Family life is so busy and it's so rare to have days on end to spend together and just hang out or have fun.
Of course, a family vacation is a great way to enjoy quality time together but, without proper planning, it can easily become stressful and disappointing for everyone.
So, do yourself a favour and plan ahead! Here are the must-knows when travelling with kids, the essential tips to make your next family vacation your best ever!
How to Make Travel with Kids a Success
Family vacations can be great fun but they can also be super stressful!
Restless, tired or bored kids are guaranteed to make everyone grumpy and can even ruin an entire day of your holiday!
Read on to find out how to make travel with kids a success with the essential tips that will make your next family vacation the best ever.
How to Prepare for a Trip with Kids
Vacationing with your family can be the best of times, but you do need to take plenty of time to plan your trip in advance.
When planning a vacation with children, you should keep in mind their ages, and what their interests are, amongst other things.
Here’s how to prepare for a trip with kids:
1. Planning Your Holiday
Since most families can only afford to take one large vacation each year, talk to your children about where they would like to go and what they would like to see and do.
Then see what you can do that meets their requirements and your budget.
While they may not get their dream holiday, you should be able to find a vacation destination that they will be excited about.
Be sure to plan a vacation that is kid friendly and adult friendly as it is important that you have a wonderful time as well, of course.
Maybe choose destinations you may not have been to so you can truly enjoy exploring a new place with your family.
Get older kids involved in the planning.
Kids are more likely to have fun if you get them psyched way ahead of the trip.
They can help pick the destination (narrow it down to a few places you love and let them have the final say).
You can also help them make a vacation scrapbook before you go, where they can put fun facts on the place you will visit, as well as photos, postcards and other mementos after the trip.
It's a great opportunity to get them learning a foreign language, too!
2. Accommodation
Deciding where to stay is an essential element of planning your family vacation.
Would you prefer a hotel where everything is done for you or a self-catering house or unit where you can cook all your kids’ favourite foods and do as you please?
If you are planning to stay at a bed and breakfast, check it is suitable for children as many are not.
However, you may be able to find a farm stay, such as camping pod or a bed and breakfast on a farm that allows your kids to interact with the animals.
This can be an amazing family experience, especially for city dwellers.
Wherever you are staying, check that they provide cots or cribs, highchairs and safety gates for children so you don't have to take your own.
Be prepared to pay extra for comfort. When you’re backpacking you can save a lot of money by roughing it in 3-star hotels or taking long bus rides, but it’s just not worth it when you’re travelling with kids.
Pay extra for comforts that will keep them in a good mood: good beds, big pools, 3-minute access to restaurants or tour buses. Because if they’re happy, you can relax, and actually have fun on your vacation too.
If you are staying at a resort or in a city location, ask the hotel in advance about its child facilities.
Some resorts are built mainly for couples, with lots of spas and romantic nooks. Kids will hate this!
You need a resort with plenty of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, where they can play safely and happily.
Some hotels will even offer babysitting or child-care services, so you can do some shopping or sightseeing on your own, without someone tugging at your knee and saying, Mummy, can we go now?
It pays to do a little research before taking action. We suggest that you contact the hotel or resort you are hoping to stay at, and ask them about facilities for babies and children.
Questions to ask before you book your hotel/resort:
- What are the room-sharing options for you and your children?
- Are there childcare facilities, and what are they exactly?
- How much do they cost, or are they included in the price of the rooms?
- Are they available every day, all day, or only at certain times?
- Is there a baby listening service?
- Who are the child minders: hotel staff, specially trained hotel staff, outsiders?
- What child-centered activities are on offer, and who runs them?
- What security measures are in place? Do parents sign the children in and out each day?
- Are there indoor and outdoor play areas on site or nearby? Are there children’s activities in the local area?
- What food is available? Is it the same as the adult menu, is there only fried food, or are there special child portions?
When you are satisfied with the answers, and feel that your kids will have a good time, youll be ready to book your holiday.
3. Before You Go
It's obvious, but take the time to plan your trip well ahead of time.
With kids there is no way you can just leap in the car with a bag and head off into the sunset!
Travelling with kids requires lots of planning, especially if you want your trip to be a success.
Do your homework on your home from home, especially your accommodation as mentioned above, and keep your little travellers up to date with what's going on.
