The logistics of traveling with young kids can be onerous and daunting. While my kids are only 8 and 5 at the moment, they have already developed a passion to explore the world and have become pretty good travelers, but that wasn’t always the case. We’ve had a few ups and downs throughout our still-nascent family traveling lives, and we’ve learned a lot of things along the way. Culling from my own family’s travel experiences, I’ve put together a few tips to help make traveling with young children less stressful.
Logistics and Gear
If a trip involves flying, time your flights. Generally Tuesdays – Thursdays are the least traveled days (although, during the holidays, this might not always be so). The later in the day you fly, the higher the chance that your flight will be delayed or cancelled, so try to book flights earlier in the day if you can. Also, kids (at least mine!) are generally less cranky earlier in the day. If possible, book non-stop flights. The less time you spend laying over or changing planes, the lower the chance of either flight issues or breakdowns on the part of your child. If your child is under 2, s/he can be a lap child, but for longer flights if it’s in your budget, I would still recommend buying your infant a seat. 1), because it is safer for your child to be strapped into his/her own seat, and 2), for long flights even the lightest child can become heavy and wiggly. You don’t want to start your trip restless and sore from carrying/holding your kid for many hours on end. With infants, toddlers and small children, the bulkhead row is often a good idea because you get a bit more floor space; of course it means you don’t have the under-seat storage space, but with kids, having the added room can sometimes make up for this. You can’t always pre-reserve these seats but if not, ask at the gate if you can switch to a bulkhead row.
Car seats and booster seats are an important consideration when traveling with young children. Some countries do not have car seat laws and often car seats manufactured in non-first world countries aren’t as safe or sturdy as those from home. So to ensure maximum safety for your children, you may want to bring your own. Here are some products we use/d when we travel:
Graco SnugRide* – For infants, we like this one because it snaps into both a base and a stroller so you don’t have to be taking baby in and out, though of course you will have to do so through security. It’s also lightweight and slim for small rental cars and narrow airplane aisles and seats (rear-facing for 4-35 lbs and up to 32” long).
Diono Radian RXT Convertible Seat, Storm* – For bigger, forward-facing kids (up to 80 lbs for car seat and 120 lbs for booster), we like this brand of car seat because of its narrow construction. Once your child is big enough, it can convert to a booster seat. Not only can you actually fit 2 in the back seat of a mid-size car (we have a Prius), but you also still have room for an adult to sit reasonably comfortably in the middle seat. It is also narrow enough to fit in an airplane seat and squeeze down the aisle.
Go-go Babyz Travelmate* – This is a fantastic invention and when our kids were in car seats, this was the ultimate travel accessory. It is a set of wheels that can attach to most standard car seats so that you can wheel them around the airport without taking the kid out of the seat; again, they do have to come out when going through security at the airport.
BubbleBum Inflatable Booster* – When your kids have grown out of a 5 point-harness car seat and it’s time to move to a booster, BubbleBum (good for ages 4-11 and 40-100 lbs) is terrific for travel because it’s inflatable. But more importantly, it deflates and can easily be stored away in a suitcase, carryon bag or even a backpack or large handbag. When we’re not traveling, we keep this in the trunk of our car for unexpected guest passengers.
Whether for the plane ride, the airport or transferring between destinations, it’s vital to bring along a variety of diversions. Plan ahead to pack these in your carry-on bags. If your child uses a lovie, bring it! As far as entertainment goes, choose small, light items. A small doll or action figure, activity books and crayons, blank paper and pens, a deck of cards, and lightweight books all work well. In a pinch, you can whip out a pen and make puppets out of the air sickness bags or do a treasure hunt using the in-flight magazine (see how many times you see a word in the text or an item in the pictures).
If you allow time for movies or electronic devices and if you have more than one child, headphone splitters are a good idea.
Be sure to have ample snacks and drinks so that the pressure change is not so sore on tiny ears. Bring along wet wipes – this is an essential item to pack because you end up using them often! Also a spare set of clothes for each child in your carry-on is always a good idea.
Trying to get kids to sleep at the appropriate times can be tricky when crossing multiple time zones. We learned the hard way that Benadryl doesn’t always work for everyone for inducing sleep. When we went to Italy in 2010 with our then-2.5 year old, we thought we’d try it. It backfired and she ended up being wired the entire trans-Atlantic flight, much to the consternation of our airplane mates. Since then, we’ve learned that Melatonin is much more effective for our children. However, please consult your physician before giving medication or supplements to your children.
