My Top Tips for Travelling with Children

When I saw that Mark Warner were looking for tops tips on travelling with babies my first thought was “Don’t”

I am joking, but travelling with the small people in our lives can be stressful, especially if you are not prepared.

Where do you start?

Firstly, research the destination you are visiting and choose a family friendly hotel.  Children, especially babies, need all sorts of paraphernalia and you don’t want to be travelling with everything but the kitchen sink.  Make sure the hotel has cots, high chairs, access to clean and hygienic water, baby food and that all important babysitting service so you get a well-earned break yourselves.  If you have older children, do they have a kids club and somewhere they can head off to and play safely?

Once the holiday is booked and paid for it is time to start thinking about what to take.  Depending on the age of the child a buggy is essential and we love our Britax B-Agile as it has tons of storage space and folds up nice and small but there are companies that offer pushchairs and car seats to hire that you can pick up when you arrive at your destination both in the UK and abroad.

Mark Warner

Then there is the packing…………. what do you take?

Firstly, they don’t need the entire contents of their wardrobe.  A few mix and match outfits are fine, but take some travel wash just in case and if they are potty training plenty of pants!!

My essentials are:

  • First Aid Kit including: plasters, paracetamol, calpol / ibuprofen, anti-septic, anti-histamine, travel bands
  • Sunscreen and After-Sun
  • Travel Wash
  • Hats
  • Swimwear / UV Suits
  • Beach Towels
  • Travel Adapter Plugs (if travelling abroad)
  • Camera
  • Baby Carrier (if you have a baby – this could be a sling or a back carrier)

On the day of travel have a bag / Trunki with activities for them.  Trunki’s are fantastic as they are classed as hand luggage size and you can either load them with games and toys or clothes and then the kids can ride them around the airport / station keeping them entertained.  Beware, mine decided to stage a mutiny when they wanted to stay and play at Coombemill.

Travelling with kids

Paper, pens and / or technology are great for wiling away the hours. It is vital that any technology is loaded with games and films and all importantly fully charged before you set off AND take the charger!  If they insist on taking their favourite cuddly toy when a wrist strap is essential so they don’t get lost.

Drinks and snacks are important too, but don’t fill them full of sugar as they will end up bouncing off the walls.  Also ensure you keep some money back in case you get delayed at the airport.  There is nothing worse than a child moaning they are hungry and you have spent every last penny of your holiday money and your plane has been delayed by 8 hours (yes this did happen).

Travelling with kids Tips

Once you are there embrace the culture, join in the fun, relax and make memories.  One thing I have learned is that kids don’t remember the things you buy them.  What they do remember is the fun you have had, be it on a day trip or holiday.

Holiday Tips

Roaming beaches, exploring the great outdoors and even Mum winning at Crazy Golf – I don’t remind them of that often……..honest!

Holiday Tips

Daddy teaching them how to play pool and even brushing their teeth in an unfamiliar bathroom is all fun when you are small.

Family Holiday

Holiday’s not only give you the time to relax, but to stop and witness just how close and important your family are!

The best tip I can give on travelling with kids is to have an adventure and make memories that will last a lifetime.

This is my entry to Blogger Challenge One in conjunction with Mark Warner Holidays and Kiddicare.

Kiddicare

 

mark warner blogger challenge

26 thoughts on “My Top Tips for Travelling with Children”

  1. What a great selection of tips. Travelling with young children can feel like a military operation but you are absolutely right that they remember the experience and get so much from it so it is worth it in the end. I had never thought of a wrist strap for a favourite toy on holiday. That is such a brilliant idea as a treasured toy is important for a child in an unfamiliar place and if you were to lose it then it could affect the rest of the holiday for everyone!

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  2. Fantastic tips! Your photos are lovely too 🙂 We try to take our children away somewhere every year but we don’t travel too far with them being so young.

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  3. The furthest we have ventured with the twins is up to Northumberland. This year we’re going a little further and going up to Scotland. I miss going abroard and hope to again when they’re both a bit bigger but this is a great list and tips x

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  4. Great tips, We’ve travelled a few places now the F is a toddler but when he was younger it would have been a good idea to check for all of the above mentioned. We made the mistake of holidaying in the most un-child friendly hotel when F was six months old and it was not fun! x

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  5. Lots of good tips and by someone with lots of experience!! I’m a believer in less is more but the travel wash is a definite must. Toddlers especially get so mucky! Lovely photo’s. I want to join in with this challenge so need to get my skates on!!

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  6. We take a portable dvd player for the car journey if we’re planning a long trip. The kids love it and we don’t have to deal with, ‘are we there yet?’ every 2 seconds!

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