I’m not talking about the list of where to go and what to do. It’s the PACKING list that can make or break a holiday — not to mention save money you’d otherwise spend on things you’ve forgotten.

It might seem a bit too much attention to detail, but believe me, if you make a full checklist of what to pack for the family — broken down by family memember — it will make the whole process extremely smooth.

There will be individual variances, of course, but we have published a (long) basic starter list for what to pack for a family holiday, which you can adapt to your own family. And getting the kids to join in by adding their suggestions to the list is half the fun ... it starts generating excitement about the holiday long before it starts.

And if you can start assembling the items on the list is a separate part of the house — call it the ‘holiday room’ — that will make it even more organised!