What Are Your Tips For Traveling With Kids?

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March 04, 2009

The baby screaming on the plane. The tired 8-year-old at an amusement park. The teen texting during a museum tour. Family vacations are supposed to be relaxing, right? Then why do you so often feel exhausted after you travel with your kids?

For one thing, it's difficult to plan a trip and juggle the needs of each of your children, your spouse, and (oh yeah) you. Then, there's the unfamiliarity of the location, the crankiness from jet lag, food poisoning, botched hotel plans... it's enough to make you wonder why you leave your house at all. But you don't want to give up traveling for 18 years either! So, Heather Armstrong of Dooce asks the panelists, "Got any tips for traveling with kids? Please?!"

Share your travel tips in our comments, and check out our Top 5 Kid-Friendly Destinations for ideas on where to go for your next getaway. Also, join in on the community talk by posting in one of our related forums:

Panelists

Heather Armstrong - Dooce Karen Walrond -Chookooloonks Maggie Mason - Mighty Girl

Keywords

Family

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27 Comments

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Thu, 2010-03-04 10:54

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Wed, 2010-03-03 18:22

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Wed, 2009-10-21 22:08

Katie

We have four young kids (the oldest is almost six), and usually do at least one big business trip/vacation in the summer and frequently do a trip to Florida to visit with family in the winter.

My recommendation if you want to be able to do things that the kids might not be into? Older cousins. More than once, we have gotten "free" nanny service with the promise of cool sight seeing or a few days at a theme park with us. We know that we have a trusted babysitter (who the kids enjoy hanging out with), and they get the chance to go someplace they've never been. It's a win for everyone.

Sun, 2009-03-08 19:36

The Moxie Report

Start 'em early. My 2 1/2 year-old daughter got her passport when she was just 6-months old. We take her with us wherever we go. She so used to travelling she doesn't think twice about it. And we don't either except the time she had way too much milk and animal crackers on a recent flight and barfed all over my husband. But even then - the moment she stopped throwig up - she thought it was hilarious. Ah, but my husband didn't think it was so funny.

Tracy

Sun, 2009-03-08 18:01

CallieAnnie23

Portable DVD - totally worth the money.

Fri, 2009-03-06 11:58

soultravelers3

Hey rebajonez!

I understand it may seem impossible or like a "parallel mom universe" but family travel and even international family travel is available to EVERYONE if that is what you want.

For anyone with the excuse "I don't have the money to travel" read this by brilliant Chris Guillebeau:

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/why-you-should-quit-your-job-and-travel-a...

We are not rich and I know MANY families that travel who have very little money and some folks who have traveled the world with absolutely no money at all! If there is a will there is a way and that is why I left lots of good links ( of my own and others) with "how to" info for doing it on very little money.

Some people actually MAKE money as they travel the world with their families by teaching English, just teaching school or other work as they go. The possibilities are endless! Nobody needs to feel left out of family travel as it is one of the best and most educational things you can do for yourself and your kids!

We did not travel out of state when our daughter was a very high needs baby (with a severe feeding problem and failure to thrive diagnosis) & driving anywhere was a challenge since she truly hated the carseat. Still we found ways around it and did lots of road trips on a tight budget ( we drove at night when she was in her deepest sleep).

We took years to plan our open ended world tour, living very frugally as we saved, planned, prepared and sold everything we owned. Just like the family with 8 kids with little money that are traveling the world, we ate lots of meals of brown rice and beans and still do!

We have very few things which helps grant our freedom as we choose experience and being together over "stuff".

I hate for anyone to feel left out. Open your mind now and start planning your own escape as there are so many ways from camping to WWOFing!

Fri, 2009-03-06 07:08

rebajonez

hi, i just want to represent for all the moms out there who , like me, never look camera-ready, are up-to their eyeballs in baby poop and credit card debt, who are barely holding it together let alone have the time to sire and plug their own blog/website/book! ...moms who don't have enough money to cross their state line! international travel? ha, i can barely get it together to go to the food store!

forgive the hateration momversation, but i clearly live in a parallel mom universe from all you all and am sadly getting pretty bummed coming here and hearing week after week about the lifestyle i should be living but clearly can't! c'mon, throw us real moms a bone.

