Travel is what I like to do. I like to explore different countries and cultures. Every trip is adventure, and I always take away a thing or 2 from the experience. I found it a lot easier to just book a trip and go away on holiday before having my kids. But now that I am a mother, I find it a bit tricky to go on holiday. But we still travel as much as we can. The kiddies have been to Düsseldorf, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Oman, and Ireland. We have 2 trips booked for next month, and we are really looking forward to that.

As a parent, traveling with your kids can be a bit of a hassle. But I have been able to develop a system that has helped make bringing my kids along fruitful and enjoyable for all of us.

Here are some travel tips for travelling with kids you may find handy.

Plan ahead of time

What made travelling with my kids easier was how I was able to plan everything ahead of time right to the minutest detail. I make sure that the bags are packed at least a day before we’re set to travel and the hotel is booked. I also ensure that our airport taxi is booked. There is nothing more annoying than having to get the right transport from the airport to the hotel, with tired kids. So to avoid tantrums and meltdowns, I make sure our airport transport to the hotel is booked in advance. Blacklane is a great website for airport transfer services. They offer complimentary wait time, all-inclusive rates, professional drivers and free cancellation.

Have a travel check list

Having a travel check list helps because that way, it is almost impossible to forget anything. With the kids on board you need to prepare yourself for every eventuality. Of course, it differs from child to child depending on their ages and special needs, if they have any.

To guide me through my planning I write out checklists of things I need to pack, details I need to double-check and places we should go. It’s extremely satisfying to tick those items off the list when you’re done.

Have a talk with your child

Anytime I take my kids on a trip, I make sure I give them a little pep talk. I don’t believe you should whisk your kids off to a different country without getting them involved in the whole travel experience from the beginning. Especially when they are old enough to kind of understand what is going on.

I tell my kids where we’re traveling, how long we’re staying and how we’ll get to our destination. This keeps them curious as well as excited to participate in making the trip a success. I also try to encourage them to behave themselves.

Minimise hassles for the kids

Although this article was meant to help minimise hassles at your end, the truth is that you can only achieve this when you minimize the hassles for the kids.

Eliminate the need to stand in queues at the airport by booking online and having your boarding passes printed out beforehand. Kids get restless easily so in order to prevent a scene, you have to try to eliminate the need to wait as much as possible.

Carry a little bag with the kids’ favourite toys, gadgets and books to keep them distracted and have yummy snacks ready in case they get hungry.

Have all the safety measures in place

As much as you want you kids to have fun on their travel, you need to ensure they are all safe. Have tags made with your phone numbers on them just in case of emergencies. Get the number of the person who will take care of your child when you are away and remember to teach your child what they need to do in times of an emergency as well.

How do you travel with your children? Do you have any great tip that works for you?

*Collaborative post.