Going through airports, moving between hotels with rock heavy bags, overloaded hand carries – all while at the same time trying to stop your little ones from running away is not a fun way to travel. As most experienced family travellers would say, make family travel easier: pack light and bring the minimum amount.
Remember that there are babies and children in other countries too! IF YOU FORGET SOMETHING IT WILL NOT BE THE END OF THE WORLD. You can just purchase whatever it is you need at the destination.
For a 2 weeks family travel we aim to have 2 main checked in luggage. 1 hand carry (or a small backpack), a shoulder bag and stroller
Here are our best packing tips to make family travel easier:
Start with a Packing list
Start by writing down a packing list – list all items needed and the amount. Then lay everything out on the bed or floor before putting them in the luggage. Being able to see everything will help double check if you have forgotten items or bringing too much.
As you start packing, tick off items that are already packed. Put a star next to items that will need to be packed last minute (like: toothbrushes, mobile phones, iPad). Keep this list in a prominent place so you will remember to check it the day before departure.
Checkout out Packing List section of our website for useful family travel checklists. When travelling with little ones wet wipes, nappies and snacks will usually tops your packing list.
Do not pack for the “just in case” situations
What if we end up going for a romantic dinner? Do I need to bring my heels and dress? What if I feel like hitting the gym? Should I bring my weights gloves and gym sneakers? The answer is simply: NO. When in doubt, leave it out. Sometimes we can’t help ourselves but to pack these “just in case” items. In most cases it never comes to fruition and you wasted that space in your suitcase. Be realistic in your packing and only pack essentials.
We don’t ever rule out going to nice dressier restaurants on our family holidays – but this doesn’t mean we go all out. We stick to wearing black pants or jeans and a nicer top.
Pack colour neutrals clothes
Family travel is not the time for fashion photo sessions for your social media pages. This doesn’t mean that you can’t look good, but comfort comes first. You don’t want to be changing your clothes (and your child’s) every single day for the sake of looking fashionable. Opt for versatile neutral colours so you can easily co-ordinate your tops and bottoms. This way you maximise the use of every single piece of clothing in your suitcase, and the less you have to pack. Win-Win situation!
Bring toiletries as needed
Don’t underestimate how much toiletries weigh! Perfume bottles, shampoos, soaps, toothpaste and moisturisers – they all add up. Purchase travel sized toiletries and put them in a zip lock bag to avoid leaks. It only makes sense to not bring full sized and glass bottled toiletries as it also takes way too much space.
Pack medications – only the essentials
Do not be a walking chemist. Refrain yourself from bringing every tablets for every single illness you can think of. We normally take the essentials such as one strip of Panadols, cold and flu tablets, Buscopan for abdominal pains, diarrhoea tablets and anti histamines. The rest we can buy at the destination if needed.
For vitamins, count the number of vitamin tablets necessary for your travels and put them in a smaller sized plastic container. Check out our 10 Simple Ways to Avoid Getting Sick while you Travel post.
When shopping: throw away all packaging
Don’t fly half way around the world to bring home packaging. Packaging takes way too much space inside your luggage (and surprisingly weigh a lot) only to be thrown away once you get home.
Don’t bring other people’s stuff
When you travel, your family comes first! You should not feel obliged to purchase too many gifts and souvenirs for your friends and family back home. Your relative may request to purchase something on their behalf – if it’s too much of a hassle: politely decline.
This one is probably more specific to Asian culture: You also should not be utilised as some kind of international courier to bring back and forth random things. We have travelling friends asked to “courier” along various items including: sneakers, make up items, coffee beans, shampoos, snacks – are you serious? Again: politely decline.
Store all electrical gadgets in one place
Don’t bring too much gadgets. Make sure to bring the charger along with power adapter. Again use a zip lock bag to store all of your cords and chargers in one place.
Hand carry luggage
Nowadays we prefer to use a backpack for hand carry luggage. We place necessities for the flight here. Don’t forget to include spare clothes for yourself just in case your luggage gets missing.
Double check the weather forecast
For winter destinations you will pack more bulky clothing but will not need to bring as many. Wearing thick jackets, you will likely to look the same in every photo anyway so it doesn’t really matter what you wear inside. Tara swears by those air activated warmers (we normally use Hot Hands Super Warmer) – they are very convenient and last up to 18 hours.
Summer holidays will mean lighter clothes but you may need to bring more pieces of clothing if you are prone to perspiring. Choose loose fitting cotton materials to allow your skin to breathe. Don’t forget to bring a sun-hat, sunnies and sun block to protect from the UV rays.
If you are going to an “in-between” weather, the trick is to bring lightweight pieces for layering. Shawl for the ladies is especially useful.
Laundry strategy
When you travel with an infant it is inevitable to wash their clothes on a daily basis from nappy leaks and occasional explosions. Hotel laundry services tend to be on the expensive side, so we normally just do it ourselves or look for a Laundromat near our hotel. If you stay at an apartment or Airbnb washing machine is commonly available.
As you accumulate dirty clothes, pack them together into one luggage so they don’t get mixed up with your clean clothes.
Don’t leave it to the last minute
Before we had our son, we used to leave packing to the very last minute. This kind of procrastinating almost always ends up in failure to bring our necessities. There were many times we forgot toothbrushes, hairbrush even underwear!
Once we travel as a family, we knew we can’t afford to make the same mistake. Remember don’t be tempted to put off packing until the eleventh hour. Don’t randomly chuck contents of your wardrobe into your suitcase and hope for the best. Plan well and pack well.
