Travelling with kids
My main goal on this site is to inspire you to travel – whether you are single with no kids or married with 5. It is all possible and simply amazing. I hope to help you travel smarter by sharing all our best tips and advice.
The idea of family travel, can be quite terrifying for many of us with kids, especially young kids. If this is your first trip with your children, plan for a slower pace than usual. If you want to see more than one place, be realistic about what you can cover with little ones in tow.
Don’t be scared to travel with kids!
I have travelled a lot on my own as I used to be Cabin Crew, we have travelled a lot as a couple and now we travel as a family with our son. At first thought, yes it does seem a little daunting - what if he’s crying & screams on the flight and everyone is looking at us...arrgghhh! But you have to put your fears aside - everyone goes through the same thought process and there's not really much you can do about it anyway.
The first trip we took with our son was to the Seychelles - when he was 5 months old! To honest he was pretty good on the flight and did actually sleep for a while.
I remember my husband saying this is the least relaxing holiday I have ever been on, LOL, what did he expect!? So no, it's not relaxing because you have a lot more to think about, a lot more to pack and someone else to look after…LOL but it is so rewarding in so many ways, you have so many first's and a lot of amazing memories.
If we can do it, so can you!
Our next trip was a city break to Istanbul when he was 9 months old, now this was a different level of stress…what’s the saying ‘every level has a new devil’..! LOL
Only kidding, but it’s not a beach holiday, you know you are going to be out and about sightseeing. The less you feel you have to pack in, the more enjoyable and stress-free the holiday, so don't plan to much, take it in your stride.
We stayed in a hotel in Beyoglu near Galata tower, it was a great location for sightseeing. Choose a hotel with a roof top restaurant/bar, you can get some great views across the Bosporus.
We love a hop on hop off bus so you to get see the main attractions and get around the city easily, we always use Viator for our tickets.
So what will you need to pack..?!
1. I would definitely recommend finding a light stroller, like a yoyo, something collapsible that you can take on the plane and that will fit into the overhead locker Amazon.com : yoyo stroller
2. Take a baby carrier especially for city breaks and walking around (depending on age of course). We used the Ergobaby carrier Ergobaby Baby Carrier, 4-Position 360 Cool Air Mesh for Newborn to Toddler (0-3 yrs), Ergonomic Child Carrier & Backpack, Black Stars : Amazon.co.uk: Baby Products
3. Hand-held carrycots are great for babies, they are small enough to carry when on the move, and can double up as a bed, too. Although some hotels offer beds for babies, they're often pretty poor, with saggy mattresses and no shields to prevent babies from falling out. It's better to play safe and bring your own.
4. Mosquito/bug net for the pram/cot LEADSTAR Universal Insect Net, Mosquito Net for Pushchair, Pram, Buggy, Carrycot and Travel Cot, Machine Washable Durable Fine Mesh Insect Protection Net with Elastic Edge, White : Amazon.co.uk: Baby Products
We travelled to Zakynthos in Greece when our son was nearly one. We were looking for a child friendly villa with a private pool and found the perfect place which provided all children's amenities like highchair, baby toys, gated pool area. It also had a kids club & creche on site too.
Click here for more information about where we stayed more information please
Here are some of my top tips for flying with children;
1. For baby‘s have a bottle of milk or a feed ready for takeoff, a dummy also helps (if they have one) and always carry calpol with you too. Food, spare clothes, lots of nappies.
2. Book a business class seat (ok that’s not always feasible or affordable) but it was definitely the best money we’ve ever spent, when I was travelling alone with our son, just having the extra room for him to stretch out and play with his toys was worth it. And using the fast-track lane to beat the airport security que was also worth it, there’s nothing worse than standing in a massive que with a toddler!
3. Take lots of sweets & chocolate, (for those few hours let rules go out the window).
4. For toddlers, a fully loaded & downloaded tablet with things to watch and games to play.
5. For flights I buy lots of little presents (from the pound shop or dollar store) and wrap them all up. I tell him if he is good, he will get a surprise, so every hour or so, he has something new to unwrap and it keep's him entertained for a little while...LOL
We are still travelling more than ever, stayed tuned for more. If you are enjoying my blogs, don't forget to subscribe and get the latest updates or follow me on instagram or facebook
You can also check out more on family travel in my blog's below
