Family Holidays

Taking your kids on a family holiday can leave you wondering about many things such as how to keep children occupied and the type of hotel to book. Some of the simple tips below should answer some of the questions that you have and allow you to leave for your holiday knowing that you are as prepared as you can be.

Choose your holiday carefully.

When booking your holiday try to think about a holiday that is going to be entertaining for both yourself and your children. Toddlers are not going to enjoy rock climbing nor would it be safe and older children probably won’t be interested in spending hours in a hotels soft play area.

Be realistic about your holiday.

Don’t make too many rules about places you must go and see. Remember that every child is unique and you should take your journey as it comes, do not book too many activities in advance or you may end up having to cancel and lose money.

Prepare your trip to the best of your abilities.

Planning well in advance will allow you to feel confident that nothing has been forgotten. Schedule any required vaccinations and ensure that all documentation is valid and up to date.

Each person travelling will require a visa in their passport if the destination requires one so
check this before travelling and leave plenty of time to arrange documents. Ensure that you have travel insurance that covers any activities that you may take part in on your holiday. If you are travelling in a country which suffers from mosquito plagues then ensure that you take the correct medication.

Ask as many questions as you can think of.

Try and make a list of questions that you may want to ask your Travel Agent or Check-In Agent at the airport and ensure that you ask anything that you can think of before you travel. Ask questions about children’s activities, accommodation, sleeping arrangements, baby
sitting services and anything else that you can possibly think of when travelling with young children.

Pack lots of entertainment.

Always ensure that you check airport restrictions on what you can and can’t take with you before travelling. Pack cuddly toys, books and blankets for the younger children & electronic games and board games for the older children. Remember to pack food, drink & spare clothing also just in case of accidents.

Look at ways to cut down on your luggage.

Thinking about ways that you can reduce the amount of luggage that you have to take can be a fantastic time and energy saver. By leaving buggies, pushchairs and travel cots at home you can save lots of money on excess luggage allowance and you may be able to hire these items at the hotel or accommodation you are staying at. Carrying your child in a baby carrier can be a fantastic way to increase bonding while ensuring that you child is kept close (literally!) and safe while on holiday!

Have some alone time.

If possible consider travelling with friends & family or even just using a local baby sitting service at your resort location. This will allow you to have some nice relaxing time with your spouse or even just your friends without your children in tow vying for your attention.

Check passport requirements before you travel.

Always ensure that you have valid passports with a minimum of six months left on them before travelling to any location. If you are applying for passports for your children then consider taking them to a high street outlet that provides passport photographs rather than
using a booth as you may need numerous attempts and this can prove to be quite costly. Search the passport office website if you are looking for further information on the requirements for a passport.

You know your child better than anyone else.

Always remember that! You know your child’s routine and you can use this to try and plan your days and your travel accordingly. If you child is averse to particularly methods of travel then try & remember this. Use some of their belongings that you have packed to make them
feel at home in a strange surround.

Have a contingency plan.

Sometimes, particularly when away from home, children can get lost. Always discuss with your whole travel party what the plans are if someone cannot be located. Safety in numbers is always good on holiday and ensure that children are never left unattended.

DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post.