There’s a particular kind of chaos that comes with packing for a holiday. Clothes pulled out of wardrobes, suncream tracked down from three different cupboards, someone’s passport definitely in a drawer somewhere. Before you know it, every surface is covered and you haven’t even started on the kids yet.
It doesn’t have to be like this. A little organisation before you go makes the whole thing easier – including when you get home too.
Before you even think about packing
The best thing you can do is start early and write everything down.
Brain dump the following on paper:
- What you need to buy
- What you need to book
- What you need to pack
This takes the mental load off and avoids that last-minute dash to the shops for something you already own but couldn’t find.
While you’re at it:
- Check the dates on your passports and travel insurance
- Book the airport parking or taxi
- Sort the cat sitter
- Book those pre-holiday appointments
These are the things that sneak up on you when you leave them too late.
One practical tip: As you buy things in the weeks before you go (suncream, adaptors, new clothing, medication) keep a basket or box somewhere handy and drop everything into it.
When you come to pack, it’s all in one place rather than scattered across the house.
The pre-holiday declutter
Before you start loading a suitcase, take a few minutes to go through your holiday kit. It doesn’t take long and it saves you lugging things you don’t need.
First, check your suncream. There’s a small jar symbol on the bottle that tells you how long it lasts once opened – usually 12 or 18 months. Write the date you opened it on the bottom in permanent marker so you don’t have to guess next year. Any that are out of date, out they go.
Same goes for medicines, toiletries and make-up. Remove anything expired or no longer used. Holidays are also a good time to work through any miniatures or samples you’ve been collecting – use them up rather than buying more.
While you’re there, ditch swimwear that doesn’t fit, beach bags you never reach for and hats you haven’t worn in two summers. If you don’t love it or need it, and wouldn’t pack it anyway, let it go.
Pack without chaos
The single best thing you can do for family holiday packing? Packing cubes. One colour or design per person and categorise as you pack (underwear, t-shirts, swimwear). You can lift them straight from the suitcase into a drawer when you arrive – no unpacking needed.
For young children, try packing complete outfits into individual freezer bags inside the cube. One bag per day. No rummaging, no decisions at 7.00am.
A few other things worth having:
- Reusable shoe bags to keep clothes clean
- Foldable travel hangers for when the hotel never has enough
- A pop-up laundry basket to keep dirty clothes contained
- An extension lead/power strip to avoid the adaptor juggle.
Wash and set aside the clothes you’re taking a few days before you leave – it stops them disappearing back into rotation and needing a last-minute rewash.
Pack a small bag or cube for day one. If you arrive before your room is ready, you’ve got everything you need without pulling every case apart.
Keep passports and travel documents together in one wallet or folder in your hand luggage. You want them easy to grab, not buried at the bottom of a bag at check-in.
The souvenir problem
It’s easy to come home with a bag full of fridge magnets, keyrings and soft toys that seemed like a good idea at the time. This summer, try giving each child one special keepsake to choose.
Or skip the shops and collect something free instead – shells, pebbles, photos. A scrapbook made together when you get home lasts longer than a mug with the resort name on it.
Before you leave
Take 20 minutes to do a quick reset of the house. Put things away and clear the surfaces – leave it somewhere close to how you’d want to find it. Nothing kills the end of a holiday faster than walking back through the door into a mess. Your future self will thank you.
Have a wonderful summer
If you’d like some help getting your home sorted before travelling or you know you’ll be back in August wondering where to start, get in touch.