How to Pack for Family Vacations: Best Packing Tips

 As you’re getting ready for your trip, planning and packing can be a big source of stress, especially if it’s a family vacation. Now you have more people to plan and pack for, and not as many strong arms to carry it all. Don’t let this stress you out, here we have our best tips on how & what to pack for a family vacation!

• Starting with the basics: Don’t overpack

This is easy to say but very difficult to do with kids. It is completely normal if you want to be prepared for all the things that this crazy world could throw at you during your vacation, but remember: you will not need all the things you want to pack. A useful tip when packing is to lay out all the things you would like to pack and remove half of it! If you are a textbook over-packer, cut it in half again. It’s brutal, but it works! 

• Check your luggage weight allowances before you start packing

Different airlines may have different luggage weight requirements, and they may change while traveling with kids or babies. Knowing the limit of how much you can take with you will help you a lot while packing, because it will create a mandatory limit to most parents’ packing frenzy. Also, you may decide that the limit is not enough and purchase more luggage weight for your flight before the flight date, which will be much cheaper than paying for it at the airport. 

• Pack extra clothing for your kids in your hand luggage

If you’re checking in your big bags at the airport, it is a good idea to keep a spare set of clothes for your kids with you in your hand luggage, in case there is a mess before you can unpack at your destination. 

• Make it a family activity

Why should packing for vacations be only the parents’ duty? Get your kids involved the packing process and make it a fun family activity. It may take a little bit more time if your kids are young, but they will feel so much more responsible if they pack their own backpack with colored pencils, their favorite toys, and some snacks! 

• Packing cubes

If you are not using one bag per person (which is not the best idea all the time, because if a bag gets lost, one person won’t have clothes for the whole vacation.), using packing cubes to categorize the stuff in the suitcases will help you while packing as well as unpacking! You can use color-coded packing cubes for different people, so your 12-year-old knows that all her stuff is in the red packing cubes and does not make a mess while looking for her socks, for example. It is also a great way to keep the suitcase organized and keep the tops, bottoms, socks, and underwear in different packing cubes. 

• Have your documents both printed &on your phone

Printing your important documents as well as making sure you have them on your email or phone may come in handy during difficult situations. These documents can be vaccination cards, travel insurance, plane tickets, hotel bookings, or train tickets. Having them on your phone will make your trip easier, but make sure you have prints if your phone dies or gets lost as well. 

• Pack appropriately

What to pack depends on the location, the weather, and the planned activities. If you’re going to Morocco for example, it may make sense to pack some light & modest clothes to look appropriate in the culture. Check the average temperature for your location during your travel time of the year and make room for a little bit colder and warmer weather. If you’re planning a trip to southern coasts of Spain during summer, you will probably only need summer clothes and a light cardigan. If you’re planning on hiking in Austria, you will need a hat and hiking shoes. Make your plans, and pack accordingly.  

• Don’t pack the last day

One of the best packing tips is to start making a list and packing at least 3 days before your trip. This way, you don’t have to stress-forget any important stuff the last night. 

• Buy or rent items at your destination

Remember, if you’re not going to a camping trip in the middle of nowhere, you will find some shops to buy stuff. It is highly likely that you will find your favorite shops with diapers, shampoo, conditioner, sanitizer, soap, wet wipes, or snacks. You also don’t need to carry the bulky baby gear like strollers, car seats, or cribs. You can just rent them for your destination on Babonbo and get them delivered to your destination. 

Remember: your family vacations are supposed to be fun, and you should be focusing all your energy into creating wonderful memories with your family and enjoying your time. 

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