Packing List – For An Active Family Holiday in the Snow

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” 

Antoine de St. Exupery

In this comprehensive post, you will find the detailed packing list for our recent family snow holiday to the French Alps. Gone are the days of laying everything out on the bed you would like to pack, then halving it. Here is a guide to help you save time by only gathering what you really need, right from the beginning.

 As our intention is always to travel with the least amount of luggage as we can get away with, the adults share one suitcase and our two children share the other. We had one extra suitcase for this trip as we travelled during the Festive Season and, considering our children are still quite young, we had a few extra items to transport there and back!

Shopping Tips to Help Complete Your Packing List

Leaving the packing to the last minute is not recommended for a snow holiday. There are a few essential clothing items you need to ensure you comfortably enjoy the cold temperatures and have fun on the slopes.

Online Market Places such as local Facebook Groups, eBay and/or Gumtree are great places to keep your eye on for people selling preloved gear. Alternatively, if you find yourself in a position where you need to buy new, Aldi (for Australian readers) is a good option. Just be prepared to line up ready for the doors to open and go into battle with the crowds, for this once a year snow sale (usually around May/June).

We always ensure the clothes are slightly bigger when we purchase them, allowing the children room to grow. These clothes are then passed down to Siblings, Cousins or anyone else we know who are planning a holiday on the slopes.

Related Post: How To Enjoy The Magic Of Meribel – Chalet Holidays In The Snow

Packing List – Clothing

Our rule of thumb when travelling is to pack for a one week, regardless of how long we will be away. Spending a couple of hours washing (for me), far outweighs the hassle which comes with being ‘bogged down’ with the responsibility of too much luggage.

The challenge is balancing just the right combination of specialised waterproof clothing for days spent skiing and snowboarding, with warm comfy outfits for exploring on down days and hanging out in front of the fire at the Chalet. This was our sixth family snow holiday, so we now have our packing ‘down pat’.

Handy Tip #1 – Wash your snow gear in a specialised waterproof cleaner to extend the life of your clothes. My husband and I have had our Snow Gear for six seasons and they have kept breathability and water repellency each year – very important for snowboarders who sit down to click in.  

Children’s Packing List:

(I will leave you to guess which is which judging from the colour scheme 😂)

Handy Tip #2: Remember winter items are quite thick and take up extra room in your luggage. If you prefer to pack light, make sure you choose multi-use items which colour match, rather than clothes you will only wear once. 

• 2 X Jeans
• High Neck Cotton Skivvies – the high neck keeps the wind out without trying to wrestle with scarves.
• 2 Sets of Thermals
• Ski Jacket, Ski Trousers, Waterproof Gloves, Ski Goggles
• Singlets
• Jumper
• Long Sleeve Tops
• Pyjama’s
• Knitted Beanies, Gloves, Balaclava (for under ski helmet)
• Tights and stockings (extra warmth under jeans even for our Little Man)
• Socks – Mixture of both knee-length ski socks for under ski boots and cotton socks
• Underwear (not shown for obvious reasons)
• Ski Boots – thermal and waterproof, the only shoes we take
• Swimmers. Ok, these aren’t shown as I didn’t realise swimmers till the last minute – they aren’t usually on my Snow Packing List. There was a heated pool at the resort during our week in Val Thoren.
• Toiletries
• Torch – for night comfort in new surroundings

Adults Packing List:

Handy Tip #3: If you are likely to return with more than you left home with, pack your items flat, rather than with clever space-saving techniques. On your return trip tightly roll your clothing (the best way to conserve room in your suitcase) and you will instantly discover extra room.

Her Packing List

(The cold frog…)

• • 2X Trousers – one skinny jeans, one dress pants
  • 2X Cotton Knit/Wool Long Sleeves
  • 2X Thermals
  • Ski Jacket, Ski Trousers, Waterproof Gloves, Ski Goggles
  • Singlets
  • Jumpers
  • Long Sleeve Tops – for under ski jacket and slightly dressier
  • Pyjamas
  • Knitted Beanies, Gloves (with touch screen finger pads for smartphone) and Neck Warmer
  • Stockings (extra warmth under jeans)
  • Socks – Mixture of both knee-length ski socks for under ski boots and cotton socks
  • Lingerie (not shown 😳)
  • Ski Boots – thermal and waterproof, the only shoes we take
  • Swimmers. Ok, these aren’t shown as I didn’t realise swimmers till the last minute – they aren’t usually on my Snow Packing List. There was a heated pool at the resort during our week in Val Thoren.
  • Toiletries