Thu, 2009-03-05 21:32

rebajonez

Thu, 2009-03-05 21:31

soultravelers3

LOL! You are very funny growingupartists!

I didn't mean to ruin your day, but inspire you! I realize it is much harder to do anything with 5 kids compared to a family with just one, but homeschool families are perfect for extended travel. Rentals here in Spain are insanely cheap! There is no better way to learn another language.

We live a very simple, green, regular homeschool life, we just do it with few things and slowly on the move.

We don't own an iphone or ipod or wii and would not even know how to work any of them. I never even had a laptop before our trip, but now we are a 3laptop family because one can live a digital nomadic life today ( often for MUCH less than a life at home). My daughter does some of her homeschool online, we talk to family and friends for free via webcam calls & she even takes her piano lesson here in Spain with a teacher in Chicago!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ar90wOnWnM

I suppose it does sound out of this world, but it really is easier, cheaper and more enriching than most people realize. We just use our creativity to solve any challenge that came up. Today's technology has really set us free, most people just don't know it. This is not the rushing here, rushing there kind of travel, this is the permanent vacation slow and easy , move when you feel like it style. It is your dream, so one lives it exactly like one wants.

I happen to know a homeschooling family with 8 kids ( including a baby) that is traveling the world right now ( grandpa is along too). I think they are in Cambodia at the moment. I know several other big families that have done it and none were rich. I know many families through FOTR that have been traveling and homeschooling for many years.

http://www.familiesontheroad.com/

Traveling does not cost very much money. Buying things and maintaining stuff is what costs money. I know a French family that traveled the world by RV for 4 years on very little money. Matador has a great article about traveling the world for free:

http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-travel-for-free/

It is not geared to families ,but they actually do have couchsurfing for families and WWOLFing and I know families that have done that and have loved the experience. I know families that have taught English in countries like China and Thailand and actually got paid to travel.

if you want to travel the world with your kids, don't let anything stop you! I constantly talk to adults who still rave about their traveling experiences as a child and the profound affect it had on their lives. My life and my siblings life's were enriched so from our travels and moving that I wanted my daughter to have the same opportunities.

It is even better than I imagined, so I have become an evangelist because I think it is one of the best things we can do to create peace on this planet and educate our children as 21st century global citizens!

Books on the move are a harder challenge ( as our instruments) but they can be gotten around. My daughter loves e libraries & one can carry many more books in an RV than suitcase.

if there is a will, there is a way. ;)

Thu, 2009-03-05 17:49

soultravelers3

We are into our 3rd year of an open ended world tour as a family and have been to 4 continents, 29 countries & traveled over 75,000 miles so far and on every kind of transportation from Freighter ship to camel!

We even manage to live large as we travel the world on just 25K a year, so we find it much cheaper, easier, educational & enriching than staying home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn9rDTZj-m4

We probably have more experience than anyone with family travel as my daughter was just 5 when we started our world tour, is 8 now and was only 2 weeks old when we took our first trip! ( It was San Francisco for us too Dooce, but luckily we did not get food poisoning with our high needs baby and that first hotel stay was great!).

Reading books is a great way to connect kids to their travels and have served us well! Luckily, there are tons of kids books that can enhance their travel experiences and help make it their own. I also have a little bookworm and books have been the center of our travels. Use them to prepare for the experience, use as kid's itineraries while there and to continue the learning and connection long after the trip, so that those new places and experiences become part of who they are.

