Essentials to Pack for Your Next Family Trip

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Our family loves to travel. We love Disney, love cruises and everything in between. Family trips offer so much family together time that gifts simply cannot buy. Some people may think that family trips are too stressful. And to be honest without proper preparation they totally can be. Bu that is where the essential packing comes in

There does need to be a balance between packing too little and too much. I find it hard to find this balance at sometimes. Having everything that you need on vacation is important BUT it isn’t always necessary to have multiples of those items.

Documentation

Some of these may seem obvious but be sure to double and triple check that you have everything that you may possibly need.

Passport for everyone traveling
Health Card information
Custody documentation, travel permission form if needed (take a photo of these as well to have a digital copy)
Travel insurance
Important phone numbers (keep a copy with you and a digital version)

We like to keep all of our travel documents in a folder so that it is all in one place https://amzn.to/47gWydg.

Clothing

Having everything that your family will need in terms of clothing can be a challenge depending on the ages of your children. It is important to keep that in mind. If you have young children that still have accidents then having a bit extra is a good idea.

Weather appropriate clothing
Comfortable shoes, socks, sandals or crocs
Sleepwear and swimwear
Extra layers for weather

Even if you are traveling to a warm climate- weather can change in an instant so be sure to be prepared for this. We like to make sure every person has a pair of long pants and a sweater.

When packing it can be hard to get everything into the bags. One of the space savings tips we have learned over the years are rolling clothes. For the kids we put the outfit together and then roll them up and put them in the bag. It does help with space saving but also it keeps the clothes organized for them.

Personal Care Items

When you travel- especially with kids it is important to have the things that you need. Sometimes it is hard to think of how big the list can grow of what you need on a daily basis for your family. Our go to items include:

Shampoo, conditioner and bodywash
Hair brush, hair accessories and detangler (really important if there is swimming involved)
Sunscreen and after sun care
Vitamins and medication

We use one of these accessory holders and can get most of what we need into it and as a bonus it can hang in the closet of your room for easy access. https://amzn.to/3WAHalQ

For the Kids

When planning your trip it is nice to think that the trip will be so exciting for the kids that you don’t need everything. But it definitely is helpful to have everything that you might need.

Tablets, headphones and charger
Books, colouring books and markers
Favorite comfort items, blanket/stuffies
Diapers, wipes, swim diapers https://amzn.to/48WjsIc, travel change pad https://amzn.to/3Wxr900.
Swim lounger for baby https://amzn.to/48S9EyV or puddle jumper for older kids https://amzn.to/4qzqTva

Travel Accessories

When you are out and about enjoying your family time it will be more enjoyable with having easy access to what you need. Your kids will want to be comfortable and you want to be able to help prevent any meltdowns and have what they might need. Some of the top must haves are:

Backpack https://amzn.to/4oB0QTb
Charging pack https://amzn.to/49wyNzf
Travel Pillow and Blanket https://amzn.to/4oKmiEL
Camera with extra storage

To Sum it Up

We hope that you embrace family travel with as much joy as what we do. The bond and connection that is created in time away from the regular hustle and bustle of life is priceless. With the right items packed you are sure to have a great time. For more family travel tips and ideas be sure to check out our other posts at Blog – Together We Can Travel.