As you may have observed/mildly judged, in the ‘About me’ section of this blog, I like to ‘make a good list’. I really mean it. I get a deep sense of dorky personal achievement from ticking actions off a list. So much so, that I will sometimes retrospectively add things I have done to lists, which weren’t on the original list, just to tick them off and get the buzz.
I wanted to put out into the universe, for the good of mankind, my ‘don’t forget’ holiday packing list – which is basically a list of things I have forgotten on holidays over the years or blindly assumed others will bring.
Great British packing list
Practical things:
- Local Currency – I always assume the pound is accepted everywhere. No. Wrong. And come home to find frustrating envelopes of old useless Euros from previous holidays in drawers everywehere
- Phone Charger. Adapter. Travel Battery.Various crucial, but irritating cables for Ipad/Kindle.
- Beach Towel. People always get particularly irritated when I forget this
- Map/Guide book – v. retro but a godsend when data roaming is zillions of pounds
- Insurance/hotel details – numbers and directions
- Decent bags for sight-seeing/beach
- Gym Kit. So annoying when you end up in a great hotel, with a great gym and loads of time to actually go but no trainers, socks, sports bra etc.
- Teabags/instant coffee. I mock my Mother for bringing her little bags of PG Tips on holiday, but do resent buying continental Lipton (eughh).
Toiletries and skincare:
- Sunhat and sun protection spray for hair. Always burn my scalp.
- After sun. Oh the best made plans.
- P20 suncream. Doesn’t come off all day, come sea or sweat, and is the only thing I don’t burn with. Not for face though.
- Facial Mist. For hives and just general fun. Sprtiz. Spritz. Spritz!
- Neon lipsticks/nail-polishes . Otherwise what is the point in having them? You can only wear on approx 3 days in UK
- Hay-fever tablets, eye drops, blister plasters, prickly heat cream, immodium and tissues – spend 10% of every holiday desperately trying to locate a pharmacy with pink, streaming eyes
- Travel size toiletries and samples – shampoo/conditioner, shower gel, shaving cream, body lotion, facial cleanser, serums, moisturiser, perfume, deoderant and razors – all the samples taking up space in the bathroom – this is your moment!
- Toothpaste and Toothbrush. Once forced to buy aniseed toothpaste for 6 Euros in Italy which tasted like Sambuca
- Cotton pads, facial wipes/flannels.
Entertainment:
- DVDs/Player or Ipad with films/box-sets downloaded. For rainy days, flights, holiday ‘can’t switch off’ twitch
- Games – Playing Cards or the best Ipad game of charades ever – Heads Up
- Good books – pre-downloaded onto Kindle. (In Portugal, recently, I ended up panic downloading the most incredible trash).
- Speakers. Beach side tunes.
So much more relaxing when you haven’t forgotten your pants
Totally obvious stuff:
- Jacket, jumpers, jeans for cool days
- Loads of shorts and T-shirts for the day
- A million swimsuits/bikinis, plus beach covers
- Skirts, playsuits, dresses, tops for evening
- Underwear – including NEUTRAL tones as there will be a surprising opportunity to wear white
- Converse/trainers
- Flipflops/sandals
- Nightwear
- Sunglasses
- Camera
- Passport…Printed boarding passes…
Ironically I was more organised when I traveled less, but over the years I have become so ‘Generation EasyJet’ that I complacently believe holiday packing ‘just happens’. But it doesn’t. In fact, last month it happened at 11.45 before a 6am flight from Gatwick to Faro, leaving no time to sleep and a pretty disappointing holiday wardrobe when I arrived. So fingers crossed that getting organised for my next holiday will help…
Happy Travels x
How's London 