It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first holiday with a baby or your 100th holiday with teenagers in tow, travelling with children can sometimes be stressful if you don’t plan ahead but, definitely not something you should ever stop doing – both for yourself and the children, after all not all classrooms have four walls! I have put together my ten top tips, as a mother of three myself, of the things to think about before travelling with children:
Tip 1
Do plenty of research before you book, especially about the location of your hotel/accommodation/tent etc and find out if it is child friendly depending on their age. The last thing you need with a toddler in tow is a huge steep cliff to get to the beach. Not only will you be on constant watch for them going near the edge, just remember you may have to carry them, and everything else backwards and forwards to your hotel every day!
Tip 2
If you are flying, make sure you pick the best time for your children to fly. If possible, try to book flights that fit in with your child’s body clock. So over night flights are great as this will mean less awake time to keep them occupied than on daytime flight or, if they have a nap during the afternoon try to pick a flight that will fit in with that as journeys will pass by a lot quicker for both you and them if they are able to sleep for part or all of it.
Tip 3
Check in for your holiday early. Don’t leave it until the last minute so you are rushing through the departure lounge at 200mph with the kids running behind you – not only do you not want a repeat of Home Alone 2, but it also just creates a more relaxed start to your holiday if you arrive with plenty of time to spare. Treat the kids to a magazine or book for the waiting area or find somewhere nice to have a drink and bite to eat before boarding your transport. If the kids are relaxed, then so should you be.
Tip 4
Include your kids in the planning of your holiday so they are aware of what is going to be happening and maybe add the odd one or two surprises in along the way. When kids are uncomfortable, they won’t be happy which can happen if they are given too many new situations all at once. Tell them what to expect at the airport/cruise terminal and what it is like to fly if it’s the first time in an aeroplane. Explain that food will look, smell, and taste different to their home cooked food but it will be great to give something new a try.
Tip 5
Once at your destination, ask for child discounts which will really help the bank balance. It’s surprising how many places will offer discounts, if not already advertised, which could include buses, trains, guides, tours, restaurants, or entrance to attractions. An email ahead of your holiday to places you plan on visiting won’t hurt but could save you hundreds.
Tip 6
Make sure your kids have your contact details on them. No matter how much you keep your eyes on those little humans, some seem to have a tendency to wander…and in the blink of an eye! A simple note in their pockets will be a massive help to anyone finding them and being able to reunite them with you as quickly as possible. For older children who have a phone, ensure they firstly have your number and address of your accommodation but also secondly realise that they will need to add the UK dialling code (0044) in front of your number to be able to call when in a foreign country.
Tip 7
If you are taking a flight and travelling with a baby or very young child, it might be worth having a bottle of milk or water with you ready for take-off. We all know that feeling when you start to lift off the ground and the ears start to pop but babies and younger children can find it hard to equalise their ears on their own. Giving a young child a bottle to suck on is a great way to enable their ears to pop naturally and distract them from any mild discomfort as well. If you have slightly older children a simple boiled sweet or chewing gum is always a handy addition to your pocket to help them with their ears as well.
Tip 8
It is well known that once you have children, parents then have to pack everything, including the kitchen sink, everywhere they go – not for your holiday you don’t! Do not over pack, just pack what you need and if you are low on something that you can’t wash and reuse or repair, then there are always shops to get something from. Most hotels or cruise ships offer laundry services or facilities but if you have too much packed, it’s more to get lost and fit in the car!
Tip 9
If all else fails, the way to a kids heart is through the stomach so a pot of snacks is always a crowd pleaser. And let’s face it, depending on the snack you have, it should keep them quiet for a good 5 minutes and less hangry for a few hours. In a worst-case scenario and your travel is delayed, it could be several hours before you can get a meal which won’t go down well, so your handy preprepared snack will be much appreciated. Oh, and don’t forget a few adult snacks too – at the end of the day we are all just kids in grown up bodies and we also don’t travel well on an empty fuel tank!
Tip 10
Lastly make sure you stay flexible. There will always be something that gets in the way of the best laid plans – even without children! Don’t let anything stress you out because if you are stressed it will reflect in the kids so the more relaxed you are at a missed bus or closed museum, the more relaxed everyone will be, these things happen.
So those are the top 10 tips that I would give any parents when traveling with children but there are many, many more that I’m sure you can think of. I know this would now make number 11 but this has to be my biggest tip of all – do not be put off travelling with your children, they will love it as much as you will if you take into account all of the above. Things might not go completely to plan but giving your child the opportunity to see the world is the best education you can give them and probably some of the best lasting memories they will have for many years to come. If you would like to get your next family holiday booked, then do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your plans on 07903 737959 or louisepeddelty@gocruiseandtravel.co.uk and I would be more than happy to help you with your holiday booking.
