Holiday hacks

[LifeInAHamsterWheel]

We're going abroad soon, self catering, first time abroad in a long time and I've forgotten the things I used to bring to make things easier.

So far all I've got is an extension lead so that we can plug in various things with just one adapter - I know there are loads more, but my mind is blank!

Hit me with your holiday hacks please

Also sold in home bargains and b&m if you don’t have a matalan nearby.

Clothes pegs - not just for washing/swimwear but handy for sealing food packets.

A sharp knife.

A chopping board - one of those super thin ones you get from ikea. SC always seems to have those awful glass ones that given me the rage, or one the size of a postage stamp.

Herbs and spices (few spoonfuls in bag) if you intend to cook at home.

But be careful what food you pack as thanks to bloody brexit you can no longer take some things to Europe.

Definitely tea bags, otherwise it seems to be Liptons, and apart from Earl Grey, I just can’t be doing with that.

Turkish Hamman towels -I think that was a mumsnet recommendation- are brilliant as they don't take up much space and dry really quickly. A couple of TKmax bags for life with long shoulder straps are also great for beach paraphernalia.

For catering, Knife, bottle opener, tin opener, tea towels, and a couple of j cloths. Roll of plastic bags and washing up liquid or dishwasher tabs. Bottle brush if you need it. Tea, coffee, few milk sachets, biscuits and a few cereal bars in case of delays. Matches.

Travel adapter with USB ports. If you've got little ones I really recommend a beach tent, it helps keep all your stuff together.

Have fun! Where are you going?

When Ihad 3 boys at home I used to keep the previous sets of underpants when I bought new ones , then took the “ old” ones on holiday and threw them away. Same with socks. Saved so much washing when we got home

What’s a stir in sauce?

Do people actually throw away dirty underwear??!

A sauce that you stir into pasta. 🤗

I'm also packing for a holiday and am taking toqels and bedlinen as they aren't included and a shower mat - which I usually forget!

Some of these tips make me wonder what sort of holiday houses you guys rent!

I've never not found a tin opener or washing line! And while I agree that knives in holiday houses are always blunt, it really doesn't trouble me enough to merit bringing my own!

I do take:
Bin liners (never enough)
My own washing up brush as I don't like using one other people have used
Dettol wipes to clean things where we get there
Kitchen and loo roll (never enough)
Couple of dishwasher tabs and washing caps

If you’re travelling to Europe be careful about taking food items. Since we’ve left the EU dairy and meat products are prohibited. This includes chocolate, haribo, fudge if they contain milk or gelatine. Obviously be careful travelling anywhere but I mention EU as rules have dramatically changed,

Some of these tips make me wonder what sort of holiday houses you guys rent!

Same here! Never had to take 90% of what has been listed here. And there is still food sold 'abroad' as well, why drag some random cheap staples you can buy anywhere?

So check first what the accommodation has, if not listed then reviews would surely mention if you need to bring your own cutlery and bath mats.

Shammy towel, portable clothes dryer, packing cubes, crackers (I love cheese and take my favourite cracks haha), pack empty drink bottle in carry on bag to fill post security, download google maps offline, put a a (tumble) dryer sheet in your bag, bring a power strip or extension cable with USB ports (agree this is a game changer).

Thanks everyone! Some great ideas here and if I come across any others I'll be sure to share them

@midsomermurderess A sauce that you stir into pasta I figured that but I meant what are they specifically? Do you mean to freeze and pack?

Hand luggage and click and collect sun lotion etc at the airport. If you are booking a transfer from the airport ask them to stop at a cheap supermarket on the way for a few bottles of wine, water etc. Make sure you have insurance and a preloaded currency card you can top up. Otherwise travelling in Europe is far easier than the UK you can buy anything you forget. Just to add- if you do not travel often please make yourself aware of the security rules (that have been in place for over a decade) and when you are in the line which is currently taking nearly an hour in some airports, all the posters and announcements about belts and shoes off
/laptops out etc also apply to you. Waiting until you get to the front is a bloody piss take.

