Laura is the blogger and influencer behind Frugal for Luxury, a family travel and family lifestyle blog, where she inspires fellow parents to make remarkable family memories. A mom of 3 and happily married, Laura and her family travel often and enjoy adventuring in foreign lands.
Follow her on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Packing tips for families
Let’s talk family travel for a minute…
If you traveled before kids, chances are high that you love the
adventure and exploring inherent to travel.
But now you have kids, you say? Great! Kids love adventures, they
love exploring, and I want you to start them on travel, as early as possible!
My daughter crossed the Atlantic for the first time, when she was
8 weeks old. She and her siblings have pretty much been traveling ever since.
Our son crossed his first border when he was just 13 hours fresh… Travel is
inside them, it is who they are.
We have taken all three kids to 4 continents so far, and if you
ask me the recipe for a happy and tight family, I will tell you, without a
doubt – FAMILY TRAVEL.
So now that you have kids, and can’t wait to take them on fun family
adventures, comes the time to pack your bags!!!
Yay!!
Time to pack
Nope… my least-anticipated chore of any sort of travel. I do not
like packing, I procrastinate it, then delay it some more, and when we are
finally about to leave… I pack…
I have never liked packing for trips – kids or not… But I have
become good at it, and can have the whole family packed in about an hour. (I do
let the hubby pack his own stuff!!)
Let’s talk about what goes into the checked luggages, what you
should keep handy in the airplane, and what you should be leaving home!
The list below is considering that none of us like paying for
checked luggages… So I will have you pack 2 luggages max, per family, for a
7-night trip!
Checked Luggage
In your checked luggage, you will want to pack the essentials,
and customize it for your destination (snow trip? beach vacation? Disney visit?
I have links below for each type of vacation).
This is what you will want for each traveler, for 7 nights in a warm-weather
destination:
CLOTHING
- 4 pairs of shorts
- 2 pairs of pants (one to be worn in the airplane)
- 4
to 6 casual shirts
- 2
dresses for women / girls
- 1
sweater
- 1
cardigan
- 2
– 3 work-out outfits if plan on hitting the gym
- 7
underwear
- 3
pairs of socks
- 2
swimsuits (with UV shirts)
- 1
pair of flip flops
- 1
pair of closed-toe shoes (to be worn in the airplane)
- 1
hat
ACCESSORIES / TOILETRIES
- 1
pair of sunglasses
- 10-15
diapers (just enough to get you to your destination and back! Put half in your
carry-on)
- 1
toothbrush
- 1
deodorant
- 1
hairbrush
GRAB ONE
- 1
tube of sunscreen SPF 50
- 1
after-sun lotion
- 1
bottle of ibuprofen (kids and adults)
- 1
tweezer
- 1
nail scissors
- 1
baby butt cream
- 5-10
bandaids
- any
prescription medication!
Carry-On Bag
The carry-on bag is for flight essentials. Remember that you are
traveling with kids. You will probably be carrying at least one child through
airports, security, at the gate, on your laps in the air, to the hotel, from
the hotel, and so on, etc….
Your carry-on needs to be as light as possible. This is what you
should be packing:
- 2
books / e-reader
- 1
tablet
- 1
iPod (yes, I still do that…)
- 1
pair of quality headphones
- charging
cables
- 1
pack of gums for the airplane
- chapstick
- baby’s
safety blanket and pacifier
What NOT To Pack
Let’s get to the meat of the subject and look at all the things
you DO NOT need to pack. I know you won’t believe me right away, but your
wallet and your back will thank me.
The items below can be purchased at destination. I mean it… no
matter where you’re going, every country has the following items pretty much
shelved at any store.
Do not over charge yourself. You’ll move slower, you’ll get
frustrated. You will also pay much higher baggage fees, which could be spent at
destination:
DIAPERS
Yes, I did it… I am telling you not to pack diapers, outside of
the 10 to 15, which will get you to your destination and back. All other
diapers (which can be 50+ diapers for a week-long trip), you can buy at
destination!
BABY FOOD / FORMULA
Same thing. Those are heavy and can be bulky. Unless you have a
baby with strict dietary restrictions and you are traveling out of the country,
buy those at destination. Children without dietary restrictions will learn to
like what other countries taste like! You are doing your child and yourself a
huge favor!
TONS OF SUNSCREEN
Make sure to pack 1 tube of sunscreen SPF 50. More would just be
weight… buy it locally if you need more than one.
I hope this article helped you demystify family packing!
I know it can be overwhelming to try to think about everything
everyone will need. But take it one person at a time, and only pack the
essentials. Travel is also made for the thrill and memories. Enjoy the moment
and don’t over think it.
Enter your email address HERE to receive this list and a few more items in printable format!
ACCESSORIES / TOILETRIES
- 1
pair of sunglasses
- 10-15
diapers (just enough to get you to your destination and back! Put half in your
carry-on)
- 1
toothbrush
- 1
deodorant
- 1
hairbrush
GRAB ONE
- 1
tube of sunscreen SPF 50
- 1
after-sun lotion
- 1
bottle of ibuprofen (kids and adults)
- 1
tweezer
- 1
nail scissors
- 1
baby butt cream
- 5-10
bandaids
- any
prescription medication!
Carry-On Bag
The carry-on bag is for flight essentials. Remember that you are
traveling with kids. You will probably be carrying at least one child through
airports, security, at the gate, on your laps in the air, to the hotel, from
the hotel, and so on, etc….
Your carry-on needs to be as light as possible. This is what you
should be packing:
- 2
books / e-reader
- 1
tablet
- 1
iPod (yes, I still do that…)
- 1
pair of quality headphones
- charging
cables
- 1
pack of gums for the airplane
- chapstick
- baby’s
safety blanket and pacifier
What NOT To Pack
Let’s get to the meat of the subject and look at all the things
you DO NOT need to pack. I know you won’t believe me right away, but your
wallet and your back will thank me.
The items below can be purchased at destination. I mean it… no
matter where you’re going, every country has the following items pretty much
shelved at any store.
Do not over charge yourself. You’ll move slower, you’ll get
frustrated. You will also pay much higher baggage fees, which could be spent at
destination:
DIAPERS
Yes, I did it… I am telling you not to pack diapers, outside of
the 10 to 15, which will get you to your destination and back. All other
diapers (which can be 50+ diapers for a week-long trip), you can buy at
destination!
BABY FOOD / FORMULA
Same thing. Those are heavy and can be bulky. Unless you have a
baby with strict dietary restrictions and you are traveling out of the country,
buy those at destination. Children without dietary restrictions will learn to
like what other countries taste like! You are doing your child and yourself a
huge favor!
TONS OF SUNSCREEN
Make sure to pack 1 tube of sunscreen SPF 50. More would just be
weight… buy it locally if you need more than one.
I hope this article helped you demystify family packing!
I know it can be overwhelming to try to think about everything
everyone will need. But take it one person at a time, and only pack the
essentials. Travel is also made for the thrill and memories. Enjoy the moment
and don’t over think it.
Enter your email address HERE to receive this list and a few more items in printable format!
To submit an article for families – contact us!