How to pack for a Holiday!

For most people, packing is a daunting and weary task that needs to be gotten over and done with, and is usually quite stressful. The psychology usually is that you are going to be away from your zone of

familiarity and comfort, with only a limited amount of space available in which to take a small part of that zone with you, and you want to get it just right so that there is no regret or difficulty when you eventually find yourself in unfamiliar territory. Right till the last minute there is often a niggle that something imperative has been overlooked or left behind. Packing for a holiday usually becomes a tiresome job that takes away from the joy of travel.

Having said that, I absolutely love packing!! That is because I revel in the delights of anticipation. Whilst the holiday itself is the prize, everything that leads up to it is merriment galore. Planning, booking and packing are all highly exciting and happy chores for me. It’s just as well, because that way I not just enjoy doing something that would otherwise be a burden, but I’m able to extend the adventure and pleasure to weeks that would otherwise be a mere few days.

Obviously, how one packs is dictated to quite an extent by the destination – suitcases packed for a beach holiday will obviously have a different wardrobe, accessories and essentials to that for a skiing adventure. But then there are some things that are a must carry no matter where one is headed to in the world.

After a good few years of experience of travel - solo, with babies/toddlers and now little children – I’m penning what I consider are my travel essentials of all these phases, and also hoping that my zeal and zest for this otherwise stressful part of the journey is infectious! 

(Scroll to the bottom to get right to the printable list)

Baby:

1. Clothes

Always pack more clothes than the number of days, double the amount at least. For babies, I like to keep one outfit for most mornings/afternoons/evenings.

Toilet accidents will happen more times than you are willing to accept. Food and drink spills will be unavoidable. Little body suits, tiny dresses, shirts and trousers will easily squash in, without taking too much space. Do not be frugal!

2. Baby toiletries

Even in the best of hotels, you will need your baby's own shampoo/body wash, powders and baby oil, because even the high end toiletries that are provided in high end hotels are great for you but not for your baby. You always need your own trusty products for the little ones.

3. Nappies

EXTRA nappies! You don’t want to be in a situation where you are out of them, and have to go hunting for more. Also, different countries have different qualities of the same brand. You don’t want to have to get something that makes the baby uncomfortable, gives them rashes, or leaks.

4. Baby food/milk/snacks

You need to be sure your baby’s sorted – that there’s always something at hand to give them, be it at the airport, on the plane, hotel, or out and about. There’s nothing more stressful than a hungry baby with no food to give them (unless it’s a baby that’s wet itself with no change of clothes!) On our holidays, we always kept brekkie snacks for the kids which we gave them as soon as they were up, which gave us the chance to leisurely change and head for breakfast. This ensured the kids were in a good mood through the breakfast and everyone ate in serenity.

5. Baby medicines

Paracetamol, plasters, tummy medicines, and any other that the baby takes or can take in case of becoming unwell. It’s always important to have a few basics at hand, and nip any brewing ailment in the bud, especially when away on holiday.

6. Favourite toy/baby book

Apart from the obvious reason of engaging the baby, this also helps as a sense of security – even in alien lands there is still something of home - love, familiarity and dependence.

7. Dummy

If your baby uses it.

8. Changing mat, wipes and nappy sacks

Although not absolutely essential, I found it made life easier.

9. Baby blanket

I used to keep one with us at all times.

Little children:

1. Extra clothes

Same reason as above – spills will happen, they will jump in puddles and play in the mud.

2. Snacks for all times

Same reason as above. You might struggle miserably to feed them at mealtimes, but they will be hungry at all other times!

3. Favourite toy/book

The kids love it when we ask them to pick which toy and book they want to take with them, and pack it on their own in their backpacks.

4. Medicines/plasters

Same reason as above. Extra plasters, some just for the placebo effect!

5. Jumpers/jackets/cardigans

I’m listing this separately to clothes. That's because it might not occur to you to keep a jumper or jacket when holidaying at a very hot place, but in my experience we’ve always needed one. What we’ve noticed is that in hot countries the air conditioning at most indoor places is very high, and our children freeze. Although used to the cold weather, they are not used to the air conditioning, there are constant wails of ‘I’m freezing!’ followed by runny noses very soon. So when out and about we keep a light jacket/jumper in their back packs that they can whip out anytime they want. The key word is Layers! Layer up and layer down, as needed...

6. Toiletries

Same reason as above. Shampoo, body wash, toothbrush and toothpaste.

7. Sunblock

I prefer a water resistant one that is not too oily.

8. Sunglasses

Quite liable to be left behind. They just look good in pictures. In our case, my son is usually in dire need of one when the sun is out. He has inherited from his father the inability to open his eyes in the face a ray of sun.

