https://uk.trip.com/blog/travelling-family-children-2023/

Tips and Tricks for Travelling with Children in 2023

Trip_blog
Trip_blog
Jun 5, 2023

Catalogue

  • 1. Tips for Travelling with Kids: Keep Your Schedule (Kind of) Loose
  • 2. Tips for Travelling with Kids: Check Your Pre-Booked Hotels
  • 3. Tips for Travelling with Kids: Pick Kid-Friendly Destinations
  • 4. Tips for Travelling with Kids: Go Over the Travel Details with Them
  • 5. Tips for Travelling with Kids: Don't Overdo It on Packing
  • Show More

Scene: The kids are on school holiday, and you've booked time off work so you can spend some quality time with them. But there's only so much you can do in your house, much less in your city - so surprise, surprise - we at Trip.com are recommending that you take them on holiday. Isn't it time to spoil everyone with an adventure anyway?


You don't necessarily need to splash out to go on a trip either. Even a budget holiday to a neighbouring city can be the perfect opportunity to learn new things and make extraordinary memories.


However, as you may already be aware, travelling with children can be… difficult at times. To keep the meltdowns at bay, here are some tips you can use on your family holidays.


Family of 4 on the beach

Family of 4 on the beach (source)



Trying to go on holiday with a full household means that wrangling children will never be easy. So if you're used to travelling solo or as a couple, you're in for some major adjustments.


Never expect to make it to places on time or as planned. One child's bound to lose a shoe, and another might suddenly become tired or cranky. You might even misplace the diaper bag that's always on the counter, adding another 10 minutes to your travel delay.


Then there's the airport security or public transportation to deal with. There may be traffic jams and you might be unlucky and get an unfairly strict and thorough person checking your belongings.


To combat these things, try to leave early with plenty of time to get through security and transfer buses, trains, etc. Make sure you're all prepped in terms of how to get to and from your airport and hotel. That way, you can take things slow and easy too. If you want to hire a car or book your transfer, you should use Trip.com for that too...


You should also manage your expectations while on holiday. We know you want to make the most of it and have packed every day full of fun activities.


However, the excitement may wear out your little ones prematurely. And you might find yourself needing a breather too. So if you have a loose schedule and keep a flexible mindset, then you won't be as upset when you don't check off every activity.

A young family in front of a hotel

A young family in front of a hotel (source)


As a solo traveller, you can book your hotel with impunity - in many cases, you can even show up in a city and find a hotel room without issue in most cases. Of course, this lets you be more spontaneous, but when you're travelling with children, this won't work as well.


For one, you've got several people in tow instead of just 1, so you could possibly need more than 1 room. Plus, you'll want them next to each other so the family stays close together.


Also, your kids will be exhausted after travelling all day, and they'll want to collapse onto a bed immediately. While pre-booking your accommodation with the Trip.com app, make sure to use the handy "sort by distance" feature. This will help you pick hotels that are close to your activities, so if anyone gets tired, you can head straight back without issue. Also, ensure that the facilities suit your family needs.


Our all-in-one travel app also allows you to book your flight, train, car hire, and event tickets, so you can do it all in one convenient place.


The Disney castle in daytime

The Disney castle in daytime (source)


It goes without saying - pick family-friendly destinations, especially if you have small kids. For example, you can go to Paris and enjoy the fine cuisine and sights the city has to offer, while also setting aside a day or two to take the family to Disneyland Paris, where people of all ages can appreciate the rides and attractions.


Another fantastic destination is San Diego, California. By day, you can take the kids to the San Diego Zoo, where they can stare agog at plenty of exotic creatures. By night, you and your spouse can kick back and relax with craft cocktails in the Gaslamp District.


It's best to research places that have activities your children are interested in. Then, from there, you can add things to the itinerary for the adults while the kids have some downtime. Be sure to check out the wide variety of family friendly options on Trip.com!



Kids can be nervous of the unknown - older ones especially may feel uncomfortable if they don't know enough about their upcoming trip. Of course, if your little ones absolutely adore surprises, then feel free to keep your lips zipped about your holiday.


Otherwise, it can be helpful to be clear where you're going, for how long, and what things you're doing. If your children are on the older side, you can go into more detail, but if they're younger, keeping things on a broader level is better.


An even greater idea is to involve them in trip planning. Not only will this drum up excitement and make your kids more actively engaged with the holiday, but they'll remember more of the details too. This ensures that they'll be comfortable with your plans.


1mj1t12000bcu27vzB967.png

An open pink suitcase with clothes, shoes, and sunglasses (source)


We know that it's tempting to bring everything you can in case of emergencies. Obviously, you'll need the basics - clothes, shoes, IDs, first aid kits, emergency snacks, etc.


But try not to think of every scenario that can go wrong, as you'll keep stuffing your suitcase fuller and fuller, until you need another one. Before you know it, you'll be wheeling 5 suitcases -not fun when you've got kids in tow.


If you're thinking that packing everything will help your household adhere to normal home routines, then think again. Travel inherently interrupts normalcy, so you should accept that routines will be broken.


So do yourself a favour and pack minimally. This makes travelling lighter and you'll have an arm and hip free to carry a toddler if need be.


If you're missing something at the destination, you can always buy it there. Stick to travel sizes so you can toss the products in the bin and not bring them home with you.





Trip.com is a site that offers a huge range of flights, hotels, attraction and tour tickets, car hire options, train tickets, and more. With our Trip Coins reward system ensures that the more you book, the more you benefit from using us.


The Trip.com app offers exclusive offers and holiday deals. Download our app now to see what all the fuss is about.


Europe’s Best Online Travel Agency 2023
Europe’s Best Online Travel Agency 2023
Contact Center of the year 2022
Contact Center of the year 2022
Google Material Design Awards 2019
Google Material Design Awards 2019
trip.com group
SkyscannerTrip
Trip.com is part of Trip.com Group Limited, one of the world's leading providers of travel services.