Irrespective of your destination and your means of traveling, there are essentials needed in every holiday packing list for any holiday trip to come off.
Are you already having a hard time compiling a list for holiday trips? Perhaps, as a result of too many unordered items and disorganized listing thus not knowing which one to take or leave behind.
Well, that’s the essence of this guide–to lead you down the path of clarity and enlightenment that will save you the headache that comes with getting your holiday packing list ready.
In your subsequent holiday trips, you will be thankful you no longer need a jam-packed list of items and unnecessary stuff for holiday. Moreover, making an organized and smart list for holiday is not just going to save you from non-essentials but also tons of time and energy.
In this guide, I’ve put in so much effort to compile an in-depth holiday packing list, and all of the individual content of this list counts for something. With this list, there is no over-packing, no need for an over-sized bag and no reason for weighty stuff.
Finally; be sure to note that with this very list for holiday, you might want to start packing as early as a week before your trip day and trust me; it will save you a lot.
Holiday Packing List: What You Should Have in Your List for Holiday Travel
Below is what you need on your holiday packing list to make a good holiday trip. These items have been categorized into the following;
- Travel Arrangements
- Travel Items
- Clothing
- Health and Hygienic Items
- Electronics and Accessories
1. Travel Arrangements
Flight Booking
Booking your flight should be done even before you start packing your stuff.
Be sure to print out multiple copies of all your flight tickets as there may be nine times out of ten, a need to present those documents in the course of you trying to check-in.
Just to serve as a reminder, ticket prices do increase as your departure date draws closer. To that very effect, booking should be done as early as possible and that is definitely after you’ve compared prices of a lot of airlines probably through the internet.
Also, it is wise for you to not just compare airlines on the basis of prices alone but also on a good number of records on flight comfort, safety measures, and safe arrivals.
Bus, Train and Boat Booking
If next time you happen to go on a trip by land, rail or even sea, print your tickets and keep them within your reach or even in your suitcase to save you stress and embarrassment.
Itinerary
This is more like a traveler’s guide book which can be handy on trips especially trips to places you are not familiar with.
The itinerary contains features like the route of a tour–mostly a proposed outline of it. Sometimes, it can also contain features like a diary for proper note-taking.
This is something you prepare yourself. After all, it’s your trip. So, it’s not always available but if you’ve made one for yourself and your holiday trip, be sure to print out a few copies so you can always have one wherever you go.
Travel Insurance Policy
Be fully insured with a cover-all insurance policy before setting off on your trip. I recommend going for an insurance policy that covers a whole lot of range of activities and keeps you safe in the course of your travel.
Passport
Passports are not always needed but if you’re going overseas you’ll definitely need one–a valid one at that. Ensure your passport is at least valid for one more year and also if it contains a lot of blank pages to cover your trip to and fro. Protect your passport from damage by simply getting a passport cover.
Visas
Visas are not always needed for all destinations. Some countries require a visa before entry whereas, some do offer a visa-free entry–although to selectively targeted nationalities.
Do yourself a favor and confirm if you’ll be in need of a visa as with regards to your intending destination. And if it is in the affirmative, apply for one as soon as possible even before booking your flight to avoid unintended issues getting intertwined with your trip.
Are you clueless about needing a visa to your intending destination or not? Why not check out VisaHQ to find out if you’ll be in need of a visa to enter the country you intend making a trip to.
Digital Copies/Backup of Some Documents
Before making a holiday trip, scan some important documents of yours and best save them in your email account.
Items to be scanned include driver’s license, passports photographs, identity cards, credit cards et cetera. This is for the essence of backup in case of issues like lost credit card overseas, you still have full access to a digital version of it.
Securing a list of important numbers from your bank and friends that will save you from any financial issues will do you a whole lot of good in the course of your travel and also in your place of holiday.
Health Checkup
Do you think you are in good health or do you know if you are in good health? Well, I’d advise you go see a doctor before embarking on any trip.
Go for a health checkup to see if there is any forthcoming illness that will pose a threat to your trip. Unfortunately, some people’s health system does not have a positive reaction to certain trips if not most trips.
Getting a doctor, a travel doctor to be specific, to check you up is necessary so you can be treated the right way.
Allergy Card
Are you allergic to certain diets maybe as a result of your health or religion? Make a list of them all which you can present to restaurants and other food vendors should the need arise.
Prescriptions and Medicine
If you’re on drugs before your holiday trip, get an updated version of the doctor’s prescription to back up the decency of the drugs you intend traveling with especially in the face of customs.
Credit and Debit Cards
To avoid any embarrassment of any kind, go through your financial cards to be sure they are still up to date and they also won’t expire in the course of your trip.
