When do you start packing for a family holiday abroad?

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

I’m just in recovery for anxiety and this is one of my pinch points, I over prepare and get obsessed with checking. I just want to do it once, tick things off my list as they go in. There’s five of us, kids and husband are helpful and will gather but I would rather be the one that sees it go in the case.

When would you get the cases out and start putting things in? I’m working right up until we go which is a bit of a nightmare. I’d have preferred the day before off.

I’m going for cool, calm and collected this year instead of anxious, stressed and snappy. Help me be!

I get organised in advance but don't start actually packing until the day before. If I did it earlier than that we'd end up needing the packed stuff again before we left.

I a,low three weeks...but that’s just for me

Get the cases out a fortnight before. I use some nylon zipped bags for different types of clothing. In one I put underclothes, pantyliners, tissues, shoe liners or socks. In another t- shirts, tops etc. On top I put trousers, skirts. When we get there I put the bags straight into the wardrobe space and hang trousers/skirts etc up. I find it’s really quick to do and easy to gather what you want each morning. I pack my handbag, toiletries and hand luggage a few days before I go. Make sure I have things in the hand luggage which could see me through in event of luggage delay. Yes, I am a worrier. I so wish I was like ZillaPilla!

I can't imagine packing earlier than the day before, we are usually wearing the clothes/using the stuff we take before then. Much easier to just do it in one go, except for the teddies/toothbrushes/toiletries/chargers that can't be packed until the morning we leave. If self-catering, I have a supermarket delivery booked for the day we arrive so no food to take. If flying, I get toiletries airside at the airport so they can go in hand luggage.

I try and have every item of clothing we have, clean. Throw anything holiday-suitable on the bed and choose. Generally the night before we go. And I kind of try to make sure it'll all go together.

But I've long been of the opinion that as long as I have my sunglasses, some cash and my passport I'm good to go.

Day before, vaguely make sure what I want to take is washed and ready but I don't go in for special 'holiday clothes' and why do so many people get obsessed with 'toiletries', I can't imagine putting in a special order for stuff at Boots . Surely it's just some suncream and your usual wash kit/any medicines?

weekend before I will iron and pack any strictly holiday only stuff - eg we went away somewhere hot in May half term when the weather here was awful, so I packed mine and the DCs summer dresses and, shorts, beach towels etc. I'll also decant toiletries into little bottles and chuck those in.
Night before I'll sort out the rest - tops, underwear, pjs etc. None of this takes long, as we prefer to pack light, so take half as much stuff as we need and do a wash when there.

DH is in charge of the proper essentials - passports, EHIC, insurance docs, tickets, as he's much more organized than me, and is able to instantly produce everything at the right moment, where as I am constantly rummaging about in a panic.

Oh my god I’m so not a day before or on the day kind or person!! Are the ones doing that just packing for themselves? I just wouldn’t have the time or energy. The day before is for charging devices, packing hand luggage and cleaning the house for me.

Night before or morning of leaving. I can't see the point of packing earlier - we need half the things we pack!

The night before. I don't understand why people start packing 2/3 weeks before a holiday. Also find the whole toiletries thing strange. How much are people taking that they need to make a special order from boots??

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat no, whole family (well not DH of course) I am the most organised person you can imagine. I have our family days out, holidays and finances planned 2 years in advance! But there is just no need to pack days in advance there really isn't, I will have a list, spreadsheet in fact, detailing what everyone needs and then I will do it as late as I can get away with as there's always something that needs to be used. There is nothing to gain packing days in advance IMO, if it's on the list packing doesn't even need to take an hour. I will print off paperwork etc a bit earlier and pre think what I need to purchase in advance of course.

I hate packing. I will make a list about 3/4 days before and then wash all holiday clothes and do the toiletries buying if I need extra bits. Packing then happens the night before we leave. I sort out myself and DD and DP sorts himself out. Invariably something gets left behind but we cope.

