect the bag you’re actually going to carry around.

Not just the zipper.

Check the seams. Check the straps. Check the bottom. Look for tiny rips or areas that are starting to pull apart.

A little wear at home can turn into a much bigger problem when your backpack is stuffed with your passport, electronics, chargers, medication, water bottle and everything else you decided you absolutely needed for the day.

For Italy, I’m doing a full backpack inspection before we leave.

My New Tiny Emergency Kit

There are a few things coming to Italy that I wouldn’t have thought much about before Spain:

A small sewing kit.
For an actual clothing or bag repair.

Duct tape.
Not an entire giant roll—a small travel amount. It’s ugly, but if a suitcase wheel, backpack, shoe or something else breaks in transit, I don’t care how it looks. I care that it survives until the next hotel.

Dental floss.
Yes, floss.

It’s incredibly strong and, combined with a needle, can work as emergency heavy-duty thread for a backpack strap or thicker material when regular sewing thread isn’t strong enough.

Basically, I’m packing a tiny European MacGyver kit.

Cash: Spain vs. Italy

Another difference I’m planning for is small euro coins and cash.

In Spain, I really didn’t find myself needing cash for bathrooms.

Italy is different.

Public toilets, train stations and other stops may charge a small fee, so I’m making sure I have €1 and €2 coins and some smaller euro bills instead of relying entirely on cards.

It’s a tiny thing—until you desperately need a bathroom and realize the machine wants a euro.

Shoes: I’m Being Even More Ruthless

Spain confirmed something I already knew: European vacations are not the time to break in shoes.

Italy will involve cobblestones, uneven streets, stairs, train stations and a LOT of walking.

Every pair has to earn its spot.

I’m looking for shoes that can handle several miles but still work with dresses, linen pants and jeans. If I can’t comfortably wear them for hours, they’re staying home.

What Spain Really Taught Me

The biggest lesson wasn’t that I packed terribly. I actually used a lot of what I brought.

It’s that the little practical things matter more than the extra outfit.

I’d rather have a sewing kit than a fourth dinner dress.

I’d rather have duct tape than another pair of shoes.

I’d rather have euro coins in my purse than another accessory.

And I’d definitely rather discover a tiny rip in my backpack at home than somewhere between Italian train stations.

Spain taught me how I like to travel.

Italy is going to test whether I actually learned anything.

Next up: the Italy carry-on packing list—and what officially made the cut.