One other thing to check for is to be sure that those cards operate very well in the country you are making a trip to–not being hindered as a result of nationality or other whatnot.
Inform your bank and credit card issuer of your trip and also the destination. This will prevent any issue of unintended or intended flagging of your card as a result of fraudulent risk.
Hotel Booking
Will you be in need of a hotel to lodge in? Make the bookings and reservations before making your trip. This will actually grant you access to the print out slip thus making it a whole lot easier for your check-in upon arrival.
There are probably tons and varieties of hotels in the place you are going to so I would advise you to take your time to compare hotels before settling with the one that suits your taste.
Those are by far the necessary arrangement to be made before or while making a holiday packing list.
At this point, we’ll be facing the next stage of your travel preparation–things that should be brought alongside with you on your trip. This very list for holiday will show you the necessary items you need to carry on your next holiday trip.
2. Travel Items
Backpack or Suitcase
Should you choose to make use of a backpack, then it should be of premium quality that will enable a comfortable carry-along with your gears.
Find a way to transfer the weight of your backpack to your hips rather than your back. Do not have anything to do with gigantic backpacks talk more of fully stuffing it. You are subjecting your posture to risk.
If your gears are too big to comfortably fit into a backpack, go for a suitcase. I would advise you to go for a suitcase that can suit the nature of your trip and will also provide you with extra space should you choose to get anything in the course of your trip.
Wallet
A wallet is something you don’t want to miss out on your holiday packing list. No matter how near or safe your holiday trip might seem, bringing a wallet with you is of utmost importance. Though you might have a plan to make cashless travel and depend solely on digital transactions that actually come across as a risky idea, you will need a place to put your transaction cards–credit and debit cards.
Now that is exactly why you’ll be in need of a wallet. Wallets do have customized pockets for cards which is another reason to depend on them for the safety of your cash and cards.
So when picking a wallet, be sure to look out for the ones that are secure and also, save you the most of time, energy and money.
Wash Bag
Your list for holiday should not be devoid of an item like a wash bag. This is where you’re to store your toiletries.
Traveling with a wash bag calls for easy reach to your toiletries and maybe some health items. A quality wash bag should be your aim here so as to avoid unnecessary issues like leakage thus, ruining other stuff in your suitcase.
Travel Cubes
This is an item that actually enables more of a category-format of packing – a smart approach I must confess. And I tell you, this is one of the most crucial stuff to be in your holiday packing list.
With a travel cube, you can categorically arrange your stuff into categories: shirts, shorts, pants, shoes, etc.
In packing with a travel cube, you pack and unpack with great ease. This way you don’t start rumbling and rampaging the whole suitcase just to find a thing or getting confused as to where you kept something.
For instance, you are trying to locate an underwear, you will have to unpack bit by bit everything you’ve packed already, probably because it’s in the bottom-most part of the suitcase.
But while dealing with a travel cube, you simply locate the very cube that is labeled “underwear” and do whatever you want to do with it.
Also note that not all travel cubes are labeled boldly in relation to the categories mentioned above or labeled at all, and to that very effect; I strongly advise you go for the labeled travel cubes. It saves you the stress of guessing which is which in your suitcase.
Getting at least four properly labeled travel cubes will do the magic. And then you’re good to go with the packing.
Luggage Tag
Nine times out of ten you might come across someone or even some people at the airport who are carrying an identical backpack or suitcase to yours. A situation like that is exactly when the luggage tag comes into the picture, to distinguish and easily identify your bag from others.
This tag is card-like stuff with a dimension similar to that of an identity card or business card. It is hard in nature just like a business card and also comes with a leather or plastic cover.
The tag carries details like your name, address, mobile contact number, and email. All you have to do is fill in your details and strap it in a visible area of your suitcase or backpack and you are good to go.
Be sure to get the one that best fits the color of your suitcase or backpack, and if you don’t know how and where to get one, visit Amazon.com; There are tons and varieties of luggage tags there at affordable rates.
3. Clothing
Outfits
If you’re going to be spending about a week or thereabout, you can simply settle for about five days’ clothing, this means you might have to do your laundry at least twice a week.
Choose your clothes for your holiday with regards to the weather. And make a research on the weather of the place you are spending your holiday for confirmation.
Footwear
When choosing footwear to go on a trip with, it is ideal you put the outfits you’ve chosen into consideration.
Choose what best fit the clothes you are going with so you don’t look somewhat archaic or even more as a jackass. Your footwear selection should comprise at least one or two pairs of shoes, two pairs of slippers and a pair of sandals.
