Is it Possible to Travel With Kids?
YES…. And you should!
Travel is an essential way to get away from the grind of daily activities and offers a positive, memorable experience for both children and parents. It may not be stress free every moment but it is definitely worth it. As a mom of four, I have taken many vacations with my children at various ages and have never regretted any of them. Yes, there will be unpleasant moments and even sickness but there will be memories made and cherished for a lifetime.
How can you make the journey to and from your destination more enjoyable? Here are a few things I do when traveling with kids.
Car and Plane Travel
- Leave early morning – Depending on your destination, try leaving anywhere from 3 – 5 am. I have found it is easier to drive at these hours with less traffic and the kids sleep. Also, it is nice to get a little sleep in your own bed before beginning a long car journey. Plan to stop about 4 to 5 hours for gas and breakfast. This applies to flights too. The earlier your flight leaves, the earlier you should arrive at your destination. Also, earlier flights tend to have less delays. Many hotels will let you leave your bags if it is to early to check in so you can start exploring your destination.
- Research stops – plan your travel times around stops that you would like to make along the way. Everyone needs a little time to get out and stretch and walk around. I like to look for parks or museums that I think the kids would enjoy.
- Utilize stops – Even if the kids say they don’t have to use the restroom during a gas stop, have them try anyway. This will help maximize time and keep you from stopping every 5 minutes for bathroom breaks. Also, have everyone get out and at least stretch during these stops too.
- Avoid high traffic – try not to drive through large cities during rush hours or 30 minutes could turn into an extra 2 hours.
- Book Direct Flights – book direct flights whenever you can when traveling with kids. It is so much easier to only go through only one airport and not worry about multiple flight delays and missed flight connections.
- Car seats, boosters, strollers, and carriers – make sure to know the rules to the location you are traveling. Planes do allow you to check car seats, just beware that they get rattled around and you have to carry them wherever you go. It depends on your preference if you want to rent or bring your own. I have done both and I have preferred my own even with the hassle of carrying around. Be sure to check your airline for rules and guidelines for how many items you are able to bring and if you are allowed to bring a car seat on board the airplane for a child to sit on in the plane.
- Carry-on luggage – Using only carry-on luggage will save you a ton of time at the airport as you are not having to wait for your luggage to come out. My family likes to use backpack style luggage because it is light weight and easily fits in the overhead compartments.
Travel Essentials
- Tablets, Nintendo Switch, and other devices – love them or hate them, they do make travel easier and can keep kids entertained for long periods during a long car ride. Be sure to download a few movies, shows, games, and music before you leave. You never know when internet will not work. Along with devices, be sure to include headphones or ear buds. It can get quite loud if four devices and a car radio are on all at once. This makes everyone start grumbling at each other but is easily solved with headphones for each kid. If a couple people are wanting to watch the same movie on a device while sitting next to each other, be sure to purchase headphones that can connect to each other so both can hear the movie. *See my blog post 10 Apps to Download for Kids Before a Trip for ideas on what apps to download.
- Small box of Legos and tiny baseplate to build on – my kids love building with Legos. Challenge them to build something related to the place you are traveling to.
- Notebook – My kids love writing and drawing on long trips. They even like to write and pass notes to each other during the ride.
- SNACKS – probably the most important thing. The kids are always hungry on the car ride. I like to use Thermos Funtainers to pack fruits or vegetables and keep them cold. I recently started having each kid pack their own lunch box for long car rides also. This helps them have access to their snacks and they know how to pace themselves because it is their entire snack box for the trip. Be sure to pack a garbage sack for quick cleanup and take advantage of throwing away trash at gas stops along the way.
- Books, Magazines, and Mad Libs – What better way to spend the time in the car, then catching up on reading and getting lost in a story. My kids also love Mad Libs and there are so many different types that you can get for all age levels.
- Blankets and Neck Pillow – Everyone needs to be as comfortable as possible for a long car trip especially if you are expecting kids to sleep on the car or plane ride.
- Fidgets – Sometimes the kids just need something to look at and tinker with to pass the time.
- Water bottles – take water bottles to stay hydrated on your trip. You can bring empty water bottles through airport security and then fill them up at water bottle filling stations or fountains after you are through security. Many attractions let you bring water bottles too.
- Hand sanitizer, lotion, Chapstick, and gum – If your kids are like mine, they love to touch everything. Also, car rides and plane rides can get very dry. Gum helps my kids from popping their ears when the plane is taking off. Pack all of these in an under seat bag for quick access on a plane.
Check out more Vacation Tips here.
Do you travel with kids? What helps you get to your destination? Share your ideas in the comments section below:
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Vacation Tips – Is it Possible to Travel With Kids?