Here is an example of how we used books in Venice to make it special:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ZIJ5kbQsk

Or this post about how we used books in Paris like finding Madeline's house or hunting down hot chocolate in Angelina's just like Linnea in Monet’s Garden

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2006/09/madeline-linea.html

Luckily, my child was a very early reader, so books also help so much on planes, trains, buses, while waiting at restaurants or when adults need time for adult conversation. We always have a book and healthy snacks with us like almonds and apples. Road schooling is the best & she just thinks she is having fun! Mom researches the books so she was reading Homer's Odyssey in Greece & Troy, Turkey, reading Harry Potter in London, Cambridge, Bath & at Hogwarts, reading all of the Pipi Longstocking books in Sweden!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSB7Gictlag

You can not expect to go at the same pace with a child or children as you do with adults, slow travel is perfect for children and they need time for self directed play in between touring and museums ( which must be done at a faster pace).

Once we did 3 museums in a day in Paris, but we mixed it with playground, lunch and snack breaks and just rested the whole next day. If one is going to push it like this, plan VERY carefully and allow for rest/play before during and after. She had just turned 6 and we all had a blast and she still remembers it well & we are looking forward to visiting Paris again this summer as she nears 9 for another long visit.

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2006/09/3-museums-in-a.html#more

Dooce ( and all) consider slower,longer travel and think small RV for Europe or month long rentals. You will save a ton of money and with the RV, you take your home with you, there is no unpacking, there are always free kids clubs in the summer, tons of families from all over Europe to connect with and always great playgrounds and pools. Most places have cottages or mobile homes to rent for very little and mass transit is great in Europe.

It is cheaper, more relaxing & perfect for families!

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0411/motor_homing...

Also, don't discount exotic travel with kids! We never would have gone to the Sahara in Morocco if it was not to educate my child and it turned out to be a highlight for us. We were afraid at first, but did our research and found it very easy to bring a 6yo overland & via ferry from Spain, touring all over Morocco which is a gorgeous, exciting country like no where else.

My 6yo did a service project by riding into the Sahara on a camel, delivering healthy snacks and playing a violin concert for 60 Berber kids who have never seen a violin and live without running water. That and our camel trek overnight in the Sahara have been highlights of our trip despite my being a gimpy, overweight, older mom. Ordinary families can do extraordinary things! My daughter and these children will remember the experience for the rest of her life and we are all better because of it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrrAFDt9W_U

We take thousands of disadvantaged school kids with us virtually as we travel and I think volunteer service projects are a wonderful way to add to family travel even with the youngest kids.

I have a post on "how to do extended travel and mini-retirements" that I will end with because it is full of answers and resources about our most common question!

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2008/06/how-to-do-exten.html

I have done single, couple, 3 generations and group-of-friends-together travel, but I really think slow travel as a family is the best travel in the world, so we have no plans on stopping any time soon! We are off to Jordan, Egypt and Jerusalem soon from our rental home in a little white village in sunny Spain by the sea where we are wintering for our 3rd winter.

Carpe Diem!

Thu, 2009-03-05 14:30

WeJustGotBack

At 20 Recession Travel Rules, frequently appear on MSNBC.com and Frommers.com.

There is an ideal vacation out there for every family... it's just that every family has a different ideal. After taking a look at budget, destination, and the ages of your kids, it's also important to figure out how you want to spend your time. Some families love to be together 24/7 from dawn 'til dusk, while other families do better with a mix of family time, couple time, and alone time. It's only a fabulous experience if everyone gets their needs met. So think it through, and try to get on the same page before you book anything.

Thu, 2009-03-05 13:13

MaggieMason

I actually wrote up a bunch of stuff too. I love mom travel tips! Here's my post 9 Tips for Quick Airport Security Screening with a Baby. Good luck, and go with the flow. My fingers are crossed for you.

Thu, 2009-03-05 12:38

Asha

Travel with kids! We've got a ton of tips over at Parent Hacks, in fact that's one of the biggest topics. It's such a source of pain and pleasure.

Parent Hacks has tons of great tips for traveling with kids -- good stuff from parents who've done it.

PS. Nice to see you here, Delicious Baby!

Thu, 2009-03-05 07:06

enyo

You said: "Too bad, first class is no longer something people just envy...they actually avoid flying because being glaringly excluded is just too insulting."

