Family Holiday Packing List.
Everything for the whole family — from baby gear and kids' sunscreen to entertainment for long journeys. Your stress-free family trip starts here.
Family holidays are logistically complex — you're essentially managing multiple people's wardrobes, health needs, entertainment requirements, and safety gear simultaneously. The packing list that works for a couple or a solo traveller gets an entirely different layer of complexity the moment children are involved. This checklist is built around that reality: what you truly need for the kids, what can be left out, and the things that save your trip when they go wrong.
Before you pack
Four tips that make the difference.
The plane / car bag is a separate project
Pack a dedicated bag for the journey itself — completely separate from your main luggage. It needs: snacks, drinks, a change of clothes per child, wipes, entertainment, and first aid essentials. You will need to access this before you reach your gate.
Pack twice as many wipes as you think you need
This is not an exaggeration. Wipes solve problems you haven't thought of yet. They clean faces, hands, surfaces, shoes, and small disasters. Pack them in every bag.
Check passport expiry dates for every family member
Children's passports are valid for a shorter time than adults'. Many people are caught out by a child's passport expiring between booking and travel. Check all passports the moment you book, not the week before.
Children's medication varies by country
Common children's pain relief brands differ between countries. Bring enough of whatever your children normally take for the entire trip — don't assume you'll find the same product at your destination.
The essentials
What goes in the bag.
Tick items off as you pack. For a full list tailored to your trip length, climate and travel style, use the checklist tool.
Documents
Baby & toddler
Kids essentials
Journey bag
Kids' clothing
Health & safety
Want the complete list, with your own items, saved on your device and exportable to PDF or Notion?
Open the checklist tool →Coming soon to Etsy: a print-ready A4 PDF of this list, in English and German.
FAQ
Questions people ask.
What's the best way to keep kids entertained on long flights?
Download content before you fly — streaming doesn't work reliably in the air. A mix of familiar favourites (they rewatch endlessly) and a couple of new things works well. Noise-limiting headphones are worth buying for children under 8. Snacks are entertainment. So are sticker books and small new toys revealed mid-flight.
Do babies need their own passport?
Yes — in almost every country, every traveller including babies needs their own passport. There are no exceptions for infants in EU/EEA travel and most international travel. Apply early — baby passport photos are notoriously difficult and processing takes time.
How do I pack light for a family holiday?
The trick is accepting that you can't. Family holidays require more luggage than any other trip type. Focus instead on one checked bag per adult and a day bag per person. Kids over 4 can genuinely carry a small backpack with their own essentials and toys — it also makes them feel involved.
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