Look, let's admit something: packing the boot before the big family holiday road trip (or that long airport run with everyone's 20kg suitcases) is practically an Olympic event.
You stand there staring at the 4 huge suitcases, the pushchair, the cooler bag with food, and you think: "There's no way this is fitting in there." But with a bit of skill, a few shoves and lots of patience, you close the boot and do the victory dance.
The problem is that packing the boot isn't just a question of space, it's a question of safety. If you don't pack it like a true ninja, the first time you brake hard your suitcases turn into projectiles.
Martin walks you through the 4 golden rules to play perfect Tetris:
1. Heavy Stuff at the Bottom and Against the Seat 🪨
The physics rule is clear: anything heavy has to go at the bottom and as far forward as possible (up against the back of the rear seat). The giant rigid suitcases go on the bottom, well settled. If you put them on top or at the rear of the boot, in an emergency stop their weight will throw the whole car forward.
2. The Parcel Shelf Is Not a Shelf! ⚠️
You know that cover that hides the boot (the parcel shelf)? Some people think it's a great place to rest umbrellas, school books, the tablet or water bottles.
Fatal error. If you have to brake hard at 120 km/h on the motorway, a simple 1-litre bottle of water turns into a missile that will fly straight at the head of whoever is sitting in the back. The parcel shelf has to be ALWAYS EMPTY.
3. The "Hole-Filler" Trick 🎒
Rigid suitcases never fit perfectly into each other. There will always be dead spaces. This is where sports bags, canvas backpacks (no fragile stuff inside, of course), coats or blankets come in.
Use the soft stuff to fill the gaps between the big suitcases. That way you lock the whole load in so it doesn't roll around and bang from one side to the other on the corners.
4. The Emergency Kit Has to Stay Accessible ⚠️
You did it. The Tetris is perfect and the boot closed. And suddenly you blow a tyre or the car breaks down. Where's the high-vis vest and the warning triangle? "Ah, that's at the back of the boot, under that 20kg suitcase."
Good luck with that in the middle of the motorway. The triangle, the vests and the first-aid kit have to stay on top of the final load or be kept in the cabin (for example, under the seat or in the door)!
You Played Tetris, Got to the Airport... Now What?
You managed to squeeze the whole family's suitcases (the giant checked ones) into your car and drove everyone to Lisbon or Porto airport. It was a logistical victory worthy of a prize.
Now stop and think: you only managed to do that in your car because you were playing on "your home turf". Can you imagine trying to pull this off in a taxi you flagged down at dawn? Or trying to drag this tonne of luggage onto a bus with the family in tow?
The car is your best friend on family holidays. And Multipark makes sure it stays safe while you fly.
You drive up to the door of the Departures terminal with your Tetris assembled. You arrive, lift the suitcases straight onto the airport trolley, hand us the key and head off. Our Valet Parking keeps the car safe while you fly with the family.
On the way back, your vehicle (with the boot empty waiting for the heavy suitcases) is already at the terminal door, ready for the next round of Tetris.
Run a quote and book your Valet Parking at Multipark and set off without the logistical stress!