I'm confused. Who actually avoids flying because they are excluded?

If you want to fly first class on the cheap, check and see about upgrades. The husband and I booked coach on our last vacation. We realized after the first flight that it didn't work because he's built like a linebacker. We upgraded to fly the rest of the way (we had 3 flights each way) for $150 each. Completely worth it.

Thu, 2009-03-05 08:12

enyo

My son is phenomenal on an airplane. As long as he has gum to chew when his ears hurt, a DS and an iPod, and the kid is library quiet.

For other children that I saw on planes (particularly when flying to or from Orlando.... I hate that flight because of noisy children), I would honestly recommend a sedative. It was all that I could do not to throttle the kid on the other side of the aisle.

I've flown with a dog (easy as pie with a chihuahua on the doggy equivalent of Ativan), with a child, with a spouse all at various times. I've flown coach and first class. If you have an all day trip, try to get at least the last flight on first class. That's the time when everyone is getting tired and stiff from being shoved in sardine can seating.

(Sadly enough, even the dog seemed to like first class better. More room under the seat for his kennel, I think. To avoid the first class expense, check for last minute upgrades.)

Wed, 2009-03-04 15:23

latenac

We've been lucky to have a child that loves to travel. We take at least 1 long car trip/year and 1 airplane ride/year to visit relatives. We usually get her a new book or toy to be brought out for the 11th hour when we're almost there but not quite and everyone is cranky. I've never had to use a dvd player, laptop or Leapster. Usually looking out the window and the excitement of travelling and the promise of eating out is enough for her. The most cumbersome thing about travelling is having to take the carseat on the plane. Like I said, we're lucky.

Wed, 2009-03-04 14:21

Jojo

Thanks! She is already crawling and cruising like a champ. By this summer she will be walking like a pro. Do you think I can manage without getting her a seat? I don't think so but I thought I would throw it out there.

Wed, 2009-03-04 12:22

bwankel

Agreed. Never leave home without a fold-up stroller.

Wed, 2009-03-04 11:38

moonposse

My husband I travelled from Philadelphia to Hilton Head, SC with our children when my daughter was 3 years old and my son was 5 months old. Due to the cabin pressure, I nursed my little guy during takeoff and landing and made sure my daughter had some fruit leather to chew on. The baby slept through most of the flight and we made sure we had enough crayons, books, play-doh, and other activities for my daughter.

One piece of advice I would give is to definitely take a sling for the baby and an umbrella stroller for the toddler/preschooler. No matter how good they are at walking, walking through a crowded airport is always easier when they are strapped in and on lockdown. You can carry on your stroller and park it at the airplane door. And like magic, it will be in the same spot when you land!

Wed, 2009-03-04 11:23

La Historia

Hey There,
A Canadian here. I have always traveled a lot. My parents took us all over the world when we were kids. My littlest sister was born in Africa (no electricity with a midwife). My husband and I met in Taiwan (he's Canadian too) and we traveled throughout SE Asia before coming back home to get married and have kids.Now that I am all grown up (Yup, I have to say that as much as possible so that I start acting like one), I have two daughters of my own and a home-based business and I want to keep traveling.
So...last year, we drove from Canada...through the US and Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras into Nicaragua.
It was pretty crazy and fun and completely unlike anything I had ever imagined.
My tip is not to expect anything...not even the unexpected (ha! ha!)
It was really worth it though. Kids need to adapt to a family's culture and if your culture is to travel then they have to go with it. What a great experience for them too.
Loving it! We chronicled some of our trip at www.cometonicaragua.blogspot.com
Emilie
www.lahistoria.ca

Wed, 2009-03-04 11:18

bwankel

Our family all lives in the midwest and we are in CA, so we travel a lot. Our 9 month old has been on 4 trips already, for a total of 8 plane rides (nothing longer than 6 hours though). Things have gone remarkably well. We have had some "oh crap" moments, but nothing unmanageable.

