To fully enjoy a family vacation, you must first be efficient in the organization and management of your trips. Whether by plane, car, train, coach or boat, there are several golden rules for optimizing your transport schedule. Well prepared, seeing the country with your children has never been so pleasant. Here are 10 tips for better traveling with your little ones and tips for transportation.
- Find out about the services offered to families (check-in, boarding and delivery of priority baggage, special menus, games and films available on board).
- Before departure, get your children moving … until the last minute, and during the journey, offer them breaks, make them stretch (keep the umbrella stroller or baby carrier with you for less time).
- Bring a bag of provisions (snacks) also containing spouted glasses or gourds and wet wipes.
- Try to match the trips with the naps.
- Bring games and participate in interactive games.
- Have a change of clothes with you per person.
- Confirm your departure time (plane, train, boat) at least 24 hours in advance.
- Check your route before departure (especially if you take several types of transport) and bring a road map.
- Plan to leave earlier if you are going to a place for the first time, whether it is the airport, the train station, or the car rental agency.
- Be attentive to the needs of your children and stay together!
Airplane tips
To limit the stress of departure, plan to get to the airport 3 hours before take-off. Do not forget to consider the density of traffic along the way, the time it will take you to return a rental car or to find an airport where you are going for the first time … In short, have some comfortable leeway so you don’t miss your flight! Wait for the imminent take-off before making your children take the requested position, especially if they find it uncomfortable! Sometimes 30 minutes elapse between the first instruction and the time of take-off.
Car tips
Traveling by car allows you to set your own pace of movement in complete freedom, to offer yourself stops when the need arises, to stretch, change a diaper, have a picnic, visit an inviting park, branch off towards a welcoming village, or even admire a sublime landscape. Despite these undeniable advantages, long car trips can sometimes be real torture for family members … This is why parents must organize car trips while keeping in mind that the road is part of the trip.
While traveling by car provides you with an extra bit of flexibility, it also means extra responsibility in terms of safety. You need to make sure that your car is up to code with all the safety standards and when children are involved, you have the right children car seats in trucks, Suv’s or any other kind of vehicle you are traveling in.
Tips for the train
Taking the train is the most exciting experience for children and often less stressful than the plane for parents. Rail carriers also rely on an important asset: the panoramic views that children never tire of! Among the other advantages, let us note that in the train one is not confined to his seat and that it is possible to travel at night comfortably. Generally reliable and safe, the train is an excellent means of transportation for family travel.
Coach tips
Even with its advantages (service to the heart of cities, minimal cost of the trip, easy access), the coach remains probably the least suitable mode of transport for small children … That said, for short trips and getting around town, taking the bus is still practical and turns out to be a rewarding experience for them.
Tips for the boat
For families with sea legs, traveling by boat is more than just a mode of travel, it is an exciting excursion which, if the weather is nice, will certainly blow their minds. ! Well suited to family customers, boats and ferries generally house play areas and cinemas, changing rooms and canteens equipped with microwave ovens.
