After 10 years of travel with kids our top tips for travel with kids are tried and true. Traveling with kids is not always easy or glamorous, but it is worth it. Showing your children the world is one of the best gifts you can give them, so getting through the challenges of traveling with kids is well-worth your time and energy. Coming from seasoned, frequent travelers, these tips will help your family travels go smoothly.
In this article you can read tips from multiple expert travel families on how to create the best vacation memories.
Follow these tried-and-true travel tips from long-time family travelers to melt away many of the difficulty of travel with kids.
Set Expectations for Travel Days
One of the most important parts of preparing for family travel is setting expectations for your kids. For a baby you don’t need to do more than say a few words while you’re on the way to the airport. They understand more than you think they do!
A toddler or preschooler could use a bit more explanation that same day or at most one day ahead of time. Simply let them know that you will be going to the airport, waiting in lines, getting on an airplane, or anything else that is out of your routine. Read The Airport Book about what to expect at the airport and practice at home. You will get better behavior and more cooperation by explaining events while still in the safety of your home, and letting your kids know what is expected of them.
Older kids may do best with several days notice. You can get them involved with packing or preparing their own things for the trip! Give them their own packing cube and a list of items to include. Kids that can read can even learn about your travel destination ahead of time. Kids Travel Guides are some of our favorite ways to learn ahead of time and as we go.
Being prepared with the travel plan and knowing what is expected before will help you have the best experience as you travel with kids through the world.
Let the Kids be a Photographer!
Kids of all ages love to take photos. Photos are a great way for children to share their trip with their friends and family, and to keep their own ‘album’ for their memories.
The camera does not have to be a fancy DSLR, but something more appropriate for their age. For a young child, a durable Vtech Kidizoom can do the trick. When you’re not off on an adventure, it can also serve a dual purpose for entertainment with the games you can play.
For kids that are a bit older, you may want to consider a simple point and shoot, like an Olympus Tough TGV-6, before getting them a more expensive camera.
Cameras for Kids
| Youngest Kids | Grade-Schoolers | Tweens | Teens | Action Video Camera |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  |   |   |   |   |
| $30 | $70 | $63 | $384 | $37 |
| Buy Toddler Camera | Buy VTech KidiZoom | Buy Point and Shoot | Buy Olympus Tough | Buy Action Camera |
When your kid has the camera, allow them to have full control using it. Don’t try to guide them towards specific photos; give them the chance to find their own creativity and photograph what they are drawn to.
Also, if your kid is too young to have their own camera, you can have them take some photos with your help, while you hold the camera and they snap the picture.
Seeing the world through a camera will give them more appreciation for the little things around them. They will take more notice of the beauty of nature, the details of architecture, and the wonderful hustle and bustle of a city.
Vacations with kids can be captured by kids! Just let them be creative photographer artists.
When you get home, turn those beloved travel photographs into a special photobook keepsake.
Sleep Well
There is nothing more important than everyone getting a good amount of restful sleep to be able to enjoy travel days. With new places, beds, time zones, and more, getting your kids to sleep can be tricky.
You can try to prepare ahead of travel time by moving the kid’s sleep schedule more each day to line up with the time zone you are traveling to. For example, when we travel to Hawaii, the kids stay up an hour later for several nights in a row, helping them to sleep in better once we arrive.
Be sure to allow enough hours for your kids to get a full night’s sleep. We typically put the kids to sleep and then watch a movie for a couple of hours since we need less sleep. Or you can go for a run in your new location in the early morning while the kids are still snoozing. If you are traveling with a baby, check out these essential tips for that stage.
One of the best ways to get yourself and your children to sleep when you are in an unfamiliar place or time zone is using Melatonin. This is a natural supplement your body releases to help you fall asleep. Taking a small dose can expedite the going to sleep process on a plane or in a hotel. Try using melatonin before your trip to be sure it works. For my kids, it works within 20 minutes without fail. So don’t give them melatonin unless you are in a place they can go to sleep. I keep a small dose of melatonin next to my bed in case my kids or I wake in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.
Using a white noise machine or app will help to block any outside noises that may interfere with sleep. You can also try a sleep mask to block unwanted lights.
