Travelling with kids can raise many questions: "How will I keep my children entertained?", "Will they cope with long hours travelling?", to the extent that you may wonder if you'll ever travel again. But parenthood shouldn't and needn't be a reason to stop exploring our world. There's no denying that travel with small children has its perils, but family holidays are often some of the best memories of our children's younger years.
With the right preparation and attitude it can not only be an opportunity for parents to spread their wings, but also for kids to be inspired by mum and dad’s adventurous spirit.
To this end, we have compiled our top ten tips on travelling with children, as well as helpful advice from other parents, to help you plan your family trip and make the most of travelling with your little ones.
1. Pick a holiday that both you and your children will enjoy. There is no point trying to drag toddlers along on an Everest trek and similarly, if you love diving you will resent spending your entire Caribbean holiday by the poolside. Try and find something that will not only keep your children amused, but that also meets some of your own needs.
2. Be realistic about what you can do with children in tow, you may need to compromise some of your ambitions to ensure that your kids enjoy the holiday too. There are no hard and fast rules for what might suit a child of a certain age, but don't try to do too much - perhaps start by scheduling a few activities and see how you get on. Don't make any promises until you're sure, to avoid disappointment. Operators that specialise in family trips often have lots of experience in dealing with various age groups and can also provide some great advice.
3. Prepare and plan your trip thoroughly. Careful planning at this stage will pay off in the long run and avoid any nasty surprises. Find out what vaccinations are needed, where to get medical help and whether you will be able to get hold of basics like nappies and formula. To find out whether a visa is required, contact the individual embassies or consulates of the destination. Children with separate passports require separate visas, but a child included on a parent's passport usually does not. Contact your GP a couple of months before your departure, as some immunisations cannot be given simultaneously with others. Also ensure that you've got a comprehensive family travel insurance policy.
4. Ask lots of questions. Before you book, find out everything you need to know from your hotel, operator or airline. Based on what your priorities include, find out what the accommodation will provide: whether it's supervised childcare, amenities, safety measures, a private pool or being within walking distance of shops. Also check in advance what various airlines offer for parents with young children and find out if you will be eligible for any reductions.
5. Take things to entertain your kids, such as a favourite toy, but do check beforehand (if you are flying) what items are allowed to be taken on the plane. If going on a driving holiday, pack a small bag of essentials to keep in the front seat. Keeping certain items handy will prevent you from having to stop and dig through the tightly packed boot. While you don't want to weigh yourself down with any more luggage than you have to, a few well-chosen items like small toys, crayons or books could mean the difference between a bored, restless child and a contented, stimulated little travelling companion. Having a few extra clothes on hand may also come in useful for those little accidents.
6. Save on bulky luggage while travelling by hiring or buying things like cots, buggies etc at the destination. As push-chairs are also susceptible to in-flight damage, getting a cheap second-hand stroller might be a good idea. Your hotel may also provide cots, which would help you cut down on some of the bulky baby equipment. Backpack baby carriers are also great. You can fill them up with baby’s clothes on the way out, and use them for trips when you’re there.
7. To get some couple time, find out if hotel has a baby sitting service. Alternatively, you could invite the grandparents along or travel with some friends with kids. That way the kids have someone to play with, and the parents can take baby sitting in turns.
8. Passports are required for all children under 16 - even for babies. Children already included on parents' passports can continue to travel on them (if accompanied by the parent) until they reach the age of 16. For more information visit the website at
www.passport.gov.uk. Since the baby needs to be pictured on its own (without toys etc) it may be worth taking them to a high street outlet offering passport photos rather than a booth.
9. Know your child. Knowing your child is particularly important when considering a long-haul flight with your kids. The three-year-old might quite possibly be content to snack, play and watch cartoons on a long-haul flight, whereas an 18-month-old may be less amenable. The same goes for the holiday itself. If you know the things your child likes and dislikes, it makes it much easier to plan in elements of the holiday that they will enjoy. They might like the sea, or become disagreeable when travelling on buses, all these things are worth taking into consideration.
10. Plan what to do if someone gets lost. Finally, before the trip, come up with a family plan of what to do in case someone gets lost. This could be as simple as designating a meeting point.
Tips from fellow travellers
Every week we receive some extraordinary reviews from people who have been on one of our holidays with their family. We now have over 1100 reviews on our site, all of them containing highlights, advice and some wonderful anecdotes of things fellow travellers like you have experienced. Here are some of their best tips on travelling with the family to help you prepare for your next family trip.
"Traveling with babies is easier than you think it will be. Having snacks is a must and take more than you think you’ll need in case of delays. Once on holiday, being in a different place with different people kept Lara amused and made her really sociable, and I (mum) was able to have some time off!" Tania Wheatcroft.
"My younger daughter, aged 8, wanted to make a friend so the Lodge arranged for her to meet the younger sister of one of their staff. The 2 girls played together for most of the day and then we walked back to her compound to meet her family." Joy Emmanuel
"We always travel with a stock of rice cakes. For plane journeys these are an invaluable way of keeping our daughter entertained and help with the pressure changes of take offs and landings." Olly Wheatcroft.
"Before you go get a simple book on ancient egyptian gods for the kids (it makes them much more interested in the temples etc)." Jo Wise on travelling to Egypt
"My children (aged 14 and 17) were worried about being stuck with other children that they might not like but they were all similar ages (12 - 20) and all got on great!! I think they've probably made some long term friends... Go with an open mind and you'll have a fabulous time!" Joanne Forster
"Get fit beforehand to make the most of the holiday. Do everything offered. We also trusted the judgement of the people in the UK - proved to be a good move, my 8 year old really got stuck in despite my concerns he would be a bit cautious." Heather Morris
Search all our
family holidays
