Travel Tips: Family trip

Planning to take your family on a trip? The organizational expert Louise Kurzeka provides ideas for getting family members ready for a trip.

• Take photos of luggage before the trip to help with identification in the event of a baggage mishandling. Also count the luggage at each stop.
• If there will be several stops during a trip, pack a couple of suitcases with a couple of changes of clothes for the entire family. This is more efficient than packing each family member's clothes in a dedicated suitcase, as it cuts down on the amount of luggage that has to be carried into hotel rooms during each stop.
• Put luggage in the trunk or otherwise out of sight if it is to be left in the car overnight.
• Pack blow dryers, first-aid kits and other health and personal-care items in a separate suitcase so that they are easily accessible.
• Here's a few common items can be a great help while traveling: A simple bandana can double as a head cover or a bench cover in public parks.
• A lightweight rain poncho can provide protection for yourself and luggage in the event of a sudden downpours. In addition, it can also serve as a drop cloth for an outdoor travel picnic. Dental floss doubles as strong string or thread when needed.
• Instead of packing along hardcover books for travel reading, choose magazines or paperbacks that have been purchased at half-price bookstores. The materials can be left behind if desired.
• Make sure at least one adult has some healthy, neat snacks packed in their carry-on luggage. Juice boxes, dried fruits and trail mix can all be used to satisfy the unpredictable appetites of children with a minimum of messy hands and faces.
• Essential items to pack for air travelers include moisturizer, saline nasal spray and eyedrops. All counteract the effects of high-altitude dryness. Also remember to drink plenty of water.
• If traveling overseas, always take single rolls of toilet tissue and hand sanitizer. Remove the center cardboard tube of the toilet tissue roll to conserve space.

Source