10 Tips for Travelling with Kids

Booking, planning, packing, and the hard part’s over, right? All you have to do now is hop on the plane and enjoy your vacation! Well, sort of. Things get a teeny tiny bit more tricky when you’re travelling with kids.

A family vacation is a marvellous opportunity for bonding, creating shared experiences and making memories. But of course, making the trip a success involves a great deal of effort, planning and accommodating to the non-adults.

In this article, we share a number of helpful tips and tricks for travelling with children, breaking down some specific tips for different age groups. Hopefully with these in hand, you’ll feel more confident in travelling with your little ones soon!

Travel Tip! Get DirectAsia’s Family Plan travel insurance which makes sure your kids are insured under the same adult policy terms, but at zero cost!

Pre-Travel Planning
 

1. Plan Ahead

Trips with kids are not exactly “we’ll wing it” kind of vacations. Booking flights and accommodations in advance can help you feel more settled and assured. Don’t aim to cover too many destinations on the same trip; changing hotels and managing transport can create unnecessary hassle and stress on the trip.
 

2. Pack Light

Bringing too much luggage turns it into a juggling act. Aim to only have one piece of luggage per parent, so that you’ll always have one hand free to hold onto a child. It’s usually better to have one big suitcase than multiple smaller bags. Even if your kids are old enough to have their own luggage, travelling light becomes even more important because guess who will end up dealing with their luggage when they’re tired.

To prevent overpacking, think about multi-wear items such as overalls and jeans, so you only need to pack different tops. Bring multipurpose shoes that are waterproof and sturdy. Check if you’re able to rent or buy certain things when you arrive, instead of having to bring it with you.
 

Flying With Kids
 

3. Prepare for Delays

Know that waiting around is a common part of travelling, and delays sometimes happen. Try to book early flights as they are least likely to get delayed. Prepping toys, snacks and activity books can help your children get through these waiting periods.

Even better, learn a few fun waiting games that you can play with them, such as I Spy With My Little Eye, Simon Says, Statues, Rhyme That Word, 20 Questions, and such. Kids love connecting with their parents and family travel games like these help deepen your bond.
 

4. Before Boarding Ritual

Get acquainted ahead of time with the play areas in the airport, so that the kids can run around and burn off some energy before getting on the plane. You can also board separately, with your partner boarding first to chope (reserve) overhead baggage space, while you wait with the kids so they spend less time cooped up in their cramped airplane seats.
 

5. Prep for a Good Flight

You’ll be spending some time on the flight, so introduce your kids to the flight crew serving your section. They usually also take special note when there are kids flying and are happy to extend help where needed. Strike up a conversation with your flight neighbours too — when people get to know your kids by name, they psychologically feel more familiar and warm towards them and are more likely to excuse any rowdiness or accidental elbows in their direction.

Take advantage of kiddy options on board: There may be free kids activity sets, kids snacks, and you can also pre-book special kids’ meals beforehand. (Did you know that you can sometimes book vegan or pescetarian options as well?)

With kids, planning for the “airplane ear” (ear barotrauma) feeling during landing and take-off is a must. Never board a plane without sweets they can suck on! Thankfully you can get sweets at airport shops before boarding. Motion sickness can also be a thing, so bring anti-nausea tablets, or for a drug-free approach, try sea bands that work on the principle of acupressure.

To pass the time on board, rely on the “Something new, something old” method: Get a couple of small new toys or a new colouring book and marker set specifically for the trip. Kids love exploring new things! You can also pre-download new interactive apps onto their tablets, preferably that can also work offline. (Now is not the time for strict screen time restrictions!) However, to get them to sleep, try inducing something familiar in an unfamiliar environment, such as with their favourite soft toy, or their favourite movies or audio books playing on headphones to fall asleep to.
 

