Travelling can help your children to build confidence and independence. However, travelling with young children is far from an easy process. You need to pack, prepare and organise far more than you would when travelling alone. Family travel can be a wonderful experience with the right preparation and itinerary.
You could catch a train to a new city, or venture across the world to a different country. You can make it a much smoother process with a few simple tips.
Prepare snacks and distractions
You need snacks for your children – whether you’re travelling across the world or the country. Pack plenty of options with a sweet treat, savoury bite and something a little more filling. You can keep these snacks in the baby bag for emergencies. You might find yourself reaching for a snack as well.
You should also organise a few distractions for the journey. An iPad is the perfect distraction for a plane or train journey. Invest in some child-friendly over-ear headphones and download a few episodes of their TV shows. You need to have a few different shows if they don’t want to watch one of them. You never know what mood will strike. You can also pack colouring books, sticker sheets and little games.
Pack clothes in your carry on
Take a carry-on when travelling with your child, alongside your full-size check-in luggage. You can put a spare change of clothes for every family member in the carry on with some emergency toiletries. Just make sure everything aligns with airport restrictions. If one suitcase goes missing, you don’t need to panic because you have the carry-on.
Make an itinerary
You should write down all the activities and restaurants you want to go to. You don’t need to make an hour by hour itinerary – but a rough plan will help. Make sure there is time to sleep and relax every day, so the kids don’t get too tired. They need their downtime just as much as you. Plan an activity for each day so you can make new memories together and experience your destination. However, flexibility is essential for family holidays, and you may need to sacrifice a few activities if the kids are super tired.
Check-in luggage
Prepare your family for the journey ahead and take all of the essentials you need. Book the maximum amount of check-in luggage you can have so you can take the travel cot, toys and other items. You want to be comfortable on holiday – and not panicking about that one thing you couldn’t fit in the case.
With a little preparation, you can make the most out of your family holiday.
