The summer holidays are fast approaching and, whilst we are all probably starving for a little bit of Vitamin Sea, many might feel a slight bit of anxiety prior to travelling when accompanied by minors. Because in many cases, children don’t make travelling that relaxing, do they?
Whilst, in particular, long-haul flights are a daunting prospect with children, the important thing to remember is that you will get there in the end. You will survive and then you will have a week or a fortnight (or longer if you’re really lucky!) of being away from the daily grind. In the meantime, however, here are our top five tips for travelling with kids.
1. Expect delays
And we’re not talking about the trains, planes or bus types. Just expect the pace to be a lot slower when you’re travelling with children. Frequent toilet breaks, breakdowns, snack breaks will pepper your route through the airport. ‘Fast track boarding’ all becomes rather theoretical.
2. Be realistic
Don’t plan to do too much. Even if your children are too old for naptime to be a prominent feature in the day, remember that children are always less enthusiastic about going around ruins and art galleries that you will be. This isn’t to say that planning cultural visits is never a good idea but don’t go too heavy on the educational side of the trip. You may just end up being disappointed.
3. Pack snacks
Muuuum… I’m staaaaarving. Pack an array of savoury and sweet snacks to satisfy the hunger and avoid the hanger. One of our Munchtaster mums recently told us that she took a couple of boxes of Munchachos abroad and tasked her children with a game of ‘Guess the country’ whilst on board a flight. Practical AND entertaining! We approve!
4. Be app-y happy
There are numerous child-friendly apps available which means that there’s no need to bring an array of games and toys in your hand luggage. Have you downloaded our app yet? You can play the Munchachos app while the phone is on Airplane Mode – learn about the world you’re flying over through gaming.
5. Plan ahead
Forget about the days that you arrived in a sleepy French village and found a nearby, quaint B&B. Book everything in advance so as to avoid the possibility of hanging around with fed-up, travel-weary children. Perhaps don’t overdo the plans though – you want to keep the children entertained but you don’t want to be too regimented. Relax and enjoy yourselves.
We hope you have a wonderful time planning your holidays – we look forward to hearing all about them!
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