How to: Minimalist Vacation Packing for Normal Families

Traveling by air for family vacations is crazy EXPENSIVE.

Unfortunately sometimes, especially when you live so far away driving is out of the question, flying is the only option.

Between the added fees the airlines like to surprise you with like checked bags and seat selection fees, plus the price of the ticket alone, simply getting to your vacation destination can put a heavy dent in your budget.

That’s why having a minimalist mindset while packing for family vacation is so helpful.

Smart packing and conscious accommodation selections are imperative to a budget friendly, stress free vacation!

I am going to teach you exactly how I simplify packing for family vacations and what we look for when researching accommodations for a stress-free vacation.

Research and rely on accommodations

We have stayed in condos that included laundry facilities and also ones that didn’t. We make it a point now to always stay in those with laundry facilities included because it makes travelling that much easier, especially when you have kids!

Although we are past the pack and play/crib stage now, we have nephews that aren’t. We made sure to stay in a VRBO with cribs and pack and plays included for our latest extended-family vacation for this reason.

Another bonus of staying in rentals with lots of accommodations is that some also include fun beach toys for the kids and sometimes fun options like kayaks for the adults. Of course this depends on where you’re staying, but keep that in mind while you’re booking because that can make all the difference in your vacation.

Consider borrowing car seats from rental places

I come at this strategy with two different viewpoints:

One as the parent to a 7 year old who still needs a booster and another as the auntie of 2 nephews who both need click-in car seats.

When it comes to our current life situation, one kid in a booster, it is no big deal to pack Bean’s small booster seat in a duffle. It’s free to check, plus we can sneak a few extra things in the duffle bag (shhhh….)

When it comes to having multiple kids in car seats, I think it’s definitely worth checking out the options that your car rental place provides.

We (myself, my mom, and my sister) recently flew to visit our brother with 3 kids in tow:

Bean was in her booster and both of my nephews (ages almost 3 and almost 1) needed big ol’ click in car seats. Although my sister bought these car seat luggage straps so that we could lug 2 giant car seats through an airport, it was a HUGE hassle.

If it weren’t for the fact that we were 3 competent, independent women travelling with 3 young kids, I don’t think we could have gotten all our luggage, car seats, strollers, and kids to Texas in one piece 😉

The stroller is worth it

I’ve heard some CRAZY advice to ditch the stroller and just use a strap-on carrier instead while travelling. Big mistake. Huge.

Pretty Woman reference, anybody? 😉

The stroller is going to be your one-stop-shop for anything you need to keep on you while you’re out and about. I am so jealous that we’re past the stroller days now!

Not only that, it’s also going to be your sanity saver in keeping your energetic toddler contained. Plus, you can gate check the stroller at the airport.

Packing cubes are your new best friends

Packing cubes not only help you save space in your luggage, they help you stay organized when you arrive and throughout your trip.

I used to use gallon size Ziplocs to organize my packing. I would use them more than once because I am not a fan of waste, but I am also trying to reduce our plastic consumption and replacing our plastic use in any way possible is a win in my book.

I just recently discovered this brand (after a friend RAVED about them) and I can’t WAIT to use them for out next vacation!

Good rules of thumb for clothing

Clothing is an area that is so easy to go crazy in packing. Especially when you’re travelling with kids.

These are the numbers that I like to follow for each family member to prevent over packing:

• 4 full outfits per 7 days that can be mixed and matched
• 1 travel day outfit that is worn for arrival and departure
• 1 pair of pajamas per 3 nights
• 1 opposite outfit in case of emergency: for example, if going somewhere warm, pack a sweater/sweatshirt and a pair of warmer pants.
• 1 dressy outfit for spur of the moment plans
• 1 swimsuit, unless the plans include daily beach/pool days and then I allow up to 2 swimsuits.
• 1 pair of comfortable shoes for walking and adventures, 1 pair of shoes for anything else.
• 1 piece of undergarment/socks per day

Think Capsule Wardrobe

When you’re choosing your 4 outfits for the next 7 days, consider following some techniques for creating a capsule wardrobe.

With these guidelines, you could create multiple outfits for well more than the length of your vacation!

1. Consider the climate of your destination
2. Determine your color scheme
3. Make sure you include: 2 bottoms, 3 tops with various sleeve length, 1 sweater or jacket
4. Add 1 extra: another top, a dress, etc.

Amazon Prime it up

Need diapers? Amazon Prime. Know you will be going through about 4 boxes of fruit snacks while you’re there? Amazon Prime.

The moral of the story is: if you’ve got common daily consumable needs while you’re on vacation, save the suitcase space and time spent grocery shopping once you arrive and order them to pop up at your rental place when you do!

Going on a trip soon? Sign up for a free 30 day Amazon Prime trial!

You don’t need to pack toys

For our first few vacations, I over packed in both the toy and entertainment department. What it all boils down to is this:

Going on vacation IS the entertainment, plus it’s a great time to unplug.

If you’ve got active toddlers, I know you’re probably thinking I’m crazy for suggesting not to pack any toys.

I had an incredibly active toddler the first time we traveled to Florida just us 3. She didn’t play with any of the toys I packed, not even once. She was too busy running up and down the beach to care. Plus…

You would be surprised how kids adapt to the environment they’re in.