If you're unsure where to begin when it comes to traveling with kids, Sharing the Wander has shared their top family travel tips based on their year of full-time travels. With their valuable insights, they have learned how to navigate the new normal of family travel. Are you prepared to embark on a family adventure?
When we embarked on our family travel adventure in June 2021, selling our house and embracing full-time travel, we had little knowledge of where our journey would lead us or how we would adapt to this new lifestyle. Our initial broad itinerary has undergone numerous changes since we started traveling. With each passing day and as our children grow, we continuously learn how to make travel work harmoniously for our family.
Now, over 9 months into our journey, we have experienced birthdays and holidays on the road, all while refining our travel approach and learning from occasional missteps. Our kids were nearly 4 and 6 years old when we began our adventure. Along the way, we have gathered valuable insights that we believe will benefit other traveling families. Here are our top family travel tips for a seamless experience with kids.
Ensuring the safety of our children is always our top priority when traveling. We often receive inquiries about how to travel safely with kids, and the key is to apply common sense in most situations.
As a family, it is crucial to conduct thorough research on destinations and specific neighborhoods in advance to ensure you are staying in safe areas. It is also important to establish a plan in case of separation, where children are instructed to stay in one place and know how to approach a trusted adult for assistance if needed.
We highly recommend that every family member wears ID bracelets customized to their preferences. These bracelets typically include the child's name, phone numbers for both parents, relevant allergies, and blood type.
By having identification and contact information readily available, whether in the event of separation or a car accident, children can be quickly reunited with their parents or provide crucial details to emergency responders. It's important to remember that most children do not have their parents' cell phone numbers memorized, so these ID bracelets serve as a valuable resource.
A valuable lesson we have learned during our family travels is the importance of providing children with clear expectations and a sense of what lies ahead. By outlining the upcoming days or weeks for our kids, they become better equipped to handle unexpected challenges that may arise.
Additionally, we strive to involve our children in decision-making whenever possible. Whether it's selecting the museum to visit on a particular day or deciding on the type of cuisine for dinner, giving them a voice in these choices fosters their engagement and enthusiasm throughout the journey.
One valuable lesson we've learned from traveling with kids is that everything tends to take longer than expected. Even a quick bathroom stop can easily stretch to twenty minutes. Processes like going through airport security or checking in with documentation for a family of four require additional time compared to when it was just the two of us.
To account for these extended timelines, it's crucial to plan extra time, particularly when it comes to airports. Remember that little legs may need more time to cover distances between security checkpoints, gates, bathroom breaks, and grabbing necessary food. Despite thinking we're leaving with ample time, we often find ourselves rushing to grab a bite before boarding our flight.
When it comes to air travel, it's advisable to pre-book your seats whenever possible. Many US airlines don't guarantee seating families together if you choose the lowest fare class. The stress of switching seats last minute or requesting other passengers to switch can be avoided if you already have assigned seats together before arriving at the airport.
Consider the most suitable seating arrangement for your family. As a family of four, we prefer booking two sets of seats in front of another two seats. This way, both kids have window seats while the adults occupy the middle seats. It allows for easy passing of items and even enables conversation without disturbing fellow passengers.
For bus travel, where the rows are often two seats wide, we opt to sit two on each side of the aisle. Buses typically have high-backed seats, making it difficult to see the kids if they sit together in front of us. By having them next to us across the aisle, we can keep an eye on them and assist when needed while still allowing them to play together.
It's crucial to plan a recovery day after your arrival, especially when dealing with time zone changes. Kids can take up to one full day per hour of time change to adjust. By allowing for a slow day upon arrival, everyone will have time to acclimate, and the kids won't be as cranky when visiting major tourist attractions. Save the more significant events for when everyone is feeling better.
Additionally, we recommend scheduling the most important visits at the beginning of your trip. If there are specific attractions you really want to see in a new place, plan them for days 2 and 3. This way, if someone falls ill or you encounter unexpected closures, you'll have a chance to reschedule. If it's the last day of your trip, it could be more challenging to make alternative arrangements.
In many international hotels, you'll find family rooms that offer multiple beds, making it convenient for families. We often book rooms with a double bed and 2 or 3 twin beds, allowing our kids to have their own sleeping space. While road-tripping across the US, our kids have shared double beds, but we've noticed they sleep better when they have their own beds. Fortunately, it's easier to find accommodations with separate beds in many parts of the world.
For families with older kids, connecting rooms or booking two rooms in smaller hotels can be a suitable option. This situation frequently arises in older cities where buildings are smaller and space is limited.
Additionally, we highly recommend selecting hotels that include breakfast. Starting the day with a well-fed family sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. When possible, we also keep easy snacks like bananas in the room, so the kids have something to eat if they wake up hungry.
Don't forget to pack headphones for your kids! If possible, opt for headphones that have a detachable cord, allowing you to remove it when it's not plugged into a device.
