Family Trip Planning Blog | Best Family Trips | TripWiser.com: Tips for Family Traveling with Kids

The 4 Ps

Family trips with kids are probably one of the largest components of the travel industry. There is little surprise here, most families have kids and everyone loves to travel. Family trips are usually something kids and everyone is looking forward to well before the trip. Most parents take care to educate and prepare their kids for the trip, so that the whole family can feel safe and enjoy their time together to the fullest.

Many travel guides and articles are devoted to family trips with kids, and all have one goal in mind: To help you make your next family trip more successful and help your kids have a great time. We find the topic of family trips with kids very pleasant and interesting and would like to share our family trip experiences with you.

Let's start our family trip discussion by saying that traveling with kids as a family is definitely more difficult than going on a trip with adults only. Family trips with kids can be a lot of fun but they can also be exhausting and challenging. The good news is that with a bit of trip planning and preparation you can all have way more fun on your next family trip, particularly if you plan on traveling with very young kids. After a few interesting discussions with TripWiser's members, we have come up with the 4 'P's concept for a good family trip with kids

If there is anything you'd like to add to this page to help others traveling with kids, please write to us: feedback@tripwiser.com

PLAN the trip
PREPARE the kids for the trip
What to PACK for your family trip with kids
PLAY hard and PICK your battles during the trip
Additional tips for traveling with Kids

PLAN the trip

Every successful family trip starts with good planning. Let's face it, it is hard to improvise or learn on the road while already on the trip. As parents, you need to know where you are going to spend the day, what the hotels offer in the way of amenities, how far to drive from the airport, what times your kids can rest and many more details that will help the entire family to enjoy the trip.

Follow these 6 tips on your next family trip and you will no longer find travel as a family difficult. Even seasoned family travelers should remind themselves of the basic rules once in a while:

Choose travel activities that will appeal to the entire family (it varies by age and personal preferences). In our family, the kids are still young and very active, outdoor types who love challenges. Others are really into history and specific themes like Dinosaurs, Animals, Sport, Music, Girls/Boys. Create a good mix for each day and alternate days; for example 2 active days and 1 relaxing day, enjoy a pool in your hotel after a long day, go to a science museum with entire family or even watch a football game. If you are traveling with young kids make sure to plan for sufficient time between activities, plan for naps and small meals.
If traveling with another family, make sure the kids get along. It is better to find out that there are some friction areas in a few play dates beforehand and not when you are already at your hotel in Anchorage. They also don't need to be together all the time, even good friends need some rest.
Get the kids involved in planning your family trip especially if you have teenagers! This way you are mitigating the risk of being surprised while on the road. Kids can have great ideas and their proficiency with the Internet is a real asset. They can save you a lot of research time and will be more committed and prepared for the chosen family trip destinations and activities.
Plan for long flights and drives. Most kids get bored easily and can make the entire drive tiresome for everyone. Get their favorite movie, an MP3 or a GameBoy, a good book and a bag of games. This will make a great difference and keep them happy. Bring your own food or snacks for the flight as you know they hardly provide drinks these days.
Get the right gear, but don't over pack, we usually carry a shoulder bag. Pack a couple of changes of clothes, something for cold or hot weather depending on the trip theme, basic toiletries, and a medicine kit. Kids tend to get sick during trips, so get Motrin, Tylenol or other relevant medication and don't forget your camera to capture those precise moments. When traveling with babies, pack a portable crib, their favorite blanket and a couple of small toys, enough food and diapers for the first few days.
A little bit of planning in advance will save you a lot of hassle and will make your trip more enjoyable for the entire family.

PREPARE the kids for the trip

Both young kids and teenagers have their daily routines and a family trip can be a huge disruption to them. It works really well if the kids are better prepared for the trip plan and itinerary as well as the basic travel rules for the road. How to behave in airplanes and airports, what to do and not to do in case they get lost, how to deal with strangers, daily amount of money they can spend, etc. On long trips, you can create new daily routines, morning hikes, preparing breakfast together, complete some of their schoolwork, write their travel logs, and even have some TV time at night. Getting the kids excited about next day activities will help them enjoy the trip and better cope with unpleasant sides of long family trips (long drives, airports layovers, and early mornings).

What to PACK for your family trip with kids

When you are planning a family trip with kids, it is important to pack smartly. Here is a list of the most essential things we recommend you bring with you when you are planning your next family trips with kids:

If your trip is longer than a week, pack 4 or 5 sets of everyday clothes for everyone. Do not bring too many. Every hotel has a laundry room. Do the laundry yourself and you won't have to pay extra (hotels always charge an arm and a leg for the laundry service). Bring a set of fancier clothes for everyone to go to shows or concerts or simply to a nice restaurant for a family dinner. Select clothes made out of 100% natural fabrics, like cotton or wool. These natural fabrics allow your skin to breathe, do not produce electrostatic charge and thus won't make you and your kids as tired (90% is also good, but you will notice the difference).
Pack plastic soap and toothbrush holders. Buy the ones that close tightly. This way you won't have to deal with messy spillovers. Pack one pair of comfortable shoes or sandals for everyone. Select neutral colors that go well with everything. Black usually goes well with everything, unless you are wearing an all-white ensemble, in which case grey will be your best choice.
If you are traveling by plane, pack a hand bag with a toiletry kit, a set of underwear and cloth for everyone for at least one day, in case your luggage gets lost. If your luggage does not catch up with you, you can still have proper rest at the hotel and the next morning wear a clean set of clothes while you do some emergency shopping.
If you are going on a long trip by car or plane, pack an iPod or a mini DVD player. Bring it with you on the plane. Bring your own snacks on the plane as well.
If you're flying & will be renting a car and you need car seats for the young ones, consider renting a mini-van that already has built in car seats...that way you eliminate the burden of lugging & checking in/out the car seats through the airport system.

And of course, do not forget to get travel insurance for the whole family. However, keep in mind that in many foreign countries, you will be asked to pay the doctor bills in full either by cash or credit card. In many countries, your American travel insurance will not work as a means of direct payment. It will, indeed, reimburse you when you return from your trip and send them your receipts. Needless to say, this is not something your travel insurance agent would tell you when you buy their products. On your next family trip, do the planning right and avoid potential hassles of trying to get your travel insurance agent convince the local hospital authorities accept their services.

PLAY hard during the trip

"Work hard at home, play hard while on the road" with your kids; this is our motto for family trips. During the trip, kids need your full attention and it is hard when your mind is somewhere else, so bury your blackberry, turn off you cell and focus on having fun with your kids. I have learned that playing does not have to be complicated; most family trips provide plenty of opportunities to have fun with your kids.

Pick your battles and have fun

During our family trips we are making sure to enforce only some very basic rules regarding safety, personal hygiene, preserving nature and the like, but overall our kids need to have a break as well, so we are less picky about things, including junk food, unusual wake up and sleep times, things to wear and places to go. When traveling with kids, we pick our battles and let them enjoy the trip their own way.

So who says family trips with kids can't be much fun? With a bit of self-discipline and planning, going on a trip as a whole family will be the most memorable experience for everyone, especially for your kids. During the trip everyone has to stick together, kids get to spend a lot of uninterrupted time with their parents while exploring new things and learning about new things. Family trips will help them respect and appreciate you more. Traveling to new places together with their parents will be something they will remember for the rest of their lives. For you, as a parent, such family trips with your kids will be the most rewarding and gratifying memories.

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