There are a few challenges and hiccups when vacationing as a single person, a couple, or a group of adults, mostly in commuting, long drives, and travel safety. However, these issues are amplified when you’re traveling with young children who are easily distracted, don’t have a good sense of direction, quickly get tired or irritated, and are sometimes more susceptible to getting sick. That said, you’ll need to be extra careful when planning your family vacation with kids, and make sure to take note of specific travel tips to keep your children safe and comfortable during the holiday.
Do You Need to Bring the Kids?
Before anything, you’ll need to consider whether or not your planned vacation is indeed fit for the whole family. It’s a common and often overlooked mistake for couples and even groups to bring along children in a vacation that’s hardly enjoyable or even safe for children. Couples sometimes plan vacations to get a break from work or cross off something from their bucket list. If your dream getaway trip composes mainly visiting an art museum, wine cellar, and maybe trying your luck in casinos, then you’re better off making it a couple’s retreat and have the kids stay with relatives or a trusted family friend.
Prepare Your Kids Before Finalizing the Trip
Parents would prepare everything in the itinerary from the accommodation, transport, clothing, meds, food, tickets, and even tour guides, but often forget to prepare their kids for the trip. It’s not enough to tell your kids that you’ll be going on a vacation on a specific date and a particular place. Present the entire itinerary even before you make the reservations. Who knows? Maybe there’s a chance that your child also wants to visit some other site or attraction in the area(s) you’ll be going to, and it might be too late to add them into your itinerary if you’ve already finalized everything and made a schedule down to the very last minute. Lastly, you should instruct your children on how they should behave, what they should watch out for, and what to do if they ever get lost or separated.
Travel Light
Traveling light is a piece of good advice whether or not you’re traveling with children. However, it’s going to be a nightmare to juggle carrying multiple heavy bags and keeping an eye on your children. That said, only pack the bare essentials and consider taking advantage of local Laundromats or hotel laundry services if you’re in for a long trip so that you can minimize your luggage when going on long vacations. And perhaps save a little extra money in case you’ll need to buy extra clothes on the trip.
Snacks and Entertainment
If your trip includes long commutes, there’s a big chance that your children will get hungry, bored, or both, and could end up complaining and ruining the whole trip for you (and possibly everyone in the vehicle you’re in, whether it’s a bus, train, or airplane). That said, make sure you stock up on food and bring along a phone or tablet stocked with enough movies and games for the kids.
Plan Your Transportation and Routes Accordingly
You’ll want to consider both safety and comfort when planning your modes of transportation and traveling route. You and your spouse may be able to handle 30-minute walks from one location to the next, but your kids may not be able to keep up. You’ll also have to consider how crowded the areas you’ll be traveling to could get. That said, plan your routes and avoid crowded areas as much as possible, you may even want to consider putting your children on a child leash on top of having them wear IDs with basic information and contact details if they ever get lost. You may also want to consider foregoing public transport and look for sedan rental deals in Manila instead — this could go a long way in keeping you and your kids safe and comfortable during the trip, and you wouldn’t have to carry around your luggage.
Conclusion
Taking a vacation with kids can be difficult, but with these tips, they can get a little easier (and also safer and more comfortable for everyone). So the next time you’re planning your trip, keep these handy travel tips in mind.
