How to travel with kids

Last Updated on September 1, 2024

To travel with kids, or not to travel with kids, that’s a question that has popped into many of our minds at some point or another, myself included.

Travel with kids is possible, it just takes some pre planning beforehand to make it easier and less stressful.

Here are some tips on how to travel with kids, if travelling with kids is something you want to do, but just need a little confidence before doing so.

These travelling with kids tips are suitable for any type of family travel, including flying with kids, taking a road trip with kids, or any other type of family travel you’re considering.

How to travel with kids

Here are some tips for travelling with kids that I hope provides you with the encouragement you need to book your next family holiday.

Book in advance

Book each part of your family holiday as far in advance as possible, this ensures that you’re able to get the flight you want, the accommodation you need, and gives you time to find attraction and food deals.

Booking in advance also enables you to have plenty of time to get used to the idea of travelling with kids, so you’re as mentally prepared for it as possible.

Depart late morning or early afternoon

Timing your day around late mornings, or early afternoons, ideally between 11am – 4pm, means you don’t have to wake your children up to get somewhere, which immediately puts them in a bad mood, and you can avoid rush hour.

Timing your day decreases the chances that everyone starts or ends the day in a bad mood, which helps everyone’s morale during a family holiday.

Avoid first and last flights

If flying is part of your travel with kids experience, avoid booking the first or last flight of the day, because if there’s a flight delay, or a cancellation, you may find yourself  spending extra money on new flights, or an extra overnight hotel stay.

What to pack when travelling with kids

Packing for a family holiday can feel like a major headache, but remembering that anything forgotten can be purchased at your destination, can lessen the stress that comes with this holiday activity.

Here are some items that you definitely want to pack, as they’re not as easy to purchase at your destination as other forgotten things:

• A stroller if you haven’t stopped using a stroller, or your child tires easily
• Stroller sunshade so younger children can easily nap
• Baby carrier / sling for walking to and from flights
• Pop up tent for beach days
• Devices for kids, as screen time gives you some much needed time out, make sure you download shows and games before leaving home in case there’s no Wi-Fi at your destination
• Sleeping aids or comforters to keep kids sleep on track during holidays

Travel during naps

When travelling, one of the best things to do during nap time is to fly, or take the longest part of your road trip while your child naps.

Doing this reduces the stress of having to entertain your kids while travelling, or have strangers on planes looking at you.

Give yourself lots of time

Getting out of the house with kids, or getting anywhere with kids takes a long time.

When travelling with kids, give yourself at least double the amount of time you need to get to places.

For example, add an extra hour onto getting ready time if you’re staying in a hotel with kids, to make sure everyone has enough time to use a single bathroom.

If you’re going to Disneyland with kids, or any other attraction that requires maximum energy over a long day, give yourself extra time for breaks, food stops, and meltdowns.

Or, if you’re catching a flight, leave home a lot earlier than you need to, in case you get stuck in traffic, stuck in long check in queues, or a child needs a full outfit change.

Feeding kids on holidays

Feeding kids on holidays can feel like the biggest challenge of all, but there are some things you can do to make this easier.

If you have a baby feed them before you leave for dinner, and take them out in their pyjamas, so if they fall asleep when you’re out, you can put them straight into bed when you get back to where you’re staying.

If you have a toddler who is a fussy eater bring toddler snacks with you, and things to entertain your toddler at a restaurant, like sticker books, puzzles, books, and a device with their favourite show or games on it.

Travel with kids can also mean that they eat the same things over and over, and if they do, try not to worry as they’ll get back to their normal eating patterns when they get home.

Write everything down

Make sure you write a list that includes all of your holiday plans that you take with you, and that you also give to extended family, so they can help you if needed when you’re gone.

Some things to include on this list are:

• Destination, or stop overs
• Travel dates
• Flight details
• Rental car details
• Insurance details
• Accommodation details
• Items you must take with you like passports, credit cards, and essential kid items

Be flexible

Travel with kids means you need to be flexible.

There will be days that don’t go to plan, toys that will be forgotten or lost, or tantrums will be thrown that will require you to handle a toddler tantrum in tough situations.

Being flexible and changing things if needed is essential to making travel with kids possible, and somewhat less challenging.

Conclusion

Travelling with kids is something we may dread, but despite our feelings towards it, travel with kids is possible if you do a little bit of preparation beforehand.

Some tips you may like to try before and during a family holiday include booking as much as you can as early as you can, so you get the exact flights, and accommodation you want, as well as giving yourself enough time to mentally prepare for it.

You can also time your days so you don’t have to wake your children up, or so you can avoid rush hour, give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to be, and avoiding first and last flights so delays or cancelled flights don’t affect your travel plans.

Packing for kids, and feeding kids on holiday can be a large part of the stress we feel when it comes to travelling with kids, but remembering that anything forgotten can be purchased, and not worrying about the variety of food your kids eat on holiday, can help you to enjoy your holiday and actually relax.

Being flexible when plans change can also go a long way towards making travelling with kids something that you’ll want to more than once.

How do you feel about travelling with kids?