traveling with kids

Traveling with young kids can be ROUGH, but it’s all about managing your expectations (and sometimes setting the bar real real low 😆). Sure you may not be able to linger over a 4 hour European dinner in peace or examine every piece of art in the Louvre, but traveling with little ones can still be a very rewarding experience. 

The most important thing to keep in mind is that traveling with kids is an adventure, not a vacation! All kids are different of course, but I think it’s fair to assume that when traveling, most kids will be sleepy (jet lag or just from the change of routine), hungry, and bored at some/many points during your trip. The secret to traveling with kids is to plan and prepare for all of these obstacles before they happen. 

A few of my favorite tips:

1. Traveling with car seats can get very heavy very quickly. If you plan to rent a car on your trip, consider renting car seats from the car rental company. Most companies will have several different sized seats available and are usually quite helpful in finding one that works for your child. Also, car seat rules are a little more relaxed in countries outside of America. If you plan to travel mostly by taxi, bus, train etc., a car seat won’t be needed. 

2. Plan your whole trip out in advance as much as possible. On our first European road trip, we thought we’d just visit places and figure out to do once we got there. The problem was, our kids (super young at the time) did not share the same appreciation for our travel style. 😆 We ended up eating at McDonalds in every city we visited on that trip because the kids would be hungry and we didn’t have time to figure out something else. Did it kill us to eat Big Mac burgers in yummy food spots like Prague and Vienna? Yes, 100%. *But* we learned our lesson and have been crazily planning every moment of our trips since then. 

3. Speaking of not eating at McDonalds, it’s important to make advance restaurant reservations whenever you can. To avoid international calling fees, reservations can often by made on the restaurants website or by sending them a Facebook message. Sending an email or FB message is also helpful in organizing your trip and also serves as proof to a restaurant in case they’ve lost your reservation. Also, many countries culturally dine later in the day (especially Europe), so shoot for an early dinner reservation around 4:00pm to avoid crowds and hangry kids.

4. If you are traveling with young babies, consider purchasing some of the heavier baby supplies at your destination. Babies all around the world need diapers and baby wipes, so chances are that you will find what you need when you get there. In many European countries, many of the baby food and kid snack options are affordable, organic, and available at every market. Also, it can be a fun experience for the older kids to discover new foods and snacks in their travels and pick out their own treats along the way. 

5. If you have the choice of staying at a hotel that offers a kids club, BOOK IT NOW! We’ve stayed at several hotels in our travels, but the ones with a kids club seem to be our (and our kids!) favorites! Kids clubs basically provide babysitting for parents so they can relax at the beach, enjoy a nice dinner, etc. Many clubs offer a schedule of their activities so kids can choose when they’d like to visit the club. Activities often include arts and crafts, movies, coloring, water play, and even cooking classes! Usually Kids Clubs are free for resort guests but if there is a charge, it is very nominal. Some Kids Clubs even offer meals and snacks to be brought in for the kids upon request. Kids Clubs help make a family trip more of a vacation for parents. 

6. Book everything online in advance! Tourist sites, guided tours, activities, dinners, everything you can. When booking tickets for tourist attractions, make sure to check if tickets need to be purchased for children, as many venues only require tickets for children over the age of 16. Booking ahead of time will allow you to avoid lines at the venue, plan out your trip, and ensure that you’ll be able to see everything you came to see. I can’t stress this enough! It may take hours to plan before your trip, but it will totally be worth it once you get there. 

7. When you’re at the airport or tourist attractions, it’s always worth asking if there is a special family line available. In our European travels, we have found that most people love kids and it is standard practice to bring families with small children to the front of the line. The same also goes for pregnant moms. Traveling with kids has actually saved us from waiting for many hours in lines. #parentperk! 

8. There are many companies that offer tours specifically tailored for kids, like Rome Tours with Kids and Kids Love Greece. These seem to be well organized and great for kids, but the price is usually several hundred dollars. Which honestly might be worth it if your kids are old enough to enjoy and appreciate it!

9. When visiting a new country, try to make time in your schedule for a visit to the local children's or science museum. It gives kids a chance to run around and take a break from the usual tourist stuff, and also gives them an opportunity to interact with the local kids visiting the museums on school trips. 

Yes it’s stressful and sometimes it’s even horrible and you might just find yourself swearing that you will never travel with kids again! But then you see your kids being brave and riding a camel by themselves, or ordering exotic dishes at restaurants like soft shell crab and squid pasta. Or you hear them excitedly greeting new friends in the local language and see them connecting with people of different cultures and THEN you realize that the life lessons and experiences you gave your kids couldn’t have been learned in any other way and was worth all the trouble and expense of bringing them along for the adventure.