Top Five Family Travel Tips
Travelling with children can be a daunting idea – particularly if it is their first time overseas. However, with advanced planning and a few tips you can ensure your trip is a holiday in paradise and not a holiday from hell.
Don’t Stress
Despite the fact that there will be moments when you just want to scream, stressing out will not solve anything. Travelling with your kids is hard work – but even harder work if they are stressed out and anxious too.
Before you head overseas, simply accept that problems will arise and deal with them as they come. Keep your cool in front of your kids and the situation will be much easier to handle.
Keep to your Kids Schedule
We all know it doesn’t take much for your kids to get tired and cranky, which can make your trip more painful than pleasurable. The best way to avoid this is to try to keep to your kids’ schedules as much as you can while you’re away.
If possible, book your flights at a time that doesn’t interfere with their sleep schedule – late night flights might not be a good idea unless it is your only option. Try to keep to their meal and sleep times while overseas as even slight changes can leave them much more difficult to handle!
Pack For Every Possibility
There are certain everyday items that you may not put at the top of your packing list but can make your family holiday much more enjoyable. Always pack painkillers, band-aids and other basic drugs for the children in case of headaches or sickness during the journey; and baby wipes are also a good idea for messy spills.
Other items you may want to bring along include: insect repellant, antihistamine cream, anti-diarrhoea tablets, tweezers and anything specific that you might need for the location you are travelling to.
Keep the Kids Entertained
No parent wants to hear the words: ‘I’m bored’ while on their family holidays, so plan for it in advance by making sure your kids will be entertained throughout your trip.
Always pack a few of their favourite toys and books to keep them entertained on long flights or car journeys and you may want to buy a few new toys to bring out in case they tire of their old ones. If your children are old enough, travel board games and a pack of cards are the perfect way to keep both you and them entertained.
Set The Rules
Keeping your children well behaved at home can be a challenge enough – so how do you keep them under control while on your family holidays? Always set the rules before you leave.
Let your children know what consequences there are for bad behaviour. For example, if they are really looking forward to a trip to Seaworld, tell them they can only go if they are on their best behaviour for the rest of the trip.
Safety is also very important when overseas – you are in an unfamiliar place with added dangers to both you and your kids. You need to make it very clear to them what dangers they face by going exploring on their own and that they need to stay with you at all times.
Article by Richard Greenwood from Flight Centre. Richard has a love for travel which has taken him across much of Europe, USA, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Flight Centre is a leading travel agent in a range of countries including Australia, UK, Canada and offers cheap flights across the world including London flights with a lowest airfare guarantee.
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