These headphones come in handy not only for watching shows on tablets during long travel days but also for protecting your kids' ears in other noisy situations. They can be used during live music shows, while watching fireworks, or even on loud boats!
We recommend considering headphones like the Beats Wireless Headphones, which offer features such as noise isolation, volume control, and foldability. They provide a great listening experience for your kids while ensuring their comfort and safety.
Part of the excitement of traveling is discovering new treats and flavors. That's why we allow ourselves to indulge in treats more often when we're on the road compared to when we're at home. It could involve exploring local grocery stores to find unique snacks, treating ourselves to ice cream or gelato with flavors we haven't tried before, or even making a game out of sampling new fruits.
While there may be occasions when we come across something we don't particularly enjoy (like ketchup flavored potato chips in Mexico), more often than not, we discover new favorites. For instance, our kids fell in love with the fruit Lucuma in Peru and made it their mission to try everything available in that flavor before we departed. It's all part of the fun and adventure of experiencing different tastes during our travels.
Opt for public transportation whenever possible during your travels. Not only is it more cost-effective than taxis, but it can also be a delightful experience for the kids. They often find joy in taking buses and metros in new cities, as the journey itself becomes as exciting as reaching the destination.
To make it even more memorable, seek out diverse modes of transportation. Look for trolleys, cable cars, metros, buses, and even boats. For example, when we were exploring the Oregon and Santa Fe trails, we were thrilled to ride in a vintage stagecoach and an authentic covered wagon. The variety of transportation options adds an extra element of adventure and enjoyment to our family travel experiences.
Incorporate exercise and playtime into your itinerary. It's important for kids to release their energy and engage in physical activities. After visiting a museum or engaging in quiet activities, make an effort to find playgrounds where they can run, jump, and play freely.
Physical exercise not only helps them burn off energy but also aids in processing the new information they've absorbed during their travels.
During our road trips across the US, we make it a point to locate playgrounds with picnic benches for lunch breaks. This allows adults to relax outside while the kids have the opportunity to play before getting back in the car.
Playgrounds are also fantastic places for kids to interact and make new friends, even if it's just for a short while. For older kids, consider scheduling activities such as ropes courses or zip lines to provide them with a similar physical challenge.
Additionally, it's crucial to allow for downtime. Some kids may prefer quiet reading time, while others enjoy inventing games using items they've collected along the way, such as toys, seeds, or feathers. Catering to their individual needs for relaxation and imaginative play will contribute to a well-rounded travel experience.
While traveling as a family, we have discovered some unconventional items that have proven to be incredibly useful. These are a few of our favorite peculiar essentials that you may not find on standard packing lists:
Here are some of our favorite miscellaneous supplies that we find incredibly useful when traveling with kids:
Plastic knife: This deli knife, conveniently stored in a plastic sleeve, is a permanent resident in my purse. It successfully passes through airport security and proves to be invaluable when we need to precisely divide a bagel or a pastry into four equal portions to share.
Gel stain remover: With my kids being prone to spills, this gel stain remover has become a lifesaver. It is much more convenient to carry than liquid stain removers and effectively pretreats stains until we have the opportunity to wash the affected items.
Knife sharpener: We have discovered that many rental apartments have dull knives. Therefore, we always ensure to carry a knife sharpener with us. It enables us to easily sharpen the knives when cooking in a rented apartment, making our culinary experience more enjoyable.
There are various approaches to education while traveling, and each family may choose what works best for them. Some families opt for "unschooling" or "worldschooling," which involves tailoring their child's education based on their interests and the opportunities available at each location they visit.
Alternatively, some families prefer a more structured approach by homeschooling according to a specific curriculum that aligns with state guidelines. It's important to note that different states have varying requirements, so if you plan to maintain state residency or reintegrate your children into public school after traveling, it's essential to carefully research and comply with the respective regulations.
In our case, we follow a hybrid model. Our children engage in an online curriculum that provides a more traditional schooling experience and ensures alignment with the state curriculum. While we dedicate a few hours per week to this program, the majority of our time is spent worldschooling and learning from the historical sites and museums we encounter during our travels. For example, what better place to learn about Harry Truman than in Independence, MO?
Traveling as a family may involve more complexities than before, but the rewards are absolutely worth it.
Parents often wonder if their young children will remember the trips they take. However, it's not crucial for them to recall every city or site visited. The act of traveling itself has a profound impact on their development and shapes their worldview. By exposing them to diverse cultures and people, you are broadening their perspectives and providing them with a rich understanding of the world.
There will never be an ideal moment to embark on a family journey. There will always be reasons to postpone based on age or circumstances. However, the world is evolving rapidly, and we cannot guarantee future opportunities. So seize the moment and embrace the adventures that await, for the world is eagerly awaiting your exploration.