People are often surprised how much we travel, even as a young family. They often ask for tips on how to travel with a family because kids can be so consuming. We find that travel gives us lots of fun things to do with kids and is great for bonding. Family travel is fun, a fantastic learning opportunity, and also an adventure full of pitfalls. Take the wrong steps and your long-sought-after vacation can easily be ruined by many things. Overpriced restaurants, seedy rooms, tourist-trap attractions, and overnight flights while crammed in the middle seat – sound familiar? Here are 51 great, time-tested tips to make travel with family easy and fun.
Make Travel With Family Easier With These Tips From Experience
Are you looking for family travel inspiration? Just think about what aspect of travel excites you most. If you are like me and you enjoy stepping out of the daily routine for new experiences, then any new destination is always exciting. If you prefer a special place or theme parks, then there are plenty of travel adventures to be had that way too. Just decide what will make you happiest and your kids will probably love it too. You don’t have to have a family travel blog to enjoy life as a traveling family. Anyone can do it!
Planning Your Family Trip
The best way to have a great trip is to start with reasonable travel plans. You may not want to start with a world trip or international destinations if this is your very first time traveling as a family. The best option is probably to create family vacation memories somewhere with direct flights! But honestly, you can have a fun family trip anywhere so do what feels right to you. A good travel experience starts with good preparation and detailed information.
1. Get user reviews of destination essentials from Citysearch.com, Yahoo! Travel and Trip Advisor, Yelp.com, FourSquare and others.
2. Join user discussion forums on Fodors.com, TripAdvisor.com, LonelyPlanet.com and Frommers.com.
3. Read a travel book about major cities or check out travel blogs and contact family travel bloggers for personal recommendations.
4. Get updates on the best hotels, attractions and cheapest options en-route via Facebook and Twitter.
5. Take out a good-sized travel insurance policy covering emergency medical expenses, baggage loss and delay, and cancellation costs.
How to Budget For Traveling With A Family
6. Evaluate foreign currency exchange rate online before traveling.
7. Exchange currency at post offices to avoid the commission.
8. Break down package deals using DealBase.com or kayak.com and tally your bill for individual components
Selecting Transport For Your Family Vacation
Honestly, one of the best things about road trips in the United States is the quality time you get spent together doing on the way to family adventures. Being packed the car can actually be a good thing if you prepare with snacks and a the right podcast, music, or games. Likewise, even young children can be excellent little plan or train travelers if you are prepared. A little extra effort before the family trip, will make the family vacation itself so much more enjoyable for the whole family. Use these tips depending on your chosen mode of transport:
Air Travel Tips For How To Travel With A Family
9. Use Kayak.com to scan data from multiple airline and travel booking sites.
10. Check DoHop.com, Momondo.com and Mobissimo.com to locate flights overseas.
11. Use SeatExpert.com, FlyerTalk.com and SeatGuru.com to check out ideal seat options
12. Book your seats on a Boeing 767, as these have fewer middle seats.
13. Book your seats and check your bags in online before your flight to avoid extra costs.
Car Travel Tips For How To Travel With Family
14. Make sure your car gets a thorough pre-journey inspection if you are doing a road trip. You don’t want to deal with car problems with young kids in the car!
15. Take copies of your car’s documents, drivers’ licenses, kids’ photo IDs, insurance papers and car keys.
16. If renting a car, check for the spare tire, owner’s manual, radio/CD player, tools, headlights, and A/C, GPS and windshield wipers.
17. Obtain highway safety reports from the NHTSA Online and D.O.T. Travel Safety Association Auto Safety sites.
18. Get free destination information and maps from local tourist information offices or automobile clubs.
19. Visit www.myfamilytravels.com and other sites to locate tourist spots, special events and festivals en route.
Bus and Train Travel
20. On buses, opt for the front seats for the additional leg room.
21. Carry ear plugs or noise canceling earbuds /headphones to protect your ears from unwanted noise.
22. Unless you are passing through scenic countryside, it’s best to schedule the train ride as night travel. There won’t be any potty breaks, whiny snack breaks and other nuisances.
23. Use major city train stations and travel only by direct trains when possible. This will not only bring down your fare but also reduce the hassle of transferring your family for one train to another.
24. Always book seats on new buses; old ones can creak and stop now and then on bad roads.
Family Travel Tips For Packing
Packing Tips For Family Clothing
25. Make a list of the specific things to pack for each family member and stick to the list.
26. Pack outfits that can be mixed and matched and easily washed by hand or at local laundromats. Hotel laundry bills can be very high.
