7 Helpful Tips For The Best Family Travel*

With summer coming, you might be thinking of having a holiday with your family. If traveling happens to be in your itinerary, you’re in luck, as this post will give all the awesome tips to make the most out of your family travel. Traveling with your entire family can be overwhelming no matter how many times you’ve done it. It is also relatively expensive.

Close to 83% of families are known to splurge more when planning a holiday. But even so, it’s better to be prepared adequately for such instances. Preparing and knowing what to expect right from the moment you leave your home are the most important things you can do to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Even for experienced family travelers, these tips should help you find the best solutions for those unexpected moments.

• Do not overpack

A family trip is very different from a solo trip, where you can easily pack a few items for yourself. If you have younger kids who require further packing assistance, you might be tempted to bring more items than you need. Unfortunately, that’s not the best idea. If you are embarking on a long-haul flight, for example, there is a possibility that you might have to carry at least one of your kids. You wouldn’t want to do that while carrying heavy bags.

For a much smoother travel experience, ensure that you pack as little as possible. Traveling is already stressful as it is. You do not need the extra stress of carrying heavy bags filled with items you most likely wouldn’t use. If you forget an important item, the good news is that you can buy it at your destination. However, always remember to pack important items like medicines, especially those that would be difficult to purchase in another country. To ensure that you do not overpack, you can have your kids create a list of things they would like to bring along or limit them to a certain number of items, such as toys. Plus, you will need more room for those souvenirs!

• Be strategic with flight times

Most popular destinations have several flights throughout the day. You will notice that you will have many connecting flight options to choose from. Usually, the prices for each connecting flight differ, but in certain circumstances, they could be fairly close. In such cases, it would be best to select flight times that fit your kids’ schedules.

Non-stop overnight flights are usually the best option, especially if kids have set bedtimes. That way, they can sleep well and wake up in a new country. Non-stop flights are more common for popular destinations. On the other hand, connection flights are much cheaper. If you want to save costs, you can select connecting flights that take you to your destination overnight.

You might not always be lucky with aligning your kids’ schedules with flight times. In such situations, ensure that you give them plenty of time to rest before or after your flight. You can also temporarily change their bed or nap times a few weeks to your travel date to help them adjust better. 

• Select family-friendly accommodation

When traveling with the entire family, you must find accommodation that has something for everyone to do while on vacation, especially if you have kids. Family-friendly hotels or resorts have a set of curated activities on their property, making it safe for your kids to explore and have fun.

There are also more diverse food and beverage options for kids and adults that smaller hotels or rental properties cannot compete with. This is great, especially if you have kids who are picky eaters or are more adventurous with trying out new tastes and cuisines. Plus, they usually have much bigger rooms that can accommodate families. And if you are looking to spend some downtime with your significant other away from the kids, most family-friendly resorts have private adult-only areas for some relaxation.

If you are looking for a tropical escape but aren’t interested in traveling out of the comfort, you can visit Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort in Florida. There’s so much for families to do with fun water and other leisure activities at the Caribbean Beach Resort.

• Give your kids important contact information

It might happen that you’d lose track of your child while on vacation at some point. You must give them all the important contact information they need to help them find their way back to you. For your older kids with phones, it’s likely that they already have your contact information and your partner’s. You can also give them your hotel’s contact information or the number of the host you will be staying with if they can’t reach you.

It might be trickier with younger kids. The best way to share contact information with them, especially if they do not have cellphones, is to place a note in their pocket. If they don’t have pockets, you can stick it in their shoe or tie a card to their belt holes. Ensure that your child knows what it is and how to find it. Hopefully, they wouldn’t need to use it at all. 

• Bring the right documentation

When traveling outside of the country with your kids, it would be good to check if you need to bring additional paperwork to your destination. Typically, you will need only passports to travel with your children. But some countries also have stricter requirements for traveling with kids. You might be required to bring a copy of your kids’ birth certificates to prove that you are the parent and can travel with them.

You will rarely be asked to provide other documentation beyond the passport, but it never hurts to go prepared. If you are traveling with kids who are not yours, you would be required to present a written note from their parents. 

• Keep your kids busy on vacation

Sometimes traveling to a new location isn’t enough to keep your kids entertained. That’s why it’s important that you plan out your days well but also leave time for them to develop or learn new skills. Traveling is a good way to teach your kids how to live independently.

For example, if your kids are into photography or cherish special trips and moments, you can get them a camera to use while on your trip. It doesn’t have to be fancy; you can get a beginner’s point-and-shoot camera for starters. For younger kids, you can give them your phone to take pictures. Having a camera will help your child focus on what’s around them and allow them to appreciate what nature or your destination has to offer. 

• Know that things can go wrong

At times, despite your best efforts, things can still go wrong. Your flights can get canceled, you can miss your flight, or a family member falls ill during the vacation. Expect the unexpected. But when you plan well, it wouldn’t be as bad. For example, taking out insurance will help you cover unexpected flight changes, missing luggage, or unexpected medical emergencies. This will prevent you from incurring too much cost.

Traveling with family is a lot of work, but you can pull it off with excellent planning. Even though things might not always go according to plan, your family will be grateful for your foresight and will have the time of their lives. Check out these other travel tips to make the entire experience more entertaining for you and your family.