A honeymoon packs differently from any other trip. There are more dinners out, more photographs, and — if you've just come off a wedding — considerably less energy for planning.
Pack this one by occasion and share the load between two suitcases. Below is the full list.
Documents
Check these six weeks out, not the night before
- Passports, with at least six months' validity beyond your return date
- Visas or entry authorisations, where required
- Flight and accommodation confirmations, downloaded offline
- Travel insurance policy and emergency number
- Driving licence and international permit, if you're renting a car
- Vaccination or health documentation, if the destination requires it
- Two payment methods each, stored separately, and your bank notified of travel
- Some local currency for arrival
- Digital copies of everything, saved somewhere you can reach without your phone
Carry-on
- All medication, in original packaging
- One full change of clothes and swimwear, in case of a delayed bag
- Chargers, power bank, adapters and headphones
- Skincare basics and lip balm
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Jewellery — never in a checked bag
- A pen for landing cards
- Snacks, a refillable bottle, an eye mask and a light layer
Clothing
Daytime and resort wear
- Two to three light dresses or sets you can wear over swim
- A kaftan or cover-up that works walking into a restaurant for lunch
- Linen or cotton trousers and shorts
- Three or four relaxed tops
- One long-sleeve linen shirt for sun protection and evening breeze
- A hat with a brim that survives a suitcase
Swim
- Three swimsuits for a week — one drying, one on, one clean
- A wet bag or dry bag
- Reef-safe sunscreen, SPF lip balm and after-sun
- A packable towel, if you're doing beaches rather than resorts
Dinner
- One dinner outfit per night for the first four nights, then repeat with different accessories
- One properly dressy option, for the nicest reservation of the trip
- A neutral base — a slip dress or a good set — that changes with jewellery
- A light wrap or blazer for air conditioning and sea breeze
- Check the resort's dress code; many require collared shirts or no beachwear at dinner
Shoes
- Flat sandals or slides for daytime
- One dressy sandal or heel for dinners — a block heel travels better
- Trainers for travel days and any excursion
- Water shoes, only if the destination genuinely needs them
- Blister plasters
Accessories
- A straw or canvas day bag
- A small evening bag or crossbody
- Sunglasses, plus a spare cheap pair
- Simple jewellery that dresses up a plain dinner outfit
- A jewellery case rather than a pouch, so nothing tangles
- Leave anything irreplaceable at home
Beauty
- SPF, reapplied — the single most important item on this list
- Cleanser, moisturiser, serum, eye cream in travel sizes
- A lightweight base for humidity, plus setting spray
- Bronzer, blush, mascara, two lip colours
- Face masks and under-eye patches
- Makeup remover and cotton pads
- Nail file and clear polish
Hair
- Shampoo, conditioner and a deep-conditioning mask for sun, salt and chlorine
- Leave-in conditioner or hair oil
- Dry shampoo and a light texture spray
- Heat tools only if the hotel voltage supports them — check before you pack
- Clips, elastics, a silk scrunchie and a wide-tooth comb
- A hair tie you don't mind losing in the sea
Toiletries
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, razor
- Insect repellent, if the destination needs it
- Hand sanitiser and hand cream
- Period products
- Contact lenses, solution and spare glasses
- Laundry sheets or a small detergent, for a longer trip
Medication and health
- All prescriptions, in original packaging, in your carry-on
- Pain relief, antihistamines, antacids, anti-diarrhoeal and anti-nausea tablets
- Motion sickness tablets, if there are boats or winding roads
- Rehydration sachets
- Aloe or after-sun for the inevitable first day
- Plasters and antiseptic
Electronics
- Phone chargers and spare cables
- Universal travel adapter — one each, not one shared
- Power bank
- Camera, batteries and memory cards
- Headphones
- An e-reader, which weighs less than three books
Couple and shared items
The category most couples get wrong — either both packing it, or both assuming the other did.
Assign each of these to one person
- First-aid kit
- Sunscreen (buy the big bottle, share it)
- Travel adapter spares
- Insect repellent
- Portable speaker
- Laundry or wet bag
- Folding tote for the way home
- Any 'just married' items you actually want photographed
- A card or letter for each other, if that's your thing
Just in case
- Fashion tape and safety pins
- A stain remover pen
- A collapsible bag for souvenirs and overflow
- A printed copy of the itinerary
- One outfit that works if the weather turns entirely
Travelling somewhere resort-based? The resort vacation packing list is the shorter, non-honeymoon version. For the evenings, vacation dinner outfit ideas covers what to wear after the beach.
