International Trip Packing List

Have you ever wanted to go on a family trip, but you weren’t sure exactly what to bring? Our family is learning it’s totally feasible take our kids on adventures, with a bit of planning and packing. In 2022, we took our 3 kids to visit Europe. We planned to fly into London and explore the city along with Edinburgh and Dublin. We tried to pack efficiently while still bringing everything our family of 5 would need.

In late summer 2022, our family decided to go on a somewhat spontaneous month-long trip to the United Kingdom and surrounding areas. In fact, we’d been wanting to go on such a trip for awhile. When we realized we had the availability and means to visit the UK, we took the first step: we booked the flights. The next question we encountered is, what should we bring for our month-long stay?

Here’s our vacation packing list (per person) for our family of 5.

Clothes

t-shirts (6)
jeans or leggings (6)
underwear (7) Bra (2)
socks (6 pairs)
jacket medium weight
hoodie
pajamas (4)
swimsuit (2)
comfortable walking & hiking shoes
flip flops or sandals

Cosmetics

toothbrush
toothpaste
dental floss
wet brush / hair brush
hair ties
travel hair spray
hair straightener
makeup
makeup remover
compact mirror
face wash
lotion
sunscreen
bug spray
deodorant
shaving cream
razor
travel shampoo & conditioner
travel body wash
Tylenol & Ibuprofen
allergy medication
first aid kit

Gear

small pillow
blanket
hat
sunglasses
concealed money belt

Electronics

cell phone
waterproof phone pouch
camera
lightweight tripod
laptop
kindle or tablet
USB chargers
international power adapter

Strategic Packing

We tried to pack efficiently so that we would have the clothing, cosmetics and gear that would allow our trip to go smoothly. Since we hadn’t been to the United Kingdom, we didn’t want to rely on finding essentials there. Of course, we had to make sure the liquids we brought were the right size for the airline flight requirements.

Also, we brought enough clothes for a week. After that, we figured we would find a laundry mat to wash our clothes for the following week. Additionally, we planned to buy a few extra clothes on our trip, just for fun. My girls were excited to pick out some new outfits in Europe. Besides regular clothes, we brought jackets for cool weather, swimsuits, and supportive walking shoes.

Finally, we made sure we had an international power adapter and a power strip so we could charge our phones, cameras and devices. I learned from a previous trip that the plugs in other countries aren’t the same as the outlets in the United States. I weighed the options of bringing my Nikon DSLR camera in addition to my iPhone. In the end, I decided to bring both, because my Nikon takes much better landscape and building photos. After all, we planned to go to a lot of super cool, historic places.

Even though it’s helpful to pack efficiently for a vacation, we’ve learned we can often buy the things we forget. We may have to try something new or go without, but that’s part of the fun of a travel adventure! I hope this international trip packing list is helpful for your next family vacation.

Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!