How to Pack for a Family Vacation: Tips from a Professional Organizer

Have you ever felt like you turned into “Monster Mom” getting ready for a family vacation? Or, are your vacation preparations about as smooth and well-organized as the McCallister’s Christmas vacation?

If you’re anything like me, you want to:

• anticipate (with joy) going on family trips—not stress about preparing for them

• have fun and be fully present with your family—not worry about whether you missed anything important

• come home to a clean house—not drown in dirty laundry, chores, and chaos when you return

Today I’m sharing the process I personally use to get my family of 7 packed and ready for vacation. These simple plans and preparations keep us all well-organized (and me sane).

Anytime we have a trip coming up, I start prepping a week ahead of time—doing a little bit each day with all hands on deck. For our family size, and taking into consideration the activities our kids are involved in, this provides us the perfect amount of time we need (without rushing). After a trip, I always evaluate whether one week is still sufficient, or whether the timing needs adjusting. Every family is different, so select a time frame that works best for you and make adjustments as needed over time.

The Process

Day 1-2 | Wash Clothes and Plan Food

Starting with these two things will make the rest of the week go more smoothly. Try to avoid packing until after everyone’s clothes are finished being washed. Starting before may have you evaluating and re-evaluating what has already been packed and what yet needs to be packed. This wastes a tremendous amount of time and mental energy, which can be avoided.

Day 3 | Pack Outfits

Our family no longer packs clothes; instead, we pack outfits. Since this has made packing for our kids with special needs so much easier, we now use this strategy for everyone. I wish I had done this when our kids were younger!

It looks like this: everything they need for one day—pants, shirt, socks, undies, pajamas, etc.—is packed in one bag. This helps avoid mess-making, rummaging through an entire suitcase, and/or wasting time deciding what to wear. It’s easy to grab one bag for the day while the rest of the suitcase stays tidy.

This strategy also works great when you’re planning to stop at a hotel for a night or two before reaching your final destination. You can just grab the toiletries bag and an outfit bag for each kid. You don't have to haul every piece of luggage into the hotel for just a 1-night stay.

For the longest time, we used grocery and gallon Ziploc bags for each outfit, but we’ve since upgraded to packing cubes. The largest one is perfect for a hotel stay, easily storing an outfit for the way there and back.

To further simplify packing, we avoid having to pack pajamas whenever possible by bringing cute and comfortable clothes our kids can also sleep in. At the end of a day, they bathe, put on a fresh outfit, and sleep. In the morning, we give them a quick spray with wrinkle release before heading out for the day’s activities (click here for my favorite travel wrinkle spray). This eliminates time getting dressed and the need for pajamas. There’s less to pack, less to haul, and less to clean when we get home! This strategy may not be perfect for every trip, but it’s great for camping or beach trips, so we use it whenever possible.

Toiletries are packed separately and gathered right before we leave. I keep a backstock of all our regular toiletry items. This makes them quickly available so we don’t have to worry about adding them to the shopping list.

Day 4-5 | Grocery Shopping and Cooking

Make a list of whatever extra items are needed for the trip. For us, we often need an extra clothing item or two, groceries (if we’re traveling in the RV), easy meals, and snacks. My Instant Pot gets quite a workout before we travel so I can relax with very minimal cooking while we’re away.

Day 6 | Cleaning and Final Preparations

Who doesn’t love coming home to a clean house after vacation? Getting everything else done first usually allows us just enough time to clean and tidy up. This really creates a positive mood and peaceful transition back into our home when we return.

We set out the next day’s outfit and load up the car or RV. We also pull out all the toiletries onto the bathroom counter (so we can continue to use them), and then pack them up right before we leave.

Day 7 | It's Vacation Time

Finally, pack up your toiletries. You can now leave with confidence—and your sanity intact—knowing you prepared as well as you could…and there’s always a Walmart nearby for anything you may have missed.