6. Respect the Carry-On

That unassuming bag you’ll carry on board with you is going to be your holy grail of all things your kids will need. Think disaster kit for messy situations: Wet wipes, ziplock bags, change of clothes, spare underwear, etc. But also, a day’s worth of clothes, toiletries and necessities just in case your checked-in baggage doesn’t arrive along with you. You should also have access to necessary medication, a first aid kit, and your travel insurance documents.

BONUS PRINTABLE!
Download our handy Carry-On Checklist in PDF format ⬇️

On The Trip

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7. Manage Expectations

First things first: This isn’t a relaxing vacay, so forget about sipping mai tais on the beach in serene tranquility! 😛 Travelling with kids is simply parenting in a different location. Remembering this will help manage your own expectations on your family holiday. Focus on family time and simply enjoying each moment with your kids instead of what is “supposed to happen.”
 

8. Prioritise Flexibility 

Keeping things flexible will help a lot with managing expectations. Many parents recommend only planning one main activity per day, so there is enough buffer time to get lost, break at rest stops, deal with meltdowns, work around nap times, or manage moods and waning energy. Try not to book fixed-date tickets, as who knows what might crop up.
 

9. Stay Safe

Safety is key no matter the destination. At a minimum, have your contact details (your travel number, not your number back home!) on an ID bracelet around your children’s wrists. If you can afford to, purchase tracking devices like AirTags or Tile trackers and attach them securely to your child – you can even sew hidden pockets to stash these in. Don’t attach them to outerwear such as jackets because kids may run off without their jacket on if it’s warm.

Some parents also recommend dressing all your kids, or even the whole family, in the same colours so they’re easily visually identifiable. Another good practice is to take a picture of your kids every morning, as it helps provide a clear visual description for lost child announcements.  
 

10. Plan Travel Activities

Travel is a rather abstract concept for children. It can be hard to understand why you’re all in another place, and what the objective of it all is. Children respond well to achieving tiny goals though, so you can keep your kids engaged on the family trip by preparing interactive activities, such as:

• A map of the destination with clearly marked places of interest you’ll be visiting that they can slowly tick off each day
• A mock passport of the country you’re visiting, with pages dedicated to learning more about the country’s flag, national animal, dishes, language, currency and more
• Interactive worksheets for each place of interest such as zoos, museums, farms, and such
• A travel journal for older kids which they can decorate and record their thoughts in
• Conversation cards that prompt sharing and open discussions, which can be related to the trip (or not)

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Tips for Travelling with a Baby (0-2 years)

☑️ Book the Baby Row
Many airlines give priority for first row seats to parents with babies. Try to reserve these seats during seat selection while booking, call the airline to request for them, or check in at the earliest possible time to lock them in. Bulkhead seats have extra legroom for all your baby essentials, and an infant bassinet that attaches to the wall, so Baby can sleep well and you can enjoy some hands-free moments.  

☑️ Liquids are OK for Babies
Feed Baby during takeoff and landing to help them adjust to the cabin pressure changes. Airlines usually allow parents with infants to carry on formula, water, breast milk, and baby food – find out what your airline’s restrictions are beforehand. Your flight crew will also be happy to warm up a bottle for you when needed.

☑️ Travel Stroller is a Must!
Especially if there will be long waiting periods or a flight layover, an infant stroller will become your new best friend. Planning to carry your baby in your arms or baby carrier for a long time is simply going to exhaust you!

☑️ Pack Diapers, then Pack More Diapers
You’ll never know how many diapers your baby will need and it’s better to have more that you don’t need, than to need one you don’t have. Consider also overnight diapers that can absorb and hold more while your baby sleeps. 

☑️ Secure Accessories
If your baby needs a pacifier or teether, make sure it’s corded and attached to your baby’s clothes, so that it will never fall to the ground, or worse, get lost. Use bibs around your baby’s neck instead of loose burp cloths, suction cup bowls for meals, and leak-proof sippy cups for juice.

☑️ Bring Sleep Aids
Download music tracks such as white noise, soft lullabies, or whatever your baby usually falls asleep to, even if it’s a recording of you singing a lullaby. This can help recreate a comforting environment even on the plane or in the hotel.

