What to Pack for a Family Holiday
Family holidays can be stressful enough with planning everything from start to finish, packing only adds another layer of stress! It’s hard to know what you really need to pack for a family holiday to make sure you have everything you need.
There’s nothing worse than bringing too much stuff and having no extra space for souvenirs from your holiday. You need to find the right balance when packing for a family holiday to have just the right things and nothing more. Get your suitcase ready because here’s exactly what to pack for a family holiday!
Important documents
You probably already know you should bring your important documents with you on your holiday, but it still is worth repeating.
If you’re traveling internationally, you’ll need your:
- passport,
- driver’s license,
- copy of your health insurance policy,
- any important tickets or itinerary information.
While you should keep the real copy on your person, sometimes you need a backup. You can make copies to take with you or even scan them and save a copy to your phone so you can access important documents everywhere.
Think of the unthinkable
You’re traveling with kids, so basically, anything can happen. Or your parent brain just can’t stay away from the dark thoughts.
In order to be certain you’re covered for every situation, make sure you research your destination and see how you can find everything you could potentially need there.
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A bag or backpack for every member of the family
If you’ve been on a family holiday before, you probably know how difficult it is to pack your daily essentials into a single bag.
Not only does this back get forced on one parent, but it isn’t a very practical way to travel. Instead of lugging around one massive bag, have a smaller bag or purse for every member of the family to carry his or her own daily belongings.
While some kids might be too young to carry a bag, bigger kids will probably enjoy having a bag of their own!
An extra outfit for everyone
When planning outfits for yourself and your kids, be sure to bring an extra one or even an extra two. It’s hard to prepare for everything, but an extra outfit gives you some flexibility.
While you should always be ready with an extra outfit for your kids, you should even bring one for yourself because you never know. Sometimes your planned outfits don’t fit the weather that day or you’ll run into an unexpected accident.
Involve kids in the packing process
It’s easy to do all the packing yourself and keep your kids out of it. This is understandable since kids aren’t known to be reasonable packers.
They might think it’s appropriate to bring their entire book collection or seventeen stuffed animals!
To keep it simple, make instructions clear. Ask each child to pack one or two entertainment devices or two favorite toys. This helps them learn to make responsible choices while feeling more involved in the planning process.
Ship your luggage
If you’ve ever wrestled your way through an airport with several suitcases at once, you know what a pain it can be. Add to that the stress of keeping an eye on more than one child and you have a nightmare.
Luckily, it’s more affordable and easy than ever to ship your luggage before your trip. This makes a world of a difference since you won’t have to worry about dragging heavy things around busy airports or train stations, and you don’t have to rush to grab your baggage once you arrive.
Pack things you can toss
Saving space when you travel is practically an art form. Every pocket in your suitcase is valuable, and that’s why you should actively pack things you can throw away. Are you taking a beach holiday?
Pack cheap towels or cheap hats you don’t mind tossing at the end of your trip. Do you need a lot of toiletries? Bring the small kind you can dispose of when you’re done to suddenly leave yourself with space for extras to bring home with you!
Travel is best with your family!
Traveling on a fun holiday with your family means spending time with the people you love the most and creating once in a lifetime memories. Don’t let the stress of packing get in the way of your vacation.
Whether you are taking a private jet charter flight or you’d rather save money wherever you can, there is no right or wrong way to have a holiday with your family. A little bit of planning goes a long way when it comes to packing the right things! As long as you follow the tips above, you’ll be ready for anything!
