How much stuff do you take for a week? Will 3 bikinis be enough?

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

I am going on holiday for the first time in 5 years at the end of May and I am happily obsessing about clothes. BUT we have only got 1 hold bag, 20kg, for a family of 4. The kids are very little, though (4 and 21 months). DH claims he can fill his carry-on with his wardrobe, so he's out.

I have currently got:

2 and a half bikinis (will buy the last bikini top when I get paid) and a swimsuit.

3 pairs shorts
1 play suit
5 dresses (some a bit posh for daytime)
1 strapless cotton jumpsuit (which I might leave behind if I can't slim my waist down a bit)
3 skirts
4 pairs of sandals (2 flat, 1 medium, 1 high)
Various vests/camisoles and little cardigans/shrugs
Underwear
Hoodie for the plane because they're always cold

in my list of clothes to take, plus a sunhat to buy and somehow pack, plus beach towels, suntan lotion, armbands for the kids and books, toiletries etc. I'd quite like a sarong too, even if DSis did say they are old-fashioned.

Is this too much for a week?

Bikinis you will have enough.

You are taking far too many other clothes.

1 skirt
1 cardi/shrug
3 vest tops
3 dresses
3 shorts
Play suit
1 flat sandal, flip flops for pool, 1 heeled

Rotate the shorts/skirt vest tops around. I haven't worn a sarong in years. I have a top/dress that I use as a coverup.

I think that list looks fine. I probably wouldn't worry with the medium pair of shoes and would just do two flats for daytime and one heels for evening because shoes take up so much space and are heavy!

Where are you going? If you're going to be doing temples or churches or anything a good go-to outfit which covers shoulders and knees whilst not stifling you to death will help!

I tend to go for 2 bikinis (wear one while the other dries and vice versa) and a swimsuit (in case I need to cover up due to sunburn/over indulgent dinner the night before), not sure you need free but frankly they dont take up much room!

I try and wear my bulkiest stuff so don't pack a hoodie but wear it on you/tie around your waist on the day you fly. You could probably get away with wearing the sunhat too if you don't care about getting the odd look ;)

Check whether where you're going lets you hire towels, sometimes that can save on space.

Enjoy your holiday!

If you have a wrap/pashmina I would use this for the plane, then you have another alternative for the evening.

Is now the time to confess that I was going to buy a nice white cotton shirt as a cover-up as well and more dresses ? And won't I need scruffier clothes during the day and nicer ones at night? The DC are bound to cover me in ice cream and grime so I'll need some changes.

Corfu, self-catering villa. I absolutely cannot wait! It's a sort of AirBnB thing (ie, same idea, but different company) and the owner has said bath towels will be provided but we aren't to take them to the beach, so I will need to take those. I don't know about churches and temples - think any priests etc would look more askance at screaming children than at my shoulders, but if I buy a white cotton shirt I can put that on. Most of my skirts/dresses are knee-length or maxis so I can bend down to scoop the toddler up without flashing.

That is far, far too many clothes.

I've just got back from two weeks with me, DH, and two kids aged 5 and 2 (a very messy toddler). We managed with one 15kg hold bag plus hand luggage, and our hold bag was well under the limit. We were moving around from place to place so had no washing machine.

Why in gods name would you need
3 pairs shorts
1 play suit
5 dresses (some a bit posh for daytime)
1 strapless cotton jumpsuit (which I might leave behind if I can't slim my waist down a bit)
3 skirts
!!!
FOR ONE WEEK!?!

Also FOUR pairs of shoes?! All sandals?!? WHY?

I took, for two weeks in cities, with changeable weather:

3 pairs jeans/leggings
4 dresses
5 t-shirts/tops
3 bras
lots of knickers
1 shawl/scarf
1 pair shoes (silver strappy but comfortable for walking)
1 jacket

That's it. If we'd been including beach stuff, I would have added a sunhat and two bikinis.

2 bikinis
2 pairs shorts
4/5 strappy vest/ tshirts
1 skirt
1 pairs of sandals, I flip flops
1 cardigan
Underwear
Hoodie & Jeans (or trousers) for the plane, plus pashmina (&socks)

Buy small sizes of everyday family toiletries on arrival and cheap beach towels in the supermarket, and ditch them at the end. Toiletries are heavy.

