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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

How long before a holiday do you start packing?

68 replies

Filterphobia · 20/05/2023 15:18

So, we are a family of 4 and we fly out to Turkey a week today.How long before flying do you pack? Are you an organised weeks in advance person, or a last minute throw it all in the case kind of traveller?

A friend of mine is going on holiday a week after us and she text me last weekend to say she had already packed?

I am tempted to do it tomorrow, as I’m in work all next week, but won’t it crease? Or is it going to crease anyway so might as well be organised 🤷🏼‍♀️ I have packing cubes and I usually roll instead of folding. Feeling a bit out of practice due to Covid and not having travelled as often recently. I’m sure I’m just massively overthinking this 🤔

OP posts:
StaringAtTheWater · 20/05/2023 16:23

Clothes I generally pack the night before (don't own enough to do it way in advance!), but I start packing other things which we won't need until we're there, up to a week before (e.g. Beach towels, flip flops, pool noodles, wetsuits, etc)

Hidingawaytoday · 20/05/2023 16:25

We're going in just over 2 weeks, and I'm itching to get started, but I won't as a) I'll end up taking way too much and b) toddler dd would probably end up taking it all out and hiding stuff. We fly mid-week, so will do it the weekend before.

Might start writing a list though....

TheChosenTwo · 20/05/2023 16:29

I do it all the day before or the morning of if I’m not leaving before 9ish.
the dc pack themselves.
My washing is always up to date and I’ll have bought anything we need so no late panic “no swimming trunks that fit ds” sort of situation.
Packing is a boring necessity, I’d rather it took up as little time as possible. I can be packed in around 10 minutes, honestly! Dc are the same, dh gets out what he wants to take and that takes him about 10 minutes. We go with the mindset that we can buy anything we’ve forgotten as we aren’t holidaying in space but I think in all the years the only thing I remember forgetting is a phone charger but with 3 other people with one it wasn’t a problem.

SpringIntoChaos · 20/05/2023 16:33

Depends what time of day I'm travelling to be honest. If I'm leaving early, I'll pack the night before, but if I'm leaving any time after 11am-ish I'll do it on the morning of.

I do always have the 'good intention' to do it earlier but never actually do 🤦‍♀️

HerNameIsIncontinentiaButtocks · 20/05/2023 16:45

Three days to do initial "everything except clothes" pack, which gives enough time to go out and buy anything that's clearly missing. Clothes go in last minute.

thebestbirtheraccordingtoDD · 20/05/2023 17:03

Lots of people off to Turkey then. We go in 2 weeks
Not started packing but but have started picking up toiletries
Will pack on the weekend before we go

JennyWren87 · 20/05/2023 17:07

Now we've got two toddlers I start about a week before so I've got all the "right" clothes for the holidays set aside and they don't get worn just before we leave. I also pack my clothes way in advance as holiday is really the only time I love to plan outfits.

Chewbecca · 20/05/2023 17:12

A couple of weeks before I start getting stuff out & choosing, hanging everything in the spare room. Swap things in and out when I think of them / change my mind. Make sure everything is washed and book an ironing service if there is too much.
Actual packing doesn’t happen until the day before.

Babdoc · 20/05/2023 17:12

About a week before, and hide the full suitcase in the wardrobe so my cat doesn’t suspect she is going to be taken to the cattery. Otherwise she hides when it’s time to find her!

keffie12 · 20/05/2023 17:17

I've always packed the day before, even when the adult youngsters were small.

Stuff gets purchased, ready to go in over the year, such as toiletries, etc.

I've always had a holiday box which has regular stuff such as beach towels etc in.

Lists are already made and ticked off as gotten, such as medication.

Yup, I'm an organiser freak, and I know it 🤣

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 20/05/2023 17:19

The day before but I enjoy making lists beforehand and changing my mind a bit/lot.

Hoolihan · 20/05/2023 17:22

Day before. We quite often have to pack or even wear wet clothes because I've made a mess of the laundry schedule.

