When do you start packing?

Very ?

My honeymoon isn't until September and we already have our packing spreadsheet on the go. As I buy new things or things specifically for the honeymoon I store them in the packing cube they will probably travel in, which is stored in the suitcase. The suitcases live in our study at the moment, so they're easy to access. If they were in the loft, I'd probably just have thing in the packing cubes til we got them down.

I do a final inventory about 2-4 weeks beforehand. Then do another *i must have this* shop a week beforehand and usually do the final 'actual packing' in the final week too. Usually involves several repacks so I can get all my shoes in without squashing other things

I have started buying clothes and bits and pieces for our HM but probably won't get the cases down until 2 weeks before. Although saying that I'll probably be so excited that I'll have packed several times before then!

The night before I go away.

This. The bonus is I am usually so knackered the next day I sleep on the way.

Exactly!?

pretty much this too!! I chuck everything i want to take on the spare bed, inclduing a ridiculous amount of shoes and bags and then Mr F kindly packs it neatly leaving out the crap i really dont need (a 5th pair od wedges you say?!)

Oh My Gosh BV, you are everything that I want to be!

I would love to be that organised, i did snort (I apologise) at the packing spreadsheet for September. Are you extra organised because it is your honeymoon?

I'm not really the night before kinda gal, but we go away at the crack of dawn a week today, and all I have done is manage to get OH to put his clothes out that he wants to take, which are either now on the spare bed, or are waiting the be ironed.

Thank god! I read BV's reply and actually started sweating.

I get married in 9 days and I'm not going home between the honeymoon and the wedding. I haven't even started on my lists yet.

Kharv you make me ??

I start shopping as soon as I book. Maybe about a week before, I start washing stuff and packing it into suitcases. However, our honeymoon was unusually disorganised as we spent the days between our wedding and honeymoon away from home, only getting back the day we travelled to the airport. So we had an attitude of "Throw stuff in, anything we forget we can buy". Fortunately, I had done some pre-preparation so it could have been worse!

BV - what are these packing cubes you speak of?

BV whats a packing cube?

I pack about an hour before I leave for the airport, Oh packs the day before.

I'll start putting things out on the spare bed about 2-3 weeks before we go, depending on if they've been worn and washed in the run up. I'll then pack everything into the case during the last week, then Mr Knees will come in and dump a load more stuff in and I'll have to repack!

Usually I start getting things ready a few days before but we go on honeymoon 2 days after the wedding so think I am going to have to be far more organised this year! I have started shopping already which is a big mistake, I counted my bikinis the other day and I have 12... I'm going for 10 days!!

Even OH says it's just about typical of me to manage to get a spreadsheet going for something like the honeymoon! No, I don't think I'm extra organised for this, I do it for nearly all holidays as I like to keep a list of what I have taken with me (partly for insurance purposes, partly so I know I've remembered everything, I tick things off the list as they go in on the 'final pack'). I might be starting this one earlier than usual but that's more because we're going further and it's a 'bigger' trip than usual!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/eBags-Packing-Cubes-3pc-Set/dp/B004YLIS9Q - Packing Cubes!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (and I don't work for the packing cube company!!) they are ace. We pack our cubes, lable them, put a mix in each suitcase, so if one goes missing we each have some stuff. Pack them in the cases on top of the shoes then layer beach towels over them On the way back they're a good way of keeping dirty and clean clothes separate, and gifts etc. I ❤️ them!

But also! It's not just that I like to be organised, starting early means I get excited about my holiday early and get to enjoy plenty of time looking forward to it!

Those of you who pack really early - don't you need some of your clothes for day-to-day stuff beforehand?

I usually start thinking about washing etc the week before going away, but I don't think I've ever actually packed until the day before.

I started packing for this years holiday last year.

When we got back from our honeymoon, all my clothes were washed and put back in my suitcase for this year's holiday. I'm never going to wear the clothes in this country so it saves storing them as well.

The only stuff I would usually need beforehand is underwear, which is the last thing I pack, and in the height of summer maybe some shoes. I generally have a totally seperate holiday wardrobe for beach holidays, I would not wear the clothes at home, for various reasons.

I usually start sorting things a couple of weeks before we go and pack gradually over that time. We are off to Spain a week on Sunday and I have already done a check of all mine and the boys summer stuff to see what fits and what doesn't and what needs replacing/updating (we only have the boys every other weekend and last summer was such a washout that most of their stuff is still like new) and I have been buying new little bits since the spring/summer stuff came in to the shops.

This weekend I will be buying all of our toiletries and getting our currency and then washing everything and packing most of our stuff in to the case ready for last minute bits to go in next Friday. I could never do it the day before, I would panic I had forgotten something !

I'm a bit naughty and see most holidays as an excuse to have lots of new things ?

If I buy something that I know I would never wear here, only on holiday, then I pop it in my case straight away to save space.

However, bringing the case down from the loft, packing everything neatly, etc. only happens the night before...unless there's a reason why I wouldn't be able to, such as if I was flying out after a day of work and night class. We fly out on HM on a Tuesday, so I will be packing early Monday evening, before heading out for some dinner.

I'm away at the end of June, I've got the new bits for my son's hand luggage, got a list of stuff for my hand luggage and the basics of my packing list

Normally I am very organised and tidy but when we go on our surfing week i just get two big blue IKEA bags and chuck everything in there. Then when I get there we empty everything out and use one of the bags for dirty clothes. Simplicity itself. How neat do board shorts need to be?

About a week after I book it usually! I like to be super organised! Lol. Id have started packing for this years holiday already but got hospital bags to pack before that! lol

The week before I write a list of everything I'll need.

The night before I realise I've lost my list so open the suitcase, open the drawers and throw clothes at the open suitcase. If they land in they're taken if they dont they're left behind.

I have some bits that are only ever used on holiday, so those are in a under bed bag. For everything else about a week before I start putting things to one side and declare a 'anything you wear after today will not be washed before holiday', then things just get added to the pile, and the day before we'll pack them all into the case.

Will have to be slightly more organised for honeymoon because I don't want the stress of packing after the wedding so hopefully it'll all be pretty much done and ready to go before wedding!

Exactly this. Also there are things like the cheap vest tops I throw over my bikini just to walk down to the pool which I just get from primark that I tend to leave on holiday and re-buy each year. As soon as I buy them they get put straight in the suitcase, so I'm kind of packing as I go along. The only things that need putting in at the end are creasables like floaty dresses etc. I make H carry more or less all the shoes as he doesnt have as many clothes.

About a month in advance...

There are lists to be completed, outfit combos that need to be arranged, I need to make sure the weight is distributed evenly in the suitcase... you know the normal stuff people do when they go away ?

I pack as soon as I buy the items. So for our honeymoon I started buying in January and the new stuff I bought for honeymoon went straight into the case. I know I am a weirdo but I like to have everything new for holidays, and honeymoon especially.

For our favourite "old" clothes which we will take I make OH stop wearing them a few weeks before, wash them, iron them and pack them. Given the amount of clothes H has, this really isn't an issue, makes the wardrobes accessible for one! ?

We go on a cruise in May, and i've started shopping today, so the case will be coming out tonight ?

Snap!