What do I need for our first holiday?

[locan]

I need help as I am bound to be forgetting something.

First holiday is coming up to Spain.

What do I need to remember?

I can think of the usual shorts, t-shirts, sandals/sliders, swimming bits, hooded towel, sunglasses, hats... surely that's not all there is to remember/get.

Passport.
Tickets, travel insurance - either printed or on your phone. Remember your phone! And chargers! Power bank also handy.
Money - cash or a card you can use abroad - see MoneySavingExpert for advice on best way to spend abroad.
Make very sure that your bags and cases are within the limits set by your airline. When I went to the Canaries in February EasyJet were checking all cabin bags and showing no mercy!
I usually buy toothpaste, sun lotion etc when I get there - less to pack, and bin what's left when coming back.

If you don't speak Spanish - then Google Translate or similar on your phone.
Remember - if you forget anything, you'll almost certainly be able to buy it when you get there. So the absolute minimum you need to remember are passports and ticket! And having travel insurance!

Driving licence if you are going to hire a car.

Is this with kids? We went through more clothes than I anticipated but I’d taken some travel hand detergent which saved us

A cardigan or pashmina for evenings
suncream

@Seeingadistance the statement about being able to buy stuff there if forgotten is very reassuring in my panic 

@Cbljgdpk yes, with kids! Travel hand detergent? Is that to wash stuff in the sink (or similar)?

More than one swimsuit so you always have a dry one to put on.

Buy a waterproof phone case - you can buy them there but they won't be cheap.

The correct adapters.

Hair dryer if you are unsure if the hotel provides them. Some want you to rent them - it was cheaper to buy one in the hotel shop!

I honestly feel a bit stuck on what I'm supposed to wear. I've never even really been abroad!

Dresses? Shorts/t-shirt? Am I thinking too far into it?

I would think in terms of layers, so yes, dresses. but also a warm sweater or fleece. I usually take some warm socks (even if you don't need them
in the day, they are nice at night, feet get cold). I also have a warm thin scarf, which is good on the plane (gets cold) but also in the evenings if it is a bit chilly.

Yes to wash stuff in sink, useful for chocolate ice cream stains too!
If your kids are young you’ll need swim nappies, at least two per day.
for you I’d take:
-swimming costumes - at least 2
3/4 outfits to wear over swimming stuff including for day time meals
-depends on how many day trips you plan to do but outfits for those - either skirt and top or dress. I love a summer dress
-clothes for the evening, I wore some dresses more than once
-a thick cardigan for th airport either in the way or one the the way back

• at least one pair of trainers and sandals

Also on our most recent holiday I bought sun screen you can spray into hair so that my parting didn’t burn and I also used it on my kids for when we battled about hats.
if your kids are young get the full swimming costumes that cover thighs and upper arms so less exposure to the sun
crayola mess free colouring sets were winners for our holiday and could be used by the pool

@Cbljgdpk also amazing idea with the hair suncreen - I have never heard of that, and my scalp usually burns quite bad!!

Where can you get it?

If you’re going to bring tablets along for the plane, make sure videos are downloaded and can be watched without wifi. Also headphones.

I also pack all kids clothes in large sandwich bags for ease - labelled.

Talc for the beach to remove sand

Swimming shoes for kids (mainly for the beach)

Beach bag

Hairbands, lots of

Also, Calpol and Iburprofen - it’s happened before when I’ve need it at night for the kids, with no indication of sickness and was glad I had it

Waterbottles (I love the steel ones when abroad)

To be fair, I probably pack half my house when I go away lol. And then DP comes along with his mini weighing scales (I hate them) and I’ve got to take some bits out as he assures me, we can get it there.

Wishing you a fantastic holiday!! ☀️

@CookieCrumbles23 see, that's another one if my panics.

3yo and 6yo in tow - they don't have tablets! It seems crazy to buy tablets just for a trip away.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for entertainment on a 2.5hr flight?

Sticker books, card games like Top Trumps, colouring.

Depending on flight time they might sleep anyway.

You don't need anything particular to wear for yourself, just whatever you wear on a hot day at home.

How exciting!
Entertainment & snacks for travelling.
Talc for getting all the sand off.
Good size beach bag.
Small cool bag for drinks & snacks at the beach.
Book, sunglasses & headphones for you! (I always aim to have a 'it's my holiday too' couple of hours)
Enjoy

Pegs and sandwich bags! Both have loads of uses pegs clip towels to sun loungers, dry clothes, keep open bags of snacks closed etc.
Sandwich bags great for snacks out and about, litter on the beach, leaking bottles etc etc.
Reusable water bottles.
A really easy open, sling it all in kind of bag for the pool and beach. If your kid can walk in flip flops or sliders definitely essential for round the pool or coming off the beach (sometimes sand is too hot to walk on.)
A really comprehensive first aid kit. If any of you suffer from travel sickness take bands/medication, airport transfers can be long and windy roads. GHIC.
Check if you have roaming data on phone.
Rash vest and cover ups.
Small coin purse.
Heat defence spray for hair.
If you have an evening or night flight consider changing them into pjs to encourage sleep!

One powerpoint converter and a powerboard for all your chargers. Perhaps an extension cord if the powerpoint is is a useless spot.

A few "new" things in hand luggage to use on the plane..........sticker books are good. Join the dots, new storybook, I found the travel size aqua draw very handy........can be used for noughts and crosses. Word games eg name an animal beginning with A and work through the alphabet
Avoid felt pens as they drop them and have the potential for a mess!

When you're packing don't have a case just for you, one for DH and one for the kids. Make sure you each have at least 1 full change of clothes in each case. Then if 1 goes missing you're not completely stuck.

We take a mini first aid kit when we go away. Calpol, pain killers for the adults, thermometer, plasters, blister plasters, antihistamines, bite cream, bug repellent.

Take a photo or photocopy of all your passports. Then you have a note of your passport numbers and proof of who you are if you're go missing.

Can you tell we're quite risk averse 😂

Have a wonderful time!

A multi gang extension so you can charge everything at once.

If you buy a few little bits for the journey wrap them up in spare wrapping paper and let them have a lucky dip. The works is great for stickers etc.

Buy sun cream here as it is much cheaper. Also calpol and paracetamol etc.

If you’re going to spain soon it won’t be super warm and you will definitely need a cardi or jacket for the evening.

Adapters for plugs and chargers!!

I always buy long sleeved swim tops for the kids so I don't need to worry about burnt shoulders.

If you're going soon OP don't forget cardigans and something warm to wear at night as it can get quite chilly, when I lived in Spain the locals were still wearing top coats in the day at this time of year despite it being warm enough for t shirt for us Brits😂, have a great time.

DD was small before tablets were the norm. We bought a magazine at the airport, they were absolute treats for her.
Sticker books, new book to read to her, snacks, pad and crayons

Keep something in your luggage for the return flight, English books/magazines are really expensive at the resorts.

Travel insurance, GHIC card, copies of passports or scan them and keep them in an accessible cloud
We have a credit and debit card each, DH's debit card was recently "eaten" by a cash machine abroad and the bank's policy was to send it to the UK bank, not hand it back out.

Keep blankets, cuddly toys or whatever you think they can't survive without in your handluggage

Charger, Spanish suitable plug and a powerbank in your hand luggage

Do you have an old phone? We converted one into an ipod, so just without the SIM and loaded storybooks on it. If you disable wifi/mobile data and supervise them, they are safe. DD could also use it as a camera.