Table of Contents
Wondering how to travel with kids? Travelling can be an amazing, fun-filled experience for children. Travelling with kids can be easier and more interesting if you prepare ahead of your journey. For children, the benefits are manifold, as their curious minds start to open up to everything they see around. They start understanding and observing better. For parents, it is important to prepare their travel schedule as early as possible, factor in certain uncertainties that they need to gear up for and be well-prepared for any unexpected factors that tend to tweak travel plans at the last minute. Yes, you can do it if you are well-prepared. So, travel to the best tourist spots in India and abroad with your kids without any worries.
Travelling to tourist spots could be a task with children as their attention spans are low, their energy levels change, and they always might not agree to see things with us. So, we have listed some useful tips to help you travel easily with your kids and have fun together while you are at it:
For most parents, the first step is to adjust their expectations around a much-anticipated journey. List all your child’s specific needs and plan your trip accordingly. Don’t forget to check with the family doctor or paediatrician first. Keep ready whichever medicines are essential as part of a medical kit, as prescribed by the doctor. At a young age, children enjoy seeing new places and learn to adapt smartly, explore new cultures, and engage with local communities early in life.
So, if we choose child-friendly tourist destinations and adjust our expectations from the trip, it will surely be a happy family trip that will remain memorable too.
Wherever you travel with small kids, always plan. Whether it’s your itinerary, flight tickets, hotel reservations, places to explore or visit, hotel accommodations, transportation, whether you will rent a car or use local transport, restaurants you want to visit, activities you will be doing, or you’re interested in doing during the trip, everything should take into account your child’s needs. Also, keep a small buffer for your little one to adjust and take their time with the travel schedule.
Whether it’s an infant, a toddler, or a teenager, your child must be busy doing various activities as per their age and preferences. Prepare your child for the trip by talking about it from the day the plan is made; provide visual cues related to the destination they are travelling to, and this way, you will both be well-prepared for a unique travel experience.
Travelling with infants (from a newborn to 2 years) is easy. They sleep most of the time, and their schedule is better defined, as you would know their exact timings; therefore, you can plan your travel accordingly. Toddlers tend to move about and are restless. To avoid this, you can keep engaging with them through distractions, such as playful board games, toys of their choice, and storytelling to keep them busy during the trip. As long as their surroundings are comfortable, the travel will be smooth and hassle-free. Anticipate what excites your children and plan for it.
Travelling with toddlers could involve helping them observe and learn about new places. You can take them everywhere, but have to be careful with their energy levels. Give them enough time to rest and again charge them to play in the hotel.
With school-going children, help them understand what they like early. If you indulge them in activities like surfing, swimming, and tiny little treks, they will not only enjoy but also start understanding their capabilities. This will help them to differentiate their likes and dislikes while travelling. While taking them on trips, choose your travel guides with care as they will be with the children while sightseeing or strolling around the place.
Finally, travelling with your teenage kid could be fun, as, by this age, they understand and will start helping you plan your trip. It’s one of the perfect times to blend in with your children and let them plan and choose activities and their favourite travel destinations on their own. It adds a sense of empowerment and confidence to them.
While travelling with a child, start preparing them for it early. Build that excitement of seeing a new place and doing things together. The easiest way to do this is to make them watch photos and videos or read books about the destination and various places you will be visiting with them. The more they are excited, the more they will look forward to the trip. Whether places near them in India or on international journeys, they should always be well-prepared.
Whether it’s a road trip or you are travelling by flight to one of your favourite travel destinations with your children, it helps to travel light. Avoid excess luggage, especially when you plan to travel with kids. Pack smartly and see how easy your life would be on your favourite trips!
Whether you are travelling to the top 10 best destinations of the world with your children or just a nearby tourist place, your documents should always be there with you and should be kept safe. Make sure you and your entire family’s documents are kept in one place and are handy when you need them. Your important documents such as passports, hotel reservations, flight tickets, and other identification proofs should be kept properly.
When travelling to various time zones, preparing your kids for jet lags is essential. If you start adjusting to new time zones as soon as you land, it will help you to beat jet lag. Make sure the day you land is not heavy in other activities. If you are well-rested, you will feel energetic for the entire trip. Outdoor activities, playing in the park, or even short walks will help keep your kids engaged and awake during the trip. It’s always easier to keep them awake by engaging them.
When you are travelling, you don’t need to get food whenever your child needs it, especially during long-distance travel. So, always keep some ready-to-eat snacks and nuts with you so whenever your child is hungry, they can eat. This will make them less cranky and more manageable.
While travelling to the best vacation spots, one thing you must be careful of is about the travel time while your kids are with you. Especially on flights and road trips, handling a child can be a task, so you should always divide the travel with a break. Long-distance road trips of more than 5 hours should be avoided. For flights, skip long hours of in-air and or layovers. The same goes for early morning flights and late-night flights. Eliminate any timings that interfere with their biological clock.
When you are travelling to the most beautiful destinations with your child, make sure you have enough things to do so you keep them entertained. Variation of activities will stimulate their brain and help them observe and adapt better. Visit beaches, local markets, amusement parks, fishing lakes, zoos, boating, and so many activities which will make them want to go on vacations. You can try different restaurants and cuisines alongside varied accommodations as well. If your children are old enough, do some great adventure sports together for an unforgettable trip.
Time and space are equally important for our children. With enough rest, make sure you give them time to play and enjoy themselves. Child-friendly accommodations, play parks, and swimming pools are something that your children will always enjoy, so why not, along with visiting places, give them time to explore the hotels and let them play. You can also think of luxurious travel experiences with your children and provide them with all the comfort. Only be careful of their security. And take things slow, so they are moving at their own pace. You can also carry some games like UNO or puzzles, so they aren’t idle.
A good place to start when you want to travel comfortably with children is to check for flights and other details on Cleartrip. This way, you can choose reliable travel options while travelling comfortably with children and having a unique travel experience.
Don’t put off travelling just because your children are small. The earlier they travel, the more they will learn to adapt and learn new things with curiosity. It opens up the world to them, instilling curiosity, awareness, and knowledge. So, enjoy and let your kids see the world from a very young age.
Ans: It is safe to travel with infants. Be well-prepared and anticipate your child’s schedule, particularly feeding and sleeping time. While infants need special attention and care, you can easily anticipate their sleep and feeding timings and plan your trip accordingly.
Ans: Usually, a child under two should be sitting on their parent’s lap to avoid any problems during turbulence or even while sleeping during the flight.
While taking flights, it is always advised to carry identification of your children, whether they are infants, school-going children, or teenagers.
Ans: All airports and malls usually have a place for breastfeeding or changing diapers. In some cases, this facility is provided in the ladies’ washroom itself.
Ans: Yes, the airport authorities and the airlines have specific child-friendly services. Therefore, your child can travel safely.