His Packing List

(Warm-blooded)

• Pack-It Folder Containing T-shirts and a Dress Shirt (for Date Night 😍)
• Board Shorts – indoor heated pool
• Ski Jacket, Ski Trousers, Waterproof Gloves, Ski Googles
• Singlet
• Jumper
• 2X Trousers – one jeans, one casual
• Pyjamas
• Knitted Beanie, Balaclava
• Socks – Mixture of both knee-length ski socks for under ski boots and cotton socks
• Underwear (not shown)
• Ski Boots – thermal and waterproof, the only shoes we take
• Toiletries

Handy Tip #4: Make sure you leave your jackets, beanies and gloves on the top of your packed bag, or carry them in your hand luggage. Possibly even an extra jumper if you have a long transfer ahead once you land. You will need easy access to them as soon as you step outside the airport.

Packing List – Toiletries 

You don’t need to book yourself into an Eco Hotel to have a positive impact on our environment. There is a whole post swimming around in my mind of ‘Eco Habits’ which can easily be implemented wherever your chosen holiday destination but for today, let’s just focus on packing.

Travelling with your own toiletries, rather than using the individual ones usually provided by hotels, will save a huge amount of unnecessary waste. Soap is the one item we didn’t remember to pack so we were happy to find the one provided was wrapped in paper, not plastic.

Packing List – Hand Luggage

Aside from our suitcases, each member of the family packs a carry on bag to take on the plane.

In the children’s bags you will find:

• Favourite ‘can’t-sleep-without’ teddy bear/rabbit – front and centre!
• Their favourite ‘quiet time’ activities such as a book to read or some colouring in (the inflight TV is their primary amusement)
• A small toy or two
• Lunch box with snacks and a drink bottle – more info can be found here Lunch Box Essentials to Simplify Your Life, Save You Money and Change The World!
• Jumper, beanie and gloves for when we arrive
• Our Little Man will also have his binoculars
• Tissues/hankie – an essential item for the jacket pockets for a holiday in the snow
• Lip balm – an essential item for the jacket pockets for a holiday in the snow. A twist application is much more convenient than one applied with your finger considering the necessity of wearing gloves.

In the Adult’s bag you will find:

• Passports
• Laptop
• Phone
• Charger
• Tissues/hankie – an essential item for the jacket pockets for a holiday in the snow
• Lip balm – an essential item for the jacket pockets for a holiday in the snow. A twist application is much more convenient than one applied with your finger considering the necessity of wearing gloves.
• Spare ‘sick’ bags for the children, just incase
• Jumper, beanie and gloves for when we arrive

Miscellaneous

• Child Booster Seat
• First Aid Kit
• Travel Nebuliser

To Hire and/or Buy

• Ski’s and Poles
• Snowboards
• Helmets
• Wrist Guards for the Snowboarders (which we bought when we arrived)

It was during our walks to and from bus stops, along wet, uneven and steep windy alpine roads, which reinforced to us the benefits of travelling lightly. So yes, as the quote at the top suggests, we really were a whole lot happier.

Travelling with ‘less stuff’ is definitely our preferred option and a direct result of our everyday lifestyle choice of #lessstuffmoreexperiences. This ambition is becoming more achievable for us each year as our children are getting older. Slowly, but surely, we are able to travel without extra items such as port-a-cots, prams and have just recently reached the stage where we only needed to travel with one bulky car seat. Actually, this was our first holiday where car seats weren’t required, which was due to the fact we travelled by bus transfer rather than a car.

Related Post – Thrills & Spills In Val Thorens: Family Christmas In The Snow

As I finish this post and rack my brains for any last things I have forgotten to mention, I look at this picture of us wandering to the bus and ponder; was there anything we actually didn’t need to take?

Can you think of anything I have missed or have you any suggestions to add to this packing list? Please join me and continue the conversation via:

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Please feel free to share this post if you know of anyone about to embark on a family snow holiday. There is nothing more worthwhile than knowing the content has been helpful to someone in our community.

X Shea

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Next week…Thrills & Spills In Val Thoren: Family Christmas In The Snow