Planning an extended vacation? Check out these Extended Stay Travel Packing Tips first!
Tis the season for holiday travel! Are you and your family planning an extended stay somewhere over the holidays? We are, for the first time in my entire life, spending part of the holidays with someone's family other than my own immediate family. My husband, kids, and I are all looking forward to the adventure!
While we'll be staying with my husband's family for a week, I know many of you might be staying at extended stay hotels, such as TownePlace Suites by Marriott®. I love extended stay hotels because they help you feel more like home when you are traveling for more than just a few days.
TownePlace Suites® have hotels nationwide, and offer spacious studios, one- and two-bedroom suites. The traveling worker bee in me loves the free Wi-Fi, in-room ergonomic work space, and TowneMap® to help you find your way easily around the neighborhood; while the traveling mom (and foodie) in me loves the full sized kitchens and on-site laundry.
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Extended Stay Packing Tips
Planning for extended travel is a little different than planning for a weekend getaway, especially if you have kids in tow. So I've put together a list of some of my top tips for staying organized when traveling for longer periods of time.
Tip 1: Stock Up on Travel Essentials
When traveling for extended stays, it's often the little things that make a big difference. At The Container Store® I found necessities like an international converter outlet, cute mini emergency kits, and travel laundry kits, as well as fun accessories like cable cord pouches and cute luggage tags. I love to choose essentials that come in fun designs and packaging--it just makes your extended stay even more enjoyable!
Tip 2: Pack Leakproof Bottles
The last thing you need when traveling is to open your suitcase or carry-on to find one of your shampoo bottles has leaked all over your clothing. Believe me, I know from experience! The last NON-Nalgene bottle I used for coconut oil on a recent trip leaked and it was NOT pretty. . .
The Container Store® sells a variety of Nalgene travel bottles that are built using the same materials as lab bottles, and are 100% leakproof. I bought this Nalgene bottle for our holiday travels to avoid any coconut oil leaks this time!
Tip 3: Keep Travel Necessities Close
When traveling by plane or train, you don't want to be that person who holds up the line rifling through your purse to find your ID, cash, or your phone for your electronic boarding pass. I love this Seat Pack that allows you to keep all travel necessities easily accessible. Looking forward to hanging this on the tray table hook on my next flight and keeping everything nice and handy!
Tip 4: Packing Cubes
Yes, you should roll up most of your clothing, but did you know that those clothing packing organizers really do help you save space, avoid wrinkles, and they can also help you keep things organized at your destination. Simply transfer the the organizers directly into your hotel drawers.
The kind folks at my local The Container Store® were so helpful in helping me select some packing organizers for our trip. I picked out two: an Eagle Creek shirt organizer and a two-pouch clothing organizer set. I fit about 7 tops (two thin sweaters and five blouses/shirts) into the first small shirt organizer pictured below.
After packing enough in these organizers to last the average person a full week (or more, thanks to on-site laundry at places like TownPlace Suites®!), there is still PLENTY of room to spare for shoes and toiletries in a standard carry-on size suitcase; not to mention, the extra room you KNOW you will need for those unexpected (but inevitable) purchases.
Tip 5: Laundry Bags
When you are staying someplace for more than a few days, it's easy for the dirty clothes to pile up in one corner. . . and another corner . . . and on chairs . . and the closet floor.
This stylish houndstooth laundry bag can hold about a week's worth of clothing for one adult, and probably about two week's worth of both of my kids' clothes. It folds up neatly into a little pouch and takes up almost no space at all to bring with you.
For more travel tips, be sure to visit our full travel section!
Neil Fairweather says
The first thing I do when I'm staying in an extended stay situation is to take all of my clothes out and hang them up and put them in drawers immediately. This makes me feel more organized and keeps me from living out of suitcases and piles of clothes!
Erin B says
The 'pack its' are the best for keeping clothes neat and wrinkle free! I desperately need to organize my shoes, so the ELFA SHOE RACK would go to great use!
Carolsue says
A laundry bag is essential if you don't want dirty clothes mixed up with clean ones! I also keep essential items packed together, clothes I will need the first night get packed on top, etc. Shoes get wrapped in plastic grocery bags.
Meagan says
I unpack
Sarah says
No matter where I'm staying or for how long, I put everything away (clothes in the closet, toiletries in the bathroom, etc.). I get so unorganized when I try to live out of my suitcase.
Kristen says
I'd use the shoe rack. I hate having shoes laying around randomly in my room!
anne says
I would use all the hooks I could get, plus the shoe rack for sure. Thanks!
LaTanya says
I like the hanging rack where you can hang your purse, umbrella, and coat
manda says
I like the shoe rack.
Bill Volckening says
Haven't had much extended travel recently, but I have stayed at suite hotels that have kitchenettes and cooked on the road. In those situations it's important to know what you can pull off in that kind of kitchen setup.
I think I'd use the Pack It folder most- a great idea!
Melissa Kaylene says
I need to work on ways to stay organized while actually on the extended stay - before leaving I make lots of packing lists and try to plan out exactly what I need to have with me (and my family!) :)
MC says
Pack each day's clothes in a separate ziplock bag
Mary says
We use our station wagon as a sort of closet. :-)
Sharyl Wolter says
My main way is not to over pack but this is an ongoing battle!
Jenifer says
For traveling I think I would use the seatpak inflight series the most. For the Elfa closet series, I think I would use the shoe organizer the most...I hate shoes being all over a hotel room, and tripping over them!
Sarah says
Packing cubes are my absolute favorite solution!