Work Up to It
Most kids aren’t born good travelers. Sometimes they need to be “trained” to travel well. Start teaching them early to carry their own gear. Often you’ll find that your children like the responsibility of carrying their own little backpack or wheeling their own small suitcase. We also have a strict rule about sweaters and jackets: If you take it off, your options are to carry it, tie it around your waist or put it in your backpack, not give it to your parents to hold!
The last thing I wanted to be doing on vacation was carrying my kids across Asia or Europe. So we trained our kids early to be good walkers. Start at home with short walks and gradually increase the distance and duration. Have them wear their backpack while they walk so they get used to it. For us, hiking camp was great for building stamina in our kids over the summer when we weren’t traveling.
If you don’t have much experience traveling with your kids, start small and build up. Staycations are a fun way to get to know your own area, experience activities in your own backyard which you may have never tried before, and get your kids used to the idea of traveling. For example, go to a museum, ride your bikes through a neighborhood you’re unfamiliar with, do a city walking tour, rent a surrey, or paddle a boat in the park. Once you’ve mastered the staycation, then you can move on to a weekend getaway. Work your way up to a weeklong beach / resort holiday or a cruise. Something where you only have to pack and unpack once. All-inclusive places are also very convenient, as are resorts with kids clubs so that the adults can enjoy a bit of alone time.
Planning and Travel
For car journeys, stop every few hours to do something fun. If it’s a long plane ride to get where you are going, consider breaking it up. For example, if you’re heading to Asia, consider a night or two in Hawaii on the way there or back.
Getting there can be part of the fun (or all of the fun!). Read a post from guest blogger Kimberly Burns Amtrak: Where all the Fun is Getting There. Aside from trains, boats, seaplanes, and helicopters can also be fun ways for you and your kids to travel.
If you have the luxury of bringing along a nanny or a helper, do so. If not, travel with friends or family who love kids so there are extra pairs helping hands around. Even if your travel mates have their own kids in tow, at least you can take turns being the kid watcher so that everyone gets at least a bit of a break.
Group family tours are also a great option. Not only are there tour guides to help you navigate the logistics of traveling someplace new, but you also have the benefit of having other kids along for your children to play with. As an example, read about a small group family tour of Costa Rica our clients recently took.
If you like having the privacy, space, and all the conveniences of your own home when traveling, consider renting a house, condo or villa. This saves you the hassle of packing and unpacking multiple times. It also gives you the chance to experience the destination as a local would. While I’m often leery of house rental services like AirBnB because standards and quality vary and you are never sure of what you’re going to get, there are services out there that rent villas, homes, condos and apartments which are fully vetted. Some even include amenities and 24/7 help should you need it while traveling. If it’s in your budget, a staffed villas is a great way to go so you don’t have to do any of the work.
On the other hand if budget is an issue, another idea is to swap homes with people you know. We did this with old friends in New York City and it worked brilliantly because not only did it save both families a lot of money, but our kids were the same ages as the kids whose home we stayed in, so all the toys and books were age-appropriate. An added benefit is that you have a trusted local who can tell you where to go, what to eat, and what to see in the immediate vicinity.
Pepper your itinerary with kid-friendly activities. The more fun they have, the more they are going to engage with the destination and remember the trip. Even better if you can sneak a bit of education in there! As the kids get older, start including more and more historical and cultural experiences that are of interest to the adults as well as the kids. This is partly because you want your kids to know that not every trip is solely about them, but also because you never know what is really going to interest them and grab their attention. Last year I took my two girls on a Mississippi River cruise. On the plantation visits, my 7 year old ended up being completely enthralled by the tour guides’ narratives and fascinated by the history of the area – something I didn’t previously know interested her. It was also on that trip that she discovered Tom Sawyer.
When your kids are mature enough, start letting them make some of the travel decisions: where to go, when to see what, what to do, etc. The more invested they are in the planning, the more memorable it will be for them.
Having children does not mean you have to stop traveling or even put it on hold. You just may need to make slight adjustments to the way you travel. The way I look at it, everything is an adventure and even the tough trips are learning experiences that you can look back on and – given enough time – laugh about. For more age-specific tips for traveling with your children, ideas for family friendly getaways/activities, or to plan your next holiday, contact Journeys Unparalleled.
*NB: Journeys Unparalleled is an Amazon Affiliate.