Daft things you forgot to pack for a foreign holiday please

[pastypirate]

Going to Egypt with my dds at half term. It's 6 years since we have been abroad and tbf I've been diagnosed with severe anxiety (80% better now) since then so expect that's the lens im stuck with.....

It's an all inclusive place with water slides etc.

I'm paranoid I will forget things.

So far on the crucial list is several cossies to make sure they have dry ones, insect spray, paracetamol etc, the waterproof phone pouch thing, sanitary stuff for dd1, rock shoes for the beach.

It's hurgada. I've been to Egypt before but so long ago I feel clueless as to what you can buy and what's extortionate etc.

Things I have forgotten:

Swimming costume
Flip flops
Bras

…but by far the worst was prescription sunglasses for a road trip to Florida.

A belt for trousers

Copy of the prescription for any medication that you must take beyond pain killers and anti sickness. Some countries have different laws about what is over the counter drug - don’t know about now but lactulose used to need a prescription in USA.

underwear

Relax.
Egypt is fabulous.. if you're in a half decent resort, as long as you have passport, money and bank cards, you're fine. There's nothing you can't live without. They will have shops, pharmacies, everything you need.
Have a wonderful time.

Newly toilet trained (totally dry day/night) dc and realised on the flight to ME forgot to pack spare pants/clothes! Fortunately night flight so dc didn’t wake! Practically rushed him to the loo/boarderline queue jumped to get him in first! Fortunately no accidents and thanked the nice people who let him go first!

Spain September predicted temp 29 degrees got there and had packed one pair of shorts dont know where my brain was that year luckily lots of cheap shops in Benalmdena

San pro

Nail clippers- my kid's nails grow fast as it is but at lightning speed when it's really hot.

Immodium yes but also laxatives in case your bowels go the other way.

Enough hairbands, hair grips etc if you/kids have long hair. I always lose mine on holiday for some reason.

For Egypt id definitely recommend hand sanitizer. Use it before and after eating, and after you touch money.

We've been to Egypt quite a few times now and never had dodgy stomachs, but I'm very strict with hand sanitizer use there - even before it became the norm during covid!

And as a fail safe, pack Imodium.

I once forgot all my underwear. I put it neatly in a carrier bag to keep it all together when I was packing then forgot to put the bag in my suitcase.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nifuroxazide

Ambatrol is an antibiotic that treats diarrhoea and you can but it from Egypt and lots of other countries. I'm not sure if you can buy it in the UK, maybe under another brand name.

Hairbrush was an annoying one, had to travel 10 miles to get one, we were staying in U.K. but remotely and I only realised when we unpacked.The “ local” shop only had 1 type and it was rubbish.

Anti histamine and feet bug spray.. I went a few years ago and no one needed Imodium but I had it just in case.respectful clothing if you are going sightseeing. I would agree local pharmacies are amazing.. I attract mosi (think they have a bloody party as I exit the plane Tbh) and washed hands and got bitten badly.. 2 days on local medicine and was fine and would usually e a week. My advice is to be careful in airport on way home as that’s when I picked up tummy bug so bring the anti bac wipes if you use loo, wipe everything etc

Anti mozzie spray - applied on go home day. Like a poster above, they love me. Left my accomodation at 7am so I figured no need, but took my cardi off in the airport and got eaten alive.

We went to Egypt with Dc1 &2 a few years ago they were 10 &22 months. Dh left the eldest DC’s flight bag with all entertainment, snacks etc in the car at the holiday Inn. I forgot to pack more than 3 days worth of nappies, left them on the bed at home. Travelled to Egypt many times and never experienced a dodgy tum, neither have my family, stay well hydrated, take additional salts, don’t get sunburnt & only use bottled water for teeth. You will have a fab time with lovely weather. And I’ve never needed insect spray in Egypt as they nuke everything around the resorts, so no bugs survive sadly.

Something I haven't forgotten but that I can't see on your list - sun screen! (Sorry someone may have already mentioned this)

In your mind run through your day / routine and it will help you remember everything you need (eg for morn- pjs, toothpaste, any medicines you take, make up etc- you get the idea!)

I went on holiday to the very sunny coastal South of France in the middle of summer and forgot to pack my swimming costumes. A quick trip to Decathlon was required.

Hairbrush. I arrived in Egypt with no hairbrush. I had to spend a fortune on a shit one in a pharmacy and was also cornered into having tea and a chat with pharmacy man. Take a hairbrush.

When I was a teenager going on holiday with my parents, I asked my DF if he'd got the tickets, passports, wallet and cash.

I was 14.

I got yelled at that of course he had.

Got to the airport...oh no he hadn't!!

He's not lived that down!

Waterproof mascara

Thanks for this thread, I'm currently packing and I'd have forgotten the inflatable!
Having said that, I do pack with the mantra of 'Passports, Money, Tickets, Meds' as everything else I may forget can be purchased either at the airport or at the resort.

Immodium is pointless, from experience get Antinal locally over the counter, that will fix it.

While you are in the local pharmacy buy any other meds you need for back home.

I forgot the keys to the house we were staying at! Disaster. Felt we had time to go back for them, missed our flight, had to go to a different airport at our destination, missed our rental car pick up... travelling with toddler and baby.
My husband was so nice and didn't say anything to me about it!

My husband managed to forget to pack a single pair of shorts for a holiday to Spain. Also if you like to bob about on a lilo or inflatable donut or something, do take your own, they tend to be extortionate out there.