Over several years of traveling, both personally and professionally, I have compiled a few go-to travel tips and a couple of new ones too! These top 10 Family Travel Tips are to help make sure you are prepared to be away from home, have ease returning home, and everything in between. Here are my Top 10 Family Travel Tips for you and your family to implement the next time you travel!
no. 10 clean
Clean your house! I know from personal experience that packing up the entire family and yourself is hectic and time-consuming! But, seriously, take the time to clean and tidy your home before leaving. You will be so thankful and continue that vacation-induced relaxed feeling when you come home to a nice clean house. Plus, it will be a good incentive to quickly get the luggage away and get the laundry going so you can keep your home looking nice!
no. 9 dopp kit
Ladies this one is for you – Create or maintain a Dopp kit! Most guys have a travel Dopp kit or an everyday toiletry bag that is small enough that they can easily grab and go. For us ladies, we usually require a pretty substantial bag to carry all of our bathroom items and that’s okay! If you travel more than 5 times a year I highly recommend creating a version a dopp kit for yourself that is always stocked and ready to go. It can be a real time saver!
I travel a lot for both work and pleasure and a few years ago while I was frantically packing, Spencer questioned why I didn’t have a travel makeup bag. To that point, I hadn’t really ever thought about it before, but it made total sense to have one. Then I thought it might be very costly to create. I started slow and over a six month period created my own dopp kit with the full-size makeup and cosmetics that I use every day.
It currently includes, just to name a few, liquid foundation, powder, blush, bronzer, lipstick, chapstick (tons of chapstick lol), eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadows, concealer, makeup brushes, face cleansers, and other bathroom necessities. I use the Vera Bradley iconic hanging travel organizer and keep it stocked at all times… replacing items as needed or even adding to the bag for special trips. {I use an LLbean one for all of Kade’s items too!}
no. 8 outfit planning
Pack in outfits… I have found this to be extremely helpful to save space, but also make sure you don’t forget anything. For example, I mentioned to Spencer to pack nice shirts for dinner… he did but he only packed three… and we were there for six nights. Next time I’ll be a bit more specific and ask him to pack a nice shirt for each night! When I packed Kade I planned on 4 outfits a day; morning casual, swim gear, nicer outfit for dinner and PJs. And of course some spare outfits too. I’m pretty pleased with my packing for him. We used everything but 2 casual looks and a few extra dinner outfits! Thankfully his clothes are tiny but if your kiddos are older and have bigger clothing, I would recommend using the roll technique for packing.
Typically for a week of travel, I would have two large suitcases but this trip was a bit different. I was only able to take 1 suitcase for myself because my second was for Kade and Spencer’s second was Kade’s car seat. I approached each day similar to Kade: I would need two outfits a day plus jammies. I planned to go to breakfast in my swimsuit and coverup and then a summer dress for the evenings. Oh, and of course the accessories, handbags, sandals and flip flops.
The great part of packing in outfits is that you can use some of your shoes and accessories with multi outfits instead of bringing separate ones for each look. To keep it all straight and remember what and when I planned on overlapping accessories and such, I wrote my outfit plans in my iPhone notes (this also helped me keep track of sharing my outfits with you).
no. 7 plastic bags
Plastic bags are something so small and easy to pack but can be extremely helpful when you need them! Add a few trash bags, grocery bags and zip lock baggies to your suitcase or small carry-on pocket. You will find having these on hand can be useful and take up very little room. We used our variety of plastic baggies primarily for wet clothes, dirty diapers, saving fruit or leftover food from meals for snacks and separating dirty from clean clothing when packing to travel home.
no. 6 carry-on clothes
Carry On Clothes! If you fly a decent amount I am sure you have experienced delayed or maybe even lost luggage. This is certainly not a way you want to start your vacation so plan ahead! Pack a simple outfit for everyone in your carry-on luggage. Be mindful of your vacation… if in the summer pack a swimsuit and coverup so if you have lost luggage you can go straight to the pool or beach while the airline works to get you your bags. Or, if traveling in another season, carry on simple shorts & hoodie or sweats and tee. You don’t want these items to take up too much room but if you end up needing them you will surely be glad you packed them!
no. 5 travel with your babies
Don’t be afraid to travel with a baby or toddler(s) but don’t be naive about it either! Plan, plan, plan! Did I mention you should plan for this? I would start with their clothes because that will most likely be the easiest (see travel tip no. 8). Keep in mind what you will be doing each day and if any special clothes or shoes are necessary. Then pack the toiletry items.
