Packing

Practicalities Getting Organised Packing 

Always pack as little as you think you can get away with.

If you normally use a baby bath consider whether for the holiday the baby could bath with a parent instead. If you generally take an entire wardrobe for yourself and each child, take a look at the What to Take checklist and see if you could cut down.

Consider carefully the logistics of number of children, buggies, bags and spare hands required for holding tickets, day bags/cabin luggage, extra toys etc.

If at any stage you are going to have to carry your own luggage, it must be easily portable. Trollies are not to be relied upon, even in airports, or may require coins of the local currency which you have not yet obtained.

Luggage Options to Consider

• Luggage with wheels (rubber will wear better than plastic), particularly if you have a child in a sling or backpack or of an age to need a hand held. Avoid removable wheels which are more trouble than they are worth. Look for those which are recessed so they don't get caught on something and break. Check towing handles for comfort and make sure the one you choose is retractable or detachable to prevent it catching in the conveyor belt.



• Luggage with straps to carry it on your back if you have a child in a buggy. As well as conventional backpacks there are a growing number of options with straps which will zip away so the case looks smarter when required.



• Though children's luggage is not generally a long-term investment - all too soon it will be felt uncool - it does have the advantage of making it slightly more likely that, while in favour, its owner will carry it.

• A safe, accessible pouch for documents and valuables.



• A bag with expanding gussets for the growing number of items it is likely to have to hold.



• Securely closing external pockets so vital toys don't disappear but are easily accessible.



• For durability smaller stitches and wider zips.



• Similarly for durability a rip stop fabric such as 1,000 denier nylon, or a good quality hard case. (Cheap versions of these are reported by some baggage handlers to crack when put down ‘more heavily than their owners might like'.) If your case is going to be in a container with 40 others, at least for long-haul, hard cases are a safer bet than fabric ones.



• If you think there might be a spill, polyurethane because more waterproof than a vinylised or acrylic coating.

Packing Tips

• Pack items for smaller children in a separate bag with a few, easily accessible outside pockets for the most used items.



• In a car create a box, the contents of which are special to the car. This can be placed between two children if it is important to create a division of space. Purpose designed versions are available.



• Sub-divide everything into clear plastic bags (ideally zip lock) which are invaluable for keeping everything visible, dry and accessible.



• Pack anything which may leak in a separate, leakproof bag.



• Take extra plastic bags for rubbish.



• Create individual packs with each child's personal journey items if they are old enough to carry their own. But beware of getting children to carry anything too important such as their own passport or medical supplies until you are confident that they will not be mislaid.



• With children from around 10 years give them their own backpack of 25 or 35 litres. This means that you spread the load if you are a family which packs generously.



• Allow sufficient space in your luggage for the shopping you are likely to bring home.



• Although some carriers may allow parents a degree of latitude, you may find yourself restricted to regulation size for cabin luggage (no larger than 45 inches/115cm in total, sometimes 43inches/110cm according to IATA guidelines.) North American carriers sometimes allow two bags but you should be prepared for one to go into the hold.

Who Packs

It is undoubtedly more time-consuming the first time but getting children to pack their bag themselves can be a useful exercise.

Once they have done it once, getting them to produce a list of everything they have needed will save time preparing for subsequent trips. It should also help build a sense of self-reliance.

Before this more useful stage this kind of ‘help' can be a useful way to keeping them out of the parents' hair when they are trying to pack.

It can be wise to point out that live animals are not easily transportable and if you have doubts about whether this has been believed, double check luggage before departure.

Unaccompanied Baggage

If you are absolutely certain you can't do without more luggage than you can easily carry you could send it unaccompanied with your airline if it is one of the bigger name carriers. Alternatively there are specialist organisation such as the following, though they are pricey.

Given the fees the services are most useful for those who would otherwise be paying excess baggage charges.

Excess Baggage
Unit 1-9 Abbey Road, Industrial Park, Commercial Way, London NW10 6XF
tel: 020 8965 3344

A choice of shipping by plane or ship, or within the UK by road. Luggage can be collected from home and delivered to any Excess terminals including Charing Cross, King's Cross, Paddington and Liverpool Street, Waterloo and Earls Court, as well as Heathrow and Gatwick airports plus the offices.
The company reports that it handles more than 40,000 shipments a year and offers collection, freight, customs clearance and delivery with customers able to choose the method of transport and delivery timings with 285 countries serviced currently.
Door to door services are available to a number of long-haul destinations and the price quoted for London to Sydney door to port would be £64, door to door would b £85. Door to airport 30kg £127.50 and door to door £165. Will collect within the M25 for those prices, outside the M25 is an extra £10 per item, minimum charge £20. The equivalent weight charged as excess baggage on your flight is reported as being around £360.
The railway station locations also sell luggage and travel accessories from manufacturers including Jansport, Carlton and Skyway.

Virtual Bellhop
Established in 1998 by TraveLite Enterprises, will pick up and deliver bags for you between 150 cities in the US. ‘Items to be transported are picked up at the traveler's resident, business or other agreed upon point (usually a day before travellers departure) and flown as airfreight, separate from the airplane the traveller uses. The baggage is then sent by ground courier directly to the hotel or other designated location, and precedes the arriving guest. For a round trip booking the process is reversed, with the traveler arriving first. The Average price can range between $75.00 - $100.00 per piece.