A sleep mask takes some getting use to, so be sure to practice a head of time.
If you love a certain pillow it may be a good idea to bring it along. We love our MyPillow and the travel size rolls up nicely.
| Melatonin | MyPillow | Eye Mask | White Noise |
|---|---|---|---|
|   | | |
| Buy Melatonin | Buy MyPillow | Buy Eye Mask | Buy Portable White Noise |
Getting a good night’s sleep will ensure you have the energy and stamina to keep up with your kids and your travels.
Plan Travel Activities for Kids in the In-Between
If you’re planning to travel with kids, it’s essential to have some fun activities or things to do to stave off their boredom- the more occupied they are, the less you’ll have to deal with the consequences of them being tired or frustrated or not being able to deal with not being allowed to burn off excess energy.
It’s useful to have a range of ideas, including some games to play, but also some quiet activities for kids and teenagers. Trust me- having something quiet for them to focus on will help you as much as them, especially on a long plane or car journey.
While traveling, games which don’t require any equipment are always a good idea- things like I-spy, or word association games or the strangely compelling pink car/ yellow car game (we still play this even though our daughter is now too old and cool to travel with us!)
Equally, coloring books, travel journals, sticker books, puzzle books, and ‘find the______’ books are all great at holding attention span whilst allowing them to sit quietly.
50 of the Best Toys for Travel with Toddlers
17 practically free travel toys
Bringing their favorite snacks and toys
Let’s accept the fact that travelling with kids is daunting. It is altogether a different game that requires copious patience and fresh tactics to manage them skillfuly. That said, as a parent who travels, showing them the world and looking at the world through their eyes is absolutely exciting and out of the world feeling. One of our favourite and successful ways to keeping the kids happy while travelling is taking plenty of snacks that they can enjoy and their favourite toy or book. It works like a magic especially if the attraction is not your child’s favourite thing!
Let’s say, you want to go to a museum or a castle, giving them a pack of crips or a healthy fruit pack will keep them quiet and lets you enjoy the place at peace.
Meltdowns and tantrums while on road can test one’s ability as a parent. However, if it is channeled with their favorite toy or a storybook/ activity book, it can be manageable to a certain extent. Favorite toy helps them relate to and reduces the anxiety about the new place and surroundings. Similarly, an activity book works like a charm in many places – be it a restaurant where you are waiting for your food, or a holiday cottage where you don’t want them to be glued to TV all day long.
Recommended by Anuradha from Country Hopping Couple
Plan Ahead for Safe Transportation for Traveling Kids
If your child is still in the car seat phase, how can you get around safely on vacation? This is a huge issue when you travel with a baby!
Your best bet is to mitigate risk by staying close to public transportation. If you can get to most sites in the city via the light rail, book your hotel near a stop. Plan extra time to take the bus instead of taxis.
If you bring your car seat from home, ask around at the taxi stand until you find someone who will allow you to install it for the trip from the airport, which usually involves freeways. In many countries, ride share drivers are more welcoming to car seats than taxis. You can also book your airport transfer ahead of time and request a car seat if you will not have your own.
Hire a driver for a day of sightseeing. Ensure they have a car seat or will let you install yours.
Limit taxi use whenever possible. Never buckle your child into your belt with you. It’s actually safer to buckle a baby into her own belt.
There are many travel-friendly options for older kids, like the RideSafer Vest starting at age 3. Before that, though, look to public transport for your safest choice.
If you do choose to rent a car and bring a car seat, there options are travel friendly. They are lightweight, meet the safety requirements.
|   |   |
|---|---|---|
| Mifold Comfort | Inflatable Booster | 5-point Lightweight Carseat |
| $30 | $30 | $50 |
Travel Slowly
My favourite way to travel with children is slowly. Typically, this involves finding a comfortable apartment in a neighbourhood with parks, cafes and a decent supermarket, and staying there for somewhere between a week and a month.
The beauty of slow travel is that it gives us a chance to settle into a proper base and create a home away from home. It typically takes a couple of nights for our toddler to completely settle into a new place, and staying for a bit longer means we all get a decent night sleep for most of our trip. We can also keep to our routine and make sure we make at least a handful of nutritious meals while we’re away.