Get the children involved in the whole business of travelling and let them pack their own little cases.
You can make this fun by telling them to choose a couple of their favourite toys or games, and anything they might need for the beach or the pool.
Older children might enjoy keeping a log book or travel diary to show their friends, which they can fill with ticket stubs, beer mats, postcards, and other objects they pick up on the way so don't forget to pack a glue stick or sticky tape, and craft scissors.
Older children might enjoy keeping a log book or travel diary to show their friends, which they can fill with ticket stubs, beer mats, postcards, and other objects they pick up on the way so don't forget to pack a glue stick or sticky tape, and craft scissors.
A disposable camera or small digital will also help your kids make their own souvenirs.
A new wallet with some of the local money could also be given, to give the children a taste of financial autonomy and a little practice in simple math.
4. Last-minute Planning
This may seem obvious, but leave yourselves plenty of time on the day of departure, and make sure, if booking a cab, to take the traffic into account.
To make your kids more visible and easier to spot if they go astray pick out their brightest clothes for the journey, and wear something that will make you stand out in a crowd, too.
Before you leave, dress your baby, toddler or small kids in layers that are easy to take off or put on again, according to the temperature in the cabin.
Plus you won't need to change their whole outfit if there's an accident or a spill.
5. Choose a Kid-friendly Itinerary
Naturally, consider your child’s age when planning your activities.
A toddler will not be able to appreciate a historical tour of the country’s Medieval churches, and even a nine year old may not be able to stay still and quiet for long in a museum.
Look at the places you plan to visit and think, Will he be able to understand this?
Compare the length of the tour with the average amount of time your child can concentrate on one activity.
You may need to do this even before you choose a destination. If your children won’t enjoy 50% of the key attractions, find another vacation place.
6. Don’t Overload the Itinerary
Once you have decided on your destination and what you would like to do there, be careful not to plan too much in to your holiday.
Kids get tired more easily and they can quickly become overstimulated and cranky.
Make sure that your itinerary leaves lots of room for rest times, snacks, and even naps.
Ideally you should only cover one major destination or activity in one day.
If you want to see more sights, make arrangements to leave your child to rest in the hotel (see tip number one) and do it on your own.
7. What to Pack
So, you're all planned, now what exactly should you pack?
Every family is different so you need to think carefully through your days and ask yourself what your kids of all ages will need.
But here are some of the things beyond clothes and other essentials that you may overlook:
- Small first aid kit
- Photos of the kids and important details regarding medications
- Telephone numbers of doctors (at home and at your destination)
- Copies of passports, birth certificates, custody documentation
- Decks of cards, favourite toys, children’s books
- Colouring books, crayons, pencils, paper
- Crossword puzzle books, erasable pens, highlighters
- Windbreakers, slickers, umbrellas
- Sunglasses, hats, sunscreen
- Plastic bags or pouches for storage and cleanup
A small first-aid kit is essential, to be packed in your main baggage (for security reasons, most airlines will not allow sharp objects in your carry-on), containing at the very least: a small sewing kit, good insect repellent and after-bite lotion, waterproof band-aids, crepe bandage, sterile dressings, a roll of micro-pore tape, antiseptic cream or wipes, analgesic, antihistamine for allergies and bad bites, suntan lotion, and a Swiss army penknife (with tweezers and scissors).
Related:
You'll have made a note of your passport numbers, issue and expiry dates, your travel details, and credit cards.
But, before you leave, take a digital photo of your passport pages, and send it to an e-mail address you can easily access, just in case, or leave photocopies with a trusted friend or family member who can be contacted easily.
It shouldnt be necessary to take more than two major credit cards with you, and one per adult is ideal, to minimize loss by theft.
Pack a few healthy snacks, in case of delays, especially for long journeys, and things that are easy to eat: dried fruit, such as raisins or figs, and fresh bananas, apples, and mandarins are convenient travelling fruit.
Pack a few healthy snacks, in case of delays, especially for long journeys, and things that are easy to eat: dried fruit, such as raisins or figs, and fresh bananas, apples, and mandarins are convenient travelling fruit.
For drinks, fuit juice and water in screw-top bottles or individual cartons with straws are better than cans or family size cartons, and reduce the risk of spillage.
