With little kids, you take trips, not vacations. And, yes, while traveling with kids can be challenging, there are lots of memories to be made and laughs to be had so don’t let the work scare you. Preparation is key and, with our tips honed through years of traveling and helping our clients travel with their own families, your next trip will be a breeze – or at least a little easier. We can’t guarantee fewer meltdowns but hopefully we can help make the harried a little more relaxing.
Sign, Sealed, Delivered: If you are traveling with small children to a hotel or place that can accept packages in advance, we recommend drop-shipping through Amazon or similar sites all the essentials such as diapers, wipes, formula, etc. This way you only have to carry the essentials on the plane.
Love it & Share it: No need to pack your beach toys, send toys and pails ahead of time to the hotel to use while we are there and then “gift” them to another family when you leave the hotel.
Lighten the Load: Make things easier on yourself by checking to see what items can be rented - you can often find items like cribs, sun umbrellas and jogging strollers. However, we typically recommend bringing your own crib sheets and other essential accessories to make sure that your days and nights go smoothly.
Map it Out: Make your holiday days easier by mapping out a rough daily schedule for each day of vacation so you can make sure that you are bringing enough of the right clothes. Once the schedule has been mapped out, set aside daily outfits for each child and pack them together to make getting dressed each day a little easier. And, depending on whether or not you have laundry access, pack a few extra outfits - cause you never know what may happen!
Pack it Up: Save space and keep things organized by using packing cubes or even rolling outfits together. We find these packing cubes from CALPAK excite the littlest of travelers and keep their daily outfits all in one place so you can grab and go.
Make it Last: Take advantage of extra beach time on your last day by bringing an extra-large ziplock bag in your bag or a Reusable Wet Bag to pack wet swimsuits for the plane ride home. Baby Powder is also a quick fix for removing sand from sticky fingers during your quick change on your back way home.
Happy Organized Travels!
For more travel advice when traveling with kids, read our tips for Sara of Mercer & Green here.
