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Teenagers Packing For A Trip
Packing List And Advice

Teenagers packing for a trip advice take into account that teens have different travel needs than younger children.

Two travelling teenagers jumping in the air

As a general advice, you should involve your teenager as much as possible in the trip preparation.

That makes them feel like they “own” the holiday plan as well, making it almost guaranteed they will enjoy it more. It will also teach your teen valuable organizational skills that will be beneficial in the future.

This includes letting them decide what to pack. You could even let your teenager pack his or her personal choices into own carryon luggage and use suitcases for bulky items and shared belongings.

Vacation packing lists for teenagers will be useful for this, i.e. keeping them focused and within the carry on luggage restrictions if flying.

Top Teenagers Packing For A Trip Advice

One of the biggest challenge when travelling with teenagers is which electronic gadgets should you allow on your vacation and how much should your teen be allowed to use them. It is not only that you do not want to be arguing about this while on holiday - many of those gadgets are expensive and popular targets for thieves.

Try to agree on the ground rules prior to travelling and make sure your insurance policy covers adequately the more expensive gadgets you do allow on your vacation.

Vacation Packing Lists For Teenagers

When packing for a trip it is convenient to use our special vacation packing lists for teenagers that you can download and print by clicking the download button below. Note: You will need Adobe Reader to view the packing list.

Packing list button

You can also find vacation packing lists for other family members on our Top Travel Tips website.

Travel Documents

Make sure all your travel documents are in order and that your insurance policy provides adequate cover for your teenager, especially if you are planning some sort of activity vacation, e.g. skiing or climbing.

  • Travel tickets
  • Passport and visa (if applicable)
  • Medical card
  • Your Travel Insurance Policy
  • Updated international vaccination card (if applicable)
  • Photocopy of all travel documents
  • International student card (if applicable)
  • Copy of doctor's prescriptions (if applicable)
  • List of all medicines your teenager is taking (if applicable)
  • Your doctors (at home) phone number (in case of emergencies) International student card (if applicable)
  • Emergency contact information (at your destination)

Clothes And Accessories

You might want to keep an eye on your teenager when he or she is choosing which clothes to bring on your vacation. When your teen is packing for a trip... he or she could easily use up the entire family luggage allowances if left to his or her own devices:

  • Combination of casual day wear, e.g. jeans, shorts, skirt, t-shirts, shirt, cardigan, etc.
  • Sportswear and leisure wear as appropriate, e.g. swimwear, gym wear, etc.
  • Smart casual evening wear
  • Appropriate outerwear
  • Something to sleep in
  • Underwear and socks
  • Pantyhose / tights
  • Good shoes for all occasion, e.g. casual, formal, walking, sport, etc.
  • Hats or caps
  • Gloves or mittens
  • Sunglasses
  • Quick dry towel or beach towel (if applicable)
  • Raincoat or poncho
  • Umbrella
  • Belt
  • Watch
  • Jewelry
  • Other accessories (as appropriate)

Electronics And Gadgets

When packing for a trip you must consider carefully which travel gadgets and travel gear to bring and what to leave behind. It is not only space and weight you need to consider here, many travel gear and gadgets are expensive and you do not want to risk losing them. At least make sure your insurance covers adequately those gadgets you decide to take on your trip.

  • Mobile phone and charger
  • Digital camera and charger
  • Plug Adaptor And Converter (if different electrical standard)
  • iPod or CD player with headphones to listen to music
  • Laptop or iPad, and charger
  • Portable mini speakers to listen to music

Toiletries And Health

It is very personal which toiletries and health related products people take with them on their travels... and teenagers might often take more products than adults would. However, when packing for a trip it makes sense to minimize toiletries as much as you can. Just pack what you will need during your trip - no need to travel back with unused toiletries.

Consider using special travel containers for shampoo and conditioner, etc., enabling you to save on luggage weight. Toiletries can actually weight up to 2.5 kilos / 5.5 lbs!

  • Your teenager preferred toiletries, i.e. shampoo, conditioner, soap, moisturizer, deodorant, hair styling products, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, make-up, perfume, lip balm, cotton buds, etc.
  • Comb or brush
  • Small mirror
  • Shaving equipments
  • Nail file, clippers, tweezers
  • Cotton swabs
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Antibacterial hand wipes
  • Sunscreen lotion
  • First Aid Kit
  • Insect repellent (if applicable)
  • Malaria tablets (if travelling in malaria infested area)
  • Prescription and OTC medicines (if applicable)
  • Contraceptives (if applicable)
  • Glasses / contact lenses (if applicable)

Other Possible Necessities

  • Guidebooks, maps, phrasebooks
  • Books / magazines to read in your leisure time
  • Notebook and pen
  • Chewing gum or mint (if flying)
  • Snack
  • Water bottle to refill
  • Small flashlight and / or night light
  • Beach toys / gadgets, i.e. snorkeling kit, inflatable mattresses (if beach vacation)

Top Travel Tips packing for a trip advice and vacation packing lists are for guidance only - you should add and delete items as applicable for your trip and your teenager needs.

For your convenience, you can download it and print your teenager vacation packing lists by clicking the download button below. You can also find vacation packing lists for other family members at Top Travel Tips.

Packing list button

Check our practical Travelling With Teenagers travel tips, and our detailed Travel Tips For Packing Luggage.

Packing Organizers

There are also various packing products available aimed at making your packing more efficient and convenient. Take a look at our article about the Benefits Of Packing Organizers And Packing Cubes.