You’re looking forward to your well deserved holiday with the family – and chances are you’re not looking forward to packing for it. But with a little thought and planning you can turn packing for your holiday into an effortless task – by eliminating the need to pack everything but the kitchen sink.

It’s sensible to take low maintenance clothes. Garments that crease easily – or that you only wear once in a blue moon – should really stay in your wardrobe at home. If you’re going to be visiting the hotel restaurant – or eating out in the evening – you could always pack something a little dressier to make you feel special. But it’s wise to leave those six inch heels at home. There’s a time and a place – and a family holiday with the kids probably isn’t either.

If you’re visiting a seaside resort, remember swim suits and arm bands, beach towels and sun cream. And even if you’re expecting a heat wave, it’s a good idea to pack lightweight coats – after all, the good old British weather does occasionally catch us all out!

For all that sightseeing you might be planning; you’ll all need a pair of comfy shoes. And if you’re anticipating lots of walking – maybe a box of plasters just in case. And talking of medical supplies, it’s handy to pop in some medicine for the children. If they wake up in the middle of the night with a fever, at least you’ll be able to give them some comfort without pacing the corridors or donning your coat and trawling the streets for a 24 hour chemist.

Lots of hotels provide complimentary toiletries these days but, if you’re taking your own, it’s worth buying small travel size bottles as they take up less room than standard bottles. And when you’ve used up the contents, you can simply rinse out the bottles and re-fill them with your usual brand when you go on your next trip.

If your child is afraid of the dark – and they’re going to be sharing your room – it’s a good idea to take a little battery operated night light to set up next to their bed. And remember their favourite teddy. That way they’ll be able to sleep soundly – and so will you!

Whilst many hotels offer colouring books and crayons to their younger guests, they don’t take up much room in your suitcase and could be just the ticket when you want a wallow in the bath with no interruptions.

On the subject of your little ones, they can be prone to creating a mess at mealtimes, so if you’ve a small person who has a tendency to dribble, make sure you’ve packed enough extra clothing to allow for spillages.

Finally, if the children are getting under your feet whilst you try to pack – why not get them to help? Send them off to look for items you need. And if the thought of it puts the fear of God in you, don’t worry – if anything gets forgotten you can at least blame someone else!

Dave Matthews is a freelance copywriter. He writes articles for a range of interests, causes and businesses – in this case, The Solent Hampshire Hotel.

If you’re taking the family away for a hotel break, you’ll want to know you’re getting the best deal there is. After all, it’s your hard earned cash – so you don’t want to give it away if you can possibly help it.

You may already have a hotel in mind, or have absolutely no idea where you want to go. Either way, whether a hotel you like the look of has promotions listed or not, it’s always worth asking if there are any deals you could benefit from when you phone up and make your initial enquiry.

The obvious one is a straight percentage discount from the usual tariff. At certain times of the year, many hotels offer lower rates and money saving offers – look out for these, especially in school holidays.

Many hotels offer discounts for families with children in school holidays. They can range from a reduced rate on the cost of the room when children share with mum and dad, up to a free separate room for children – a sure fire hit both with children and parents alike. Mum and dad get time to themselves knowing the kids are safe and the kids get to be all grown up and independent without anyone there to tell them off for bouncing on the bed. But because these offers are great money saving deals for families with children, they’re usually offered on a first come first served basis and are snapped up very quickly. The sharing a room offer is also fairly restricted as most hotels only have a limited number of rooms sufficiently big enough to accommodate whole families together.

It’s also worth looking out for offers relating to discounts on meals in hotel restaurants. These are a great way of cutting the cost of hotel breaks for families – and specifically for children. Such offers often work in conjunction with free and discounted rooms, but they can be standalone deals, too. There may be a reduced rate in the restaurant for children – or meals may even be completely free. Kids eat free promotions are generally available to children who share their parents room and can save you hundreds of pounds. Adult meal deals are also available periodically and can save you a substantial amount of money.

Hotels may offer midweek deals with a free nights stay if you book two or three nights initially with them. These may, or may not, include meal deals but, either way, they’re a good opportunity to make your holiday last a little longer at no extra cost to you.

If you like sightseeing and you intend taking advantage of days out as a family during your hotel break, be sure to ask if the hotel you stay in offers discounted or free entry to local visitor attractions.

Of course, many hotels also offer complete holiday packages with discounts on anything and everything. The price quoted is the total for the whole family for a specified number of nights, often including meals and entry to local attractions, and this way you can be safe in the knowledge that everything’s been taking care of and there won’t be any unaccounted for extras to pay- unless you choose to splash out on that bottle of champagne on the last night of course…

Dave Matthews is a freelance copywriter. He writes articles for a range of interests, causes and businesses – in this case, the Thorpe Park Hotel in Leeds.