Kelsey's Spain Vacation Guide with Carry-on Packing Tips

This post has been a long time coming, but here it is – my guide to packing for a 12-day Spain vacation in a carry-on!

We were lucky enough to be invited to a McGregor family reunion in Spain this summer, all planned by Scott's cousin Chas (the GOAT). Scott and I flew in early to celebrate his 40th birthday in Mallorca before joining the very large McGregor family for the second half of the trip. We rented a charter bus to transport the family from Madrid to Bilbao to Barcelona and and down to Murcia. This was truly the trip of a lifetime! And I have so much to report back on!

Read on for my carry-on packing tips for a 12-day international trip, capsule wardrobe links, and highlights from our European vacation below!

(Me giving my best influencer pose 😉)

How to Pack for 12 Days in Spain in a Carry-On

I travel often. It comes with the territory of being an interior designer. I'm on the road monthly for client meetings, project walkthroughs, furnishing installations, photo shoots, market, you name it! And our family loves to travel, too. Needless to say, I've got a few travel hacks up my sleeve.

Let me tell you, it only takes one airline losing your luggage (Las Vegas Market 2023 for me) to commit to only flying with a carry-on. Rewind to Las Vegas Market 2023 where I have multiple meetings and ahead of me and all I have are the sweatpants I arrived in. No undies, no deodorant... you get what I'm saying here. I never want to do that mad dash to the mall again where the only business casual shoes I could quickly find in my size were these chunky oxblood tortoiseshell loafers with a heel (though I still get a kick out of them every time I spy these in my closet). Oh, the memories.

With that being said, I was on a mission to pack everything for a 12-day international trip to Spain into my carry-on bags. And you know what... I did it!

The key:

1. Pack a Capsule Wardrobe – I know, I know... this is old news, but it's seriously so true. Knowing I packed tops and bottoms that could be interchanged day to day gave me so much more space in my luggage and made getting dressed each day 10x quicker. Sharing everything I packed below!
   

2. Invest in Sophisticated Luggage – I'm sure you saw my poll on Instagram. I had to know which carry-on suitcase was the best for oversees travel, and boy, did you all deliver. The Beis Carry-On Roller was your top suggestion, and I was more than happy to nab this bag since it comes in my current favorite color – BROWN. I also went ahead and grabbed the matching convertible mini-weekender in maple. These bags are high-quality, and are exceptionally functional. Beis clearly has thought through every travel scenario when designing their luggage – like including a hard-shell space for shoes, a trolley pass-through, etc. Some others I considered were the Away and Monos carry-on suitcases, but fyi the Quince carry-on hardshell is very similar and has quite a significant price cut.
   

3. Use Packing Cubes – This was my first time using packing cubes, and I'm seriously wondering what took me so long! The compression and organization these cubes gave me made all the difference. Zip them up and squash them down! I used these beige packing cubes in my luggage, but I actually liked the khaki packing cubes that Scott used better.

1. Beige Compression Packing Cubes | 2. Toiletry Bag | 3. Black and Brown Belt Bag | 4. Electronics Organizer | 5. Beis Carry-On Roller | 6. Beis Convertible Mini Weekender Bag | 7. Checkered Luggage Tag | 8. Small Wallet Card Holder | 9. Khaki Compression Packing Cubes

Luggage for Spain Vacation

This fanny pack was a must for hands free travel. It's so slim that I was able to easily tuck this into my Beis weekender bag when running through the airport (that two bag minimum!). The double zipper ensured I was able to carry my standard purse stash on one side and our passports, toothpicks and gum in the other. And with this smaller purse, I needed a smaller wallet. This smaller card holder was perfect for our trip, and I'm telling everyone our team to get one!

Best Luggage Tags

I was not about to drag my luggage around a foreign country without a luggage tag, and these checkered tags were too cute not to grab immediately! It was a good thing I did too, because Scott's cutie cousin Abigail arrived with the same brown Beis luggage! So these helped us easily tell them apart.

Once you lose your luggage once, you'll want AirTags on everything! I threw one of these in my carry-on suitcase , one in my weekender bag, and attached one to my wallet using these leather AirTag keychains.

Beis Convertible Mini Weekender Bag  | Amazon Dupe Weekender Bag

Weekender Bags to Carry-On

Recommended by YOU, the Beis Carry-On Roller was the perfect travel companion, and a total upgrade from what I was using before. It was seriously so easy to tote this suitcase around Spain. Not to mention, I love the maple brown color it comes in!

I went ahead and bought the Beis Convertible Mini Weekender Bag in maple to match. Let me tell you, I LOVE this bag nearly as much as the carry-on suitcase. But... I also purchased a dupe from Amazon to compare. In all honesty, I maybe liked the Amazon dupe better, but I knew I'd ruin the white instantly. If you are easier on your luggage, I'd say this is a great alternative! Plus it came with a little dopp bag!

1. E/F Plug Adapter | 2. Leather AirTag Keychain | 3. Apple AirTags | 4. Zero Pressure Eye Sleep Mask | 5. Folding Toothbrush | 6. Noise Cancelling Headphones | 7. Tide Sink Packs Laundry Detergent | 8. Travel Steamer

Game Changing Travel Accessories

This is everything I never knew I needed when traveling. I wish I could give you an instant "add all to cart" button because I can't imagine traveling without these going forward.

