The most stressful part of holiday preparation is, of course, packing. When solo vacationing, a few days will suffice, however, when preparing for an action-packed family vacation, you may find yourself packing a whole week in advance! To help you relax, and conserve your energy for boarding the flight, locating your accommodation, and everything else that goes with a family holiday, here’s our ultimate packing list for a family vacation.
Packing list for a family vacation – clothing
Given the wide range of popular family vacation destinations throughout the world, and the even wider range of different climates and weather within those destinations, clothes packing demands the most amount of prior thought.
Of course, you’ll have some idea regarding what the general climate of your destination will be, however, you may not be prepared for certain unexpected changes in the weather.
Although clothing may take up the most amount of packing space, you should not try to cut down on what you bring. You don’t want to be stuck in a thunderstorm, with your whole family still in shorts and t-shirts!
Clothing Essentials
- Fresh underwear for each day
- Fresh socks for each day
- Pajamas (preferably, a clean pair for every 3 days)
- Swimwear
- Waterproof jacket
- Waterproof shoes
- Basic clothes (casual t-shirts, shorts, trousers, etc)
- Sneakers or casual footwear
- Flip flops or house shoes
- Cap or sun hat
- Belt
Clothing Non-Essentials (But still recommended)
- Fancy clothing (nicer clothing for a restaurant, for example)
- Formal footwear
- Sport clothing (gym-wear)
- Outdoor clothing (hiking boots, etc.)
- Wooly hat and gloves (If going to locations with volatile weather conditions or colder evenings)
Keep non-essentials to a minimum, as they can end up taking up more space than you can afford.
Essentials packing list for an outdoor family vacation
Particularly if you are going on an outdoorsy holiday, there are several essentials you should bear in mind when packing. Some of these items may not be overly expensive to buy once you arrive at your holiday destination but are small enough that they do not take up that much space in your bag.
Most of these outdoor essentials are a must if you’re going on a beachside or poolside holiday.
Outdoor holiday essential suggestions
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- After-sun cream or another form of sunburn relief
- Sunglasses
- Lighter Beach/outdoor towel
- Umbrella
- Torchlight
- Goggles
- Money belt (particularly if you’re vacationing with a large family)
- Beach tent
- Camping equipment
Packing list for a family vacation – technology
For modern vacationers, technology takes up a large part of packing. Phones don’t cover it anymore, particularly if you’re travelling with a young family. You need several forms of entertainment to curb any moments of boredom or outbursts of frustration.
Technology packing list suggestions
- Chargers
- Plug adaptors
- Portable chargers
- Spare USB cables
- Tablets
- Laptops
- Portable games consoles
- Cameras
- Drone
- Headphones
- Headphone chargers
- Portable speakers
- Kindle
- GoPro
- Memory cards
Packing list for a family vacation – medical supplies
Always consider the worst-case scenario and include as many medical supplies on your packing list for a family vacation as possible. You don’t want any member of your family suffering from an unforeseen illness that could easily be helped had you packed sufficient medical supplies.
Plus, it can be difficult to procure medical supplies in a foreign country, and you may struggle to find exactly what you are looking for.
Medical supplies packing
- A basic first-aid kit
- Any prescription medication
- Allergy medication
- Thermometer
- Travel sickness medication
- Eye drops
- Insect sting reliever
- Laxative medication
- Diarrhea medication
- Pain killers
- Altitude sickness medication
- Sleeping medication
- Hand sanitizer
- Multivitamins
- Ibuprofen
Packing list for a family vacation – toiletries
When it comes to organizing your packing list for a family vacation, toiletries are easy to get wrong. Toiletries are, of course, essential, but there is only so much that you absolutely need to pack.
Plus, you can only take a certain volume of such products as toothpaste, shampoo, hair gel, etc., onto the flight, so it’s essential to consider this beforehand.
We’d recommend buying such things as shampoo and conditioner at your destination, as it makes more sense to do so. There’s no point lugging bottles of such items back and forward if you can very easily buy them once you arrive at your destination!
Plus, if you wear a lot of makeup, you may want to think about limiting your makeup supply slightly, so to free up some space. Luckily, a lot of makeup bottles are small, and so don’t take up a whole lot of space.
Toiletries essentials
- Handheld mirror
- Shaving kit
- Perfume/cologne
- Tweezers, clippers, etc.
- Wipes
- Tissue
- Toothbrushes
- Dry shampoo
Your carry on packing list
As part of any packing list for a family vacation, you need to consider what carry-on items you will take onboard with you. Luckily, you don’t have to stress too much about fitting these items into your suitcase, as you can either wear them as you board the plane or have them packed away in your carry-on bag.
When it comes to organizing your carry-on list, consider comfort above all else. Set aside clothing that you can remain comfortable in over a period, particularly if you’re flying to different continents! You’re also likely to feel cold on the flight, so dress with that in mind, too.
Carry-on essentials
- Comfortable clothing (Hoodies, etc.)
- Reading material (such as books, comics, magazines, etc.
- Headphones
- Portable charger
- Technology entertainment (see technology section above)
- Hard sweets, gum, and other snacks
- Small meals such as salads
- Water
- Travel pillow
- Eye mask