Expert Family Travel Tips – Traveling with Kids

Traveling with Kids

Expert Family Travel Tips – Traveling with Kids

Do you want to travel with your kids but don’t know how to begin? Let Sharing the Wander guide you with their top family travel tips from their year of full-time travels. Having experienced the ups and downs of traveling as a family, they have valuable insights into how to adapt to the new normal.

Are you excited to embark on a family adventure?

1-Stay Safe

Safety is our top priority when traveling with our children, and it’s a topic we’re frequently asked about. Fortunately, using common sense can go a long way in most places. Before embarking on a family trip, we always research destinations and neighborhoods to ensure we’re staying in safe areas. We also have a plan in case we get separated – our kids know to stay put and seek out a safe adult for help if needed.

To further ensure their safety, we recommend that everyone in the family wear ID bracelets personalized with important information such as the child’s name, phone numbers for mom and dad, any allergies, and blood type. This way, whether it’s a separation or an accident, our kids have identification on them and know how to contact both parents.

It’s important to remember that most kids don’t have their parent’s cell phone numbers memorized!

Traveling with Kids

2-Set Expectations With Kids

Through our family travels, we have discovered that it is crucial to inform children about what lies ahead and what they can anticipate.

By providing a clear outline of the upcoming days or weeks, our kids are better equipped to handle any unforeseen challenges that may arise.

3-Everything Takes Longer When Traveling With Kids

With kids, every task seems to take longer. Even a quick bathroom break can turn into a 20-minute ordeal.

Going through airport security or checking in for a flight with four people requires more time than when it was just two of us. It’s important to plan and allow extra time, especially when traveling by air.

Little legs can make the distance between security, the gate, restrooms, and food seem much longer than it is. Despite our best efforts to leave early, we often find ourselves rushing to grab a bite before boarding our flight.

4-Get Assigned Airplane Seats

It is recommended to pre-book your seats when booking air travel, as many US airlines do not guarantee seating families together in the lowest fare class. Switching seats last minute or asking other passengers to switch can be stressful, so it’s best to ensure you have seats together before arriving at the airport.

When selecting seats, consider what arrangement works best for your family. For example, as a family of four, booking two sets of seats in front of another two seats allows for both kids to have window seats and adults to have middle seats. This makes passing items back and forth easier and allows for conversation without disturbing other passengers.

On buses with rows two seats wide, sitting two on each side of the aisle is preferred. This allows for better visibility of children and the ability to assist them if needed while still allowing them to play together.