I physically dont have enough clothes to pack further in advance!! I cycle through 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of trousers, and currently 2 pairs of shorts. 4 bras. I'd have nothing to wear if I packed 3 weeks before we flew!
It really doesn't take long to pack for 4 people. Maybe an hour??? Pull out of cupboard, pile in bed. Double check. Put in suitcase.

We start a box with things like guidebook, maps, travel games, spare chargers, holiday money, toileteries and suncream around a week before. We also have a list with items which need to come but are used until the last minute.

Everyone gets a warning that the last wash is 3 days before departure and what is worn after that will stay.

We pack the day before, all clothes, handbags/handluggage and when we drive boxes/bags with other stuff which doesn't need to go in the suitcase.

I think having clothes packed in bags for days in advance just causes them looking awful.

I must be the only person who doesn't use a spreadsheet for packing as generally I can remember how many pairs of knickers and tops I'll need for a week. We're heading off when DH gets home from work and I've just about packed my stuff, still need Ddogs food etc and kitcheny stuff. However we are going only a couple of hours away from home and will be within walking distance of a town centre.

im going sunday and im starting to pack today hopefully

I think it maybe does depend a bit on where you're going and for how long though. We're going on a long haul Asian holiday (very rare) so needs more thought, i.e vaccinations, DEET against malaria etc. I've begun chucking a few bits into a suitcase downstairs a few weeks in advance but won't properly pack until a few days before.

I must be the only person who doesn't use a spreadsheet for packing

Nope, I don't treat it like a military exercise, either. We all pack for ourselves, including DS (7), though one of us gives an eye to anything crucial he may have forgotten. The only thing I spend time on is what books to bring, as I haven't got a Kindle.

I'm going on holiday in 2 days and I'm packing today, only because I'm crazy busy tomorrow so todays the only day to do it!
Mind you I've finally learnt the art of packing lightish, so all my packing cubes are rattling round in the massive cases!

I like to leave it as late as possible, which actually helps my stress as you just then do it. No lists here. We just pile everything that is available (if not clean it doesn't go), on a bed and pack for the 4 of us across three medium suitcases. We don't take carry ons either. We have got better and better at not taking too much.

Basically for a standard hotel/beach holiday all you really need is swimmies, t-shirts/shorts, underwear, half a dozen rotating outfits for evening, two pairs of shoes, flip flops, toiletries and books.

Handbag has sunglasses, glasses, contact lenses, money, passport, phone, jewellery.

I get the suitcases out 2 weeks before and start putting things in we won't need at home, a week before i do holiday laundry then pack that, hand luggage inc passports also gets packed a week before, the evenings before we travel i download games/programmes etc onto the various tablets and charge the portable power banks
Night before travel turn off certain plugs and power to the oven/hob.

For packing i have a spreadsheet with a column per person for their suitcase and same for their hand luggage

Gosh, now I understand why my MIL always asks us if we've started packing way before holidays!

We're a night before/day of family. It's not that hard, get clothes out, count enough outfits, wet weather stuff, swimmers, toiletries bag (but I usually buy shampoo etc there), charge everything up overnight, once charged,unplug and throw in electrical suitcase (one of our hand luggage items is just for the various electrical) with adapters. We travel quite a lot, so passports etc always well used, and I print everything out as it's booked and file it ready to go.

I make a list for each child, especially the one with ADHD.

If there's stuff we need to buy I'll try and get that done a week or two before the holiday.

I get everything washed the few days before the holiday so that the night before we all have a full set of clean clothes.

We pack night before, or if we're leaving after 11am we'll pack day of.

The thing that trips me up most often is remembering to allow time to get the dog to the kennels before we leave.

The most difficult holiday I packed for was when DD and I went to Chicago for 3 days, hand luggage only - it was snowing heavily the day we arrived, whereas the day we left Chicago it was 75F. So we needed everything from snow boots to sandals.

The night before. Literally had no idea people did it any earlier