Travel Essentials
“Don’t forget your charger - or your adapters!”
For the Journey
Sick Bags, Distraction & Spare Clothes
Dealing with travel sickness has been a shared experience for all three of our kids. To stay prepared, I've stashed a roll of compact pedal bin liners in the car's door pocket – these little heroes don't just come to the rescue during sickness episodes. Have you ever allowed your kids to munch away in the car, only to find a chaos of wrappers and crumbs? Enter the mighty bin bags! And just in case our youngest decides to embrace a messy adventure, I've got a change of clothes waiting in the trunk. Dirty clothes? Well, they go straight into a trusty bin bag. It's all about mastering the art of family car chaos management!
Distraction is key on our family adventures tablets, chargers, and battery banks are my secret weapons, all fully charged and ready to roll! For the little ones, I make sure to pack a handful of tiny colouring books and puzzle books . The older kids get the royal treatment with colour swap pencils a saving grace when screens run low or they've reached their tech limit. And speaking of creativity, I recently introduced a Water Magic Drawing Book into the mix during our last holiday a brilliant way to spark imagination without a single crayon mishap.
For the Aeroplane
Entertainment, Pillows & Snacks
Gone are the days of communal airplane movies; personal devices have taken over – and I'm just as guilty! My travel essentials include a pre-downloaded Spotify, playlist, unwatched Netflix episodes and movies, and a Kindle book ready for takeoff. Pro tip: Amazon offers numerous free books for Kindle without needing a subscription; just be sure to spot "Kindle Edition" and not "Kindle Unlimited." just download the app to your phone. Then visit this Amazon page and buy all you want, then check your app and download to your content! It's a one-way ticket to entertainment paradise!
The Third Parent!
When you’re on a late-night flight or driving in the car there’s only so long you can spend playing eye-spy before tablets and phones have to come out!
Ah, the memory foam neck pillows our fluffy companions for catching some z's. But beware the ones with beads they're basically ticking time bombs for stitching disasters. Picture this: you're snoozing away, and suddenly, your pillow explodes, raining beads like a confetti cannon malfunction. Spend those extra 5, folks it's an investment!
Snacks at the airport? More like a culinary adventure survival game! Over the years, we've navigated the worlds worst airplane food to the remaining crumbs, let's just say, with picky eaters on board, chocolate end up a food group. But stuffing them with sweets on a night flight? Not exactly michelin-star parenting. My savvy tip? Be a snack-superhero: breeze through customs with goodies (no liquid though folks!) or at the very least snag a sandwich before liftoff.
If you're all about those money-saving vibes, give me a resounding "HELL YEAH! " and boy, do I have a trick up my sleeve for you. Here's a golden hack for you: arm yourself with latte sachet, herbal tea bags, or hot chocolate sachets your budget's BFF.
Swing by airport coffee houses or flag down the drink trolley on the plane (hello, convenience!). Request a cup of hot water they're almost guaranteed to oblige - free of charge (although I always look like a damsel in distress offering to pay). They might even toss in a napkin and stirrer (because, why wouldnt you want to stir your hot water). Whip out your customs-friendly sachet stash, and presto! You're sipping on the thriftiest airport beverage ever. Consider your wallet thanked!
Packing
Now if you’re struggling to keep track of what you need, what to pack and what you have already packed check out my post about The Ultimate Packing List, you’ll find the best app, site and easy printables to keep track of everything that you need.
For The Holiday
Googles & Snorkels
When it comes to water adventures, especially Cohen, he's all in for a swim out to the vast sea expanse. If luck's on our side and the waters are crystal clear, fish spotting becomes an exciting game. Our secret weapon? Cressi Snorkels – no nose-holding theatrics, just pure underwater confidence and trust.
Cressi Moon Mask is great quality, it’s suitable for 7-15 year-olds and really affordable. Whereas the Cressi Moon Kid is suitable for 3-7 year-olds. For adults, there’s a world of choice but I recommend start with Cressi, if you like it - splash the cash on a fancy pair!
Suitcase
You can read more about our favourite luggage and bags in these posts
IT Luggage - coming soon!
Kids backpacks - coming soon!
Parent backpacks - coming soon!
Adaptors & Chargers
I swear, if I forget something, it's a guarantee that my charger will stage a disappearing act!
By the way, in today's world, you can snag a 20000mAh battery bank for as little as £25 – keep your eagle eyes peeled for deals. These bad boys are worth more than their weight in gold; they're like the secret agent of gadgets, always ready to swoop in and save the day, whether you're gallivanting on holiday or tackling the everyday grind.
Isn’t it annoying when you’re all fighting over 2 sockets and adapters?
Which means that one Guess what? I went full-on tech wizard and nabbed myself a USB Multiple Connector with 4 ports yep, one plug, four devices. No more plug tug-of-wars or midnight acrobatics!
Oh, and speaking of usb cables, don't be the hero who cheap-skates on them. Invest in those fancy fast-charging, quality cables, or you might as well be charging through the next millennium. And trust me, the last thing you want is a cable snap saga on day two of your vacay it's like a plot twist you didn't ask for.
To avoid last-minute cable chaos, i've got a separate set just for my travel escapades. No more cable hide-and-seek championship around the house. I'm telling you, it's like cutting out a level of stress from the packing game!
Frisbee, Balls and Towels
Ah, the age-old puzzle of packing: fitting buckets, spades, and the kitchen sink into your suitcase. But guess what? You still have that VIP slot for a frisbee – because fun doesn't take vacations, and that includes the "big kids" too. Slide in an inflatable ball for the pool and boom, entertainment upgrade achieved.
Now, towels – don't even get me started. Heavy, space-invaders, sand collectors, and the dramatic weight gain after a dip – they've got it all. Here's the golden ticket: quick-dry microfibre towels. These champs come with their own carry bag and a side of antibacterial wizardry. Talk about a towel revolution – say goodbye to soggy suitcase sagas and sandy backseat fiascos!
While we're on the subject, have you seen these - sand-proof, waterproof beach blankets! Genius!
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