Traveling with family is one of the best ways to strengthen your bond as a family and have loads of fun with the people you hold closest to your heart. However, if you don’t plan well, what could have been a wonderful time can quickly turn into a nightmare.
Traveling with family
The following are 8 family holiday travel hacks that will ensure you get the best out of your trip with family:
- Make sure everyone’s travel documents are ready long before the trip
There’s nothing worse than realizing that one of your kids does not have an important travel document two days to the departure date. Everyone should have all their travel documents like passports and travel insurance documents ready. As an extra measure, you can scan them and email yourself a soft copy in case you ever need to use them.
- Choosing the best accommodation when planning a vacation
Choosing a hotel may not be of the utmost importance to everyone but for me, the right accommodation can really make or break a holiday. Of course, your hotel priorities will be different depending on the destination. So, regardless of the accommodation type, vacation rentals, or luxury hotels, select it wisely to avoid disappointment. Travelers with family looking for a relaxing vacation where they may not want to leave the hotel too often should consider a resort-style property with amenities such as a nice spa, pool, and amenities for the kids. It should be a place where you would be happy to spend your time with the family.
- Involve the kids in the plan
Since you will be bringing the kids along, why not involve them when deciding where you are going and other key details? Involving the kids gets them excited and reduces the chances of them being grumpy during the trip.
- Get your travel vaccinations
Before you head off, make sure everyone has had all the required vaccinations, especially if you are traveling to exotic climates. If you are going to a place where malaria is a threat, have all the necessary anti-malaria products like mosquito repellents, nets, and long clothes.
- Pack wisely
You need to be very careful when packing for a family vacation. You don’t want to pack too much stuff that it causes you problems as you move around, and you don’t want to pack too little that you lack some essentials on the trip. Make a list of all the things you know you will need and pack them up in an orderly manner. You can use vacuum bags to save on space.
- Send your luggage ahead
This is a relatively new travel hack that an increasing number of travelers are opting for. Lugging your bags through the airport and waiting for them at the carousel on the other side adds a lot of strain and time to your travels. When you factor in the increasing price of adding luggage to your flight and the excess fees for oversized bags then you can see why so many people are choosing luggage delivery companies to send their luggage ahead so that it’s waiting for them at their hotel when they arrive.
- Use ziplock bags
Ziplock bags come in various sizes and are great for creating orders and keeping items like travel documents dry. Since they are transparent, it’s easy to see the contents without opening the bag.
- Prepare your travel entertainment
Kids can get bored and restless especially when going on a long road trip or a long flight. When kids get bored, they become naughty and do annoying things that will make you wish you left them at home. To avoid this, carry along some toys, audiobooks, DVDs, games, or any other source of entertainment that you can.
- Make a schedule
It’s okay to be spontaneous, but it is much better if you have a rough plan of what you will be doing on each day of the trip and if possible, what it will cost. Do some research on your destination and find out what interesting activities are available during the time you’ll be visiting.
- Document your travel experiences
Traveling with family is one of those special moments that live in our minds for many years as happy memories. Bring along cameras to take pictures and record videos of these special moments and make sure you have enough storage space. Don’t forget to share a few on social media to show off to friends and family back home.
