Travelling with kids is an enriching experience and a great opportunity to strengthen your bond – and have a whole lot of fun – as a family.

However, let’s face it, it can also mean nightmare flights, sleepless nights and a lot of whinging when they’re sick, overtired or generally just over it.

With that in mind, we have created a go-to list of tips and tricks to ensure the family holiday is memorable – for all the right reasons!

Be prepared

Most parents would already know that preparation is key when travelling with kids.

We’re definitely not talking about going above and beyond with pre-prepped folders and gifts to unwrap during the flight, don’t worry! We know how stressful it is getting ready to leave the house for a holiday when you’ve got a family to pack for, work to finish and plan for while you’re away and perhaps even getting your home ready to rent out while your away…. it’s always a lot, right?

The tip is simple, snacks, snacks and more snacks!

This is one of the most obvious tips for flying with kids but for small humans, kids can certainly eat a lot while travelling.

And there’s nothing worse than hearing those infamous words, “I’m hungry!’ and realising your child just polished off their last packet of sultanas in the departure lounge.

Snacks definitely help buy you some time especially on long haul flights or during delays.

For the older kids, aside from snacks, we try to take travel-sized games, ipads with the kids’ favourite movies and natural lollipops to avoid ear pain on landing and take-off.

Games we love include:
Spot It
Sleeping Queens

We’re both pretty low-tech families, but when it comes to flying, the usual parenting rules do not apply and there are no trophies being handed out for parenting!

If you get the kids on and off the plane in one piece without tearing your hair out and with minimal disruption to the other passengers, it doesn’t matter if they have more screen time that they’ve had in an entire year during the flight.

Uploading their favourite shows and movies or interactive apps to a tablet can be a lifesaver and stop the kids cutting laps up and down the aisles and kicking the seats in front of them – or wanting more snacks!

Oversized baby wraps also make ideal blankets and they are small enough to roll up in your bag.

Immersive experiences are the best ones

Amy and her boys on the local bus in SavuSavu, Fiji.

When you have kids in tow, it’s easy to stick to the comfort of a hotel but get out there and truly experience a destination.

We always research a destination before arriving to learn about the lives and culture of the local people and how our kids can enjoy immersive, cultural experiences rather than just the tourist traps.

When we travel, we try to visit local famer’s markets, eat at locally owned family restaurants, buy from local artisans and make genuine connections with the local people.

This ensures our kids have a more immersive, authentic experience while also giving back to the local community and earning the respect of the locals.

Travel is a great way to teach children about acceptance and diversity and they will be talking about their experiences for years to come.

Airbnb

We do love a beautifully designed hotel as much as the next person but sometimes, we love the immersive experience and convenience of having a fully equipped home or apartment that Airbnb provides.

That way we can cook our own meals, live more like a local in a great suburb, and when the kids go to bed, you and your partner are not confined to one small room.

I also try to make genuine connections with the Airbnb hosts to get their insight into their home city or town and find out some true hidden gems we wouldn’t find as tourists.

Marissa made a great connection with an Airbnb host Monica, who owned an apartment her family had booked in Nice, France. She was able to share some incredible local tips for the region, and also for Paris where Marissa and the family had also planned to visit pre-Covid-19.

You can check out Monica’s stylish apartment Nice apartment here.

Boost Immunity

Having sick babies – or parents - on holidays can be very stressful and can definitely ruin a family trip.

We have a few tricks we have learned from our naturopath Tanya Goldie and several health experts to keep our families healthy on the plane and in new environments.

We always have DoTERRA’S On Guard [essential oil] to keep us safe from bugs and keep our immune systems strong. I rub that on the souls of the boy’s feet before we land and during our stay. We also bring stainless steel drink bottles for our water and drink a lot.

As our dear friend, integrative health coach and founder of Momi meditation method, Nicole King, says water and sleep are your best friends while on holiday.

She told us that even as little as two per cent dehydration reduces our physical and mental performance and that if you don’t drink enough H2o while travelling could suffer from a lack of energy, headaches, nausea bloating, constipation and fatigue.

You can always ask restaurants or hotels to refill your bottle with filtered water or bring your own portable water purifier or filter system along on the trip.

Go with the flow

Downtime is a must on any family holiday!

Dragging kids from monument to monument day after day is going to end in tears – not just theirs! - so make sure you mix it up and enjoy some child-friendly days, too.

You just never know what you’re going to get with kids – some days you win, some days, you just don’t.

Our advice would be to roll with it. If your toddler is exhausted from a day of sightseeing, taking them to the cool, new restaurant you read about is probably not the best idea.

If you’re in a city, mix up the visits to museums and galleries with trips the park or a picnic so everyone is happy.

Sleeping Arrangements

When you’re choosing your accommodation, check out the facilities and sleeping arrangements before you book. If the hotel or apartment says it has a cot, check to see if is suitable for the age of your child.

There are a host of companies who rent out items such as prams, strollers, cots and highchairs so you don’t have to lug your own overseas.

Don’t leave it until the last minute!

Everything with kids takes a lot of time so don’t leave it to the last minute to get to the airport, train station or pack your bags for the next destination.

With kids there is always the inevitable nappy change, toilet stop, or that bumpy line in their sock that requires an emergency shoe untying situation mid rush out the door.

To alleviate some stress, allow extra time to get to the airport or to check-out of your accommodation.

Document your trip

If your kids are old enough, a Polaroid camera and a photo album or a travel journal is a great kids travel companion. Let them document each destination through their own eyes.

It’s creative, will keep them busy and they end up with a personal travel diary they can enjoy for years to come.

Bassinets

One final tip for those who have little ones in tow.

If you’re flying long haul with a baby, check which airlines provide a bassinet that is suitable for your little one to sleep in.

It’s also a good idea to check whether the bassinet seat is available before you purchase your flight.

Bassinets are also a good play-pen – you may even get to enjoy a glass of wine or a quick cuppa, if you’re lucky!

Do you have any travel tips? We’d love to hear them!