Since we were traveling to Mexico, we packed soap for Kade and special body wipes so we didn’t have to bathe him in the faucet water. We didn’t want him swallowing the water. Pack the Tylenol, First Aid Kit, Benadryl, Thermometer, Syringes (for the meds), Toothbrush and Paste, Bath Soap, Lotion, Sunscreen, Diaper Cream, Neosporin and Bath Toys.
Next, collect the diapers and wipes, we brought regular diapers, night diapers and swim diapers as well as baby wipes, face wipes, boogie wipes, and body wipes. In Kade’s bag, I also packed a bunch of fruit pouches, granola bars, clothes (burp cloths) and a few small toys. Lastly, the milk! Honestly, I was dreading figuring this out but the plan I created worked perfectly.
Again, we went to Mexico so our scenario is a bit different. We only brought four bottles. We carried two bottles full of milk with us to time them for Kade around our travels from leaving home to arriving at the resort and packed two empty bottles. I had a cycle of two bottles out and two bottles clean at all times. We packed dish soap and a bottle cleaning brush for which Spencer would heat up bottled water in the room coffee machine. I would then add some soap in a cup with a little hot water to create suds and wash all the items with the brush, then rinse with the remaining hot water and lay them out on a towel to dry. It honestly worked out great and I was so glad we didn’t pack tons of bottles. We did also bring some dry snacks like goldfish, a bowl, water cups, and spoons/forks.
no. 4 prep your home
Keep a running list on the fridge, in an email or phone note of all the things you need to do to your home prior to walking out the door. Our leave the house list consists of: stopping the mail, setting the thermostat, putting a few lights on reoccurring timers, unplugging hair dryers, coffee makers and such (this is a Spencer one… I would totally leave them plugged in… not on of course but plugged in), taking out the trash and recycling even if just to our larger cans outside, emptying the fridge of perishable items and triple checking all doors and windows are locked! Oh, and that we leave the house with our phones, chargers, and keys!
no. 3 entertainment
Toys and Games. Games and Toys. Being mindful of space but also wanting to entertain your littles, pack some games and/or toys and possibly a device for movie watching. For the plane ride with Kade, we packed the Baby Einstein musical driving toy, rotating Ferris wheel that suctions to the windows and a tablet with a few games, shows and movies. In Kade’s checked luggage I packed a few books, balls, and stackable cups which were great for the mornings while we were getting ready, and for the rainy days. Additionally, you may want to pack some grown-up card games for those evenings in or rainy days!
no. 2 unpack
Unpack! When you arrive, or shortly thereafter, unpack! Move into the place you are staying… the closets and drawers are there for a reason. You will feel much more relaxed not living out of a suitcase or bag. And when you go to get dressed, being able to clearly see your items instead of rummaging through your luggage will be a big help. Extra tip: hide your luggage in the closet, under the bed or in a non-obtrusive space.
no. 1 snacks
Snacks, Snacks and More Snacks! My number one trip tip is to pack snacks! Snacks for everyone… for you, your kiddos, your hubby, the dog… anyone you are traveling with, have snacks for them! And not just for the flight but for the duration of the trip! Especially when traveling internationally, you might not have the lay of the land right away or get into a bind traveling where you have to skip a meal. Having small snacks like bars, trail mix, and fruit snacks available can certainly save the bellies and moods of the family.
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These are the top 10 family travel tips I have found helpful in my travels, hopefully, you find them useful and maybe can incorporate some of these on your next trip! What are some of your go-to travel tips? I would love to hear them, please leave a comment and share!
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April Davidson Bly Photography
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