Time is precious and most of us only get a week or two each year to travel somewhere with the family and kids. You probably want to make the best out of the trips you and your family take together. Having a smooth and successful vacation isn’t a guarantee so if you want to be better prepared you need to do some homework before you pack all the bags. Happy, well behaved kids equals happier parents and the family vacation doesn’t seem like a stressful chore.
Family travel tips can make things easier and turn the frowns upside down. It can bring the balance needed for satisfaction from the youngest all the way to the oldest generation in the family. Even using just one of the many travel tips with your family can make a difference and hopefully keep you from dreading your next thought of another family journey.
The first and number one tip is to let the kids be involved. From deciding where to visit, to what to see and eat, the kids will be more involved and enthusiastic if they get to be more involved. Let them pick from some choices the parents have in their plans. Even the smallest choices can mean a lot to a child such as setting the dinner table or deciding what to eat for dinner.
You need a comfortable balance and you are better off choosing a vacation that is not only appropriate for teens and adults but for toddlers too. An all ages road trip needs to appeal to the youngest up to the oldest in your group with something to do or see that each person is interested in. A road trip to the casino would not be fun for a 16 year old where they have the chance of getting kicked out of the casino or says they are bored watching everyone.
Games on the way to your destination and at the hotel keep the family entertained and their minds sharp. Shorter travel times equal less are we there yets. The games keep them from having too much time to complain and interrupt the fun. I think portable and visual thought up games are a great way to up the fun level during the commute and even at your hotel.
Kids and teens seem to have the attention span of a goldfish. They don’t want to be couped up in the back seat of a car or in an airplane for any extended time. They need to use up all that stored energy they have that is just sitting all bottled up. Keeping the travel time short and sweet just makes for less complaining and possible arguments. It also prevents the gang from feeling bored too long.
Almost everyone has experienced a problem with their luggage. It either gets broken into by security, lost, stolen, found with a rip on one of the corners, thrown around too hard where something gets smushed or broken. I’m sure many people have had their luggage arrive a day or two late also. There is a way to avoid these mess ups by shipping your luggage by way of FEDEX or UPS before you leave and time it so that it shows up when you need it. I’ve heard that works better, but I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure if it will be too pricey.
Keep your valuables by you and within reach at all times. Never check a bag with jewelry, electronics, tickets, money or medication. Because you can have an endless amount of issues with that luggage and yelling at the customer service agent isn’t going to bring the luggage back to you any quicker.
The last family travel tip I have is keeping a printed reusable travel list. Every year, I spend hours thinking about what is needed and what is extremely important to bring on the vacation. Trying to think of everything by the date we leave and hoping nothing is forgotten is pretty stressful. A printed reusable travel list cuts all of that out and all you have to do is find the stuff and pack it!
Source:personal experience