Travel List – Leave Home Prepared

If you and your family are heading away on vacation, don’t forget to create a family travel list.

A little family travel information we thought may help ease the stress and anxiety when preparing for holidays.

It’s a simple but most often neglected ‘travel list‘.

Are you the type of person that worries about what to take and prior to travel always say …

“Gee, I hope we have everything?”

Well, with a little preparation beforehand and putting together a simple list of items to pack beforehand, can save you that worry.

Have a look at this short video on preparing a travel list for holidays …

How many times have you or a family member left on vacation and arrived at your destination only to find that you forgot to pack that “oh … so important item? ”

Well, if you are one of the few who said no, then you obviously must have a pre – travel list.

What we normally like to do is simply put out a sheet of paper prior to travel and start marking the little often missed items we wish to take along, as they pop into our mind.

Our family has done this for years and it’s worked out great!

A Packing List Is Your Travel List

So, you and your family are getting ready for that long awaited vacation, but just what are you packing?

If you’re traveling by air and today, with the most airlines now charging huge amounts for baggage, it’s important to take only what you need!

Why do my wife and daughter always insist on taking their entire clothes closet with them on a 2 week vacation?

Only to use 2 or 3 items of the 15 that they packed?  Is it a girl thing?

I read a great article from the host of my favorite television program “Amazing Race” recently.  He even mentioned to ‘take only what you absolutely need‘ and are 100% sure you will use it!

I’ve become extremely proud of myself in being able to pack pretty much everything into  carry on luggage for a typical 2 week vacation.  I also keep in mind that I can carry an extra bag home for any souvenirs and such that I’ve gathered while away.

It’s so nice to walk off the plane and not have to wait with the hundreds of others at the luggage carousel.  A carry on bag for each of us has worked great on our last adventures.

At Holidays for Family, our recommendation for vacation travel is to ‘pack light‘ and remember it’s a holiday, not a 2 week business trip where you need a new outfit every day!

Only What You Need – Not What You Want On Your Travel List 

I think my wife is beginning to get the message when preparing and packing for travel.  She’s beginning to see the light when it comes to packing only what she needs and not what she may need.

My daughter still has a lot to learn in that regard and can’t quite understand as a teen, that ‘she doesn’t need 5 pairs of shoes‘ for a tropical vacation!

Here’s an interesting article on preparing a travel list with a few helpful tips that I thought you would enjoy reading:

Making a Packing List for Your Travels

So you’ve chosen to go on a holiday somewhere. You’ve chosen your destination, and booked your flights and maybe some accommodation also. Now you just need to determine ‘what you need to bring along‘ with you to make sure that your trip is fun and stress free. You’ll be wanting to produce a travel list that covers everything you’ll need for your travels.

The first thing you should be considering is the ‘length and kind of trip‘ that you’re taking. What you may bring on a 7 day holiday to Mexico will be different than what you’d take on a 3 month backpacking tour around Europe. You ought to decide exactly what variety of luggage it is best to bring to put your stuff in.

If your vacation is shorter or you are going to be staying in exclusively one or two different places then getting a ‘suitcase‘ (the kind with wheels) could possibly be the best choice.

If your likely going to be traveling around and exploring then getting a ‘backpack‘ could be more suited to your trip.

“Choose the Right Luggage for Your Holiday”

 Next, you’ll want to decide ‘what clothes to bring‘ (and just how many of them) and add them to your travel list. Find out what the weather and temperature is going to be like at the destination and pack accordingly.

In case you’re taking a business trip you will have to ‘remember your suit‘ (or whatever you wear for business). If there’s the opportunity for swimming or hot tubing then be sure you bring a bathing suit.

With regards to ‘socks and underwear‘ my general rule of thumb will be to pack enough for 5-7 days of travel. This means that you won’t constantly be doing laundry on the road and you also should not be carrying around way too much stuff.

Now you’ll want together a packing list of any ‘electronics or gadgets‘ you may be bringing along with you. A camera to record your vacation is a great idea as are spare batteries for it.

I often travel with my laptop and am in a position to fit my camera plus some other gadgets in with my laptop bag. If they’re going in your backpack or suitcase, put them inside of a ‘plastic Ziploc bag‘ first. It will protect them from any unintentional water damage and you may utilize the Ziploc bags later for storing dirty or wet clothing.

Finally, you will have to understand which toiletries as well as personal items you want to pack.

Getting items like shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and toothpaste in travel sized containers is an effective way to save space and make sure you are able to keep your entire toiletries in one bag. Make certain this bag could be closed to stop spillages in your clothing.

Holidays for Family Survey

Here at Holidays for Family your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Please fill out the ‘comment box‘ below and share your input with our readers!

For example …

• Do you usually forget to pack something when traveling?
• Is there any specific helpful tip you can share with our readers?
• Do you normally prepare a travel list?

Be sure to return often and hear what others have to say about their travel experiences!

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So that’s just about it. Some other methods to construct your travel list:

Travel List – Easy to Prepare

Preparing a list is simple and very effective. I’ve included a helpful travel list for you to download and print out as well as a list of items to get you started.

You can also have a look at more detailed information on creating a travelers checklist.

Our family always makes sure to include these important items below on the list, other than that, it’s up to you and what you need.

• Photocopy important travel documents and pack separately.
• Travel Itinerary and appropriate tickets.
• Reservations and confirmation numbers and papers.
• Travel insurance documents.
• Long Distance calling card arrangements and numbers.
• ATM and credit cards
• Driver’s License

Your comments are most welcome!

Post them below.

Happy travels!

Robert Tellier
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Get started on your travel list and leave home prepared!