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The thought of sun, sea and beaches is enough to make most people yearn for their next holiday, but the thought of packing can be enough to dampen that dream, especially when you’re bringing the whole family with you. However, it’s crucial if you want to go away!
To help you get through this task as painlessly as possible, travel expert Ann Evison, at luxury Algarve villas specialist Sun-hat Villas & Resorts, has put together her top tips that will have you packing like a pro.
Before you read on, if you're planning a big family holiday make sure you take a look at our new Trunki suitcase designs, there might be one perfect for your little one!
Narrow Down The Essentials
Have you ever found that you’ve got to the end of your holiday and only worn a third of your clothes? Or realised you’ve forgotten something important as soon as you got there? What you need is a master packing list of these items that you can use over and over again, every time you fly.
Creating it digitally means it’s really easy to amend and there is less chance of it getting lost at a crucial time. There are some great phone apps out there that can help, such as TripList, the ultimate packing list app, which will also handily remind you when you need to check-in online.
Make Clever Use Of Space
A few clever packing hacks can make a huge difference to the amount of stuff you can fit in your suitcase. Rolling clothes instead of folding them takes up a lot less room, so you can take more – or give yourself a smaller bag to carry.
Also think about the empty nooks and crannies in your case. Where you can, put smaller items like underwear inside shoes or other items with handy spaces.
Less Is More With Make Up
Make up and toiletries can be quite bulky – and you rarely need a full bottle of something while away – so streamline what you take and, where possible, decant products into smaller containers. A contact lens container is perfect for some of your foundation or hand cream.
Pre-empt Any Nasty Surprises
There is nothing worse than opening your suitcase, to find your shampoo has leaked all over your clothes. To prevent this cut a small square out of a plastic bag and put it underneath the screwed on lid. If the flip top lid does pop open, none of the product will be able to escape.
To stop your light coloured clothes getting ruined by anything else in your case, pack them inside out so if they do get marked it won’t be noticeable. It’s also a good idea to pack shoes and trainers with a shower cap over their soles, to avoid any unsightly scuff mark – a large sandwich bag will also work.
And, perhaps, the handiest trick of all, avoid spending unnecessary time untangling jewellery by the pool, by feeding your necklaces and bracelets through straws – simple and effective.
Keep The Kids Entertained
There’s nothing worse for other passengers than bored, noisy children on a flight.
Make sure you pack enough toys and snacks to keep them busy. Food that takes longer to eat, such as fruit, bagels or raisin boxes may bag you an extra few minutes of peace. Lollipops will help encourage your children to suck (and therefore swallow), alleviating the painful ears that can accompany take off and landing.
Try not to give them too much sugar however, or keeping them contained within their seat for a few hours may become an impossible task!
Don't forget to take a look at the Trunki Fun page as well, free downloadable activity packs to help keep your tots entertained on the go!
Hide The Telltale Suitcase Signs
You still want to look your best on holiday, but you don’t want to have to launder clean clothes just because they’ve been in a suitcase.
Put a few tumble dryer sheets in among your clothes when you pack your case to keep them fresh and smelling like they’ve just been washed.
There’s also a fantastic little product called Grandma’s Secret Wrinkle Remover, which after a few sprays smooths out creases with no ironing involved.
Prep Your Arrival Pack
Last but not least, it saves a lot of time to prep an arrival pack and add it to your hand luggage. This should include some coins and notes for when you first arrive (in case you need to tip), a phrase book or printed list of handy local terms – you’d be surprised how far ‘hello’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ will get you – and holiday weather-ready clothing.
Yes, you might have an early flight from the cold UK, but by the time you land that sunshine you’ve been seeking will take its toll. Don’t forget the SPF, you’ll need it!
(And wet wipes. You can never go wrong with wet wipes.)
Bon voyage!
Written & provided by our friend Ann Evison, travel expert at Sun-hat Villas and Resorts!
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