The ultimate holiday packing checklist

We’ve all been there: it’s day one of your holiday and you enthusiastically open your suitcase to find you’ve forgotten the suncream, left your child’s favourite soft toy at home and only packed enough clothes to last a couple of days.

Going on holiday involves a lot of pre-departure admin, so to help take the stress out of packing we’ve compiled a holiday checklist of essential things to remember to bring on your next break.

Check the items below off of your packing list before you head off – and don’t forget to scroll down to find specific checklists for beach holidays, camping trips, and ski trips.

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For any holiday

Hand sanitiser

Tissues and wet wipes

Hand soap

Driving licence, code for hire car; email a copy of both to yourself

Tickets for plane, train or bus

Mobile phone and charger

Battery packs to lessen the need to hand over your phone to others for charging

Music on your device of choice for playing in the car (and relevant cable)

Wallet with credit and debit cards and some cash

Keys

Camera and charger

Backpack or another hands-free bag for carrying around daily essentials

Clothes: socks; shoes (at least two pairs); pants; bras; shorts; shirts; warm layers; swimming costume; rainy day gear; pyjamas

Medication (anything you regularly take plus Calpol) and a copy of your family’s prescriptions

First aid kit

Contraception

Tampons and sanitary towels

Nappies

Face wash in a small container, if you’re flying

Moisturiser

Shampoo and conditioner

Toothbrushes and paste

Glasses or contact lenses plus case and lens solution

Sunglasses

Hairbrushes for young and old, plus hair clips

Books and magazines for all ages

Tablet loaded with programmes viewable offline for planes or cars

Drawing supplies

Playing cards

Extra bag for dirty laundry

Water bottle to refill

Going abroad?

When travelling to another country, pack the above plus the following:

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Passports with all entry conditions double checked. Some countries will require you to have a certain number of months left before expiry – remember that it can take up to three weeks to renew a UK passport, so check expiry dates well in advance of your trip. Find more information here.

Proof of relationship if your children have a different surname to you, and you are travelling without the parent who shares the surname, bring along evidence of your relationship (more info here) – this is not compulsory but can speed up immigration queues.

Visa document; email a copy of it to yourself.

Insurance documents (including Global Health Insurance Card) and copies of them; email a copy to yourself.

Plug converter

Travel with baby and/or toddler

When travelling with young children, the following are essential:

Carry-on luggage or in-car bag: two changes of clothes; in-flight entertainment that isn’t noisy; snacks

Baby monitor (both parts) and travel cot, though many places provide these

Sippy cups and cutlery that your child likes

Bibs

Bottles/formula

Nappies, nappy cream, wipes

Buggy – the lighter in weight, the better

Sling/carrier

Car seat

Sleep sack

White noise machine

Travel blackout blind

Factor 50 suncream

Beach and watersport holidays

When heading to the coast, pack the following in addition to the above:

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Swimming costumes

Goggles

Sunglasses

Sandals

Sun hats

Beach bag

Beach umbrella

Bucket and spade

Frisbee or beach games

Snorkelling kit

Wetsuit

Beach cover-up

Insect repellent

Towels – if not supplied by your cottage, villa or hotel

Camping holidays

If you’re going on a camping holiday, pack the following in addition to the above:

Tent

Sleeping bag and sleeping mat

Pillows

Warm layers

Waterproof layers

Hiking boots

Trainers

Flip flops for the showers/toilets

Foldable chairs

Rucksack

Water bottles

Cooking portable stove or grill; pans; utensils

Cutlery

Cups and bowls

Tea towel

Washing up liquid and bowl

Matches

Torch

Compass

Map of local area

Sun hat

Insect repellent

Towels

Food or download a guide to the best local shopping; campsites can have poor Wi-Fi, so it’s wise to have a hard copy

Skiing and snowboarding holidays

If heading to the slopes, pack the following in addition to the above:

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Ski jacket

Ski trousers

Ski gloves or mittens

Warm hat

Goggles

Sunglasses

Snow boots

Ski socks

Ski helmet

Skis or snowboard

Rucksack

Base layer shirts

Long johns

Suncream

Lip balm

Neck warmer

Cruise holidays

Planning a cruise holiday? Pack the following in addition to the above:

Destination appropriate clothing

Mix of casual and evening wear

Outfits for themed nights

Cocktail dress/suit for formal evenings

Shawl/sweater for evening

Comfortable shoes

Cover-up/kaftan

Flip flops

Towel clips

Sun cream

Gym kit

Multi-USB charger (charging points can be limited in cabins)

Waterproof phone case

Binoculars

Magnetic hooks for extra hanging space

Lanyard to hold your cruise ID card

Nightlight for the bathroom

Sound machine to block out hallway noise

This story was first published in May 2022, and has been revised and updated.

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