27. Don’t pack bulky pieces if you’re traveling to a cooler region. Carry plenty of lightweight, knitted pieces that you can layer.
28. Pack only wrinkle-free clothing to avoid the need for pressing clothes.
29. Pack socks and stockings within shoes to save space.
30. Limit family members to two pairs of shoes; make these the flexible ones that can be easily packed
Packing Tips For Travel Gear
31. Put all your toiletries in a transparent plastic Ziplock bag so that you don’t have to take it all out at security stations.
32. Limit luggage to one lightweight, durable, smooth-rolling wheelie bag handy backpack straps and a detachable day pack for each family member.
33. Use cell phone cameras or take one slim digital camera for the entire family. Avoid carrying multiple bulky camera bags.
34. Always carry about 3 feet of duct tape with you for emergency luggage breaks.
35. Take copies of your passport and other important documents in your luggage.
36. Pack a spare package of plastic Ziploc bags and trash bags in your trunk; you’ll find them handy for myriad purposes.
Packing Extras
37. Put spare first aid kit, wipes and tissues, spare toilet paper, liquid anti-bacterial soap and paper towels in your glove compartment for use in bad public restrooms.
38. Put a flashlight, safety matches, candles, a waterproof tarp, a spare tire, repair kit, a gallon of water and blankets in your car’s trunk.
39. If you’re flying, bring your own blanket, travel pillow and entertainment and some snacks for the children. Remember the portable car seat for when you land.
How Travel With Family & Select the Best Lodging For The Best Price
40. Even if you’re planning just a one night stay in a city, join the hotel’s loyalty program, to enjoy member extras such as free breakfast drinks, free pressing and so on.
41. Always ask for additional packages when you negotiate rates; some hotels throw in freebies just to woo paying customers.
42. In addition to a hotel room, check out alternative lodging options such as hostels, AirBnB, farm stays, house swaps and tourist apartment rentals. Determine which one will work best for your length of stay.
43. Check if your hotel has been renovated within the last five years. This way you can avoid leaky faucets, threadbare carpets and non-flushing toilets.
44. Be careful of advance booking bargains; the discount may look good, but you may have to pay in full, with no possibility of date change or cancelation.
45. Check your hotel beds for bloodstains and bedbugs before you lay on them.
46. Don’t put your luggage on your bed before checking for bedbugs, as they will get into your luggage.
General Tips For How To Travel With Kids
47. No matter how much you plan, there will be disappointments, tantrums and delays. Adjust your expectations at the beginning to allow for these. It doesn’t have to be perfect to still be fun!
48. Be flexible; normal routines will change for your kids, so don’t try to make them stick to regular schedules.
49. Get friendly with the crew on flights; this can be helpful if you have fussy kids on long flights.
50. It is a good idea to let each child carry a small ‘vacation bag’ filled with games and treats of their choice.
51. Wearing cargo pants or shorts with large, long pockets is a great way to store handy things in while traveling.
I hope these family travel tips help you feel prepared and answer your questions about how to travel with a family. The biggest thing is go ahead and plan a small family trip for the first time. Then you see how much fun it can be! Furthermore, there will be no stopping you as you find that traveling with kids is totally something you can handle and that is worth it! The perfect family vacation is within your reach. Just think of the invaluable memories you’ll make on your next trip! Where will you go for your dream family vacation? Do you have a bucket list started?
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anton says
I like how you organized everything so well and left a lot of tips for each thing! Make sure to compare as much web-sites as possible to make sure to get the best deals for traveling with family.
Sim says
Some seriously handy tips! Have to admit that I much prefer travelling with my daughter now that she is older, not that she was ever difficult when younger, it’s just nice to realise it gets easier! Travelling as a single parent family can seem quite daunting but is easier than first thought, especially when coupled with your tips!
Stacy says
Hello.
Without a doubt, carry out a planning of the trip including the activities that you want to do, makes a much better schedule.
This allows us to go to all the places we want.
The currency exchange thing is very important.
I traveled to Argentina and I had to change the money there and the experience was not very good.
Sometimes I recommend depending on the destination, looking for a lodging that is central and close to all the places where we want to go.
Sometimes to save on stay we spend a lot on the means of transport.
It is important to evaluate all these points.
Thanks for the advice and tips, I will certainly put them into practice on my next trip. I love reading your family travel blogs and seeing what adventures you and your family get up to.
Ali says
Very useful family travel tips. The best thing in the world is family. If you go, travel and enjoy with the family, that is the world’s best thing.
Thank you