If you’re planning on attending a dinner party or just a fun party, go with a shoe that is somewhat fanciful. If you will be going on a tour, get a sports shoe that is not weighty, that will permit a stress-free movement.
Pajamas
This is known as pyjamas to certain people especially the British. Anyway, this pajama is something you definitely not want to miss out on your list for holiday and you know it.
Get pajamas that suit the weather of the place you’re spending your holiday–light, chill and breathable for hot countries and somewhat thick and warm for cold countries.
4. Health and Hygienic Items
Beach Towel, Beach Pants, and Swimsuit
In the course of your holiday, do you intend visiting the beach? If yes, then get a beach towel and some beach pants (shorts)–for flexible fun catching.
Just to add to your fun, you can also get a beach ball if you have one. But if you would prefer going to a hotel to cool off with just a swim or just to chill by the poolside, do well to get a swimsuit to avoid unintended rush.
Toiletries
Get a clear neat bag to pack your toiletries–toothpaste, toothbrush, shaving cream, shampoo.
In terms of the measurement of any liquid to carry along, 100ml is the standard as recommended by most airlines. So transfer them into some measured smaller containers before leaving for your trip.
Perfume and Deodorant
Radiating unpleasant smell in any form is one thing you don’t want to take part in, trust me.
Get a good number of deodorants and perfumes including body spray and frequently make use of them.
People would feel comfortable in your company when you smell nice, but if you’re a victim of emitting bad or sweaty odor, the reverse will be the case.
Spectacles (Glasses)
If you wear glasses for either medical or other reasons like fashion, get a durable glass case for your trip to avoid spoilage.
Also, the part of your suitcase where you place the glass case matters a lot. A strategic position between soft thick clothes will increase the safety of your glasses.
Skin Care Products
Skincare products are not always available everywhere especially the brand you might need.
Before leaving, get the products you will need so you don’t travel only to find yourself, roaming the streets of your holiday destination, searching endlessly for products that might not even exist there.
Remember, it should not exceed the 100ml standard like I said initially.
Shaving Blades and Gel
If you are the bearded type, get a shaving tool kit–shaving blade, shaving gel and a good amount of aftershave. As always do not carry a gel or aftershave of more than 100ml.
Feminine Hygiene
For the ladies, not all countries store an abundance of feminine hygiene products. And to that very effect, you should know very well if your period will collide with your holiday time. And if it does, you definitely have to prepare yourself ahead of it.
Medicine
I know I’ve talked about this initially, but trust me this is a different case.
You see, in the course of any travel, there is likely to be an issue of body pain, stress or any other discomforting factor. And as regards to that, it has been recommended by medical practitioners to always have certain drugs available: Aspirin and Paracetamol.
These drugs help to relieve pains and fever.
5. Electronics and Accessories
Gadgets
This is something that makes your holiday even more interesting.
Without your gadgets–phones, pads, tablets, laptops, etc, life over there will be somewhat boring and you know it. If there is anything to be missing from your holiday packing list, it’s definitely not your gadgets.
You might want to take pictures or make a video with the new friends you will be hooking up with, memorable places you would probably visit and some new experience you will get.
Chargers and Headphones
Suffering a shortage of power in your devices is one experience you never want to take part in at least, not during your holiday time. So it’s going to be a smart move to get the chargers to your devices all set.
The same thing applies if you’re the music-lover kind. Get your headphones or headset ready in due time so if you happen to find yourself in a noise-prohibited area, you can still enjoy your music uninterruptedly.
Camera (If Any)
Are you a lover of photography or you just love taking pictures of memorable events? Either way, if you’ve got a camera go with it and do what you got to do. If you don’t have a camera but will love to take pictures over there, you can use your smartphone.
Unfortunately, not all smartphones have an impressive camera quality.
If you’re a victim of a poor quality camera, you can get an attachable lens for mobile devices on Amazon that will help to enhance the quality of your camera.
Travel Adapter and Electric Extension
You don’t really know the type of electric plug used in the country you are going to. To save yourself any form of unpredicted stress, get a travel adapter to fit your situation afterward, you can connect the electrical extension to it. This way, you can charge your whole gadgets with ease.
Wrapping Up
I’ve taken so much time and energy to compile this holiday packing list so as to give you a clear picture as to how you should go about in your next holiday trip.
At this point, I am leaving you with the assurance that should you choose to strictly follow this list, you will have a pleasant holiday packing experience.
The above list is all you need to prepare not just for your next holiday trip but also for other trips like vacation or business trips.
Have questions? Kindly leave them in the comment below.
Are there other things you usually add to your holiday packing list but aren’t mentioned in this post? I would like to know. Do well to share with others using the comment below.