☑️ Pack Blankies
A blanket is everything when travelling with a baby. It can keep them warm when it’s chilly, be something soft to hug when they’re in need of comfort, provide shade if it’s sunny, serve as a changing mat, or picnic mat on grass, and so much more. Never leave home without baby blankies!

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Tips for Travelling with Toddlers & Preschoolers (3-6 years)

☑️ Give an Introduction
It's important to explain to young kids what the plans are for the trip, where you’ll go and what they can expect to see or experience. This can allay any fears of the unknown and even get them looking forward to exploring new places.

☑️ Let Them Pack a ME Bag
Let your little one have their own special backpack and help them get ready for the start of each day by choosing the items they’d like to bring out with them, such as colouring and activity books, their favourite toy, snacks, binoculars, magnifying glass, or stickers.

☑️ Always Bring a Sharpener
One tip from many parents is to always bring along a mini sharpener! Sometimes we think about colouring pencils to go with colouring books, but forget that they become useless when the tips break off and kids end up frustrated and annoyed!

☑️ Schedule Time for Play
Be flexible with your daily itinerary and allow your children time to play at that playground they spotted on the way to the place of interest, or head to a nearby park so they can just run around and be kids.

☑️ Pick Child-Friendly Restaurants
If you don’t usually bring your kids out to restaurants when back home, think about how extra stressful it will be when travelling. Since trying to get them to sit still and wait for their food seems like an impossible task, try to pick family restaurants with play areas, kids meals, or even specialty themes.

☑️ Reward Them Daily
Praising your child for something they did each day that resulted in a smooth day of travel or exploration can help cultivate in them a spirit of cooperation and teamwork as a family. You can give them a special sticker or small toy as a reward.

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Tips for Travelling with School-Age Kids (7-12 years)

☑️ Involve Them in Planning
Older kids respond well to autonomy and choice, so involve them with the travel planning and listen to their inputs.

One way of even finding out what they’d like to do is to simply ask: “Where would you like to go or what would you love to do if you could go anywhere or do anything?” Sure, some answers will be far-fetched and impossible (“That’s nice that you’d love to go to the moon some day!”) but in between those you’ll notice some completely doable wishes that you can turn into a reality for them.

Once you have some idea of the travel itinerary, you can share with them what to expect, and allow them to choose between activities, or prioritise certain activities and attractions in case you won’t be able to cover all of them.

☑️ Give Them Some Responsibility
Allow them to pack their own travel bags by giving them a clear checklist they can follow, and double check it with them. Let them follow on a phone the GPS route you’re doing on the trip, get them to look out for signs on a road trip, or figure out which public transport you’ll need.

☑️ Take Advantage of Teaching Opportunities
Put them in charge of making sure the family is on time to leave every day, holding on to the pre-bought tickets, or managing a daily budget for sweets and souvenirs. You can also have daily debrief sessions about things they learnt that day that they didn’t know before, or their favourite family moment.

☑️ Look for Interactive Activities
Sure, there will be places of interest like zoos and theme parks to explore, but you can also round out the travel itinerary with hands-on workshops, such as boomerang decoration in Australia, batik painting in Malaysia, or chocolate making in Belgium. Engaging in tactile things as a family can create more shared experiences and promote family bonding.

☑️ Give Them a Camera
In our time, it was a disposable camera with a max of 24 or 36 frames. Today, it’s so affordable to give our kids access to a digital camera so they can record as many memories as they’d like to. This allows kids to personalise the trip through their own lens, quite literally! In a bigger family you could even hold photography competitions with set themes or subjects, and have the extended family vote.

☑️ Start a Travel Journal
An extremely engaging tool to combat wait times and long road trips, getting each child their own travel journal encourages them to reflect on their travel experiences and solidify thoughts and new discoveries. Knowing that they do not have to share these journal entries with their parents if they do not wish to also gives them the feeling of privacy and individuation, which older kids require to discover their sense of self.