If we packed weeks in advance we'd have nothing to wear, how much clothing do people own?!

Qilin · 20/05/2023 17:23

Day before.
If an afternoon flight - that morning

Weelegs29 · 20/05/2023 17:40

If its a beach/sunny holiday the cases usually come out a couple of weeks before so I have plenty of time to try on all of last year's summer clothes and have a panic when nothing fits and buy new stuff 😂 the actual packing usually 2 days before but I'll leave the cases open until the night before so I can make sure nothing is forgotten. Hand luggage gets done the night before and I write a list and check it off as I go again so I dont forget anything important.

PucketyPuckPuck · 20/05/2023 18:40

If we packed weeks in advance we'd have nothing to wear, how much clothing do people own?!

I always think this too. For instance, underwear - I don't know exact numbers but i know that when we go for 10 days we pretty much empty our drawers of all knickers and pants, enough for one a day plus a couple spares. So we must own 12-15 ish each? We could never do without all our underwear for a couple of weeks!

Or do we just own abnormally few pairs of pants?

doitwithlove · 20/05/2023 18:41

Packing for myself, usually I do it the day before.

When the kids were younger, a week before.

Lcb123 · 20/05/2023 18:42

I’d write a list a few weeks before to check if I need to buy anything. Then probably start packing a day or two before.

usernotfound0000 · 20/05/2023 18:43

We go away on Wednesday and I haven't really started yet, but that is late for me. I've bought the bits I think we need but no packing has happened. At this rate, I will pack the majority on Monday so 2 days before we go.

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 20/05/2023 19:32

I am starting to look at what everyone might need for our summer holidays (we go in 6 weeks, not in England) around now and will start to give clothes that have been packed away since last summer a quick freshen up wash over the next week.

A couple of weeks before I will look at toiletries and sun cream and see what we need to stock up on.

Around a week before I'll ban everyone from wearing anything they want to take on holiday, and make sure everything is clean and ironed.

I'll start packing everyone's packing cubes about 2-3 days before we go, depending on what we've got on. I roll rather than fold which helps with the creasing.

Non-clothes things get packed the night before - chargers, toiletries, shoes etc.

lljkk · 20/05/2023 19:42

I start piling a few bits on top of suitcase about 2 weeks before, the things I only need on holiday or would easily forget,things I won't need in ordinary daily life before the holiday anyway. And making lists for things I am afraid I will forget.

Problem with packing too soon is you forget what you packed or where you put it, so more like 2 days before for main packing, no sooner.

Creases?! Ha! As if I could ever care about those.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 20/05/2023 20:15

I’m pretty organised, and so can easily pack a bag the night before or the morning of (for an afternoon/evening) a flight. Last minute doesn’t have to mean disorganised! In fact, I think you need to be more organised ;)

mondaytosunday · 20/05/2023 20:20

Day before. Might go through see if anything needs washing the week before, and with growing kids if things still fit!

Skyeheather · 20/05/2023 20:25

Two weeks before I start putting things aside and telling DC they can't wear anything that's going on holiday then a couple of days before I will start to put into the bags. We are ready to go the day before so I just have to load the car before departure.

DP will start packing at midnight before departure day and will still be packing while I'm getting the DC into their car seats!

ChicoryDip · 20/05/2023 20:52

Everything starts being put out on the spare bed a couple of weeks beforehand. I've usually made a list so I know what we need and whether there's anything to buy.

A week before we go away there's a final call for laundry - if it isn't in the washing basket by then I won't guarantee that it'll be washed and ironed in time apart from my stuff.

We all live in scruffs for the last few days and then I try to pack the night before. The only last minute things are wash bags, straighteners, tech etc.

I do also use packing cubes with different colours for DH/DC.

Deadringer · 20/05/2023 20:56

The day before, but I do make sure to wash my 'holiday clothes' a week or two beforehand.

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