Traveling with kids is one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have. It’s also one of the most stressful — and to be honest, it’s pretty stressful for adults too! With all that extra luggage and people in your way, it can feel like every trip is an adventure. But don’t worry; there are plenty of tips out there for making family travel easier. Here are some of my best family travel tips:
ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO PLAN HIS OR HER OWN DAY
Allow your child to plan his or her own day.
If you have a son, let him choose what he wants to do while you are taking care of the house. If he wants to go outside and play, let him go! If there is something interesting happening in town (like a parade or other event), make sure that you take time out of your busy schedule so that he can experience it first hand.
If your daughter is old enough, she can help with cooking and cleaning up after dinner as well.
PLAN ON SOMETHING GOING WRONG
One of the important travel tips is to plan for the worst, but you should hope for the best. That way, if something goes wrong, you will be prepared and have a plan in place.
Here are some examples of things that could go wrong:
- You miss your flight because you’re stuck at your destination airport waiting to board (this has happened to me). In that case, I would ask someone at the gate if they can call and tell me when my flight is going off. If they won’t do it themselves because they don’t speak English, then find someone else who does speak English—it doesn’t matter who! Just make sure that person knows about our situation and can help us get home safely!
- Your luggage gets lost during transit or on its way back home from vacation (this has happened before). In this case all we had was our passports as identification so we couldn’t check into hotels or hotels didn’t have rooms ready yet so we stayed by ourselves until late into night until finally getting some sleep around midnight after finally finding somewhere safe where no one would bother us while sleeping there since nobody knew where exactly we were staying yet anyways…so basically just pray hard enough hoping everything works out somehow miraculously enough with nothing happening disastrously bad like dying etcetera).”
ASK A DESTINATION EXPERT FOR ADVICE
The best way to ensure everyone’s enjoyment is by choosing activities that are age-appropriate and fun for all. This can mean something as simple as picking an activity that doesn’t involve much walking or standing, or looking into local museums or parks where your kids can run around without getting tired.
It also means finding unique experiences in the area that make you feel like you’re getting away from it all—maybe even just for a few hours!
If possible, try to find inexpensive ways of getting around town (take public transportation if needed). If this isn’t possible then consider renting bicycles instead of driving everywhere since it will save money on gas bills over time since there won’t be any traffic jams which could cause delays along busy roads when traveling outside cities like New York City where many people live close together so they don’t need cars anyway!
MAKE SURE THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME TO GET TO THE AIRPORT AND CHECK IN
- Make sure there is plenty of time to get to the airport and check in.
- Check with your airline beforehand on how long it takes for you to get through security and customs. You want to be prepared before takeoff, so don’t worry if it’s an hour or two after your flight leaves that you’re stuck in line at airport security.
- If possible, arrive 2 hours before your flight starts so that you can walk right up and check in with no wait time at all! That way, when they say “boarding now” they’ll actually mean “boarding now.” And if they tell us we have 30 minutes left until boarding begins? We’ll know what that means too!
HAVE YOUR CHILDREN PACK THEIR OWN BAGS
This is an important one for parents of young children. The first time your kid packs a bag, it will be hard not to give them some direction or suggestions on what to put in it. But if you do this, you risk packing their bags too full or too light and confusing them about how much space there is inside their suitcase.
Instead, let them figure out how much stuff they need for themselves and then try not to intervene until after they’ve filled up the entire thing with clothes and toys!
If you’re worried about being able to tell when your child has packed everything she needs, here’s another alternative: instead of just letting her go off into the world without any supervision at all (which could lead her into danger), why not ask someone else who knows her well enough (like another parent) what kinds of things would make sense? Or even better yet—if possible—have both sets of parents load up their own suitcases together!
BOOK AN EARLY MORNING FLIGHT IF POSSIBLE
If you are traveling with your family, it is important to get a good night’s sleep before your flight. The earlier you arrive at the airport, the better chance you have of getting through security faster and reaching your gate fast enough so that no one is left behind.
This will also enable everyone on board to have more time for eating and relaxing before departure time rolls around!
PLAN A KID’S-ONLY ACTIVITY DURING THE VACATION
- Plan a kid’s-only activity during the vacation.
- Kids’ activities can be a great way to bond with your family and learn about each other, but they also provide an opportunity for kids to feel more like part of an adventure than just passengers on a plane or in an elevator. For example, if you’re traveling with young ones who aren’t big fans of museums or historical sites, consider taking them on an after-hours tour through some local sights (like churches or libraries) that are off-limits during normal business hours—and let them explore freely without fear of running into another tourist! This will give your little travelers a chance to get their feet wet while still being able to share in all those fun moments together as well as see some cool things they might not otherwise see when they’re at home.
CREATE A SPECIAL TRAVEL JOURNAL FOR EACH KID TO USE DURING YOUR TRIP
Creating a special travel journal for each kid to use during your trip is an easy way to keep them occupied, engaged and engaged. It can be used as a scrapbook or diary of sorts where you record important information about the trip (like what you did), or even create notes about what’s happening around you. The possibilities are endless!
BRING YOUR OWN STROLLER OR CAR SEAT ON FLIGHTS, IF POSSIBLE
It’s always a good idea to bring your own car seat or stroller on flights. If you are traveling by plane, you can bring your car seat along with you as long as it meets FAA requirements. If you are travelling by car, there is no law requiring airlines to provide strollers for infants under 30 pounds and children up to 100 pounds in weight (the FAA does recommend that all children under two years old must be placed in approved carriers).
So if possible, I would suggest bringing your own stroller or car seat on board—but again, this may depend on the type of carrier being used by the airline and how they will accommodate them (some smaller planes have very limited space).
FAMILY VACATIONS ARE FUN, BUT THEY CAN BE STRESSFUL!
Family vacations are fun, but they can be stressful! While you might want everything to go smoothly, it’s important to remember that not everything will go according to plan. Don’t stress out over the small stuff; instead of worrying about what could go wrong on your trip, focus on having fun together and enjoying the moment.
And don’t forget: take lots of pictures!
CONCLUSION
Even though most families will have a great time traveling with their kids, there are some things to remember. First of all, don’t forget about planning! We recommend that you give yourself plenty of time to plan and prepare for your trip so that everything goes smoothly and everyone has a good time.
If possible, try booking an early morning flight if possible so your family members can arrive at the airport earlier than usual.
