Packing for a Family Trip: How to Share a 5-Piece Luggage Set

Packing for a family trip means finding room for everyone's slightly different idea of an essential. There are the adults' clothes, the children's spare outfits, a favorite bedtime toy and the shoes someone insists they will need.

A matching luggage set gives you a few ways to divide that packing. You can share the larger cases, keep one bag for things needed on the journey and leave a suitcase at home when the trip calls for less.

The LARVENDER expandable 5-piece luggage set includes 20-, 24- and 28-inch suitcases, a weekender duffel and a toiletry bag. For a family, the useful part is having different sizes to work with. Here is one way to organize them for a holiday together.

Give each suitcase a role

Start with one packing list for the household. Lay out what everyone needs before deciding which cases to take. A few nights visiting grandparents may call for a different combination than a week at the beach.

For example, you could divide the set like this:

• 28-inch: Use the largest case for shared clothing or bulky layers. Separate each person's things into packing cubes or clearly marked bags so finding a child's pajamas does not mean unpacking everyone's clothes.
• 24-inch: Give the medium case a separate job, such as the adults' clothes or items for a second part of the trip. Choose the arrangement that makes sense when you arrive.
• 20-inch: Use the smallest case for a shorter family visit or another portion of the packing list. If you plan to take it into an aircraft cabin, check its full outside dimensions, including wheels and handles, against your airline's allowance.

This is a packing suggestion, rather than a fixed capacity guide. How many cases your family needs depends on the weather, clothing sizes, laundry plans and baggage allowances. Take the pieces you will use.

Pack children's clothes as outfits

Finding a clean top is only half the job if the matching shorts are at the bottom of another case.

Group children's clothes into simple outfits, with underwear and socks together. Older children can help choose and organize their own things. Keep a separate bag for worn clothes so they do not get mixed back into the clean pile.

Before adding more outfits, check whether you will have somewhere to wash clothes. Being able to do one load during the trip can change how much the whole family needs to bring.

Make the weekender your bag for the journey

Keep the duffel for things you might need before reaching your accommodation: spare clothes for a child, light layers, a book or small toy, and your phone charger. Put the most likely items near the top.

That saves opening a large suitcase at a service stop or searching through everyone's belongings at the airport. This set's weekender has a back sleeve that slides over a suitcase's telescoping handle, so it can travel with a rolling case while you move between stops.

Before flying, check whether the packed duffel meets your ticket's bag allowance. Being part of a matching set does not automatically make it an under-seat personal item.

Keep shared toiletries together

Choose which toiletries the family can share and which need to stay separate. One bottle of a product everyone uses may be enough; there is little point packing the same thing in three different bags.

Keep the toiletry bag somewhere easy to find when you arrive. Pack it inside a suitcase or duffel rather than treating it as an extra cabin bag. For flights, check the departure airport's rules before packing liquids.

Save the expansion zip for when you need it

The LARVENDER set has expansion zippers on the suitcases and duffel. That extra depth can be useful when a family visit ends with gifts from relatives, or a child finds a souvenir they want to bring home.

Try packing with the expansion closed first, leaving that option for the return journey. Before adding anything else, check whether the adults handling the luggage can still lift and manage it comfortably.

Expansion adds room; it does not increase an airline's size or weight allowance. Measure and weigh the bag again after expanding it, especially if you plan to take it into the cabin.

Decide who handles the bags

If one adult will be pushing a stroller or holding a young child's hand, count how many bags the other can realistically manage. Three cases may fit everything, but two could be easier for your particular journey.

Roll the packed cases around the room and check that you can lift them when needed. Double spinner wheels help with rolling; stairs and car trunks still require some lifting. Check the combination locks using the supplied instructions, and keep travel documents within easy reach.

If you are still deciding how many pieces you need, read our 3-piece vs. 5-piece luggage set guide. You can also compare the LARVENDER luggage range before choosing a size combination.

A few common packing questions

Does this five-piece set contain five suitcases?

It contains three suitcases—20, 24 and 28 inches—plus a weekender duffel and a toiletry bag. Those five items make up the set.

Is a five-piece luggage set enough for a family of four?

It may be, but there is no reliable answer based only on the piece count. This set has three suitcases and two smaller bags. Lay out your family's packing list, account for bulky items and check your transport allowances before deciding.

Do we need to take every piece on a family holiday?

No. A short visit might only need one shared suitcase and the weekender. A longer trip may call for more of the set. Choose around what you are bringing and who will carry it.

Planning the next family holiday? See the LARVENDER 5-piece expandable suitcase set and choose the pieces that fit your family's plans.