Most importantly, traveling slowly gives us the freedom to have some down days, where we can just relax and hang out at either a park or at home, without feeling like we’re missing out on something. It also gives us a chance to see a more local side of where we’re staying, chat with other parents and do some child-focused activities, which we wouldn’t usually do while traveling. By taking our time while we travel, we can ensure we all enjoy our trip, no matter how old we are.
Stay Germ-Free
Flying with kids can be a real challenge and extra caution needs to be taken in this regard. First thing to note is that drinking water or the ice cubes on the plane is a complete no. The tap water is prone to bacteria and best avoided, with a better option being bottled water. On the same breath, kids should be advised not to eat food that has fallen on the tray table, as this is another area full of bacteria. Another tip when flying is to avoid sleeping during take-off and landing as this makes it difficult to equalize the pressure. Knowing a handful of these helpful flying tips will not only protect you and those you travel with, but also make the journey that much easier.
Recommended by Rai of A Rai of Light
Use Technology to Your Advantage
While some parents may shun the screens, tablets and iPads can be an educational tool and a sanity saver. If you feel guilt about hooking your kids up to technology, you can always tell them they’re allowed to bring a tablet or iPad only if they use it to play games or watch shows that are educational. And if Wifi isn’t available? You can pre-load the tablet with Disney movies, Little Einsteins, or the Magic School Bus before your trip. And when they’re bored, they can play fun, brain-friendly apps that don’t need Wifi like TinyBop: The Human Body, Sago Mini, or Dr. Panda Games.
Of course, you’re the parent, so you can decide how long they are allowed to use it and when they can use it. Bring the tablets, but set the boundaries. And definitely save the screen time when you most need it – when you need to rest!
Our rule is to be fairly strict when we are not traveling so the ipad is a novelty they get only on the plane or on car trips. One of our rules is that the older kids have to write about a day of our travels between movies they watch on the plane. This preserves our trip in their travel journal and helps them to take a screen break on those long haul flights.
Perfect Flying with Toddlers
If there’s one thing that can scare the pants off even the most confident parent, it’s flying with toddlers. The toddler stage is the hardest stage of flying with children and for good reason. Toddlers are curious about everything and they aren’t interested in sitting still. Top that off with their lack of attention span and you might just want to take a break from traveling until the next phase. We disagree. The flight is really only a very small portion of your entire trip and with a little preparation, it won’t be so bad.
The first step in surviving a long-haul flight with a toddler is setting your own expectations. If you know you’ll be spending the majority of the time entertaining your toddler, you won’t be frustrated when you constantly have to switch between activities.
Next, plan a few different activities that you can switch between. These might include toys, coloring and even playing with a water bottle. Find 50 of the Best Travel Toys for Toddlers recommended from many traveling families.
Finally, try to get your toddler to sleep, but let your toddler explore and satisfy their curiosity a little more before you try to attempt sleep. Soon enough the plane will be landing and you’ll wonder what had you so worried when traveling with a toddler. .
How to Travel with Teens
Traveling with two teenagers has taught me a ton about maintaining peace amongst the entire traveling party. My best advice to keep everyone happy is not to overbook your day. If you become overzealous in planning an epic itinerary full of nonstop excitement, you will only be disappointed in their push back and withdrawal into their hoodies and devices.
I have a better idea that I have learned from the teens themselves. Let them sleep in and ease into their day. Plan something fun late morning or early afternoon, then give them downtime.
This plan doesn’t mean that you have to miss out. Get up early and head out for a walk on the beach or a stroll through town. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and people watch. Or if you want to visit an attraction they are not interested in, get up early and go for it. Meet up with them later after they have had a good night’s sleep. Everyone wins.
Recommended by Jenny B from Traveling Party of Four.
So there you have plenty of idea for making your trips with your kids perfect… well not perfect, but at least you’ll be more prepared. Being Flexible and willing to go with the flow is an essential characteristic for traveling with kids. Don’t have a rigid schedule and let the kids lead the way sometimes. Happy travels!
Pin these tips for How to Travel with Kids without Losing your Mind
Whether you are traveling with toddlers or on a long road trip with kids, following these tips are sure to help it go smoothly.
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