And if you have children who are going to watch stuff/play noisy games etc on the flight make sure they have headphones. Just a basic courtesy but there is at least on parent on every flight (and I fly several times a year) who feels this is not applicable to them. It is a flying bus, nothing special, usual rules and courtesy apply.

tea bags a million times over! Used to always take them, 3 years of no holidays and we were away to Spain last week and I only realised I’d forgot them when I was making my morning tea at the buffet 😭 its just not the same when it’s not tetley!

Only relevant for people with babies but we bought a little clip on fan for his pram and during the day the vibration of it would make him sleep so easily 😴 We ended up not even putting the fan towards him and just putting it on the handle to get him off to sleep 😂

One I learnt the lesson of the hard way on this holiday.. sun tan lotion makes blonde hair turn orange/pink. I didn’t bother taking my purple shampoo, turns out you can’t get that ANYWHERE! Had to walk about with half pink hair all week and have struggled to get it out since getting home. When I googled it it turns out I should have got a special sun tan lotion without this chemical in it as that’s what’s done it 🤦🏼‍♀️

I hate if the scanner goes off when I walk through so I remove EVERYTHING. I took my shoes off and put them in a little tray. As I was waiting on them coming out the other side, the couple next to me saw my tray coming and went ‘ha! Someone’s shoes!’ I looked round and realised no one else had taken their shoes off, I felt a bit daft. Then on the way back I didn’t and as I went to walk through they pointed at my shoes and asked me to take them off 🙈😂 So yeah, I wasn’t being over cautious!

Buy all your toiletries once airside to save weight. Go for breakfast in the airport and stuff your pockets with sachets of ketchup, salt etc.

I’m honestly not trying to be snarky here, but why would you do this when you’re on holiday? Don’t you just use a empty carrier bag to put dirty clothes in? And do you leave the pop up basket at the holiday home, or do you bring it home with you?

From when your children are 3 get them their own cabin luggage wheelie bag and back pack. Get them to help pack their own bags and by the time they are 8-9 they can mostly pull their own wheeled bag and pack their own backpack with toys etc.
get the kids their own headphones. A cheap tablet with films on is useful for downtime - get a head phone splitter so they can watch it together.
Unless you have special stuff, buy shampoo and shower gel for everyone to use when you get there.
You don’t need travel wash, use shower gel or shampoo and do your washing when you have a shower.
Take mosquito repellent, bite cream and hyrdacortisone. You might not be able to get stuff suitable for kids abroad. You can buy these in boots after security. Same with your favourite sun cream.
In particular, take piriton or oral antihistamine with you. You need to see a doctor to get these in Spain.
osborne do nice sticker books and I used to get one of these each for the kids for travelling.
if your child fixates on a particular food, don’t assume you can get it or it will be the same abroad. Take it with you.
Take a insulated water bottle, even if you can’t drink tap water you can put your chilled bottled water in it to keep it cool while you are out all day.
Atleast two swimsuits each is helpful.
A cloth tote bag each is useful, kids love having it to take stuff to the beach or to get bread/ groceries, then you leave their toys in the backpack tidy.

A wine bottle opener. A clothes line and pegs to dry towels and swimming costumes and any washing you do whilst away

To PP asking what type of places we rent - I have rented roughly 20 different SC places in France in the last 10 years and have never been in one with wooden spoons, potato peeler, tuperware or klippets.

Their knives are often rubbish but not enough for me to take one of mine.

I have found the clothes washing facilities fine though - always a machine, clothes line and/or clothes horse.

If your little ones still use calpol definitely take that. My DC were ill in England once and the 2 year old refused point blank to take calpol as it tasted different to what we use in France. It was awful.

Some tupper ware containers for left overs/picnics
Tea bags but in. lots of countires the fresh milk is not the same as here (higher heat used but not UHT and tastes differently) and also often difficult to find.
Reusable water bottle
Ice cube bags if you. have a freezer section
I would check if beach towels are provided.
If you have small children and don't use glasses at home: bring your own cup for them