Top tips for travelling with children

The summer is in full swing here and as we move back to some sort of normality, more of us are travelling with our families. I love travelling but when you add children into the mix it can feel like a real challenge at times.

If you are looking to travel soon, here are our top tips for travelling with children.

Travelling with children – Flights

Airports are a busy place at the minute and there can be some big delays with flight cancellations still causing us issues here in the UK. If you are travelling with children by flight, you may be looking at ways to make it easy. I always find flights easier with children, simply as they can get up and move around more than in the car.

Here are our favourite ways to tackle both long and short-haul flights.

Give yourself time

As I said, airports are busy but any parent knows just how long things can take to get done when you have children with you. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get booked in and through security without needing to run for your flights with kids in tow!

Make time for a break

We are huge fans of taking our time in the airport and making sure we grab some food whilst we are there, mainly to stop the kids from wanting more food on the plane!

A few years back we discovered the airport lounges and have not looked back! I know these are not for everyone however the fact you can eat and drink until your flight is a winner with the kids but for me, having a space away from the rush with a seat is the best part. We use the lounge now every time we fly.

Pack a children’s survival bag

Children are going to get bored easily if you are in the airport and on a plane for a while, so pack a little survival bag to keep them entertained.

It doesn’t need to cost a fortune but it can contain things to keep them entertained enough till you are off the other side. It can be put in a backpack for them to carry on the flight.

Here are some of the things we have packed in the past:

• Lollies – Perfect to be sucking on when your take off!
• Colouring books & pencils – These seem to help pass the time really easily.
• A new book – Something they will be able to enjoy on holiday too.
• Ipad – Technology is your friend when you are on a long flight.

Travelling with children – Car journey

Car journeys are sometimes easier depending on where you are travelling or the traffic!

If you are going on holiday via car, there are a few things to consider before you take off, they include:

Travel sickness –

If your children get car sick, like ours do, make sure you plan the travel sickness tablets and bands if you need to take them an hour before you travel. We have in the past had to wake the kids up earlier to insure they have time to get it into their system.

Toilet stops –

You know full well that if you don’t plan the loo breaks, they will need to go just after you pass a service station.

We all know our children and can work out how long they can hold on. With this in mind, we look at the services along our route and get some marked up as potential stop points. Then during the journey, we check that they are ok and when they need to stop.

Sometimes it is just a quick stop and leg stretch and other times it may be a lunch break, it is all about the journey.

Entertainment –

Making sure they are entertained along the way is always a bonus to making the trip go well.

Unfortunately, because both of ours get car sick, neither really want to watch anything on their Ipad however we do put some music on and just chat along our journey. If your child doesn’t get car sick, you could make them a little pack like the list above for the trip.

What is your top tip for travelling by car or plane with children?