4 tips for going on vacation when you have kids

Taking kids on vacation is a memorable experience no doubt, but you need to be well-prepared on a lot of fronts. Their surroundings, routine, food is all different, and that can sometimes disrupt their sense of security and familiarity. However, being prepared beforehand with these simple tips can make your vacation far more enjoyable and much less stressful.

1. Allow extra time for everything

If you are travelling with kids, remember, everything will take longer than you might think. This includes checking in at the airport, getting through security and even boarding the plane. Be sure to get to the airport as early as you can, and leave time in case things go wrong. The last thing you want is to miss your flight because it took a bit of extra time to get your bottles and stroller through security. Here are some tried-and tested tips on travelling by air with a toddler.

2. Don’t overpack

Parents have a tendency to pack whatever the kids use at home. You might think that taking familiar items will help to keep their routine consistent and that you are sure to have everything you need if you adopt this approach. That’s not entirely true – you’ll probably end up carrying at least one of your kids at some point, so the last thing you need is to be carrying 100 lbs of luggage on top of that. If you want to work around this then try and pack as little as possible. The act of traveling itself is going to mess with your home routine, so doing everything you can to preserve it is just pointless.

3. Pre-book as much as you can

You might be used to showing up at a destination and then getting a feel for the town. When you have had a scout around, you may then settle on a place to eat. This is great when you are traveling solo but when you have kids, it’s not that simple. You need to pre-book your restaurants and also any activities you want to do. Pre-booking your accommodation is also very important. The last thing you want is to not be able to get your kids to bed because there aren’t any rooms available for your family. If you want to book a good holiday then be sure to look into John Fowler holidays.

4. Involve your kids in the planning

Introducing kids to the plan you have way ahead of time is always a good thing. This is especially the case for first-time travellers. If you have kids who are uncomfortable then they won’t be happy, and that can ruin the trip for everyone. This often happens when there is too much going on, or too many activities planned and your kids are over-stimulated and tired. Allow some downtime for them in the middle of the day, and make sure there are some child-friendly activities in your itinerary as well.