Essentials to Pack for a Family Holiday

Guest Post

Family holidays – nothing beats them! But without the right planning and organisation, a fun family holiday can swiftly turn into any parent’s living nightmare and one of the most important aspects of planning, for any family getaway, is packing the all-important travel essentials.

Poor packing not only makes your holiday less convenient, it can also leave a real dent in your budget, as you’re forced to buy essentials that could easily have been brought from home. With many budget airlines charging top rates for extra luggage too, smart and economic packing is another vital skill.

With this in mind, if you’re planning on booking your next Co-operative Travel family holiday sometime soon, then here are some of the essential items you can’t afford to forget.

The essentials

There are plenty of items that seem too obvious to forget, but when you’re packing for larger numbers, it’s surprising how easily things can slip your mind. Always make a detailed list of every essential item for each family member, from medications to passports, underwear to clothing.

Sunscreen

Whether your holiday is on the ski slopes or by the poolside, being safe in the sun is hugely important. This is particularly the case if you’re venturing to warmer climates like Australia and New Zealand. Not only do these areas experience more hours of intense sunshine, they also have much higher rates of UV exposure, meaning your skill will burn more quickly and aggressively.

Always pack sunscreen with high protection, such as an SPF 30+ and never get into the trap of buying a bottle at an overseas beach, where rates skyrocket.

Map

If you’re driving, always pack a good, old-fashioned map for the journey. Even if you are relying on more up-to-date gadgets (sat-navs and smartphone apps), technology does have a habit of failing in tricky circumstances, and nothing puts strain on a happy family quite like being lost abroad.

Toiletries

Do your research about the conditions you’re likely to find on holiday and find out what toiletries you need. If there are plenty of mosquitoes likely to be around then buy repellent in advance, because local stores are likely to charge more than you might expect.

Entertainment

If your kids are restless travelers  think about what you can pack to keep them well behaved. Whether it’s a favorite toy, a hand-held game machine or the family computer tablet, stocked with plenty of their favorite TV shows and films – get prepared early, so the flight or drive can go as smoothly as possible.

Clothing

Always check over what clothing items have been packed by your kids and possibly your spouse. Make sure they have attire for activities, evening meals and enough layers, which they can put on if the weather is temperamental.