Organise Family Travel Like a Pro!

Organise Family Travel Like a Pro!

‘When you travel with children you are giving them something that can never be taken away…experience, exposure and a way of life’.

Pamela T Chandler

As school holidays roll around the very thought of packing for a family holiday can be overwhelming! In the third and final instalment in a series of end-of-term blogs, here are a professional organiser’s top tips for stress-free vacation prep…

1. Packing

• Start getting in gear well in advance of setting off. Write or download a packing checklist to work from, keeping a copy to add to/refer to for future getaways. You can download a FREE packing checklist from the online store and simply print a fresh copy to work from in advance of going away – https://www.betterorganised.uk/online-store/
• If kids’ swimwear, sunhats and ski suits haven’t been worn since last holiday season, take a moment to check they still fit
• Draw up a basic shopping list of essentials, such as insect repellants, suntan lotions and batteries
• Plan and pack 1 outfit per day (plus one spare outfit for each child!), including clothes, underwear and socks

2. Entertainment & Food

• Download a few movies, audiobooks or games
• Look out colouring books, pencils, stickers and handheld puzzles or card games. A couple of new ones from pound shops can provide inexpensive in-flight entertainment
• Snacks, snacks and more snacks! Bento boxes* introduce a bit of novelty (and you avoid paying the inflated prices at service stations or airports)

3. A Little Bit of Holiday Admin

• Pre-book taxis and airport parking/hotels
• Arrange stroller rental if required
• Check that travel documents, passports, insurance and immunisations are all organised well in advance
• If you’re staying in Switzerland or an EEA country, look out EHICs and check they are still in date
• Take photos of passports and EHICs – email copies to yourself as a back up that can be accessed in the event of loss or theft

Planning ahead and following the simple steps above can keep you on track as you count down to your family fun in the sun!

For tips on organising kids’ artwork, check out https://www.betterorganised.uk/blog/create-your-own-kids-art-gallery/ and if you’re looking to breeze the end of term prep this might help; https://www.betterorganised.uk/blog/how-to-breeze-the-end-of-term-prep/

Kate is the founder of Better Organised – a professional organising business based just outside Glasgow. For her step-by-step guide to decluttering and organising thirty categories around your home, head to Amazon* to order a copy of A Better Organised Home in 30 Days!

• As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.