Essential Packing List and Tips for a Family of Five Traveling to Europe for 90 Days
Planning a 90-day trip to Europe with a family of five can be both exciting and challenging, especially when it comes to packing. We traveled to France, Germany and Switzerland between March and May. We were expecting mild to colder weather, so please note, shorts and bathing suits were not a priority though we did bring them!
Honestly, we struggled with what to pack so, to help make the process easier for you, we've compiled an essential packing list and tips to ensure you have everything you need for a comfortable and memorable journey. Here is what I’ll go over with hyperlinks to get you to what you want to know!
Deciding on Luggage
Decide if you are checking in your luggage or carrying them on. We decided to carry our luggage because of the expense (we are taking a budget flight and they charge for everything). Plus this decision will ensure light travel. If we ultimately buy a lot of stuff, we can always buy a suitcase for the return trip and pay the extra fee then. We also decided to pack clothing that we could donate to make space for purchases on our trip. This helped with not buying a lot of “souvenirs” on the trip. Pictures and Journals were our memories.
Check with the airline the dimensions and weight of the luggage you can bring both check in or carry-on. If you are taking other flights or trains throughout your trip, it’s helpful to sleuth their website for luggage restrictions so you can plan for what type of luggage you will need.
Buy your luggage to meet the airline's requirements. We were allowed a carry-on of a 21 x 15 x 9.5 inch bag that weighed no more than 15 pounds. We also were allowed a small personal bag. (10 x 13 x * inches). So, we bought a Taygeer Backpack for each of us. We liked the compartments for clothing, shoes, and technology. They were perfect as we weren’t using them for anything else except carrying our clothes around. As for our personal bags, we thrifted them at second hand stores. They also served as our day backs when out and about. Each of these bags were no more than $5.
Do A Practice Run Before You Go
Do a practice trip to see if the luggage and your stuff works. Ideally we would have taken a train somewhere and spent the night, but we were running out of time, so we packed up all of our stuff and headed to Grandpa’s house, 20 minutes away. Though we didn’t ‘use’ any of the stuff we brought to his house, we quickly learned a few things. We needed to revise our packing list as we were all over the weight limit. We needed to think minimally.
Our Minimal Packing List for A Family of Five
What did we pack in our carry-on? It’s not much. We prioritized having a combination of pants, shirts,scarves etc that could be mixed and matched to look like new outfits as well as have multiple purposes. We went during Spring, so layering is important. Make sure to wear the heavy and bulky clothes on the plane.
Clothing and Footwear
3 pairs of pants (2 packed and the heaviest pair worn on the plane)
1 pair of shorts per person (can act as pajama bottoms)
6 tops (1 long sleeve, 3 short sleeve/blouses, 2 tank tops)
1 sweater/hoodies per person (worn on plan)
1 jacket/coat per person (worn on plan)
7 pairs of underwear and socks
1 pairs of comfortable walking shoes (we got trail runners as we are doing hiking and street walking)
1 pair of sandals or flip-flops per person
Hat (beany and sunhat)
Cotton- scarf (to use as a sun cover up or as warmth or to dress an outfit up.)
Bathing suit
Travel Towel
Gloves (for upper elevations)
Toiletries (for carry-on make sure everything is under 3.5 ounces and in a clear bag for TSA to inspect)
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss
Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash- we brought two days worth as most of the places we are staying have them
Deodorant and sunscreen
Insect repellent
First-aid kit with basic supplies
Any prescription medications
Everything else went into our personal bag. We divided and conquered on this one. One person had the snacks. Other person had the electronics and important papers. Someone else had the journals and cards etc.
Electronics
5 smartphones or tablets
1 adapter and cables for each device (there are adapters that can charge 5 devices!!)
1 laptop or tablet for entertainment
1 camera with charger and extra batteries
1 power bank for charging devices on the go
Travel Documents
Passports valid for at least six months beyond the travel dates with photocopies
Visas if required for any countries on the itinerary
Copies of important documents such as birth certificates and insurance policies
Other Essentials
3 Water bottles to share among the 5 of us
2 umbrellas to share (if space is limited, buy the umbrella at your destination)
Snacks and non-perishable food items for the plane
Deck of Cards
Journal
Travel insurance
Small amount of cash in Euros
Credit cards with no foreign transaction fees we recommend: __________)
Laundry Sheets
Remember, the key to packing for a long trip is to pack light and efficiently. Opt for versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits. Also, consider using packing cubes to organize your belongings and maximize space in your luggage.