Packing for a family of 4

[elmo89]

So due to go on an 11 night holiday to Spain at the end of June with myself,husband, 6 year old and almost 2 year old.
How many suitcases do all you family of 4’s need? We were thinking two large but im looking at the clothes and thinking how is this all fitting 😂🙈

we take 2 large. Hoping it will be enough for 2 adults and 3 DD this year for a week but that might be ambitious with nappies etc 😂

I mean for a family of 5 we had 2 large and then 1 medium sort of. And the 1 medium was just for one person so I'm guessing for 4, yes 2 large! You'll have to do your best trying to fold up as small as possible I'm guessing lol

We pack light. So family of four (4 and 6 yr old), Spain for 7 nights and we just took four hand luggage suitcases. We wore all our big items, footwear, coats etc.

We’re away at the mo. Also for 11 days. Me, husband, child aged 12, and child aged 10. We took 1 20kg suitcase and 3 10kg suitcases. Got tons in there!

@KEG05 - depending on airport and time of flight you might be able to get nappies at boots on departure side (dependent on your favoured brand). When we travelled with littler ones (about 6 years ago now), we did a click and collect from the airport.boots which included nappies, formula and suntan lotion which meant all was counted as carry on. Saved space on the case!

@elmo89 - we usually took a small bottle of travel wash to give a 2nd/3rd wear of items, or if something needed a soak. If hot, clothes dry pretty quickly. 2 large cases may be enough - have you included towels for beach/pool? We also usually take a pair of walking sandals each and wear trainers, so cuts down on shoes to pack. And I tend to wear a dress in evening, then maybe wear next day as day dress to stop doubling up (as know it feels nice to shower and change after a sweaty day!)

It's me, dh and 3 and 6 yr old kids.
Last year we took 3 cases. I didn't want to be really restrictive and wanted lots of options for evening and lots of extra changes for the kids.

The cases weighed about 18-20kg each. We actually had so much stuff that we didn't wear that one of the suit cases was full of clean clothes coming home (so I didn't have to wash them again) lol.

So this year I've decided on 2 as they were so expensive to add on to the flights about £90+ per case each way. We also have option to take a pull on case on board as it's been paid for so I might do that too. We have 23kg allowed in the 2 cases but ours are more medium-large than very large so it's very hard to get it any heavier than 20kg. I'm thinking of buying at least one very large case this time.

It was pretty hard last year though one of us pulling a case and pushing a buggy at the same time while the other was pulling 2 cases 🙈

If you have 2 really large cases I'd go for that especially if u can take a small one on board or the airline allows 23kg.

We usually take three, one for my clothes, one for DH and one for the children to share. I can then spread the toys the ‘need’ to take across all three bags.

2 medium (guess it depends what you class as large case tho - I had to be really careful with our large one, as it was 40kg one year - good job I weigh at home before traveling).

We travel hand luggage only, although we have a washing machine. DD1 will travel with just a small duffel as she packs amazingly light, she’s going for 6 weeks!

DS, DD2 and I will be away almost 3 weeks. We wash very little.

Family of 5, two suitcases (one large or one medium). DC are a bit older, we have all taken our own hand luggage but I find that quite stressful.

To make best use of space, use packing cubes within the suitcases (you can even colour code for each person). Also, roll, rather than fold - takes up less space and creates less creases in the clothes.

You will always take too many clothes. Even with 2 large suitcases you will take too much stuff. Things like nappies, you can buy (just take enough for several days). Important things which people tend to forget - nail clippers and plasters - take up hardly any room. Took 2 x 20kg cases when we went for 2 weeks to Croatia last year with 3 teens and Dh (basically 5 adults). Still didn't wear half the stuff!

At that age, 2 large suitcases and one large duffle bag for shoes, beach towels, toileteries.

That only changed when DD was a teen and in adult clothes.

If there's a washing machine (we always do self catering) you can pack fairly light. We find the DC re-wear clothes on holiday more than at home and hopefully they'll be in swimming stuff a lot too. We always over pack despite this. One large and one medium case.

Definitely depends on what type of holiday and if you can do laundry when you are there. We do self catering so don't need lots of evening outfits and can wash stuff so 2 large cases (23kg each) is find for 4 of us - 2 adults and 2 older kids.

Agree with PP about doing a click and collect at the airport from Boots.