I think I took
3 pairs of shorts
1 pair Cropped trousers
6 tops (mix of vests and teeshirts
One dress
Birkenstocks
Converse
Underwear
One bikini
In a hand luggage suitcase.
If you're pottering around the beach and villa it doesn't matter if you're a bit scruffy

Buy cheap towels there and ditch them if they won't fit in your case.

i took away with me last year for 1 week
2 bikinis
2 playsuits (for during the day)
1 maxi skirt
5 tops to go with said skirt
1 maxi dress
1 pair of trainers (travelled in)
1 pair sandals for at night and 1 pair for during the day
1 lightweight cardi if i needed to cover up

travelled in long tshirt, leggings and hoody ( wore the same coming back - just washed the leggings and tshirt when i was there in sink and hung at balcony)

Well i like to have a choice on holiday, so no i dont think you are taking too much.

Turkish Hammam towels are really worth it. They are extremely lightweight - four will take up the same amount of room as 1 bath sheet sized ordinary beach towel - they're very effective and they dry really quickly. In an emergency they could make a cover-up.

This would be my list:
2 and a half bikinis (will buy the last bikini top when I get paid) and a swimsuit.
2 pairs shorts
1 play suit
2 dresses (one a bit posh for daytime)
1 strapless cotton jumpsuit (which I might leave behind if I can't slim my waist down a bit)
2 skirts
2 pairs of sandals (1 flat, 1 medium)
2 vests/t shirts
1 cotton shirt, white foreach cover up plus to wear over vest if chilly in the evening
Underwear
Hoodie for the plane because they're always cold

You will find that people don't really dress up these days for eating out. We have been to Corfu a couple of times in the last 10 years and I felt a bit overdressed when I wore my naice dresses.

The evenings at the end of May can still be a little on the cool side so make sure you have something warmer.

I agree that there are too many clothes on your list.

I am going away in June with dh and 2 dc (5 & 2 yo). We will have one cabin bag each - also sc and need to take beach towels. I will roughly pack:
1-2 shorts
1x dress
3-4x tops
knickers & 1x bra
1x bikini
1x microfibre towel for beach
mini toiletries
1x flat sandals
1x bottle of travel wash in case it all goes tits up and I run out of clean clothes

On the way I will wear hoody & jeans and probably cons or medium heeled sandals. When we are away with the dc we rarely eat out in the evenings or its so early its not worth dressing up (my dc are hopeless at staying up late so we tend to get a take away from a restaurant and eat & drink outside our chalet in peace while the small ones sleep). I always find that I end up wearing the same stuff over and over on holiday so I just stopped packing so much and never missed any of it! I will take heels and naice clothes for my mini break with dh.

Also, I buy nappies and wipes at the supermarket on the other side. Yes they are slightly more expensive but I don't want to waste precious luggage space on nappies.

If you are self catering in a villa will there be a washing machine ?

I know laundry isn't on everyone's list of favourite things to do whilst on hols, but it can certainly cut down on your packing.

Travel light - if you are wearing swimwear during the day you won't wear actual clothes that much.

Shoes are bulky and heavy - three pairs max (including a pair on your feet on the journey).

Towels - either buy beach towels there and ditch them - or buy some Hammam towels - superlight and pack down small.

Take that list and halve it

In my experience it isn't usual to get a washing machine on SC holidays in the Med. I would always assume not.

I think there is a washing machine. Doing laundry is not top of my list, but I suppose it's either that or take 7 changes plus spares for each of the kids as well, come to think of it.

Niminy, those Turkish towels look good, thanks for the tip!

I shall sort out my list. I think you're right about us not going out in the evenings much - DS isn't good at staying up late yet.

I don't mean to offend but why only one hold bag? Having 2 young children myself, I know how difficult it is to make sure they have everything they need and would never be able to fit it into one hold bag and a couple of carry ons. With kids, it's more than just clothes that take up space... Nappies, cups, snacks, sunscreens etc.

It does sound like the towels are a space issue, so my suggestion would be that for the same price as buying new towels (either there or the Turkish ones) you could take an extra hold bag.

On top of that, I would wear the biggest shoes on the plane, then take one pair of sandals and a pair of flip flops. Myself, I could even wear the all-purpose sandals on the plane and take the flip flops because all my shoes basically look the same

Other clothes - far too many. Pick a colour scheme based on about three colours so everything mixes and matches. You basically need (think functionally):

A plane outfit including cardigan or shawl
2 pool / beach cover ups or dresses
3 casual day outfits
3 evening outfits or dresses (could be teamed up with items of day outfits)
Swimwear / underwear

That will honestly be enough. You'd wear all of them about twice which is perfectly reasonable.

I think there is a washing machine. Doing laundry is not top of my list
Not top of my list either, but I used the last day of our holiday and came home with a suitcase of clean clothes.

Agree with much of the above - there are too many clothes. I'd take about half of what you've listed for a two week break.

However, if it's primarily a beach holiday I'd take at least 4 bikinis. Usually end up changing them during the day and washing them out in the sink. They hardly take up a lot of space.