Planning on traveling with kids in the near future? We’ve got tips to help make your vacation run smoothly. Let’s dive right in.
First and foremost, pack your patience!
This tip alone can make or break your vacation. Children are not known for being the… easiest …people to vacation with, but they sure can be a lot of fun. Slow down, and enjoy the time with your kids. These are memories you are going to treasure.
Keep all children on their regular meal and snack schedule.
Make sure you stick as close to your child’s regular meal schedule as possible. Hungry kids are grumpy kids. If your trip requires extra physical activity, make sure to throw in a couple extra healthy snacks to keep their energy level up.
Young children should follow their regular nap schedule.
This can make a difference in your entire trip. Overtired, overstimulated children are not happy children. Try to make sure they maintain some degree of their regular schedule.
Take breaks from touring and give kids time to run and get excess energy out.
When traveling with kids, it’s always a good ides to find a park or some sort of outdoor space where they can burn off energy. It’s always fun to explore new playgrounds.
***Remember, kids don’t have the same interests.***
This one is vital to your entire vacation. Your kids to not want to tour an art museum for six hours. They want to do kid things! Make sure they get to do kid-friendly high-interest activities. Give them something to look forward to each day. Let them pick something you do, even if it’s where you have dinner.
Call your airline and find out what the infant/child travel policy is for the trip.
Some airlines allow lap sitting for infants. Just check with your airline to get the specifics on their rules.
Try to schedule flights to coincide with your child’s sleep schedule.
This can be huge, especially if your child can sleep through a flight. If you are able to fly during their normal sleep time, they will have less jet lag and will be able to adapt to a different time zone much easier.
Make sure teens have the address of the hotel and knows how they can get there (taxi, bus, metro, etc).
This is so important! Whether your teen traveler is older and has been granted some extra freedom to roam, or if they accidentally get separated from the group, they will need this information. Teens use their phones a lot and batteries die frequently. Having this information can be a lifesaver!
Strollers can be rented in many tourist areas.
This tip is especially helpful if you’re flying. Many strollers today are large and difficult to transport unless you’re driving your own car. A lot of tourist locations have rental companies that will even deliver baby equipment right to your hotel!
***Check your child’s height before going to theme parks. DO NOT try to fake or fudge their height. It is for their safety.***
We can’t stress this enough. Attempting to make you child appear taller than they actually are will put them at great risk. There are height requirements are there for a reason. They protect the rider from any potential injury or harm. While little Johnny or Suzy may be excited to ride an attraction, find another option and wait until they actually meet the height requirement.
Include kids in the planning process.
This one is big. The more you include children in the planning process, the more invested they will feel in the trip. The more invested they feel, the more excited they will be about the vacation.
Extra changes of clothes for younger kids.
No matter where you are traveling with kids, an extra set of clothes is always a good idea for younger children. Things get spilled, rain showers happen, and you want to be prepared.
Pack bags of their favorite snacks.
Snack bags are an essential for our family. We have made them for years. Having snacks on hand can save everyone (adults included) from the “I’m grumpy because I’m hungry” syndrome.
Make sure to check appropriate ages for various admission tickets.
Some places charge adult prices long before a child becomes an adult. And on the flip side, kids sometimes get free admission!
Children’s passports are different than adults. Check six months in advance because it’s a long process.
You definitely have to plan way ahead for passports. We recommend at least six months for obtaining a passport. It is often difficult to obtain an appointment and the venues are few and far between. However, with a little planning, you should be just fine.
Give your child a disposable camera and have the pictures developed when you return.
Seeing the trip through their eyes is amazing. We have pictures that both of our children have taken one the years. They are treasured memories.
Want more tips for traveling with kids? Check out our podcast Traveling With Kids of All Ages.
Need to know how to budget for your family vacation? Check out our post Budgeting For Travel.
