Pro Tips for Road-trips — Packing the Car

Pro Tips for Better Organised Road-trips — Packing the Car

Life is like a road-trip — enjoy each day and don’t carry too much baggage. — Unknown

A Better Organised approach to packing the car for a family journey.
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Grab bags — keep the following close to hand (in the rear footwells is ideal); a bag of activities, a snack bag, a bag with a change of clothes/PJs for each child (handy if you’re changing them out of/into PJs en route). Remember shoes/slippers, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Baby changing bags could be included here too
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First aid kit — I keep a basic kit in the glove compartment, to which I’ve added Calpol/syringe, a thermometer, Savlon, arnica cream and antibacterial hand gel
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Sun cream, hankies and baby wipes — it’s handy to have these all within easy reach — door pockets are perfect
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Hidden space — Gaps underneath/pockets on the rear of seats are perfect for a couple of blankets, a towel and some activity books
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Suitcases/bags — place large luggage in the boot first, fitting smaller, lighter items around it. A few soft bags can be a better option than one or two large, bulky suitcases. They’re easier to stack and squeeze into tight spaces, are lighter than cases and can simply be folded and tucked away rather than taking up valuable space in your holiday accommodation
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Buggies — if your buggy’s not going to be used until you’re settled in your accommodation it can probably be packed right at the back of the boot. If not, place it on top of the other luggage once the boot’s packed, so that it’s immediately accessible at service stations and at your final destination
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Scooters — folding scooters are a great option for holidays, as they take up significantly less room than bikes and the lighter weight means their impact on fuel consumption is minimal
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*Top tip*
Ensure that items are secured and there’s no obstruction to the driver’s vision

For tips on road-trip snacks, visit https://www.betterorganised.uk/blog/pro-tips-for-road-trips%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Asnacks/ and hints for keeping kids entertained on the journey can be found at https://medium.com/@kategalbally/pro-tips-for-road-trips-entertainment-b0061384a94f

I’m Kate Galbally, a productivity coach & professional organiser and the founder of Better Organised; decluttering and organising homes, offices, businesses and lives in and around Milngavie, Glasgow. For my step-by-step guide to decluttering and organising throughout your home, you can order a copy of A Better Organised Home in 30 Days at Amazon. For regular tips, advice and news about all things organised, please sign up to my newsletter at https://www.betterorganised.uk