Packing for an All-Inclusive Mexico Vacation: How a Travel Advisor Preps, Packs & Plans

Asahi Eveleth
Jul 9
5 min read

If you’ve ever wondered how a travel agent preps for an all-inclusive vacation, you’re in the right place. In this post, I’m sharing exactly how I get ready for our family trip to Mexico — from organizing passports and booking parking to picking out outfits and ordering pesos.

We’re headed to the Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya, one of my favorite family-friendly all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. It’s been a while since we traveled here, and this time we’re bringing my parents along too. I can’t wait to experience it all over again with them and show you how I prepare for a trip like this.

Split image showing a woman holding a BAGSMART suitcase indoors with text overlay “Pack & Prep,” and the same woman standing by a pool in front of Iberostar resort with text overlay “for Mexico.”

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🎥 Prefer to Watch?

I’ve put together a full video showing all of this prep (and more).

Who’s Going & Where We’re Staying

We’re just days away from heading back to Mexico. This time, it’s not just my husband, kids, and me — my parents are joining us too. It’s our first big trip with them, and I’m excited to create some special memories.

We’ll be spending six nights at the Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya, part of a large resort complex that includes five different hotels. Because we’re staying at the top-tier family property, we get access to all the facilities at the other Iberostar resorts in the complex — from pools to restaurants to bars.

It’s only about a 30-minute drive from the Cancun airport, so after landing around noon we’ll be poolside in no time.

Travel Documents & Airport Prep

A big part of prepping for international travel is making sure all the details are sorted well before departure. This trip was no exception. I spent time:

Entering all of our passport information when checking on flights.
Noting that my kids’ passports are expiring next spring. I’ll renew them this fall since kids’ passports are only valid for 5 years (and both parents have to be present unless you have a notarized form).
Booking our off-site airport parking with Fast Park, which is close to the airport and has a solid rewards program. We even got a free parking night last time we flew to Vegas.

Getting Pesos & Planning for Tips

Even though tips and gratuities are technically included at most all-inclusive resorts, I always recommend bringing extra. It’s a small gesture that goes a long way to show appreciation for housekeeping, bartenders, and excursion guides.

For this trip, I ordered $500 worth of pesos in small bills. It usually takes a couple of business days, so I planned ahead. Unfortunately, most of what I received were larger denominations (100s and 200s), but we’ll make it work. If the resort can’t break them down into smaller bills, we’ll just tip a bit higher but less frequently.

My BAGSMART Haul: New Packing Gear

I had a super exciting delivery day when BAGSMART sent over some travel products for me to try.

Compression Packing Cubes: These have an extra zipper that compresses everything down, almost like an expanding suitcase, making it easy to fit more.
Carry-On Backpack: Loaded with pockets, a shoe compartment, padded straps, a sleeve to slip over your suitcase handle, and even a wet pocket.
Carry-On Suitcase: Expandable with built-in TSA locks, interior compression panels, and cute details like a luggage tag and ribbon.

✨ Save 10% on BAGSMART: Use my special BAGSMART links above to get 10% off your order. It’s an easy way to upgrade your travel gear and support my small business at the same time — thank you!

I can’t wait to pack everything up in these new bags and see how much space I save. If you want even more travel must-haves, be sure to watch my 22 Amazon Travel Essentials video — it’s loaded with all my favorite finds to keep your trips organized, stress-free, and extra fun.

Packing for an All-Inclusive Mexico Vacation: My Step-by-Step Process

Now that our travel documents and resort check-in are sorted, it’s time to dive into packing for an all-inclusive Mexico vacation. I love starting a few days early so I can spread things out — it keeps the process stress-free and gives me time to rethink outfits or add any last-minute must-haves.

When it comes to packing, I like to start early and spread things out over several days. I use our guest room as a staging area — it’s basically command central for laying out outfits, swimsuits, and accessories.

I aimed for six evening outfits (plus a couple extras just in case I change my mind) and a mountain of swimsuits. Yes, way more than the six or seven I technically need for the trip. But we have a boat at home, belong to a community pool, and spend tons of summer days in swimsuits, so they’ll get plenty of use.

I’m bringing a new crochet top from StellaLuna Raine, a small boutique run by three sisters that offers affordable fashion for all body types. (Nothing in their shop is over $50!)

I also use these clear zipper pouches from Amazon to keep each swimsuit organized. It’s a game changer.

Woman smiling in bedroom holding a clear bin neatly packed with swimsuits in individual zipper pouches, showing organized packing system.

Our Mexico Itinerary: Golf, Excursions & Celebrations

Here’s a glimpse of how our week in Mexico is shaping up:

Sunday: Land at noon, meet up with my parents, and settle in at the resort.
Monday: The guys are golfing while I (hopefully) tour a few resorts: Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen, Secrets Maroma, and maybe The Fives. Still waiting on some confirmations.
Wednesday: Our 14-year anniversary! We’re celebrating with a half-day buggy tour from Playa del Carmen to a cenote.
Friday: It’s my mom’s birthday, so we’ve booked a morning catamaran and snorkeling tour with Dressel Divers, right from our beach at Iberostar.

Even though our original plan was a cruise for spring break 2025, we pivoted to this trip when my daughter’s cheer schedule changed. I actually love how it turned out — we’ll get quality time with family without worrying about conflicting competitions.

Paying Visitax & Doing Online Check-In

Before leaving, I paid Mexico’s mandatory Visitax, a tourist fee for the Cancun region that’s about $10-12 per person. It’s a bit controversial, but it’s linked to your passport, so it’s non-negotiable. I always handle it ahead of time so we don’t have to worry about it on arrival.

I also did our online check-in for Iberostar, which speeds things up at the front desk. If your resort has an app, download it ahead of time and explore — it helps a ton once you’re on property.

👉 For peace of mind, pay your Visitax with TravelKore!

Last-Minute Workouts & Packing

With just a few days left, I tried to “pre-burn off” some of the calories I plan to enjoy at the resort (ha!). My typical workout routine is:

Lifting weights at home before the kids leave for school using the Ladder App.
Then 30-45 minutes of low-intensity steady-state cardio at the gym.

While I work out, I listen to a true crime podcast called Serialously, which I recently got hooked on.

I also keep a running packing list on my phone so I don’t forget little things like toiletries. I can’t tell you how many times that’s saved me from forgetting something!