As we approached the start of our family road trip through Europe, I was nervous about packing and making sure we had everything we needed in the camper van, especially as the kids were only 1 and 4 years old. Suddenly the whole trip felt very daunting!

We spent HOURS creating a spreadsheet (yes, we are spreadsheet nerds), with everything that we thought we would need, adding extra bits on and deliberating about what we would and wouldn’t need. In the end I think we did a pretty good job and all of the prep and hard work paid off. 

We took the trip in summer and the majority of the time we had great weather which definitely helped. However, about a week of the trip was in the Pyrenees mountains which we knew would be cooler due to the altitude. So we had to make sure that we all had enough warm clothing for the mountains, as well as summer clothing for the rest of the trip.

So, here is everything we packed for a 2 month road trip through Europe with kids.

Clothes for Adults

4 pairs shorts 

2 dresses (for me, obviously)

5 t-shirts

2 hoodies/ jumpers/ sweaters

2 pairs trousers/ jeans

5 sets underwear

2 sets sleep wear

2 swim wear

1 rash vest with UV protection

1 warm jacket (we used down jackets as they packed down well)

1 rain coat

Sandals/ flip flops

Trainers/ sneakers for hiking/ colder weather

Sun hat/ cap

Clothes for Kids

We packed a little more for the kids on the basis that they would get messier more quickly and if we packed too little we would have to do laundry more often.

7 pairs shorts

4 dresses/ pay suits for Miss 1

7 t-shirts

2-3 hoodies/ jumpers/ sweaters

3 pairs trousers/ jeans

7 sets underwear

3 sets sleep wear

2 swim wear

2 rash vests with UV protection

1 warm jacket

1 rain jacket

Sun hat/ cap

Sandals

Trainers/ sneakers for walks or colder weather

1 stuffed toy each for them to sleep with

Toiletries

Shower gel (unisex to save bringing extra bottles)

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

Shampoo

Conditioner

Suntan lotion

Baby wipes

Nappies 

Nappy rash cream (just in case)

Small nail care kit

Flannels/ wash clothes

Hairbrush and clips/ bands

Antibacterial hand gel

Make up and skin care

Shaving kit for Tom

Mosquito repellent

Medical

Plasters/ band aids

Kids paracetamol

Paracetamol

Ibuprofen

Antihistamines

Thermometer

Assorted dressings/ bandages

Vitamins

Personal medications

Swim/ Beach

Inflatable kayak (yes, really…) and pump

Beach toys (2 buckets and spades plus a few sand molds)

Arm bands/ swim aids

4 towels

Sun shade

Swim goggles

Water shoes for the kids

Cooking/ Kitchen

The camper already had some kitchenware as it was set up for two adults. So we didn’t need to pack crockery, utensils or cookware (saucepans etc) as these were already in the van.

Aeropress coffee filter

Bottles and bottle brush (my daughter still liked her morning milk at this point)

4 Reusable water bottles

2 cartons of soya milk (my daughter only drank dairy free milk and I didn’t know how available it would be so took a couple in case it took me a few days to find some)

Small squeezy squash (the kids mainly drink water but they are occasionally allowed squash/ cordial if I wanted to encourage them to drink more)

Children’s plates

Children’s bowls

Children’s cups

Wine glasses/ tumblers

Electric kettle

Gas BBQ

Sleeping solutions

Waterproof mattress protector (in case anyone got sick)

2 Pillow Protectors (one for each kid)

4 pillows

3 sheets (one for each bed plus a spare)

1 single duvet

2 sleep sacks for Miss 1 (one thin cotton and one warmer for the mountains)

1 queen Duvet from NightOwl (you wash the whole things, no need for a cover)

Technology/ IT/ Electricals

Kindle Fire Tablet with a few Disney films downloaded

Ear pods

2 Headtorches

USB chargers and cables

4 USB fans (these were a game changer on hot nights)

2 Kindles

Tablet mount for the van (to hold the tablet so the kids could both watch)

Chromebook

Outdoor light for evenings

Documents

Passports

Drivers licence

Travel insurance

Van insurance

Van manual and warranty (this helped us so much when we had to take the van in for a repair in Spain)

Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC)

Tools/ Miscellaneous

Fold down stroller (which we used once)

Little Life Toddler carrier (this was used daily!)

Car seats

Duct tape and zip ties (you never know when you’re going to need it)

Kids toys/ activities

Picnic blanket (water proof on one side)

Gazebo (perfect for putting the kids car seats in when we had to make up the beds ect. Or, for sitting under if it rained/ we needed shade)

Camping chairs

Potty

Screwdriver set

Reusable shopping bags

Back packs for days out

Laundry detergent for hand washing

Washing line

Dustpan and brush

2 Things we didn’t take on the next trip

The stroller. This just wasn’t practical for the majority of the time we were away so we essentially just hauled it around Europe for 8 weeks. I get asked which is the best stroller for european cobblestones, the answer is a baby carrier. Don’t bother with a stroller!

The kayak- we used this once near Tarragona. Our 1yo was too scared to get in, and our 4yo decided it was “boring” just sitting there (while one of us did the work in the back!) and didn’t want to go again. Now they are older we would probably use it more but they were a bit young for this trip. Plus it was big and cumbersome to move around.

5 Things we didn’t pack but wished we had

Mosquito coils/ citronella candles for the evenings. We packed repellent but the kids hated having it on. We wished we had got something in addition for the warm evenings outside.

Mini portable mosquito lamp-  we have since bought one of these and wish we knew about them sooner. It would have been great for inside the van at night

A (very) small paddling pool to use as a toddler bath (our kids didn’t like using showers)

Outdoor camping rug/ mat for under the gazebo or by the camper van door so we weren’t constantly trailing dust or mud into the van

A hammock (not essential but quite nice for rest days)

All in all I think we did pretty well with the packing and, although it’s changed as the kids have gotten older, we still use the same spreadsheet for our annual European family road trip. What else would you have taken? Or is there anything you would have left behind?