In this article, you’ll find all the essentials you need to pack your children’s suitcases, so you can travel with peace of mind. The ultimate checklist for successful vacations with children, so you can leave with a light mind.
This checklist reflects, of course, the children’s suitcase from our last vacation: for children aged 3 and 4, to Sri Lanka in February and Egypt in July 2024. As well as some tips on traveling with baby (personal experiences) in family destinations.
Planning a trip with children
Remember your last family trip… the stress of preparation, the doubts about what to pack, the desire to make the most of those precious moments with your children. Travelling with young children can seem like a challenge, but with the right preparation, it can become an unforgettable experience for the whole family. The aim of this article is to guide you in preparing your suitcase, with a non-exhaustive list of essentials for a successful trip with children.
What do I put in the children’s suitcase?
Essential documents (for you and your child)
- Identity papers: Passports, visas (depending on destination).
- Health record (photo on your smartphone): Vaccinations, prescriptions, doctor’s contact details.
- Travel insurance: Medical coverage, repatriation, cancellation.
- Reservations: Hotels, flights, activities.
Clothing: comfort and practicality
- Clothing for the trip/flight: training gear, T-shirt, socks, closed-toe sandals, for example.
Tip: have everything washed on arrival and reuse it on return. - Change of clothes: Comfortable outfits suitable for planned activities.
- Underwear: Enough for several days. Unless a washing machine is available in your accommodation or your hotel has a dry-cleaning service. However, in some destinations, such as Sri Lanka, the humidity outside often prevents clothes from air-drying.
- Pyjamas: For a peaceful night’s sleep.
Tips: Bring an extra sweater for cool nights and/or nights with air-conditioning. - UV T-shirt: whatever happens, we always have at least 2 per child for every 15 days of travel to avoid sunburn.
- An anti-UV blanket: handy for naps at the beach, for example.
- Anti-UV cap or hat: anti-UV hats are very practical for swimming.
- UV-adapted sunglasses: you should also bring a spare pair.
- Warm or light clothing: Depending on destination and weather conditions.
- Footwear: Comfortable walking shoes/sneakers, sandals for the beach (to protect against sand worms, for example), “Crocs”-type sandals that are easy to put on and take off and dry quickly.
Skincare and pharmacy products
We’re always a little stressed when we can’t find everything we need, in terms of healthcare, in the country we’re going to. We always carry a lot (too much) of medicine. Little by little, we’re trying to reduce the size of our first-aid kit, but the fear remains. The following is an exhaustive list of what we take to Asia, for example:
- First-aid kit: bandages, disinfectant, painkillers (prefer Nurofen suppository, for example, which is more practical than a glass bottle, but should be protected from the heat), Arnica cream for minor injuries, Apaysil Baby/Kids for soothing insect bites, sunburn cream, probiotics (in drops), anti-motion sickness medication (R-Calm), anti-diarrhoea, anti-vomiting.
- Skin care products: Liniment, sun cream 50 (preferably ocean-friendly), after-sun lotion, mosquito repellent (MoustiMug Kids spray or cream is very good for children), Moskito waterproof bracelet, shampoo, conditioner (sea salt damages hair), children’s vitamins, decongestant nasal spray.
- Child’s usual medication : On medical prescription.
Games and activities
- Favourite toys: To keep kids busy on the move and during waiting times.
Tip: Magnetic building blocks (quite heavy though), a box of various animals, little cars, new Fun “toys” to discover throughout the vacations. - Books and coloring: To stimulate their imagination.
- Tablets: With educational games and films.
Tips: Remember to download films beforehand and install games that can be played offline. - Board games: For family time. The space-saving Uno often does the trick.
Baby equipment
- Car seat: Mandatory in some countries. Often provided by the car rental company or driver-guide. Personally, we only took it in Miami. We had the stroller/maxi-cosy Doona 2 in 1. For this long-haul flight, we took a seat for Ella (under 2) so as not to have to carry her on our laps the whole way.
