How to pack for family vacation

Packing for vacation is one of the less enjoyable parts of family travel but…..

I have some travel experience under my belt and there are only a few things you need to know to pack for family vacation like a pro. Despite the fact that I packed my boys a total of zero pairs of underwear on our last trip to Disneyworld I would consider myself a master at the art of packing suitcases for family travel. My oldest son has been on at least 40 different airplane rides in his lifetime

Only once did we accidentally grab someone else’s suitcase from the luggage carousel. If you’re curious, the airline will call you 30 minutes into your 35-minute drive to your destination to inform you of your mistake. Then you’ll get to trek back to the airport, with your exhausted children, to exchange luggage with the angry man who’s suitcase you stole. Good times.

We recently upped our travel game by taking our first international trip. A ten day whirlwind vacation across Germany involving planes, trains and automobiles forced me develop a minimalist approach to packing that is definitly worth sharing.

When you pack for family vacation: always use packing cubes.

I bought three sets from Amazon in different colors. Red for my daughter and I, blue for my husband and one son and black for the other son and electronic things. Yes, electronic things took up the same amount as a human person. Don’t judge me, Germany is far.

Packing cubes allow you to keep everyone’s clothes separate and organized making it easy to pack three kids in the same suitcase. If you use the Mari Kondo folding method or roll your clothes you can save even more space.

Packing lightly and compact is super important now that the airlines charge like $40 bucks a pop or more to check a suitcase. I think if you use packing cubes for a week-long trip to a warm destination you could easily get away with packing in only carry on bags. Then you can funnel your luggage money over to pay for margaritas souveniers.

I am a crazy researcher so I can tell you that the best of the best packing cubes are the Eagle Creek compression cubes. They are incredibly durable, save the most space and consistently get the best reviews.

I am too cheap thrifty for that business though and went with the Bagail packing cubes on Amazon. They do the job and I love the different colors and the breathable mesh. I did notice one is ripping at the mesh a bit because again it’s not the best of the best and someone may have stuffed it 3x fuller than it was meant to be stuffed. Oh well, live and learn.

when you pack for family vacation: the luggage you have matters and 4 wheels rule.

You need different kinds of luggage for different types of travel. For example, if you are traveling to or around Europe and will be traveling via train and walking on cobblestone you might need something without wheels. Chances are though, you’ll just need a standard American luggage set.

If you are an average family taking one to two vacations a year and at least one airplane ride I’d recommend a combination of large and carry-on sized 4-wheeled bags. You’re going to have to decide how many you need based on how minimally you like to pack, how many kids are in your family, ect. but the key take away is 4 -wheeled.

A four-wheeled bag is fun for a kid to push through the airport and trust me you will want the extra help at the end of the trip. Like the end end where all the fun has been had and the only thing left to do is drag yourself back to the parking garage to search for your car.

If you can get a bag that your little one can drape themselves over you have won life. It’s pretty much a necessity because your hands will be full of luggage and younger siblings and coffee. If you’re lucky.

when you pack for family vacation: make Kids over four earn their keep.

Sorry kid, you’re four now. You carry your own  junk super important Thomas the Trains and Barbie Mermaid dolls. We have small packs for each kid and we help them pack individual snacks in it. We originally had one snack bag. That’s fine for the toddler crowd but it took one nuclear meltdown over someone eating all the goldfish crackers for us to employ the individual snack method. We also include small games, toys, headphones and things that will occupy them on the plane in their own bags. This keeps the entertainment items passing over other passenger’s heads to a minimum.

If you ever watch the Bucket List Family for travel inspiration you’ve probably seen their kids with Fjalleaven bags. Those are about the right size.

If you don’t travel frequently enough to justify spending money on a kids pack those pull string bags that you randomly get for free as marketing handouts are just fine. You just have to tie strategic knots in them to make them fit your kids and still allow them to be opened. You have to watch the weight a little closer too because the strings can dig into your shoulders. My kid likes to collect rocks so I always do a preflight bag inspection to see what they’ve got going on in there.

I don’t use regular school backpacks for travel. They are too big and kids will use the extra space for toys they want to bring. Then they will lose the toys and cry. TO YOU. My daughter said the other day, “remember in Germany when my brother lost his Lost Kitty and he cried and cried all day.” Yeah, unfortunately, I do remember that. The toy is really named Lost Kitty and yes, I understand the irony. The moral of the story = smaller backpack and less toys to lose.

when you pack for family vacation: Keep everyone’s toiletries in one bag that you are the master of.

I was really late to the game on this concept. I used to pack everyone’s toothbrushes and hairspray in seperate ziplock bags. They were always getting lost or left behind. Then last Christmas my mom bought me this Eddie bauer travel organizer. Mom’s always know what you need before you even know you need it.  Now I keep all of our travel size toiletry items in it. Not only does it ensure that everyone is brushing their teeth but it also makes packing a breeze. I never really unpack it. I make sure everything is clean and full after a trip and then throw it under the bathroom sink until next time.

when you pack for family vacation: Bring bags in your bag

In addition to clothes and shoes we always travel with a mesh laundry bag for dirty clothes. You don’t want your kids dirty socks in with your clean t-shirts and it makes laundry day easier when you are on longer trips. We usually visit family and do a halfway through wash day.

If you plan on spending any time in the hotel pool or beach then a wet bag is also something great to include. It’s just a lined waterproof bag that you can throw everyone’s not quite dry yet items in and seal it shut until wash day.

You could also bring plastic grocery bags for this or if you are really in a pinch you can snag a hotel trash liner too. I keep at least three tightly rolled shopping bags with me when we travel. They can be used for a million different things from cleaning out the trash from your rental car to an emergency car sickness bag.

when you pack for family vacation: Save space by wearing your largest shoes on the plane.

This is pretty strait forward and goes back to that giant luggage fee that we all try to avoid. If your whole family needs tennis shoes and flip flops pack the flip flops and wear the tennis shoes on the plane. For a family of five this tip saves half a suitcase in itself. The same rule applies to puffy winter jackets. Wear the clothing that takes up the most space on the plane.

By employing these simple hacks you will sail smoothly through the airport and have a less stressful time carrying it all with you. If you found these tips helpful subscribe below for more.