We’ve taken Lamb on holiday abroad twice and in all honesty both trips went really well. We now have 2 kids and travelling may become a little difficult.
So what can I do to reduce stress?
Use Travel friendly Products
Not everyone has the budget to buy quirky products but there are some products out there that would really help when travelling with babies or children.
The Doona for example. What a clever idea! Whether you’re off on a plane or travelling cross country on a train, this fab infant carrier/pram means you can travel with your baby safely and not have to lug a pram around!
A car seat that turns into a pram. Genius.
Be Organised
Organisation isn’t a strength of mine, but when it comes to travelling it’s pretty important that I stay organised. I usually keep everything in one folder and print out all booking forms and confirmations even if it’s not required. My tip is to double check all dates and times of bookings/flights etc and log them into your calendar on your phone. That way if you can’t access/find your paperwork you can check your phone. If you’re travelling abroad make sure you check the expiry dates on your passports and that they all have 6 months left.
Have A Treat Bag
We all know how quickly kids can get bored so my tip is to have a little rucksack or bag packed with lots of goodies that you can distribute throughout your journey. Snacks/sweets, stickers and crayons. Oh and don’t forget surprise eggs. Come up with a way of letting them earn something out of the treat bag. Maybe they have to be quiet for an hour (yeah right), or eat all of their lunch. Or maybe they can choose something every half an hour.
Pay Extra For Sensible Flights
Ok, you’ve got a 3 year old and 8 week old, do you really want to get up at 3 am for a 7 am flight? Do you? No. So book an afternoon flight, give yourself the morning to pack up the car and make your way to the airport. Give yourself time for stops along the way – “I need a wee/snack/iPad/teddy”. You know what toddlers are like.
The sensible times usually cost more, but I know I’d prefer a pricey flight to stressful departure.
Stay Overnight At The Airport
If you don’t live near to the airport you are flying from, why not book a hotel for the night before? It reduces the stress of the journey and adds another little part to your holiday!
Hire A Car
Waiting for taxis with kids? Probably not the easiest of things to do. Now we have 2 children I think hiring a car would be sensible. I can organise car seats for the kids and know we will be travelling safely. Book a car with a reputable company before the holiday, perhaps ask the holiday organisers who they normally recommend. To save some pennies why not use a comparison site like Holiday Autos to see who’s offering the best price for what you need. When you collect your car make sure you get the car you paid for (I’m sure I read somewhere about a couple who were given a more expensive car and were made to pay a lot more when they returned it) and the agreement is correct.
Those are a few of my tips for reducing stress when travelling with kids.
What would your tips be?
~A~
*In collaboration with Holiday Autos
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