- Stroller: Handy for getting around, except on the sand! On several occasions, we used two travel strollers (both of which fit in carry-on luggage – check with your airline), the Ergobaby Metro+.
- Baby carriers: For long walks. Child carriers are also available, up to 20 kgs, and we’ll be testing one soon.
- Umbrella bed: However, your hotel will often be able to provide one free of charge, mosquito net included.
- For younger children: day and/or night diapers, wipes (always useful for washing hands and freshening up everywhere).
The food
- Baby food: Vegetable jars, cookies, fruit compotes. For example, for our trip to Miami, Ella was 7 months old. We took everything with us: milk, compotes, etc. Indeed, it wasn’t easy to find them in stores (perhaps because we were there during the Covid period) or at a high cost.
- Bottles and baby bottles: For water and milk.
- Bottle warmers and sterilizers: If you’re traveling with a baby. We’ve tested the IzyBaby nomad bottle warmer, which we recommend for air travel, for example. As for the sterilizer, it’s useful for destinations where the water isn’t drinkable, for example, or for de-scaling bottles. We also tested Béaba’s nomadic bottle warmer/sterilizer, which we then used at home. We also recommend Beaba BabyMilk.
As a general rule, for children under the age of 2, everything will be accepted at airport customs. After this age, we advise you to check with your airline.
Practical accessories
- Children’s backpack: So they can carry their own things. One per child to avoid “fights” and so games don’t take up all the space in the suitcase.
- Practical travel diaper bag: For diapers, wipes, etc. We tested the Doona bag, which was very practical and unbreakable despite the weight we put inside.
- Blanket: For naps and cool evenings. Personally, we use the anti-UV blanket (which makes it 2 in 1).
- Soft toy: Indispensable for reassuring your child. We even take a spare in the suitcase (our children accept several different ones, which we know is not the case for everyone).
- Pacifier and clip: so you don’t lose it. Keep a spare in your bag and in your suitcase, just in case.
- Bib: 2 or 3 per child, depending on the length of the trip (washable in the sink, for example).
- Safety harness: a small harness that attaches to the adult’s wrist. It allows the child to feel secure, especially when climbing a rock,… Tested and approved by Augustin during his last trip to Sri Lanka – Safety harness at Amazon.
The usefulness of a checklist for children’s suitcases on long family trips
A checklist for children’s suitcases on long-haul trips is an indispensable tool for a number of reasons:
- Saving time and stress: Packing a suitcase, especially a child’s, can be a tedious task. A checklist saves precious time by avoiding oversights and organizing the contents of the suitcase efficiently.
- Make sure you have everything you need: On a long trip, it’s essential to have everything your child needs at hand. A checklist ensures that nothing is forgotten, from a change of clothes to medication and toys.
- Ease repeated trips: By creating a personalized checklist, you can reuse it for all future trips. All you have to do is adapt it according to the destination and length of stay.
- Sharing tasks: The checklist can be used to share tasks within the family. Each member can contribute to the packing process by checking the items assigned to them.
- Flexibility: A checklist can be adapted to different ages of children and different types of travel. It can be added to or modified according to the specific needs of each family.
In short, a children’s suitcase checklist is an invaluable ally for parents who want to travel with peace of mind with their children. It savesen efficacité, de réduire le stress et de s’assurer que tous les besoins de l’enfant sont pris en compte.
Free download of the children’s suitcase checklist (in French)
We hope you have found this content useful and that it has met your expectations. Please do not hesitate to contact us or leave a comment to refine this content or share your experiences with us.
Remember to download the PDF so that you always have the checklist with you, which you can adapt to your needs.
A few final tips…
- Involve your children in packing: this will make them more enthusiastic about leaving;
- Plan children’s activities for the trip and on site: games, books, stickers, coloring books, etc. For beach games, we buy them directly from the hotel or a nearby boutique. Very inexpensive in Asia, for example (€5 for 2 pairs);
- Be flexible: Children can be unpredictable, so you need to know how to adapt.
Wishing you all the best for your family’s adventures!
