Worth Ultralight Packing for Spain?

Hi Jean,

I've visited most of the places on your itinerary and I didn't have any issues lugging around 2 carry-on roller bags (mine & my mom's)!

Traveling light is a great idea but the type of bag you decide to take is a very personal decision.

Enjoy your trip!

I will be making my fifth trip to Spain in a month or so, and have been to every place you listed except Frigiliana. I normally use an RS rolling carryon bag, but have recently been trying out an ultralight spinner bag by It Luggage. It is less than 4 lbs empty, has one big packing area and a couple of small pockets. It is fantastic! I will be taking it this time. I have never encountered a problem with my regular rolling bag, and this one is even better. Personally, I could not wear any of the stretchy, slinky clothing that this article shows (basically, my clothes would not fit in that bag), nor would I want things crunched up in that kind of a bag. As an earlier poster said, bags are very personal, and everyone prefers different things and "needs" different things. To answer your question, my roller bag has never been a problem anywhere that I have been in Spain.

I spent last summer in Spain, but of your destinations I only visited Madrid and Toledo. I'd previously been to Seville, Ronda and Granada, but too long ago to remember whether I encountered cobblestones.

How far will you be rolling that bag? I almost never take taxis and often have a walk of about a mile from the train or bus station to my hotel. If you're not going far, even cobblestones probably won't be too much of an issue with your old bag. Over a mile, dealing with a heavier bag can be more of a challenge, but I don't know that 2 or 3 pounds would matter much. From my personal experience there is quite a difference between (roughly) 26 lb. and 38 lb.

The biggest issue for me is dealing with the curbs without wheelchair cuts and steps. You'll probably be lifting the bag fairly often.

In your position, I don't see any reason not to try out the new bag. You'll probably love it.

We were in Spain for 2 weeks last fall and stayed in the first 6 locations you mentioned. We had no problems with our carry-on roller bags. We took a taxi in Toledo and a city bus part of the way in Seville, but in the other 4 places we walked from the bus or train station to our hotel, sometimes a half hour walk, and didn't think twice about rolling the bags along behind us. I know what you mean about cobblestones but as far as I can remember, we used regular sidewalks except for a few blocks in Cordoba. Enjoy your trip! We loved every place we went. If the weather is nice and you are able, take the hike downhill into the countryside around Ronda. One of our favorite spots!

I have an Eagle Creek 20" roller carry-on that weighs 5 pounds. I'm not sure if that is ultra-light, but it is as light as I've found with wheels at a reasonable price. It has a strap on the top, so I can carry it in front of me with my arm (with the bg resting on my hip if I want) as well as other handles on the side. I love it. In two trips abroad it was 17 pounds on the way out of the country. I also use packing cubes, which are the best thing since sliced whole wheat bread. Wish I'd found them sooner. I use Eagle Creek cubes for their light weight. (Like Sarah Murdock, I weigh everything and decide if the item make the cut.) The packing cubes make living out of a suitcase easy.

Ohhhhh...I just looked at the link. ten pounds or less. Yes, I would like to try that! But have not. I'd have to give up paper (tour guides) and go only electronic to make that happen! Good luck. Let us all know how it goes.

Some complain about luggage when they are on 'no drive' streets in the Albacin in Granada. If you aren't staying there, then most other places seem okay. There you may have cobblestones, stairs and hills.
I read Sarah's blog regularly. Being a + size makes the weighing part harder, plus heavier shoes for orthotics, and the bird binoculars, and the other clothes for birdwatching, and the sunscreen because I am allergic to most - however, I still make it all in a 21 inc roller bag with a second small tote bag...but they aren't light....I'm working on it.

Thanks, everyone, for the replies! From your responses, it sounds like there's not an advantage of the backpack over the rolled carry-on for the street conditions, except for the added weight of the bag. We're planning to take a taxi into Frigiliana when we arrive, so we won't have to worry about climbing up to the highest point of the old town where our apartment will be located.

I still like the idea of the ultra-light bag but if I select that one, I'll need to decide how I would protect items from not being damaged, i.e. extra pair of reading glasses, liquids bag, etc. when the bag is in the airplane overhead bins or underneath storage in a bus.

I'll post this Fall the results if I decide to take the ultra-light challenge, too!

I've never had a problem with a wheelie or spinner in Spain. I did leave my bag in a locker at Atocha and took a minimum in my backpack for 2 nights in Toledo, which made it a little easier in hilly Toledo.

I have found that I prefer to take a larger suitcase which weighs the same as the smaller one. It's easier to pack and unpack when I don't have to waste time trying to "get the toothpaste back into the tube." For short stays, I can live out of the suitcase and only have to unpack toiletries and electronics. Bonus - I have room for souvenirs, gifts, and other "stuff" I pick up along the way.

Try walking for an hour with the fully packed bag to see how it goes. You may have long walks and/or periods of standing in airports and train stations with the bag . . . and your day pack. Also, after you get to Europe, are you going to buy toiletries that you'll need to carry from place to place?

