The 7 Secrets to making Travel with Kids Easier
without any added STRESS!
You CAN Do This. And I’m Here to Help
Having kids is reason to travel, never a reason to stop
– unknown
Who Am I?
Hi! I’m Erin, the mom behind this travel blog. I’ve travelled to over 20 countries with my kids, spending anywhere from a week’s vacation to a few months of travel at a time.
We’ve taken road trips and international flights, backpacked for 6 weeks through Eastern Europe and travelled full-time for 7 months, Throughout all of these experiences, I’ve learned a few secrets to making travel with kids easier!
And I want to share those secrets with you – so that travelling with kids will be less stressful for you!
My Best 7 Tips
“Okay, now with that out of the way, I’m super excited to share the top 7 secrets I discovered on my OWN path to making travel with kids easier!
Secret #1: Plan ahead
While this might not sound like too much fun, spending a bit of time to research and plan really pays off when you actually travel!
A few days of planning and prepping beforehand makes the trip much more enjoyable.
Spend some time researching your destination, plan accommodations, transportation, attractions and things to do.
Research and read some blogs on kid-friendly things to do in your destination.
A few hours of planning will make the first few days much more enjoyable!
Head to our Resources page for some great planning resources!
Secret #2: Pack smart
The trick to packing smart is not to pack too much, but not too little either!
Regardless of how long we are travelling for, we try to bring 5-7 days worth of clothes, and we can always do laundry along the way!
I’ve also found that packing cubes are a life saver and help me (and the kids) stay organized both before and during our travels.
Download a general packing list for travelling with kids here.
Secret #3: Choose transportation wisely
While you can’t always control flight and train schedules, as a general rule, try to minimize layovers or changes.
If you can, choose flights that coincide with nap times (if your children are still napping), or try to find night time flights to help with sleeping.
If you are driving and doing a road trip, try to plan drive segments around nap times or keep the drives short to allow kids (and adults) to get out and stretch!
If you are planning a road trip, find more road trip tips here
Secret #4: Prebook transfers
Pre book things like airport transfers! Although it’s a bit pricier than finding transport at the airport, it‘s a great idea when travelling with (often tired and cranky) kids.
Arrange transport ahead of time, whether it’s shared transport, private car or taxi and once you won’t have the added stress of finding transportation when leaving the terminal!
Tripadvisor and Booking.com are great ways to prebook airport transfers.
Secret #5: Involve kids in the planning
Kids feel empowered when they have a say in the plans, in this case their travel experience.
Once you have an idea of where you want to go, present your kids with some choices and let them feel like they are having some input in the decision.
If you are researching ahead of time and choosing attractions to visit, involve your kids in the planning!
Let them help find a park or other kid-friendly attraction along the way!
Check out our Destinations section for ideas and activites.
Secret #6: Learn a few words
Learning a few words of local language even simple things like “hello”, “thank you”, and “please” will go a long way and make everyone’s experience much more enjoyable!
Google Translate is also a great app to help with this. Here’s some other great FREE apps for travel.
Google Translate is also a great app to help with this. Here’s some other great FREE apps for travel.
Secret #7: Build in kid-friendly time
When you’re planning out your itinerary, keep in mind that kids will need some time to be kids!
Set aside time each day to balance out the adult-style vacation with some kid-friendly time.
Whether it’s a stop at a local park, time at the hotel pool or even an attraction designed for kids, build some time into your day to let kids be kids!
We love to search out playgrounds while we travel. Check out these great playgrounds in Prague, Vienna and Halifax.
You Can Do This
Now get out there and explore the world with your kids!
