How to Pack for a Family Vacation

Going on a vacation with your family is a wonderful and exciting adventure, but first you have to pack. Packing for a family vacation is something that is usually dreaded, mostly because you have to pack for so many people and this means more mess while packing, more squeezing items in and more luggage. But it doesn't have to be. We are going to give you some family vacation packing tips so you can ensure a hassle-free vacation with your loved ones. ​

Getting organized it the first thing you will need to do in order to keep your sanity while packing for your family vacation. Keep in mind you will be able to accomplish the task, however, we have some tips to make the most of your packing:

• Pack by day instead of by person

Instead of packing your luggage by the number of persons, it's much more productive and meaningful to pack according to the number of days. This means you don't have to pack one suitcase for each person, or separately for parents and kids. You can use packing cubes to pack everyone's clothes for each day of your vacation. Not only does this save space, but it is also much easier to take out your clothes in the morning.

• Make each member carry their backpacks

The thing about traveling with family is that kids often have a lot of random belongings they must take with them. These include their favorite blankets, their favorite toys, stuffed animals, books and more, which can take up a lot of space if you are packing them in your suitcase. A space saver is to have each child carry their backpacks where they can put all the miscellaneous items they want to bring for the trip. 

• Only bring shoes you are surely going to wear

Shoes take up most of the space when packing, so make sure you just bring sensible shoes which you are certain you are going to wear. The same rule applies to each member of the family. Practically, you don’t need more than three pairs of shoes for each member – comfortable walking shoes, sandals or flip-flops and nicer shoes if you will be dressing up for dinner or other events. These are our must have for shoes for travel. 

• Remember there is more to packing than just clothes 

Packing for a vacation does not include only clothes and shoes. Remember to take medicines, sunscreens, and hats (depending on your destination), electronics, toiletries, light blankets, etc. Using a great toiletry bag is essential to getting all those must need items into your suitcase.

Check out more tips on packing on our YouTube channel: