Without a doubt, traveling with children is an unforgettable experience: spending quality time with your children, getting to know new realities and cultures, is an inexhaustible source of enrichment from all points of view, both for parents and for most people. But no one said it was easy, quite the opposite.
Before going on a family trip it is necessary, in fact, to organize you to the smallest detail, think of everything you might need: the bottle, favorite games, a kit first aid with medicines just in case, the insurance travel, and above all, you will have to try not to leave anything to chance.
But what are the most useful tips and the most valuable recommendations to better deal with children and travel? We asked the leading experts in the field: blogger mothers, on the other hand, who better than them knows how to best enjoy their holidays with children, trying to avoid problems and mishaps of various kinds?
Children and travel: what are the most useful tips and tricks for traveling with children? Also, get the best Flight booking rates online now.
Peekaboo Travel Baby
The secret of my success to travel peacefully with the family? Here it is … or rather here they are! Never without.
Paper books because they are able to make my son travel with the imagination making the stops less hard and entertain my daughter but also never without a tablet because there are games that make you interact and even learn!
Never without salty snacks because they help us fight nausea (always hidden around the corner with my son!) but also never without a providential candy that in some cases can work magic!
Never without … baby carrier because you will always have that walk so the stroller is off limits! And finally never without… dinosaur for my son and never without a pacifier for my daughter.
Not just tourists
For long-haul air travel with children of approximately one year and weighing no more than 10 kg, ask the airline for a cradle for the flight so that both you and the baby are comfortable during the journey.
Bring snacks that you usually give your child, always useful in case there are sudden tantrums to calm him down. For night flights I also recommend melatonin drops for children, which can be purchased at the pharmacy: 2-3 drops immediately after take-off will allow the child to relax and fall asleep more easily. However, ask the pharmacy for more information.
Wednesday all week
Every parent knows their child well so there is no fixed rule for traveling with them, but a few small tricks can make the trip more enjoyable. As for the suitcase, try not to overdo it, if something is missing you can buy it and if everything gets dirty you can wash it on the spot; a nice list with the essentials, however, can make you feel more relaxed in preparation for departure.
If your trip involves a flight, make sure you always carry full gear with you, something to nibble on if your child is already weaned and something to keep them entertained. If you can, prefer long-haul flights at night, so the time zone will be less hard to digest.
To make your life easier, book accommodation in advance and make sure they have a kitchenette where you can heat milk or whip up a meal if you don’t want to go out.
Last but not least: if you are a great traveler, don’t stop when your child is born! Cultivate your passion and pass it on to the little ones who are sponges and, if they are used to traveling from an early age, they will be better citizens!
Mom Far and Away
Traveling with three children I have learned to be very organized for all eventualities: in the backpack, there is never a shortage of a snack and water for everyone, wet wipes, plastic bags and a small medical kit in case of emergencies.
To stimulate and intrigue them we share guides, maps and we all have a travel diary where we can write, color or paste tickets of the places visited or postcards. It takes organization, patience and empathy to travel with them, adapting to their pace and respecting their small needs.
Cri Viaggio
Since I was a mother, traveling has taken on another meaning for me. I slowly savor a place, whereas before the motto was: “let’s look at everything possible in the shortest time”. My son taught me to slow down and enjoy the journey in the little things.
The advice I can give you to travel peacefully with a child is to sometimes indulge him in his choices, to stop when he is tired, to read him a book when the hours in the car get heavy, to walk in the plane counting the people who are sleeping, smiling at the onboard attendants while asking for chocolate, hiding in the streets of a small village or behind the trees of a park to play cops and robbers.
Here let the children experience the journey even as a game, sometimes we forget that after all they are still small … then everything else comes by itself, even the desire to spend hours in a contemporary art museum!
Suitcase and Stroller
For me, organization in detail is the watchword when I plan a trip with my baby. Without ever neglecting the ability to deal with any unforeseen events, I believe that being on the safe side of planning the trip is really important.
When visiting places like big cities it is important to organize the tour based on the presence of playgrounds or museums for children, to break up the day and make sure that even the little ones have fun exploring the city suitable for children. The last important thing is to leave light and with comfortable shoes.
Don’t call me a tourist
Traveling with children you need to have a thousand precautions – this is true – but the greatest responsibility of all is to remember that the world that our children will know will be the one that we parents will show them.
Traveling is dreaming
For the first few months, prefer the car or the train. The first allows you to make more necessary or strategic stops, the second to get up and walk to calm or distract him.
If you choose the plane remember to help him in the compensation by attaching him to the breast or giving him the pacifier during take-off and landing, during the flight rely on the good old baby carrier: faithful ally of every mother on the move!
For older children, bring whatever toys help them pass the time, the little ones will be cuddled by mum and dad.
For travel abroad, never leave without having previously taken out medical insurance (I would also add the refund in case of missed departure due to force majeure … with small children the unexpected at the last moment is always behind the angle!).
Bring the essentials in your hand luggage and always check on the airline’s website what you are allowed to bring on board at no additional cost … you will be surprised at how many comforts you will be granted with a baby in tow!
In the hold baggage, indulge yourself and really put everything you are sure you will need! Do not assume that where you are going you will find a given medicine or a specific milk powder. if it enters, pack the essentials for the child and leave the superfluous at home for you.
For very young children and in the weaning phase, the apartment is preferable to a hotel room, the kitchen will give you greater autonomy for the preparation of baby food or milk.
Always make sure you find a comfortable camping bed when you arrive. As long as the children are small and stay in the pram/stroller. You will have no difficulty moving around and you can spend many hours outside.
Finally, always remember to leave bringing with you a large dose of good humor and a trolley full of curiosity, cuddles and smiles because happy parents raise happy children!
