By Felicity Allan
Once upon a time I used to travel light – a bag packed with the bare essentials, breezing through airports without a care in the world, travelling wherever I fancied, often without set plans. That was before kids!
As much as we looooooove our kids, admittedly travelling is certainly a lot more challenging with children in tow.
Since joining Flight Centre, I’ve met some great “mummy travel consultants” who share my love of travel. We all have one thing in common – whilst we know that travelling with kids can be challenging, it’s worth it. It’s worth it to spend quality time together as a family, exploring new destinations, experiencing different cultures, trying different cuisines. It’s worth it to see the world through our children’s eyes, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
So, I got together with a few of the best mummy travel consultants I know, to get their advice on travelling with kids.
What’s your favourite destination to travel to as a family?
Andi: Anywhere without an overnight flight (our kids are 4 and 7).
Angella: Cruising is great with kids but I also love a city stay in Hong Kong – Ocean Park is great and of course, there’s Disneyland!
Chevonne: Asia is great – kids are always well looked after and many resorts have great kids clubs! I also like cruising with kids as they have family friendly entertainment and a good mix of adult / family activities, plus there’s also a great range of food so your fussy eaters are catered for.
What’s your top tip for packing for the family?
Angella: Pack a few items of each family members clothing in each of your cases – that way if one case is delayed at any point you still have clothes for everyone!
Camille: Just like with adult packing, take clothes that wash and dry easily.
Andi: Get the kids to help you pick their clothes to avoid arguments about what they do and don’t like to wear.
What do you NOT leave home without when travelling with kids?
Andi: Patience!
Camille: If travelling with an infant, a baby carrier is a MUST. Otherwise, grab your passports and you’re good to go. Kids are so adaptable!
What’s your best advice for plane travel with kids?
Georgie: My son loves stickers so I buy sheets of stickers that are reusable and he stickers his tray table and the back of the seat in front of him. At the end of the flight you can put them back on the paper and reuse them.
Nicole: Create small familiar routines where possible. Things like changing into PJs on planes to create a bedtime routine for long haul flights is key for my kids!
Angella: Make sure there are entertainment facilities on board, if not bring an iPad loaded with apps/movies.
Andi: We always take lots of snacks, drinks and let the kids pick a new craft activity which is special and only for the holiday to keep them occupied.
Kerrie: iPads are always a winner… Battery is important for this – no one wants a kid’s iPad running out of charge mid-flight!
If you need help planning your next family holiday, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local travel expert at Flight Centre South Australia.
Felicity xx