Things for us:

It’s mostly the obvious:

1. Clothes

Contrary to my advice for children, do not over pack! I like to think of each day and approximately plan what I’m going to wear. That way I don’t over pack and I’m also organised whilst on the holiday, I already know what outfit I need to pull out each day. I mix and match to reduce the amount of clothes, but still have a different look for each day. I always like to leave a bit of room for shopping in my cases!

2. Shoes

Again, be frugal - no need to take matching shoes for all your outfits. Shoes are heavier than we realise, and a lot of our baggage weight can come from them. Wear your staple trainers, keep a pair of slippers for the beach/pool and a maybe a nice pair for evenings out. No more!

3. Toiletries

Most hotels will provide at least the basics. Good hotels will usually provide decent ones so no need to add the weight, check on their website or enquire in advance.. Keep only the essentials.

4. A smaller handbag/backpack

I like to keep one for when out and about, which is different from my larger one that I carry on airports, transfers and long outdoor journeys.

5. Accessories

Belts, jewellery, hairclips, etc.

6. Socks and undergarments

7. Medicines

Your personal ones, as well as the general ones such as paracetamol, Ibuprofen, antiseptic, anti-allergy and any other. Do check on your destination’s travel website which medicines you are allowed to take with you, for example, Codeine is not allowed in Middle East countries. Also, try and keep the prescriptions of your medicines in your hand luggage.

8. Phones/ipads/laptops and chargers

9. Sunblock and makeup

The less obvious, but things I always carry:

1. Umbrella and rain jackets

Since we're from London!

2. Nail clippers

Not to manicure when out on the holiday, but it’s amazing how many times adults and children have a nail accident where a nail breaks or splits. Always good to be prepared!

3. Scissors

One is always needed. Don't forget to put only in checked-in luggage though, not the cabin luggage, or else it will be chucked out.

4. Washing powder

Although I never do any laundry when away – we just usually carry enough clothes, the ones that get dirty I put away in a bag and wash when back home – I always carry some washing powder that I have filled in a small container. If there is a small stain on our clothes, I find it so useful to quickly wash it in the bathroom sink, and it saves the whole outfit.

5. Travel iron

Not imperative, we usually check with the hotel, and the majority of times the hotel provides. I have found that most European hotels don’t provide an iron, so a little travel one comes in handy.

6. Insect repellent

We always carry one with us for the kids and ourselves.

7. Travel adapter

Depends on the destination but we find we usually have to take one.

Hotels will usually provide*

1. Towels

2. Hair dryer

3. Toiletries

4. Iron and board

5. Bath robe and room slippers

6. Tea and coffee

7. Bottled drinking water

*Different hotels will have different policies, so it’s best to check before hand.

Covid adaptations:

With the arrival of Covid 19, all of lives have been touched in one way or another. In terms of packing for travel, there are a few obvious ones, for the forseeable future anyway:

1. Masks - disposable or reusable. I like to keep both. I like to carry a small zip lock bag for my used re-usuable masks, so I know that they are kept separate and I know they need to be washed. Bear in mind to pack an extra into the hand luggage too, and don't forget to keep them for the kids as well, and some airlines require children as little as 2 years to be wearing them.

2. Hand sanitisers.

3. Disinfectant spray/wipes

4. Vizers - some people like to wear them in addition to masks. Some times people wear them instead of masks, but it's important to know that not everywhere is that acceptable.

5. A small, travel size hand cream. This is a nice addition to our hand bags, as the constant hand washing and harsh hand sanitisers can have a massive drying effect on the hands. Sometimes, when entering certain places, you are required to use the hand sanitisers provided at the entrances, and there have been a few times when I really didn't like them! It's really nice to have your own trusty hand cream to come to the rescue.

6. Hand gloves - sometimes when you don't want to touch questionable surfaces, it's peace of mind to have disposable gloves on.

7. Some extra items to think about:

i. Vitamin D supplements - There has been a lot of research around the link between adequate Vit. D levels and decreased chances of Covid infections. It may be a good idea to think about keeping your supplements when on holiday when routines go out the window.

ii. Thermometer - so you can keep a check on your temperature, should you get unwell.

iii. Pulse oximeter - a great device to keep a check on your blood oxygen levels, to help monitor symptoms of Covid 19.

The most important things of all are your passport, credit cards and any medication you are on, and post Covid 19 era, face masks. Everything else you can more or less manage without.

Remember, even if you forget to take something, don’t panic, it can mostly be bought at your destination... the point is to relax, and make the most of every moment of your precious holiday!