If you're flying, don't start packing until you know the luggage weight and dimensions you can take on the plane. Check in advance about carry-on regulations for your departure airports as well as your airlines' baggage and weight limits. Baby formula, baby food and breast milk are usually allowed in reasonable quantities beyond the regulation carry-on liquid size, and most airlines do not charge for checked car seats, cribs and strollers.
Consolidate everything that truly matters into one small, light backpack (and don’t let it out of your sight). That means paperwork (passports, tickets and a printed itinerary with hotel and transport details and reservation numbers), stuffed animals the kids can't sleep without, and anything difficult or expensive to replace. Start with your wallet, a cell phone and charger, prescription sunglasses, prescription medication, painkillers (for children and adults), plasters, an iPod (loaded with family favourites) and charger, a headlamp, an international adapter.
Make a list of stuff you absolutely can’t forget (like prescription medication) and tape it to your front door for final checks before you leave.
Sorting items into sturdy, lightweight, canvas zipper bags eliminates the stress of digging through suitcases - try Eagle Creek (shop.eaglecreek.com) or eBags (ebags.com). Label your packing cubes so each child has one for 'bottoms', 'tops', and so on. Once on the road, dirty clothes go into a designated laundry cube.
In addition to a day-pack full of essentials, we carry an ‘Easy Access Bag’, a canvas tote or backpack (with convenient zipped pockets) that holds everything we might need to reach quickly on the road:
If you don’t need it until your final destination, stow it away in your checked luggage. This is the stage where you risk over-packing, so lay out everything you think you'll need and then go through with a critical eye, taking out items you can leave behind.
Several services offer baby-gear rental and infant supplies. Depending on the service, they can be waiting for you at your hotel or delivered to the airport. Try Jet Set Babies (jetsetbabies.com), Babies Travel Lite (babiestravellite.com), and (USA only) Baby’s Away (babysaway.com).
Personally I bring my own gear. All I really need is a baby carrier like a Baby Bjorn (babybjorn.co.uk); car seats; an umbrella stroller that is light, comfortable, and easy to fold (I like Maclaren - shopmaclarenbaby.com); and a portable crib. When choosing a portable crib, consider size, ease of assembly, and comfort – check out the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib (babybjorn.com), Phil and Ted’s Traveler Crib (philandteds.com), or the Koo-Di Bubble for Babies (koo-di.co.uk).
I involve my kids in the packing process not because it's easier on me (it isn't), but because it builds their excitement for the trip. It also eases the anxiety that comes with leaving home. We discuss what to expect and what we might need, and pick out a few new toys, books and activities to enjoy on the road.
About a week before the trip, each child packs her own carry-on bag. When my youngest was a toddler, she squeezed as many stuffed puppies as she could into her pull-along blue elephant bag. She packed what she knew she needed (and took her job very seriously) but I packed what I knew she needed.
Now aged 14 and 11, our girls love thinking about the trip, planning for the trip, anticipating the trip. And as a mother and a traveller, I love that they love that. But I still make sure that we all have what we need, and that I know exactly where to find it.