What do I need to pack? What do you bring with you

[bumpy06]

We are going on first ever sun holiday to Puerto Banus in Spain . We are self-catering in a villa with hire car. 2 adults and 2 boys. I have paid for a large suitcase and we will all have 10kg of hand luggage as well. I booked the suitcase in case but I really can't think what I will put in it now. We are going at the end of August so my plan is to leave most summer shorts/t shirts belonging to the children behind in a recyling bin.

At the moment my list is passports, tickets, money, clothes, toothbrushes

What should I be bringing? I sort of assume I can buy anything I want there in a supermarket or is that naive. Are there somethings I should pack? Are the prices very inflated e.g.do you need to bring towels to a villa? Couldn't I buy them there or is everything expensive?

I usually pack a small first aid kit and some mosquito repellant.

don't know about Spain but find suncream, shampoo, shower gel etc expensive in Italy (as opposed to UK)

doesn't it say in rental agreement whether bed linen and towels are included or if they are available at extra price?

but otherwise travel adaptors and chargers for phones, ipads, those sorts of things

books obviously

any medication including (in first aid kit?) things like paracetamol and ibuprofen (seem to remember spending about 7 euros on small pack of ibuprofen somewhere )

I don't know, not very good at packing - spare shoes for everyone? slightly heavier clothes for coming home?

If you're a tea drinker, please take a plentiful supply with you - after nearly two solid weeks of FB status updates from a friend who had run out in Portugal I couldn't take any more We suggested all sorts of remedies like "you're in Europe, just start on the cognac at 9 in the morning" but apparently this was not helpful.

How are you planning to sort out your dosh? I normally just withdraw cash as needed from the cashpoints but you'll want to have some with you beforehand. I think the post office offers a reasonably good exchange rate?

Depends on the age of the boys too, DD is 3 so we took a few small toys like cars and people, books, bucket and spade and a few plastic cups, inflatable ring for the pool, inflatable frisby, 2 DVDs for times when she was knackered from hours in the pool, music CDs (all decanted into a travel case), a couple of small tupperware boxes for snacks on day trips.

Also a road map of Andalusia, a phrasebook (though you won't need that in the area you're going to), camera.

We took sun cream because can often be more expensive in Spain. We took a small freezer bag of washing powder as didn't want to buy a big box. You never know what's going to be in a villa, but do find out if you need to bring beach towels, we did and that plus washbags and a pair of DP's size 12 shoes took up most of our one checked bag.

But yes you can buy anything in a supermarket, there will be a hypermarket near there somewhere too, huge, depends if you don't mind paying more for some things. I am anal an organised type so I write a big food shopping list for DP to shop at first opportunity.

What we didn't have but needed was something to cover DD's car seat/steering wheel with to stop it heating up to 100 degrees, I always take a sarong for multiple uses so used that.

how clever you all are. I knew I was asking the right people

Alot of villas provide towels but not beach towels so I would pack one each. I always pack a light waterproof per person as well. Don't assume that it never rains abroad.