8. Surviving the Journey
For the journey itself, make sure you have plenty of entertainment and snacks for the kids – the key to a successful road, train or plane trip!
For the journey itself, make sure you have plenty of entertainment and snacks for the kids – the key to a successful road, train or plane trip!
However you travel, always take pillows and blankets so that your kids are comfortable during the journey.
If flying across time zones, change your watches together to the time of your destination and get the kids to calculate when lunch time and dinner is there to help them adjust.
On take-off and landing, you can alleviate the discomfort that the sudden change in air pressure can bring by giving your baby a pacifier or a bottle to suckmake sure its to hand.
Children can have candy to suck, or can drink water or juice to alleviate possible earache.
For younger children, attach a little pouch to the seat cover in front to keep their crayons and toys easily accessible, whether the fold-down tray table is in use or not.
Once the initial excitement of settling in and take off is over, and before any in-flight films are shown, a bag of toys and games is invaluable so make sure you have one in your carry-on hand luggage.
For younger children, attach a little pouch to the seat cover in front to keep their crayons and toys easily accessible, whether the fold-down tray table is in use or not.
Once the initial excitement of settling in and take off is over, and before any in-flight films are shown, a bag of toys and games is invaluable so make sure you have one in your carry-on hand luggage.
This may also be the time to rediscover more traditional activities, such as colouring books, card games, and I-spy.
Older children could start filling in their travel log.
Boredom
Boredom is always going to be a problem when travelling with kids.
Even a half-hour trip seems like a long time to a young child!
But forget the gadgets, the easiest and most accessible boredom solution is YOU.
Treat every family trip as a wonderful opportunity to connect with your children. Relax, enjoy their unique personalities, and have fun together!
Use the time to interact with your kids. Play old-fashioned word games. Ask them questions. Get them to tell you stories if they are old enough.
You can keep young children entertained by telling them stories – complete with sound effects of animal noises, whistles, and whatever else you can invent.
Play guessing games like ‘I Spy’ with older kids or get them involved in some children’s card games.
Although games like ‘Go Fish’ can be played with a regular deck of cards, there are many games with special, brightly-coloured decks made just for children.
Read more: 20 of the Best Travel Toys for Kids
Extra Entertainment
On a long trip it's wise to pack a couple of goody bags to distribute when mid-trip boredom kicks in.
These can contain special treats like a chocolate bar or other snack, a new toy or book, or a favourite game or activity. Extra wrapping can add to the excitement.
Keep them ready in your carry-on bag or easily acceessible when travelling by car or train.
Audio story cassettes or CDs will keep the whole family entertained in the car, and with portable players and headphones, the children can choose what they want on a train or plane.
Audio story cassettes or CDs will keep the whole family entertained in the car, and with portable players and headphones, the children can choose what they want on a train or plane.
Just remember to bring a charger or spare batteries!
A small bag of notebooks with pencils attached on a string or crayons and paper is a good stand-by for younger children.
Try travel games that will keep your kids preoccupied for long stretches of time.
Make sure to bring a variety of games since kids get bored easily with a single game. Something that challenges their mind is an excellent choice.
Look up some old-fashioned car games that the whole family can play too.
9. Book the Right Seats
Contact the airline well in advance at least 24 hours before the flight to book any special children’s meals.
Contact the airline well in advance at least 24 hours before the flight to book any special children’s meals.
Take advantage of any options to book specific seating, as a window seat is a boon and makes for constant distraction for younger children, plus they can't wander down the aisle without you noticing.
Check with your airline also to see if there is a special play area in the airport lounge, priority boarding, and special fun packs for children.
Check with your airline also to see if there is a special play area in the airport lounge, priority boarding, and special fun packs for children.
Be sure to claim all these extras if you can, and ask about arranging visits to the cockpit.
If flying with a baby, try to book specific seats in advance to give you more leg room and space for a travel cot.
Let the airline know you are travelling with a baby, as you should be able to get priority when boarding, and they may even be able to provide a sky cot or special baby seats.
If travelling by train, request seats together. Two seats facing another two is a good configuration for families of four and make sure to ask if there are any family reductions for the tickets.
And, if you will be driving a rental car while you are away, check to see if child seats are provided.