Thanks, Chani, for your reply. I bring 3 small travel toothpastes, some travel shampoos from previous work trips, liquid foundation makeup in a Clinque sample jar, etc. so I haven't bought toiletries in Europe, other than a lipstick & mascara once.

I bought some souvenirs on our first trips to Europe; our main souvenirs now are photos & ticket stubs. This will be our first trip to Spain - probably something will end up in the bag! : )

I'll test out the periods of standing, too, since that might start to feel heavy on my back. The pack fully loaded on my first trial was ~10 pounds.

Great job, Jean on a first pack. So, how many pairs of shoes? Do you at least take one besides the one you wear - so you can save your feet from pressure spots by switching out every day? Also, do you have a second bag?......and a box of awesome?

Hi Maria,

First, if I had a "box of awesome", it would contain chocolates, black licorice, almonds, peppermints!. : ) I do love that name for her box of emergency supplies, though.

For our last two European trips, I've worn a pair of Keen Black Rose Sandals and brought a pair of ballet flats or other sandal for evening. But, in both cases, I ended up just wearing my Keens the majority of the time, except for an evening at the Venice Opera and some dinners. They're so comfortable and we walk all day.

No second bag for me. I usually bring my Eddie Bauer Expedition carry-on roller bag with my small Baggallini cross-body purse inside the bag. When we're on the plane, I pull out a makeup case that contains my headphones, music, some mints, etc.

My hubby has the RS roller carry-on bag, and he brings a small backpack inside his suitcase. Usually about halfway through our trip, he just wears the backpack along with having his roller bag. (Sometimes my ballet flats end up in his backpack - ha!)

10 lbs. isn't bad at all. Sounds like you'll be fine. Enjoy!!

Haha, I think my 'box of awesome' would be more like yours. So, only a small purse. I must say, you are an inspiration to try harder to reduce the weight.
When in 'Fall' is this trip? I am also 3 weeks some similar locations, but late Oct to mid-November so Madrid will be in the single digits (celsius) at night and not sandal weather in the daytime. Also, but the time I get home snow may be flying, so a sweater and jacket needs to be in the mix. I won't give up my zoom bridge camera, but I have reduced the size of my binocs and tablet. I won't manage 10 pounds in total, but I could rethink the luggage. Even at carry on size, it's still 5 or 6 pounds right there.
Have a great time.

Hi Maria,

We'll be in Spain mid-September to early October. He have to circle back up to Madrid one night before our flight home (snafu with the airline); otherwise, sandals should work for the time we're in Madrid in September and throughout southern Spain afterwards.

Lucky you on light shoes....guess you can always wear socks in sandals last night in Madrid if it gets nippy - no one will know you;-) have a great time. I look forward to a report back....I won't have left yet (Oct 26th is my departure date).

socks in sandals.... yup, I've done that. Hehehe. When flying from the Canadian winter to the sunny south. We park at the "park 'n fly" near the airport, so we left our winter stuff in the car, threw some socks (actually, I wore "trouser socks", which are more like opaque knee highs, and caught the shuttle to the airport. Really, I would MUCH rather do this than wear a pair of shoes just for those few minutes there and back. Before we landed, the socks came off (and so did the "legs" from our zip-off pants!).

We didn't look that weird. Many of the younger ladies in the terminal were traipsing around in flip flops!

Sorry -- can't add to the roller bag discussion, but I'm interested as we are heading to Barcelona to embark on a cruise in October. We will be using the RS rolling carry ons.

An update on the Ultralight packing:

I tried out the G4 Free during a 3-day weekend to Spokane for a race to see how I would like the pack.

Positives: definitely light on the back, and packed small in the car trunk. I liked having both hands free. I really liked the extra zipper pockets and water bottle spot.

Negatives: every time I needed something out of the pack, I ended up removing most of the items in the pack (I used packing cubes). When I use my regular carry-on, I can usually pull out the exact item I need without disturbing everything else in the suitcase. My carry-on has a bottom zipper section where I can place dirty clothes - another feature I was missing during this trip. Last, I realized I wouldn't have an easy way to protect a souvenir which my carry-on firm bottom half of the suitcase provides.

I'm going to use this pack for another US trip, but it's staying home when we travel to Spain.

Thanks for the update Jean,
I did a three week France, Belgium trip one summer and took similar clothing as you in a roller back pack. Hated it for the inconvenience of that top feed only. I didn't have packing cubes then but I got fairly adept at figuring out where the clothing I wanted was by feel and memory. It was a pain, though. Why is what we need always at the bottom? :-)
Jean, out of curiosity, what is your 'regular' carry on, then?

Hi, Jean. [Edited] See my recent experience and others on this thread. Ten pounds should be quite manageable.

Also, the last time that I was in Spain from Oct. 7-30, temperatures felt to me like about 80 F every day. So you probably don't need those long pants. Reconfirm the weather forecast right before you leave.