How to Make a Long Flight More Comfortable

Both Scott and I got these eye masks to sleep in on the plane. They're the best because they don't put pressure on your eyes!

Okay, these are not a new purchase by any means. I've been using these headphones for a while. If you're like me, and cannot stand having tiny AirPods in your ears (why do they hurt??), then I'd highly recommend these classic over-ear headphones. They're bluetooth too, so cord optional!

How to Wash Clothes While Traveling

We used these travel Tide packs to wash a tiny bit of laundry in our hotel room. They're super easy to use; you just pour them into the sink. Kinda weird to think about but super effective.

I took the summer of linen very seriously (see outfits below!), and that meant I had some major steaming to do anytime I pulled an outfit out of my suitcase. This travel steamer came in so handy!

Tops: Pullover | Black T-shirt | Red Stripe T-Shirt | Black & White Striped T-Shirt | White Tank | Black Cap Sleeve Tee | Linen Blazer | Linen Shirt | Striped Shirt | Denim Shirt | Cardigan Sweater

Dresses & Sets: Maxi Dress | Vest Set | Active Dress

Bottoms: Joggers | Active Skort | Black Pants | Beige Pants | Medium Wash Wide-Leg Jeans | Light Wash Wide-Leg Jeans

Shoes: Nike Air Max SC Sneaker | Brown Sandal | Chunky Black Sandal | Strappy Slide Sandal (similar)

Accessories: Swimsuit | Reversible Belt | Tortoiseshell Sunglasses (2 pack) | Gold Sunglasses | Belt Bag

What to Wear in Spain

A capsule wardrobe was key! I was intentional about packing light layers in a neutral palette. Pieces that could be rotated to double my outfits. I even went so far as to buy this reversible belt to really maximize my space!

Best Shoes for a European Vacation

I made sure to only pack comfortable shoes for this trip! That meant my go-to Nike Air Max sneakers and three pairs of Vionic sandals (linked above) went in my bag. If you have not tried out Vionic shoes, you are seriously missing out! They are truly my most comfy shoes. I even have this pair of loafers.

Comfortable Travel Outfits

I primarily packed activewear for my travel outfits. I wore these black joggers and this Lululemon hoodie dupe on the plane. This skort set from Target (top, bottom) was great for the warmer travel days, and have since become a favorite outfit for project install days. Loved the set so much I purchased it in both black and taupe.

Casual Outfits for Spain Vacation

I kept my daily outfits pretty casual. This dress I wore for Scott's birthday dinner is amazing – you should all buy it. I bought it in black, but the terracotta stripe is adorable, too.

Our lead designer Lacey has this vest set and shared the link with me. I've loved wearing it as a set and have even paired the vest with my Quince dress. Everyone needs this short set!

I would buy these pants in every color! They are a great, lightweight summer pant. They're pricier than pieces I usually buy, but I'm so glad I splurged on them. I ordered the petite in Harvest Moon for our trip, but I've already ordered the black and want more.

And now let's talk about Spain

Gosh, there is just so much to report back on from our Spain vacation! No. 1 being how absolutely incredible the architecture and landscaping are! Not gonna lie, Scott and I spent a LOT of time inspecting ALL the design and architectural details everywhere we went. I was DROOLING at every doorstop, archway, and staircase. It's as if Spain saw inside my head and brought all my design dreams to life! Truly, can't stop, won't stop obsessing over every last detail. Both Scott and I returned feeling SO INSPIRED and ready to sneak some Spanish charm into our future projects (call me!). ⁠

Mallorca, Spain Vacation

As I mentioned earlier, Scott and I started our vacay early. Before the rest of the family arrived, we had a few days to ourselves to celebrate his 40th birthday. We flew into Barcelona and spent a night at the Mercer Hotel Barcelona and explored La Bouqueria (the market) before we jetted off to Mallorca.

Once on the island, stayed at the incredibly charming Hotel Mirabo de Valldemossa and explored Finca at Valldemossa and Port de Sóller. This is also where Scott became a bird aficionado (those who followed along on Insta will get this).

Spain Family Reunion

The whole Spanish excursion came about by one of the many McGregor family cousins (shoutout Chas!) planning a mini family reunion of sorts , but decided to make it a tour through Spain. Seriously, a genius idea! We were instantly sold.

We met up with the McGregor family in Madrid. The city was so stinking inspiring! Standing in Plaza Mayor was unreal.

From here, we boarded our bus and headed to Segovia. If you've never heard of this Spanish city, look it up! They have an aqueduct! Seriously, look it up. On the agenda, we also visited Jardines del Palacio Real de la Granja, Cathedral de Burgos, had a rioja wine tasting in the caves of Laguardia, visited the rocky beaches at Gaztelugatxeko Doniene, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

The food was hands down the best part of the trip.⁠ I tried everything I could get my hands on including squid, octopus, & blood sausage. One of our favorite stops was at this tapas restaurant in Bilbao called La Viña bel Ensanche. I can't even tell you what we ate exactly, but we ordered SO MANY plates to share and left so full and happy.

And our final highlight of the trip was flying back in business class. We used every credit card point we owned, and I am ruined. Will never be able to travel the same again. The end.

This was the trip of a lifetime, and I cannot thank Scott's cousin Chas enough for planning our itinerary. Getting to do this all with the McGregor family was the icing on the cake. Sharing stories over food and wine. The best!⁠