Sitting still for long periods of time is not natural for children.
If you are travelling on a plane, train, or bus, get up and take a walk down the aisle once every hour.
When travelling by car, find an appropriate place to stop then play frisbee or go for a short walk.
10. Car Trip Tips
If you will be travelling by car, schedule lots of breaks and have plenty of entertainment to keep kids occupied.
When taking a car trip with kids, you’ll need to map out a route where there are plenty of rest stops along the way.
Children need to get out of the car to stretch their legs and let out all that cooped up energy, as well as to use the bathroom.
They have small bladders and even smaller attention spans, so accept this as your new travel normal!
On a road trip, the most important tip of all is to create a realistic driving schedule for the day.
Most babies and children find it difficult to handle long hours confined in one place.
Schedule plenty of rest stops to give the kids and the adults a break and a chance to stretch and use the rest room.
Snacks
Bring lots of snacks - more than you think they will ever need!
Kids get hungry a lot, and even more so when they’re a bit bored.
Make sure to pack plenty of healthy snacks so you can dole them out along the way whenever the kids say they’re hungry.
This gives you more control over what they eat during the trip, than say, stopping at a gas station and grabbing a greasy hot dog and sugary soda.
Granola snack bags with raisins, nuts, dried fruit, etc, juice boxes and homemade cookies and brownies are perfect for long trips.
Snacks your kids like such as fresh or dried fruit, granola bars, individual-size cereal boxes or cheese and crackers are a good way to keep kids going.
For longer journeys pack up sandwiches and even a picnic for a lunch time stop.
With sufficient food and snacks, plenty of things to do and lots of breaks, you should reach your destination without the kids becoming too bored and irritable.
11. When You Get There
Once youve all reached your destination safely, show your children the fire escapes, if they are staying in a separate room from you, and make sure they know who to go to for help in the hotel or resort, introduce them to the reception staff and any designated staff who deal with children.
Remind them not to go off with strangers, or to pet any stray animals.
Older children could be given responsibility for keeping the room keys or for sending the family postcards.
Older children could be given responsibility for keeping the room keys or for sending the family postcards.
Remember, don’t over-plan. Take it easy on the activities when you get to your destination.
It is tempting to try and pack your schedule with a full day of activities every day to make the most of everything, but this will lead to cranky kids and overwrought parents.
Young children will get tired out and become cross and hot-tempered very easily.
You want your kids to be able to enjoy the experience and have good memories, which they can’t do if they are worn out.
Older children may not wish to do everything that you want to do, so plan to give them some time and space to do their own thing, but don’t plan it for them!
Remember, this vacation is for everyone to get away from it all and have some fun too.
Prioritize sleep.
Aim to keep younger children on a regular sleep schedule, even if it does shift an hour or so later.
Kids will naturally want to stay up later while on vacation but remember that they may get cranky if they don’t get enough sleep.
You’ll want to let them stay up maybe an hour or so after their normal bedtime, but then let them know it’s time to hit the sack and try to encourage them to sleep an hour later in the morning too.
12. Day Trips
Bring a child-care pack out with you on any days out.
This includes lots of water (kids get dehydrated more easily), an extra change of clothes, colouring book and crayons, and small toys to amuse them at restaurants or when travelling around.
If you are going to a warm place (like a beach or a tropical country) remember that kids are more vulnerable to sunstroke and sunburn.
Bring sunblock, a sunhat, and a handheld battery-operated fan.
Avoid being outside at the hottest times of the day and allow plenty of time for everything including rest and relaxation breaks.
13. Be Patient
No matter how well you plan, remember, these are kids. Unfamiliar places and changes in schedule will always be a little upsetting for them, so try to be understanding.
When they have tantrums or meltdowns, check if they’re overstimulated and take them to a quiet place where they can calm down.
Bring a familiar blanket or plush toy for comfort and give them the time and space to get back to normal.
Travelling with your kids is an amazing opportunity and if you plan it well and cover all (or at least most) possibilities, your trip will be really enjoyable.
Remember to take along a camera or video camcorder so that you can keep a record of all the happy memories for years to come.
Travelling with kids doesn’t need to be stressful or difficult, just plan ahead for a fantastic vacation with your family.
More family travel tips:
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