Oh, and if I had a time machine, I could tell my past self about the challenges and triumphs I faced along the way as a traveling parent. I warn against bringing a huge suitcase or his Play-Doh on the plane. Remember how many new friends you have made on playgrounds around the world. And remember, there are worse things in life than a crying baby. Thankfully, we’ve learned from our mistakes and provided family travel tips and tricks here, as well as plenty of encouragement for those traveling with young travelers. This list is by no means complete or exhaustive. Every child is different. It is also heartening to see the progress being made to make travel more accessible for families traveling with children with disabilities. I hope that in the end it will be a little easier and more fun for everyone.
Here are 11 must-have family travel tips from some of the most experienced travel parents in the AFAR community.
Be flexible and accept the unexpected
It is known that children thrive on routine work. That’s why so many families create bedtime rituals and daily schedules to help their children adhere to good eating, sleeping, and behavioral habits (at least in theory). But when you’re on the go, it’s much more difficult, if not impossible, to stick to a schedule, and that’s okay. Remember, this is a vacation for you and your child, and the rules are meant to be expanded, if not broken. It’s a well-known adage that screen time rules don’t apply when you’re on the go. Pizza and chicken fingers are her two main food groups. Naps and meals may occur at irregular times. Staying up late and sleeping in overnight are all part of “embracing jet lag.” Speaking of which. . .
It’s easy to get jet lag while traveling, but you can “cure the jet lag” when you return home.
Many travelers make it a priority to stick to local time and overcome jet lag by soaking up the sun, walking briskly, and avoiding naps. Instead, we prefer to see where jet lag takes us. Time zone changes are most beneficial when flying east from the United States to Europe. This 6-7 hour difference is the sweet spot. Take an overnight flight and arrive early in the morning local time. Request early check-in a few weeks in advance. Once they allow it, settle in there (shower, unpack, let the kids claim their space, maybe even take a nap!). Even if you can’t get out and explore until the early afternoon, the little ones will probably be up for the rare outside dinner. When everyone goes to bed a little later and wakes up a little later, it starts to feel downright indulgent.
As you can imagine, the return to normalcy will be even more difficult. If your schedule allows, consider changing time zones by at least one day per hour to completely overcome jet lag. “Ha!” you might say. “I have less than a week to make up for my week’s vacation!” That’s pretty good. Be careful not to get too involved in activities during his first week. You may have trouble falling asleep. If you travel half way around the world (14-16 hour time difference), expect everyone to be little nocturnal creatures for at least five days after you return.
Focus on what you need and don’t overload
Tony Dong has been a flight attendant for Delta Airlines since 2011 and is also the father of a preschooler (in short, he gets it). In our AFAR story “Flight Attendant Tips for Flying with Kids,” he unpacks lots of wisdom, including: Please change course. ” If you forget something, you have to go to the local grocery store. That’s part of the fun of exploring new areas. As they say, “live like a local.” Diapers are diapers everywhere you go. The novelty of finding new gadgets, gizmos, snacks and treats may please kids more than what they have on standby at home.
But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to bring anything. Dong says parents should “definitely bring toys,” whether it’s an iPad (and headphones) or a device with their child’s favorite shows on it. Chapter books and favorite picture books that you can read over and over again. Polaroids and diaries for older children. And things that remind you of home, like familiar blankets, small pillows, and stuffed animals.
Develop independence by giving children their own backpacks and suitcases
Once your kids are old enough, give them their own little backpack or suitcase to load up and carry around. Trust me, they will be so excited and proud. There will probably be very little resistance. Another incredibly fun option is a ride-on suitcase like JetKids by Stokke. This not only saves parents from having to carry their kids’ luggage, but it also saves parents from having to carry their kids, so it’s a win-win. If you’re late for your flight, your kids can get around much faster in a ride-on suitcase than they can on their own two legs. It’s like having a scooter at the airport (but be careful not to run into some unfriendly passenger at the airport). And it’s a good idea to invest in this genius family travel gear early, so you get even more benefits.
