Packing for a Family Vacation

Family vacations are great. They are the best time to kick back and really enjoy just being together, which has become very difficult in our modern, hectic lives. Your family's vacation is all in order with all the necessary reservations made. Everyone in the family has been cutting back on unnecessary spending, and has been saving extra-money to spend on vacation. You even know your home will be looked after while you are away, so you are not even worried about it. Then reality hits you. What is the one vacation activity you dislike? Packing to go, unpacking once you get there, and re-packing to come back home. If you have a family with at least one child, you know your packing needs have greatly increased.

Relax, as long as you have a plan to help you stay organized, this nightmare can become just another task to check-off on your 'Things to Do' vacation list. As I mentioned, organization is vital when packing for a family vacation. Quite often, everyone brings more than they need because they just are not sure what to take. This is an important area you will need to focus. Any traveler will tell you that the packer's best friend is a packing list. When writing your packing list, it is very important to take your time and be certain of what goes on the list and what stays off of it. Then, when it comes time to actually do the packing you must stick to the list. Now, you may be thinking, 'packing for one or two people is so much easier than knowing what to pack for an entire family.' This is so true, but even single or duo travelers quite often pack far more than will be needed. There are several reasons to keep your packing necessities to a minimum, and they include:

• Keeping Track. The more bags your family needs to keep track of on a family vacation, the more likely something is bound to get lost.
• Carrying it All. Be realistic. Dad is great and strong, but he is one man and simply cannot carry the big bags, and the extra stuff, too. Poor Dad!
• Baggage Fees. If your family's vacation involves taking an airplane, then you will really want to keep the number of bags and their weight to a minimum; otherwise, the airline will graciously hand you with a service charge. In fact, currently most airlines are charging a fee for every checked bag.
• No More Room. Depending on the spaciousness of your lodgings, the more luggage you have, the more difficult it will be to find someplace to store it until you need it again, especially true when sharing hotel rooms.

Okay, so now you know why it is important to be particular about what your family will need packed for that upcoming family vacation. To help you in your efforts, here are some packing list ideas to get you started. Obviously, you will need to adjust the contents of the list based on your family size, the age ranges of your children, and any special needs items that must be included. These suggestions are broken down by category:

Required Travel Documents and Currency List

This list is critical, so keep it separate from any other list and always know its location. If this list is not followed, you could end up not going anywhere.

• Money. cash in dollars and some starter money in local currency if traveling internationally
• Credit Cards. some charges should be made with a credit card
• ATM/Debit Cards. helpful to use instead of carrying a lot of cash on you
• Driver's License, Insurance and Registration Cards. If you are renting a vehicle, or driving to your destination
• Passports. Required if traveling outside the United States, even now for Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean (at your destination always use the in-room safety box or the hotel's main safety box to secure your passports when not in use)
• Travel Documents. Airline or cruise tickets, trip itineraries, car reservation, hotel coupons, directions to hotel, and emergency phone numbers for airlines, hotels, car agencies, US Embassy, and credit card or bank companies

General Packing List

• For the Airplane. Books, magazines, toys, and music to entertain the children. Also, bring along snacks and drinks, medications, and lotion and lip balm to use because of the dry air. Keep in mind the 3 ounce limits the airlines have in place for any cream or liquids.
• For the Car. Again, bring items to entertain the children, but you do not need to pack a lot. Include snacks and drinks, pillows and blankets for long car rides, small First Aid kit with motion sickness medicine, and consider an extra map for the kids to limit the 'are we there yet?' syndrome.
• For Packing Luggage. Combine packing where possible by having family members share luggage. By packing children's clothes together in a larger suitcase, this will help reduce the number of bags required. Based on the climate of your destination, select an outfit for each day for each person, and try to limit the pairs of shoes: sneakers, shoes, and sandals. Be sure necessary items, such as underwear, sleepwear, socks are included. Include any activity clothes, including swimsuits and cover-ups, rain gear, hats and jackets. Remember to include the toiletry bags with toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes and combs, extra contacts with a case and solution, safety pins, tweezers, nail clipper, and no matter where you go the ever-important sunscreen!
• Miscellaneous Items. Do not forget cell phone chargers, extra batteries, converter plug (if going abroad,) cameras (and film, if not digital,) sunglasses, and guide books.

If you create separate packing lists for travel documents and currency, items for the plane or car ride, and then an individual list for each family member, you should be able to streamline the quantity being packed and the amount of time it takes to do it. Keep the lists on hand and use them again for the return trip, and if anything is not included on the return, then just cross it off the list so you know it was not lost or forgotten.