Essentials list for a week in the sun!

[RegularVoltaire]

So, I haven't been on holiday abroad for what seems like a lifetime. My youngest (6) has never been, and my older two have only very distant memories.

We have booked as cheaply as possible, including limiting luggage (although we each have 5kg of handluggage) so I don't want to go overboard and just want to take essentials. There are 5 of us and we are going All Inclusive to Spain for one week.

My list so far consists of:

Passports
Tickets
Euros (have no idea how much to take)
Small medicine box with painkillers, plasters, immodium, diarolyte and anti-histamines - anything I've missed?
Sun lotion (again have no idea how much to take)
After sun (see recurring theme above!)
Beach towels (I'm assuming one each?)
Hairdryer/Straighteners
Travel plug
General toiletries including toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo etc
3 pairs of shoes each (one to travel, one day, one night)
4 bikini's/costumes each
7 x evening outfits
7 x day outfits
Cardigan/light jacket in case it gets cold

There are probably a million things I've left out - help!

Another tip: pack all toiletry containers in resealable food/freezer bags within your wash bags if packing in hold baggage, it saves an awful lot of mess if any tops get broken or containers get damaged because it is contained in the plastic bag. (We had this happen with a small bottle I had decanted DH'S shower gel into, it had a split in it. Don't think baggage handlers helped the situation!)

I use travel wash as well Budgie, but only on two week hols. Can take less underwear as well as clothes. There might well be a laundry room for guests use at an A.I. hotel. We only go B+B basis and it's not such an imposition to wash through a few bits by hand if there isn't one.

I've got loads of body butter, will that do the same job?

These are great tips - thanks all

Body butter or any good body lotion would be fine, although DH might appreciate something with no scent! I like to use an aloe vera lotion which is very gentle for sensitive skin. I've never bothered with an actual aftersun product.

careful with over scented lotions as the mossies will think it is Christmas. And make sure you don't wear anything with excessive scent in the sun as it can trigger photosensitive reactions.

Yes good point about the mossies special. The aloe vera lotion I use is called Aloepura. it's organic and has no smell at all.

Good points ... thanks.

re suncream, all the supermarkets have their own brand so dont buy nivea/garnier at the beach for 10 euros a bottle, get it in the supermercardo for half that and save a tonnage on your luggage.

Bear in mind that a cabin-sized suitcase weighs at least 2kg so uses up a chunk of your 5kg allowance - 5 kg is easy to carry so I'd go for a wheel-less hold all that will weigh much less & let you carry more. Ryanair, I presume?

Suncream is always expensive in resort - buy at Boots airside in the airports, they often have offers on, same as on the high street. Once you are airside you don't have to worry about the 100ml limit or bottles bursting over your hold luggage. Also buy water, sandwiches etc for the flight, selection will be much better and cheaper than on the plane.

If ai do you need towels? We've booked ai in turkey. Towels supplied by hotel.

I've bought suncream - 2 x 50, 2 x 30 and 2x 15 spf. Does that sound like enough? The 30 and 15 are big bottles and the 50's (for younger dd's) are slightly smaller. I thought I'd buy any extra in the supermarket if we need it.

No walkacrossthesand - we are flying with Thomsonfly.

I can't find anything in the hotel facilities that state AI get towels, so think we need to take our own.

All the shorts I own aprox 4 pairs
Seven T shirts
Two evening outfits (always shower before dinner)
One costume, 2 tankis, rash vest- I burn long before DD2
Light weight but long trousered traveling clothes because we are cheapskates and tale night flights to get 7 full days.
14 pairs of knickers, stack of bras, less if you wear bikinis. I feel stupid in them. Always did even when young and slim.
Beach towels
Suncream-no two for one offers
We do after sun because the DD like it even if they aren't burnt.

Long trousers for DH and older teen boys, some hotels say long trousers for dinner. Certainly smart shorts.