Traveling with family members can be quite an ordeal. While it is exciting to travel with family members, friends, and even your children, there is much to think about. When traveling, being prepared is one of the most important aspects of setting off on a new adventure. The more prepared you are, the better the experience will be for you and your children. Whether you are traveling abroad or within your country, there are some things to keep in mind when traveling with kids.
Proper documentation
One of the most important things to remember when traveling with kids is that they need to have documents with them that can prove their age and who they are. This may sound silly, but it is true, especially when you are flying. Be sure to check the requirements for the airline you are flying with as they may vary between different companies.
There have been many times when a small child who is obviously under 2 is set to fly but their parents have forgotten to bring along their birth certificate. This can pose problems for the airline and for you as the customer.
When traveling abroad or anywhere for an extended period of time, make sure that your child has their social security card with them. Here in the European Union, we have The European Health Insurance Card. EHIC is issued free of charge and allows anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the EEA countries and Switzerland to receive medical treatment in another member state free or at a reduced cost.
Whenever we plan to travel abroad, I check the validity of the card and renew them if needed. It’s really important to keep in mind that you have to replace your child’s social security card too!
Learn about the place in which you are visiting
Before you set off on your adventure, make sure to research the area in which you are visiting. Look for kids activities, dinner options, and excursions that you can take with your family.
While we love to visit art and history museums and different musical performances, they are not always suitable for kids or they get really bored. So when traveling with kids, try to include as many activities as possible that they might like.
Emergency contact
Should something happen to you or your children, it is important to have an emergency contact that is not on the trip with you. Keeping your documents in a safe place, and also providing a copy with your emergency contact can give you some peace of mind. By giving your emergency contact some copies of your documents, you can rest assured that should anything happen while you are traveling, you can still get copies of your documents if you are in a desperate situation.
Pack snacks and games
Kids get bored quickly. One of the best ways to handle this boredom is to pack snacks and small travel games. Make sure to play games with your kids or try to help them stay entertained. It can be a hard job to accomplish but your efforts will not go in vain.
We usually buy some small toys that are easy to carry around and that are new to our daughter. That way she will play with them for a longer time. When traveling by plane, there are airlines that still give some free goodies to kids. Lufthansa is one of them and we really love how kid-friendly they are!
Take lots of photos and have fun!
One of the most important things to remember when you are on vacation with your family is that you are creating memories that will last a lifetime. Make sure to bring a camera to take photos of the great adventures you will have as a family while on your vacation.
And of course, have a lot of fun! It might be a little bit more stressful to travel with kids but all the memories you make together will be worth it!
