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 only ever pack the night before or the morning is leaving later.

Basic stiff- cables, charger etc are ready bagged as I travel a lot.

passport and credit card- that's all you need.

We do it the day before. Will have a think and get anything we need eg sun cream the week before. Do a big wash and put it all in folded and ready.

Final sweep in the morning for chargers and a general passport / printouts flap.

It's more the organisation of other stuff eg car parking / excursions that I do in advance.

What do people have on their list / spreadsheets??

Mine is:
Clothes / shoes
Toilet bag
Hair styler
Adapters
Chargers
Kindle

I’m impressed at the organisation of some of you! I’m more of a morning of, or night before if it’s a very early flight, type of packer. DH sorts himself, I usually pack for the toddler.

I enjoy thinking about the packing a week or two before, because I'm weird like that. When I pack depends what day we go on.

If we were to travel on a Sunday, I'd probably not pack until Saturday. If we were travelling on a Tuesday I might begin on Sunday evening.

My husband will pack his stuff at midnight the night before we leave, forcing me to stay awake although the alarm is set for 4am

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat, have you sorted normal travel insurance as well as your EHIC?

Packing usually the night before or the day we go if it’s after lunchtime. I’ll have made sure stuff I’ve got through the washing by the time I pack though & probably checked we’ve got in date passports & I know where they are! DH will pack about 20 minutes before we need to leave & be ready before I am regardless (& very smug about it too!).

Can’t imagine doing it weeks in advance, if it makes you happier though then go for it! Everyone is different..

I don’t use a spreadsheet 😂
I start packing undies, nighties then sun dresses
Luckily I have a load of stuff stored in Tenerife
Although you wouldn’t think it from the amount I pack

A useful tip (maybe I learned it on here) if you are going on a beach type holiday is always take swimwear in your hand luggage, if your main cases get delayed then at least you can still enjoy the beach/ pool while you are waiting for the rest of your stuff to turn up. (Especially if you are a larger lady & can't just buy a swimsuit locally - years ago my DM's cases were lost, she was in Italy & although she could have bought new stuff there was no equivalent of M & S size 18s, just designer boutiques ).

Yes we do @Ribenaberriesgowoo82 why?

Goodness I couldn’t pack the day of or day before, I just wouldn’t have time

@georgiethegorgeousgoat because you said...

..."Most of the shopping is done. Money is changed, EHICs and passports in order. Think that’s everything..."

...so was just a friendly reminder in case you hadn't as you mentioned EHICs.

Night before essentials:
Passports
Medicines
Entertainment for kids
Chargers
Swimming stuff
Sandals

The rest is just clothes. Innit?

I pack the night/day before but I do think about what I will take to check everything is cleaned/ready to go (or if there is anything missing).

But more importantly, i only pack for myself. DH does his own stuff.
The dcs are packing their stuff and I only do the ‘checking everything is clean’ with them. They are teens now but I have done that for years, since they were in primary school.

When you only pack for yourself, things are MUCH easier

It depends which day of the week we’re travelling...

We went abroad 6 weeks ago (travelling on a Sunday evening) and I packed for my 4 kids and I (dh packed for himself!) the day before...

Btw the last thing I would do the day before the holiday is cleaning the house!!!
Why putting so much pressure in yourself just before going?

But I make sure I’ve got everything the week before that I.e.medicine for the kids etc..etc...

I get everything washed a couple of days before, then pack the day before.

Top tip if flying, don't pack all one case for one person. Split it between cases in case one gets lost.

The day before. I wash everything we'll need during the week and pile in the spare room. I used to be a lot more organised but my procrastinator husband has probably helped me get over it. He was still packing his stuff away at 11pm the night before we were to leave at 5 am...

I pack the night before. Once had 4 weeks away with 3 kids and family of 5's luggage was 55kg. The kids were little though.

I do check that the kids haven't outgrown anything not usually used day to day though, a couple of days before..

I start 3-4 weeks before.

@Ribenaberriesgowoo82 Ahh I thought you meant in case my anxiety gets out of control

I do everything a week or two before. (On the few weeks before, I keep up with my washing so that everything useful is washed and ready). We have a medium sized suitcase for 2 family members, so as there are 6 of us, that's 3 suitcases. My youngest is 12 so they all do their case now. I can sense whether anyone needs new things, e.g., son on growth spurt needs more shorts so I buy a couple of pairs, so doing it a fortnight before gives me time to buy extras. Each one of my DC has a travelling bag too. In it they put their money, entertainment, devices, chargers, book, their own drinks bottle and coat / cagoule - I give the kids a list but leave them to it, including charging the night before. I take a bag for the car containing spare technology chargers, headphones, spare drink and medication - somebody always forgets. Everyone takes their own wash bag putting it in the case but I do buy a pack of toothbrushes and soap just in case.

We pack the day before but I’m a huge fan of lists and will have done washing etc the weekend before. I definitely need my list otherwise I’d forget the Yorkshire tea bags which IMO is the most important item to take on a foreign holiday, everything else can be bought there if needed!

Start thinking of what we need approx 6 months before, and have a very useful notes list on my phone called Google Keep. Now (one month to go) arranging airport parking, checking insurance etc, buying clothes / sandals etc (family of 5).

Everyone will pack the day before, using my list as a master list

We are going away mid next week.

I am going to start ironing (don’t normally iron) things we need and make piles on the spare bed this weekend. I will edit these piles for a few days till I am happy with the combination of clothes.

Will probably pack into cases night before but it should just be lifting it in.