Maria

I'm spending 4 months in Madrid and travelling around. Any suggestions on what to pack? I'm very keen on travelling light. Any advice would be much appreciated.

kristina

I lived in Madrid for about 3 months (10 years ago!). You will love it. Bring enough clothes for a couple of weeks and then plan on buying more if you want to fit in with the Spaniards. Bring a couple of things that will look good going out at night; the Spanish are very big on the "la marcha" concept (going from bar to bar throughout the evening late into the night). Plan on buying shoes there. The old adage seems true; fashions in Europe are always a couple of seasons ahead of the US. Anything you buy there now will be fashionable long after you come home.

Martine

Maria, you are so lucky. You are going to love living in Spain. The Spaniards do dress up more than their european counterparts. And the shopping is great there, so you won't have a problem finding affordable fashionable clothing. Spain makes lovely leather shoes and sandals. Have a great trip!

Cindy

Remember that you will have access to laundry facilities etc..so don't bring too many clothes. Bring clothes for all types of weather, especially rain. At the end of your trip if you have acquired a lot of things then mail your clothes home (no duty) and take with you your purchases. Have fun.

Suzy

If you are indeed "keen on traveling light", then forget about the advice to being a couple of weeks worth of clothing. You can bring a small quantity of stuff, just bring (or buy) stylish stuff rather than dorky tourist clothing!<BR><BR>Look for fabrics that can be hand-washed and dry quickly -- stay away from heavy cottons and things that must be dry-cleaned. Dark colors are always fashionable, they won't show dirt as readily, and you won't get tired ot them as quickly.<BR><BR>As for "packing for all types of weather," that merely requires a few layers, perhaps two sweaters, a jacket, and a waterproof layer. The details depend of course on which 4 months you'll be traveling.<BR><BR>As for there being no duty on stuff you mail home, this certainly is not true -- there's a limit to how much you can send at one time wihtout incurring duty (I believe it's $200 per day), so check with US Customs or the post office.