Tips for Making Life Easier When Travelling With The Kids

Any travelling parent knows, the task of bringing the kids along on a trip is never easy. From endless tears on crowded flights to temper tantrums in busy public settings, these situations can be equally emotionally and physically draining, and of course, undeniably embarrassing.

Never fear though as jetting around the world with the kids doesn’t always have to be a terrible headache. With some simple planning & preparation, taking the youngsters on your next world adventure can instead be an amazing, family-bonding experience. Make your family travel experience so much easier with these tips below:

Plan & book ahead

Time is your friend when travelling with the kids. Planning and booking where possible, well ahead of your trip will pay off in the long run. Keep a well-documented itinerary, and make copies of any important travel documents, to help make your travels run a lot smoother. For some activities and entry to attractions, you are also able to pre-purchase tickets weeks, even months ahead of time. Booking packages that include both flight + hotel accommodation will also make life a hell of a lot easier, reducing the amount time searching for these separately. Some families may wish to stay flexible, but for most, having a well thought out plan is a much-needed safety net.

Don’t forget the essentials

As a parent it’s likely you have a list of essential items you must have on you at all times, or at least within reach. What these items may be will largely depend on the age of your kids.

Mums & dads with babies and/or toddlers, be sure to equip yourself with ample amounts of nappies, baby wipes, formula and whatever else it is that you need, as you won’t want to run out in the middle of an international flight. Other essentials regardless of age include things like sunscreen, first aid or any necessary medications. But remember, pack within reason. While it may be easy to overpack in fear of running out of these essentials, remember you can still purchase the odd item here and there whilst away.
 

Get yourself covered

Before even hopping on a plane, ensure you and every single one of your children are covered by comprehensive a travel insurance plan. While it is advised everyone, regardless of age, gender, travelling destination etc. should be covered under travel insurance, it’s especially important for you as a parent to protect you and your little ones in the event of emergency, injury, illness or loss. There would be nothing worse than having to foot most of a medical bill in an overseas country if something bad happened. Travel insurance is really a no-brainer, so don’t ignore this critical piece of advice.

Keep them busy + entertained

This one’s probably an obvious one, but undoubtedly one of the best ways to make your life easier when travelling with the children in tow. Prevent the kids from getting bored (and thus hopefully any complaints or tantrums) by keeping them busy and entertained as much as possible. This is much easier to do during when taking them on outings and completing activities, but really important to achieve during those more quiet or duller moments, such as waiting around at the airport, sitting on a long flight or lining up in queues. Trust us, you’ll be glad you brought that iPad or colouring pencils!

Have some fun

As earlier identified, travelling with kids can be difficult and a lot of planning can be required to successfully off such a trip. However, one of the most important things is to remember to have some fun! Get your kids excited about travelling and get them involved in decisions such as where you’ll go and what you do. Give them a part of a say in your adventure and it’ll make the overall trip that little bit better.