Packing for long-term family travel isn’t just about what you take, it’s about creating systems that make everyday life easier. Ben and Claire share the packing routine that has saved them time, space and stress on the road.

Nobody warns you how much of travelling family life is, quietly, about suitcases. Not the romantic parts, the unpacking, the repacking, the working out of what’s actually needed for the next few days versus the next few months. Here’s the system we settled on, built entirely through trial and error.

What we brought, and why we split it up

We travel with two large suitcases and a couple of pieces of hand luggage. But rather than trying to fit an entire year of clothing into those cases, we split things up in advance, based on where we knew we’d be later in the year.

We packed an additional case of Disney-themed children’s clothing and left it at Ben’s mum’s house, ready to swap in when we head to America later this year. We packed another case with clothing more suited to next year’s leg through the Far East, and left that in storage for now. It meant we weren’t hauling clothes for climates and occasions months away from where we currently were, and it meant that when the time comes to switch, we simply collect the right case instead of re-shopping from scratch.

How we actually pack and unpack at each stop

This is the part that’s saved us the most time, day to day. When we arrive somewhere and know we’ll only be there for a few days or up to a week, we don’t unpack both big cases in full. Instead, we open them, select a handful of outfits for that stay, and hang just those in the wardrobe. Everything else stays zipped away in the cases, untouched.

When it’s time to move on, packing back up is quick, we’re only dealing with the few outfits we actually took out, not repacking an entire suitcase from scratch. It sounds like a small thing, but multiplied across dozens of locations, it’s a genuinely significant amount of time and effort saved.

The laundry habit that keeps it all working

Before we leave most locations, we try to find somewhere to do laundry, either a local laundrette or, where we’re lucky, a washing machine at the accommodation itself. Getting everything clean before setting off means we arrive at the next stop with a fresh case, rather than starting behind.

Why we’re sharing something this ordinary

None of this is glamorous, and that’s rather the point. The parts of this life that actually make it sustainable day to day are rarely the parts that photograph well. If you’re a family considering something similar, our honest advice is this: solve the boring logistics, packing, laundry, what’s in storage versus what’s with you, early and deliberately, because they’re the things that will quietly wear you down if you leave them to chance.

Our Packing System

• ✓ Two main suitcases
• ✓ Hand luggage for essentials
• ✓ USA clothing stored separately
• ✓ Asia clothing stored separately
• ✓ Only unpack what we’ll wear
• ✓ Laundry before every move

What else is possible, when even the boring parts of a big life change have a system behind them?

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Related reading: The Real Numbers: What It Actually Cost Us to Leave the UK · Why We Stopped Planning Ahead

Frequently Asked Questions

How much luggage do you need for a year of family travel?

We travel with two large suitcases and hand luggage, keeping additional seasonal clothing in storage so we’re only carrying what we need for the current stage of the journey.

Should you pack for every season?

Our experience says no. Splitting clothes into seasonal cases has made travelling much easier than carrying everything with us all year.

Do you unpack everything at each stop?

No. For shorter stays, we only unpack the clothes we’ll actually wear and leave everything else organised inside the suitcases.

How do you keep on top of laundry while travelling?

Whenever possible, we wash everything before moving to the next location so we arrive with clean clothes and don’t start each stay already behind.

What’s the biggest packing lesson you’ve learned?

Creating simple systems has made a far bigger difference than trying to pack perfectly.