Travelling with kids, in my mind, is one of the best experiences in the world! Sure, travelling with your significant other is nice, but I often feel that if I am travelling without the kids, that they’re missing out on something. Whilst traveling I frequently lament the fact that they are not with me, and I can be often heard saying ‘oh, he/she would have loved this!’.
Here are our top tips to achieving a smooth and stress-free family vacation with kids. (Once again, in no particular order).
1 Pay attention to their needs – discuss their ideas and interests during the planning stages.
2 Find the right balance between rest and activities – we feel that one activity a day, or maybe one every other day (with some intermittent leisure days) makes for a nice mix of culture and relaxation.
3 Slow down – things with kids will take longer than just the two of you, or you on your own. But you already know this, right?
4 Be flexible – build in contingencies and don’t get upset when things don’t go according to plan.
5 Pack smart – pack the bare minimum. Make sure if something gets dirty that you only have to change one article of clothing.
6 Choose a child friendly location – close to local attractions, kid friendly restaurants, parks and beaches.
7 Choose a child friendly hotel – one that is focused on the kids or families. This type of hotel makes them (and you) comfortable, and this leads us to…
8 Think about an apartment rental – if you need more space, and would like some home comforts, like a small kitchen, fridge or washing machine – this is the way forward, believe me!
9 Allocate them some kid time – with other kids, this is important for them.
10 And some ‘you time’ – for peace of mind. Its your vacation too, so please arrange a date night and arrange a babysitter at your hotel.
11 Bring snacks everywhere – hungry kids are cranky kids.
12 Bring your own stroller and car seat – it gives them somewhere to relax, or sleep, when tired. It’s something that they know rather than renting something they are not familiar with.
13 Build a nap into your day – nap time is not just for kids! Adopt the Spanish ‘siesta’ or Italian ‘pisellino’ as part of your day. (You’ll thank me for this later!)
14 Travel with an open mind – what other cultures might do may shock you, but that might be how it’s done in their country. Get your kids opinions on this different perspective. Educate them.
15 Plan for the unexpected – things can and will go wrong. Go with the flow.
I know I said 15 but here is an added bonus that is important…
15.1 Put yourself in your kids shoes – remember what you were like as a kid.
Travel advisor’s main aim is to eradicate or remove as much of the stress from your vacation as possible. When planning your trip, we generally live the experience out before you do. So listening to the hundred, if not thousands, of feedback calls we get from our clients we know that following many of the tips above make for happy kids, which equate to happy parents, which makes for a great vacation.
If you have any tips that we missed please drop them in the comments below. O if you feel you need some assistance then drop us a line.