Exception to overpackaging: emergency snacks
OK, this goes against the “don’t pack” philosophy a bit, but it might help picky eaters. On a recent multigenerational trip to Poland and Romania, Michelle packed her suitcase with her 4-year-old daughter’s staples: Cheerios, Hawaiian rolls, and even shelf-stable milk. “I never thought I’d be this kind of parent,” she admits. “I was always like, ‘I’m going to find something to eat.’ [and you’ll] “I love you,” but you know what? I just need some peace of mind. [my picky eater] I was able to survive for two weeks and keep the seizures under control. It was perfect. We brought another suitcase with lots of snacks, ate them all up, and took a bag of souvenirs with us on the way home. ”
Michelle’s daughter eventually found snacks abroad to satisfy her cravings. It turns out Eastern Europe has Philadelphia cream cheese, and you can eat it with pretzels for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days on end. Did anyone know?
Book your trip at least 3 months in advance
We all procrastinate or wait for last-minute deals. However, the longer you wait, the narrower your options become. When is the best time to book a flight? Brett Snyder, founder and author of the airline industry blog crankyflier.com, says in his article on keeping families together on planes, “Typically, 3 There are often still good options for seat reservations even months in advance.” The same applies to accommodation. The earlier you book, the more options you’ll have, including adjoining rooms in a hotel or his Airbnb with the amenities you need (like the all-important pool).
Avoid basic economy
Basic economy fares on major airlines may be cheap, but they come at a cost: the right to choose your seat when booking. “The easiest way to solve the problem is to pay a premium,” says Rainer Jens, president of the Family Travel Association, an industry group focused on family travel. “If you can afford to spend a little extra, you’re more likely to be able to seat your family together.”
Reserve window and aisle seats
Think of it as a game of Monopoly where you scoop up desirable real estate to use later in negotiations. If you can’t book multiple seats together, book as many aisles and windows as possible to make it easier for other passengers to board, says Kristin Maxwell of family travel blog Kids Are A Trip. “If you have a proper seat, it’s always easier to replace,” she said. “Even the most sympathetic traveler wouldn’t want to trade you for a middle seat.”
When in doubt, take a road trip
In some cases, getting on a plane may not be an option. Probably because it’s prohibitively expensive. Or, in the case of AFAR Deputy Editor Tim Chester, because there are more children than adults, making parenting on a plane extremely difficult. “If anything, I prefer cars,” he said on his recent podcast, “AFAR Travel Tales,” about his family travels. “We can load everything they love into the car and not bother anyone else. And if they have to stop, they can stop and go at their own pace. I don’t feel as trapped as I do on a plane.”
Looking for road trip inspiration? Take the kids to one of our favorite national parks. Also check out 21 of the Best Road Trips in the United States.
Don’t dismiss “kid-friendly” accommodations
Believe please. When children are happy, parents are happy too. We recently compiled a list of hotels and resorts around the world with the most amazing kids’ clubs that will give the whole family a little break. Many hotels also welcome kids with amenities and experiences for kids of all ages, from the Pendry Hotel’s all-day kid-friendly dining menu to the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai’s guided tide pool explorations.
It’s never too early to start traveling with kids
“When my son Luke was three years old, my wife and I planned to take him on a trip to Japan,” AFAR’s former editor-in-chief Jeremy Sohm wrote in 2019. Why should he spend a lot of money crossing the ocean when he’s just as happy to throw a rock in your backyard? Besides, he’s still young, so he probably won’t remember anything. And he will ruin your trip. ”
More than a decade later, Jeremy admitted he was right. “But I’m still glad I did it,” he added. “And we haven’t stopped taking him in his place. . . . The old life as a traveler is over, but a new one begins.
“For me and my wife, my memories of Japan don’t include secret sake bars. Instead, I remember following garbage trucks down the street. It was blue! And it was so small! We… I remember the doorman slipping an origami frog into my son’s little hand, and we remember that same little hand ringing a bell at a temple in Kyoto. I remember finding a playground on the roof of a department store and feeding my kids peanut butter sandwiches from 7-Eleven.
“That’s why you fly across the ocean. Life is short and the world is full of wonders. None of us can experience them all. But if you keep your eyes open, you can see all around you. It’s different for kids, especially the little ones. They don’t care what you “should” do at the destination. Everything in the world is new to them, and they decide what’s cool. ”
For more family travel inspiration:
