Since we travel quite a bit, friends and family often ask me for packing tips when they go on holiday. Going on trips with kids can be very stressful, and one of the biggest sources of anxiety is packing and ensuring you’ve got everything you need without bringing a ton of heavy luggage – and paying fees that cost more than the trip itself.

It may seem impossible, but you can totally do this! Check out my top packing tips for travel to make it easier.

1. Make a master packing list

Even if you’re not usually a “list” person, you really do need to start with a master packing list when you go on holiday. I suggest beginning with those daily essentials that you would use no matter where you are, such as medications, sunglasses, your cell phone and charger, and your wallet. You also need to consult your itinerary and ensure you have clothes for each day/activity and sufficient underwear and socks for everyone.

There are lots of great lists online, and I suggest checking out a few of them as they may include something useful you hadn’t thought of!

2. Take advantage of packing cubes

If you’re not already using packing cubes, I’m about to change your life for the better. These flexible, zip-close containers help you compress and organise your luggage so you can fit more in and find everything super fast. When it comes to packing tips to help maximize space, this one is hard to top.

By separating your items into cubes devoted to different categories, you’ll only have to open that specific cube when you need something instead of rummaging through the whole suitcase (and wrinkling everything in your path). Cubes keep items from shifting around, and the waterproof ones are great for wet swimsuits and muddy shoes. You might even find that you can get away with a smaller suitcase thanks to packing cubes!

Another way to use packing cubes is to pack according to what day it is. We use this when we change accommodation quite a bit. This is what I’ll be doing for our trip next month (I’ve not revealed where we’re going yet, but you can be sure I’ll be documenting our trip on Instagram 🥳), since we’re travelling for 7 nights and have 4 accomodations booked.

3. Use luggage scales

These days, you can expect to pay a pretty steep fee for luggage above a certain weight. It pays to know what the limits are on your airline to avoid unpleasant surprises at check-in. Use a luggage scale for greater accuracy, and if you plan to shop at your destination, make sure you leave some wiggle room for the trip home!

4. Leave some space in your luggage if you plan to shop 

Sometimes a holiday is all about relaxing and enjoying the destination, but if you know you’ll be doing a good amount of shopping on your trip, you need to leave enough space in your suitcase to bring home your new treasures. If your suitcase has a zipper extension, avoid using it on the way there so you’ll be able to expand it to accommodate whatever you buy.

5. Pack according to weather and activities

We all have our favourite garments that always look good on us no matter how much we overindulged at dinner last night, but you need to be practical when you’re packing. Let’s be honest: that flowy dress you love probably won’t get any use on a ski trip.

Check the weather at your destination and make a list of the activities you’ll be doing to make sure you have appropriate clothes – and perhaps just as importantly, avoid bringing something that you won’t have an opportunity to wear.

6. Use samples for beauty products

If you’re anything like me, you have a whole train case full of makeup and beauty products that you just can’t live without when you’re at home. But guess what? You really can live without many of these things, and you won’t want to spend all morning getting ready on your trip when you could be sightseeing or taking in the local scene anyway. 

I like to save samples of beauty products that I get from shops or with online orders and bring them on trips. You’ll pack so much lighter this way, and you can throw the containers away once you’ve used them up, so there’s nothing to bring back.

7. Use a cooler bag

Another one of my favourite packing suitcase hacks is tucking things that are prone to spilling, such as sunblock, beauty products and medications, in a little cooler bag. This will contain any spills that do happen, and you can also use the cooler bag to carry around snacks if it’s a holiday where you’ll be driving around and hitting more remote areas.

I really hope these tips help you pack better for your next trip! I’ll be sharing more tips this weekend and on Monday as we pack and prepare for our trip on Tuesday 🤩
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