What have I forgotten for holiday?

[bunnyapple4]

Taking dd on her very first holiday abroad for a week and just finalising my list of what to pack.

I think I’ve covered most of it, from plane snacks to travel adaptors to insect repellent, but can anyone give me any suggestions for anything they have taken away (Majorca if it helps!) that they have found invaluable.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been away as well so I feel like I am missing ‘something’, although I am not sure what!

Plug in Mosquito repellent & refills.

If you want to keep mosquitoes at bay sliced lemons in water helps in the room try to keep doors and windows closed as they are attracted by the lights
if you take vit B complex your body will not give off the pheromones that attract them

Dental floss to use as a makeshift washing line

I always use lemon shower gel too and a lemon spray which I buy in Turkey. Ty for your advice. I'll try the lemon in water too.

My list. As a chronic over organiser this is my base list. You prob won’t need all of it but it’s a good reminder.

I have also heard that Avon skin so soft has a repellent in may be worth checking out my skin is very sensitive to anything added to enhance colour and smell so I’m always keen to try natural remedies

Nail clippers, nail file, scissors, anti bacterial wipes for cleaning the tray on the plane.

Also, put one full outfit including swimwear and trainers in each other's suitcases.

Keep a days supply of medication including immodium in your hand luggage. I had a relative who came down with food poisoning 10 minutes after the plane took off and all the meds were in her hold luggage - made for a very unpleasant 10 hour (?) flight from Jamaica to Heathrow😱. If you have prescription medication, keep them all in your hand luggage.

A spare shop loyalty card can be used instead of a room card to keep electric on , handy for keeping the aircon on if you're nipping out for 10 minutes - doesn't always work but worth trying!

Anti-histamines for bites, nothing worse than trying to find a shop/chemist for some when you don’t know where you are!

Pegs can come in handy if the curtains don't quite meet in the middle if you're on the ground floor. I had bad experience with curtains in Turkey years ago and pretty sure the gardener got an eyeful when I was strutting* around naked.

And, my favourite use for pegs, keeping half eaten packets closed 😋.

(*I don't really 'strut' naked 😆)

If there is a chance you could be on your period while away, take towels/tampons. We did a Majorca AI last year. Towels/tampons were mega expensive in the little local shops near the hotel!

An extension lead to plug multiple things into

Travel games like connect four, good for the flight or by the pool or on the balcony., cards/colouring. Electric pump for lilo. Download a few episodes of her fave show on YouTube or Netflix app in case there’s a day you need a lie in or flight delay etc.

Sticky plasters

A large stainless steel coffee cup for the room and pool. I like a bucket of lots of very hot coffee in the morning and can't be doing with refilling the dainty hotel coffee cups a dozen times.
Small plastic bag for rubbish on the plane.
Menorca was super humid when we went. We really could have done with a few more swimsuits as it took ages to get stuff dry.

Calpol, a thermometer, plasters, or is that just my DS.....

A small handheld fan. Airports and coaches are often very stuffy and hot. I always travel with one in handbag.

Uk extension lead with multiple plugs
that way one adaptor plug will do multiple chargers

more waterproof sun cream than you will use as it’s super expensive and difficult to find abroad. And you end up buying the local shit called things like ‘black up’ (genuinely, I bought some!) that is shit and you get burnt. Reader I did not turn black 😆

mosquito repellent I found best to buy at your destination. They have the best stuff. If you have a balcony get the burning coils there too.

insulated water bottles for you and her

a couple of thin fabric carrier bags for shopping and duty free on the way hime

Buy a bottle of a spirit on the way out for yourself so you can have drinks in the room when she goes to bed, and only have to buy mixers.

inflatable shit is usually cheaper at your destination if there are local shops nearby. Otherwise buy at home and bring with you if only the hotel shop.

microfibre or Turkish towels even if the hotel supplies pool towels, they are heavy duty cotton, won’t dry quickly and will run out

conditioner if she has long hair
shampoo is cheap abroad. Conditioner strangely not.

an outfit to chill in the room in. With aircon on it will be cold and you’d wish you brought something other than just pjs or nightdress.

GHIC.

I’m going away very soon. I nearly forgot the EHIC or GHIC as it’s now known but thankfully last years is still in date - needed for healthcare abroad.

I’ve got goggles, swim rings etc, extension lead incase there aren’t enough plug sockets, large luggage bands that go over the whole cases and I put our surname, house number and postcode on so if it gets lost they can get it back to us. Plus I split clothes so we have a bit of each in each case just incase one case gets lost.

when they were tiny I had a little sun tent so when they were on the sand they were sheltered but it was also great for when it was nap time or nappy changes.

sweets for the plane as our ears hurt when they pop, earplugs for same reason. Activity books, those little travel pillows for snooze on plane. This year we’ve bought citrus sponges as they had great reviews for not getting bitten. We go away very soon so we’ve started using them and they smell lovely.

clothes washing liquid. Little first aid kit; paracetamol, plasters and some calpol.

have a lovely time!

Hair brush (forgotten to take that before)
Hair spray
Hair clips/slides/scrunchies
Thermometer
Books
Perfume
Tweezers
Q tips
Make up/remover/cotton pads

Don't forget to check with the airport/airline on what you can take through in your hand luggage and what goes in the hold bag. I think there's a change to how you take liquids through in your cabin luggage now.

I always make a list on my notes on my phone then check everything off as I pack it, that way I don't forget anything!

Have a great holiday!

If your checked bags are a common colour it can be hard to spot them on the airport conveyor belt, so you can tie a ribbon or colourful label near the handle so they are more easily seen.

I can vouch for Avon Skin-So-Soft as a good oil to moisturise with that deflects mozzies. Be sure to bring an insect bite cream in case your DD gets bitten early and before you can figure out where the closest pharmacy is.

There are lots of Lidl shops in Mallorca (though not necessarily near your hotel) if you need to buy sun screen or towels at à good price.

I bought a bottle of gin en route to Morocco as very few restaurants sell alcohol there, and it made for a very nice and cheap evening drink - just add cold mixer feom the resort, for if you don’t have free drinks with your AI package. You might be inside quite early at night with your DD.

I do not like to do laundry on holiday so I bring exactly the number of outfits I need to wear one for each day, a couple extra T shirts, and a couple of dresses for dinner.

You can also buy a very cheap e-sim for local internet if you want to use your phone outside of your hotel wifi area with the Airalo app.

Swim goggles for the pool for your DD.

A sarong to use as a wrap, scarf, beach towel, etc.

A hair moisturiser if you have colour in your hair that might dry it out with the pool chemicals and sunshine.

Library app (Libby or similar) if you have a library card so you can read books and change them frequently.

If you have your passports, phone and a credit card (get a no fee for foreign currency one like Halifax does) ypu can pretty much buy anything else you might need while on holiday.

Have a wonderful holiday!

I keep all documents in a plastic folder. I make photo copy's of everything like the booking ,the transfers,plane tickets ,anything booked .Yes i could get it on my phone but i always have a backup

dont forgot wet wipes on the plane those chair tables are super gross .Also take loprimide

Cystitis sachets. Always.

This is so specific yet more than one person has said it. What are sachets in this context? I only have a vague idea of what cystitis actually is, I’ve never had it nor have my daughters - is there something about travel that makes it more likely?

@SheSpeaks when I finally take time off work, it’s like my body has been fighting stuff off for ages, and when it relaxes all the germs attack. I am quite prone to it anyway, but I find that heat, dehydration, and swimming also contribute.