How to pack for a family holiday without the stress
With children, one suitcase quickly turns into half the household. Whether you are heading to the Alps, the seaside or the grandparents’, these principles work well:
- Start early: write the list about a week before you leave. Anything that still needs buying or washing shows up in time, not the night before.
- One list for everyone: if both parents are packing, you need a shared list. Otherwise you end up with two tubes of toothpaste and no chargers.
- Let the kids help: from school age, children can pack their own bag for the journey. A parent checks it at the end.
- Fewer clothes: for a week, clothes for four or five days are enough. The rest can be washed while you are away.
- A bag for the journey: everything you need on the way goes in a bag within reach: snacks, water bottles, wet wipes, a change of clothes and something to play with.
- Irreplaceable things first: sun cream and nappies can be bought almost anywhere. Passports, medicines and the favourite cuddly toy cannot, so they go at the top of the list.
Checklist: what always comes along
This basic kit is needed for almost every trip. Quantities are per person for about a week.
Documents and money
- Passport or ID card for every family member, including babies; check the expiry dates in good time
- Health insurance card and, if you have one, your travel insurance documents
- Bank card and some cash in the local currency
- Booking confirmations, tickets, driving licence and, for road trips, the motorway vignette for the countries you drive through
Clothes per person
- Underwear and socks for five days
- Four or five T-shirts, two pairs of trousers, a jumper or fleece
- Rain jacket and, even in summer, something warm for the evenings
- Pyjamas, comfortable shoes and, depending on where you go, sandals or walking boots
- Sun hat or beanie
Toiletries and first aid
- Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, hairbrush
- High-factor sun cream, with a separate one for the kids
- Any regular medication, in sufficient quantity
- Fever medicine for children and adults, thermometer, plasters, disinfectant, something for insect bites and for diarrhoea; ask a pharmacist about the right dose for children
Tech
- Phones, chargers and a power bank
- Travel adapter if the sockets are different where you are going
- Headphones, plus downloaded films and audiobooks for the kids
Extra for babies and toddlers
The list grows longest with the little ones. Not everything has to come with you, though: many hotels and holiday flats provide a cot and a high chair. Ask when you book.
- Nappies for the first few days, wet wipes, changing mat and nappy cream
- Bottles, formula, baby food and a spoon, plus a little washing-up liquid
- Two dummies, in case one gets lost
- Bibs and at least two changes of clothes in the hand luggage
- Child car seat, even if you hire a car at your destination
- Sling or baby carrier and a lightweight buggy
- Travel cot and baby monitor if the accommodation has none
- UV shirt, sun hat and children’s sun cream
- The favourite cuddly toy, ideally with a spare
Extra for school-age children
School-age children need less gear but more to do. Let them pack their own bag for the journey, then go through it together.
- Backpack with water bottle and snacks
- Books, audiobooks, playing cards, colouring pencils and a travel game
- Their own headphones, so nobody argues
- Pocket money in their own wallet
- Swimming costume and goggles
- Bike helmet if you hire bikes there
- A note with the parents’ phone numbers in the backpack
What to add for each kind of holiday
On top of the basics, the kind of holiday decides what else goes in the case.
| Type of holiday | What to add |
|---|---|
| Beach or lake | Two swimsuits per person, beach towels, UV shirts, sunglasses, after-sun, water shoes, armbands, beach toys, beach bag |
| Mountains and hiking | Walking boots and hiking socks, rain jacket, hat and gloves even in summer, backpack, first aid kit, blister plasters, child carrier |
| Ski holiday | Ski jacket and trousers, thermal underwear, ski socks, two pairs of gloves, hat, neck warmer, goggles, helmet, lip balm, slippers, last season’s ski pass card for topping up |
| City break | Comfortable shoes, day pack, power bank, umbrella, buggy for long distances |
| Holiday flat | Tea towels, washing-up liquid and sponge, coffee and spices for the first morning, bin bags, laundry detergent |
School holiday dates for every Swiss canton are on the page School holidays and public holidays by canton.
How the packing list works in JH FamilySync
In JH FamilySync the packing list sits in the Everyday section and is part of the free plan. The whole family sees the same list and can tick things off at the same time: one person packs in the children’s room, another in the bathroom, and nobody overwrites the other’s ticks. It also works offline; changes are sent as soon as the phone is back online.
- Create a list
Tap Everyday at the bottom, then Packing list and New packing list. Choose a template or Empty list and give it a name under What for?, for example “Summer in Ticino”.
- Start from a template
Seven templates are included: Essentials, Beach holiday, City break, Hiking holiday, Theme park, With kids and Business trip. With kids includes the favourite cuddly toy, nappies and a child car seat, among other things.
- Add more
Use Add something to add further items. As you type, the app suggests items, including ones your family has packed before, and sorts them into a category such as Clothing or Toiletries by itself. Under Quantity you note how many you need, such as five pairs of socks.
- Your own sections
New section adds extra sections, for example one per child or one for hand luggage. A list can have up to twelve. To rename a section, press and hold its heading.
- Tick off and reuse
One tap ticks an item off, and the top of the list shows how much is already packed. When everything is in the case, the app shows “Everything packed.” From the menu, Save as template keeps the list for next time; the ticks are reset.
The Everyday section also has a shared shopping list for the first shop at your destination and a meal planner.
Frequently asked questions
Is the packing list in JH FamilySync free?
Yes. The packing list, with all templates, your own sections and your own templates, is part of the free plan. The free plan covers up to four family members; for more you need Premium, which costs CHF 2.00 a month or CHF 20 a year and covers the whole family.
Can two people pack at the same time?
Yes. Each item is saved on its own, so two people packing do not overwrite each other’s ticks. You can keep ticking off items without a connection, in the car or at the airport; the changes are sent as soon as you are back online.
Can I make a separate list for each child?
You can create as many lists as you like, including one per child. A single shared list with a section for each child is often clearer, because you can see at a glance what is still missing and for whom.
Is there a template for ski holidays?
Not among the built-in templates. Take the “Essentials” template, add the ski items from the table above and save the list with “Save as template”. Next winter it will be ready in no time.
When should you start packing for a family holiday?
Write the list about a week before you leave and pack the cases two or three days before. That leaves time to buy what is missing, and on the last evening only toothbrushes and chargers are left.