What to pack for a family trip abroad: a full checklist

The last thing you want to discover on a trip is that something critical stayed at home. So here's an organized packing checklist for a family, divided into categories, so no important item falls through the cracks.

Documents (the most important)

• Valid passports (check six months ahead)
• Flight and lodging confirmations, printed and also in your email
• Travel insurance, including cover for the kids
• Credit cards and a little cash in the local currency
• A copy of every document in the cloud, for emergencies

First-aid kit

• Painkillers for adults and kids (in the right doses)
• Band-aids, antiseptic and soothing cream
• Personal medications and prescriptions
• Sunscreen and after-sun
• Motion sickness medicine, if relevant

Kids' clothing

The guiding rule is layers: the weather changes, and a few thin layers always beat one thick garment. For each child, take a pair of comfortable closed shoes that are already broken in, not new ones, a hat, and also a swimsuit and a quick-drying microfiber towel.

Items that are easy to forget

• A plug adapter for the destination country
• A power bank for your phone
• Plastic bags for wet or dirty clothes
• Snacks from home for the first hours of travel
• A reusable water bottle for everyone
• A game or a quiet activity for waiting times

One last tip

Pack a first-day kit for each child in the carry-on (a change of clothes, a snack and a bottle), so that even if the suitcases are delayed, the first day is covered.

Packing is the last step. Everything that comes before it (destination, dates, budget and days) is gathered in the family trip abroad guide.

And once the packing is done?

Now that the bags are packed, all that's left is the itinerary. Diretix builds you a full daily schedule for the trip, tailored to your family, in minutes. One trip a month is built in full, for free, up to 12 days.