The first trip was to Portland, OR, very short trip, when he was 3 months. He wasn't colicky, I don't know how that would affect things. He did great on the flight. But we got there at 12pm and could not check into our hotel until 3pm so we left the luggage at the front desk and walked all over downtown Portland. Then he had his first huge poo blow out and we were in the middle of Nordstrom without a change of clothes, probably a mile from the hotel. That was interesting.

I'm hoping that starting him young will eliminate most of the hassle that other parents I talk to seem to have. And I'm learning as we go. For instance, this past trip (which was just baby and mom, no dad) I learned to always bring books, and 2 toys won't cover the whole flight. I also learned to do a lot of things one-handed :) And that TSA poeple do have hearts!

I think my basic advice is the same as Maggie's: expect the unexpected. Don't for a second think it will go according to your plan, and be ready to be flexible. And animal crackers. Lots of animal cackers.

Wed, 2009-03-04 10:39

acm

yeah, I'm looking ahead to an overseas trip this summer and trying to make plans when (1) a kid 4 months older is almost a completely different kid (she's currently 1), (2) none of my usual responses to emergencies apply when in a totally different country, and (3) how she'll respond to any of it is unknown. luckily, she's generaly a cheery and easy kid, but can be either brave or timid at unpredictable turns, so the goal will be to make it seem either familiar or FUN in turns...

I almost wish we'd been doing this with a 6-month-old, since i'm pretty sure my Ergo would work just fine through a museum, but a new walker could be quite a bit harder to keep entertained. I suspect we'll be taking the Playgrounds of the World tour... :)

Wed, 2009-03-04 10:04

Lorien

We've moved across the entirety of the country 3 times in the last 6 years and have made several road trips to TX (24 hr long drive each way) to visit family with our 3 young girls and all i can say is Thank GOD for the Dollar Tree, built in DVD players and Leapsters. If I fly with them, it's only with JetBlue. They have TV!

Wed, 2009-03-04 09:11

Jojo

I'm impressed that Heather dared travel with Leta at five months. I dealt with horrible colic as well. Ours was only three months long but the thought of doing anything to ruffle her schedule is still terrifying now that she is near 9 months. We will be traveling out of the country this summer and it may just be me with the baby for the plane ride. This is with a child that will not sit still, ever. Did I mention that this is a LONG, international plan ride that will include at least one layover?

I don't know. I am terrified. Any advice?

Wed, 2009-03-04 09:01

DeliciousBaby

I've traveled extensively with my two kids (now aged 3 1/2 and 2) beginning when each was 2 months old. It's never carefree, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.

With a 9month - 18 month old, I would try to fly during nap time and allow extra time at the airport to really wear her out before you get on the plane. One of my favorite tricks is to put baby to sleep in the sling just before boarding so that I can just walk onto the plane with a sleeping baby. The motion of the plane and the engine sound are both very soothing, so you might be lucky enough to get a very long nap.

You should also plan to bring along lots of snacks (airline food isn't exactly toddler friendly) and some new toys. The toys don't have to be fancy - with a young toddler, even tic-tac boxes and masking tape can be endlessly entertaining.

I hope this helps, I have tons more tons more tips here: Flying With Babies and Toddlers

Thu, 2009-03-05 00:23

Mindy

Jojo - I found that traveling with an infant was the least stressful time to travel. Once they learn to crawl, there's no keeping them in the seat, and if they walk, well, brace yourself. Kids adapt - and it's YOU they crave as the most important part of their routines. As long as you are there doing the same things around the same times, you've got it 90% licked.

Seriously - all you moms with babies - it's easier than you might think. The cabin pressure changes at takeoff and landing - so make sure you nurse, have a bottle, pacifier, sippy cup, or something to get your baby to clear those little ears by swallowing. My mantra was "Nurse up, nurse down." My babies usually slept the entire time, unless of course there was someone with interesting hair in the seat in front of us.

Wed, 2009-03-04 09:22