There are plenty of tips out on there on the Internet giving you advice on how to fly with baby, or taking a road trip with your baby. You’ll even find some on this website 🙂
But where do you start when planning your first family holiday?
Stay with me and I will show you how to plan you holiday, find accommodation, take that road trip or flight with kids and pack for your first time family travel.
Steps for First Time Family Travel
1. Research and Plan you Family Holiday
Take your time with planning you family holiday and research the hell out of it. Research your destination, accommodation, flights, road trips and things to do.
My family travel tips page on Research and Planning Travel with Kids will give you all the tips and advice to plan your family holiday.
2. Choose the Right Accommodation
Then look at all the accommodation options at your preferred destination. Remember it’s your holiday, don’t just go by what friends and family say; take into account what you need and want from your accommodation.
My family travel tips page on Choosing Family Accommodation for Kids will help you to decide which is the best accommodation option for you.
3. Getting to Your destination
As you have begun to discover going anywhere with a little person is like doing a major military manoeuvre – oh the things you now need to walk down the street. Imagine going on a flight or a road trip. Don’t worry take it step by step and it will all come together in no time.
My getting there travel tips page on Flying with Kids Tips will break down every part of the flying experience from choosing the airline, booking flights, getting to the airport and coping with being on-board the flight with a young child.
Another getting there travel tips page is Road Trip Tips with Kids which will help you to create an itinerary, pack the car and keep your child entertained for the duration of the journey.
4. What to Pack for Family Travel
As if it’s not enough the amount you have to pack for a visit to your friends and family. Now you want to pack enough stuff to go on a family holiday for a week or two.
Well I love packing lists so I have created loads of them to share with you. There are lists for babies, toddlers, kids, adults, clothing, toiletries, medical supplies, swimming, and handy things to have. You’ll find a separate list for each topic under Packing List for Family Travel.
5. Family Travel Essentials
Before you head off on that long-awaited family holiday make sure you have ticked off and done all the travel essentials:
- you have the correct documents and copies
- you have taken out travel insurance
- you have completed any medical checks.
For more details on these visit my family travel tips page on Family Travel Essentials – what you need to know.
If there is any more advice you require please ask me in the comments.
Don’t forget to “LIKE” me on Facebook to keep up to date with all your first time family travel needs.
Linking Up With:
- Essentially Jess #IBOT
- With Some Grace #FYBF
- Maxabella Loves #WeekendRewind
- Justin Plus Lauren #WeekendWanderlust
- Melting Moments #WeeklyWrapUp
- My Travel Monkey #MondayEscapes
Great advice, Sally. You’re a woman after my own heart – I love my lists and putting some decent work into researching and planning holidays too 🙂 #teamIBOT
I have to say Renee I enjoy the planning and list making as much as the travel.
Planning is so important and can be daunting the first time you travel with your kids!
Totally agree Natalie, I even found it daunting the first time we travelled with our son, and even now there is something different to deal with every time we travel.
You have it all covered! What useful information for families contemplating that first trip. It can be daunting to start with…but the rewards of family travel are so great, the planning and preparation are worth it!
Thank you Fairlie, I even found first time family travel a bit daunting even though I had worked in the travel industry for years and thought I knew a fare amount.
Great advice all around! I am also a person who liked to plan everything out and make lists. When you’re traveling with small kids, I think that makes planning well even more important. We eased our way into family travel. We started with 1 kid on a 3 hour drive to the grandparents, then graduated to 3 hour plane rides to the great-grandparents. Somehow, we made it all the way to taking 3 kids all around the world. I’ve almost forgotten what its like to be at the beginning, but this is a good reminder.
Like most things with kids you forget all the baby stages Michele.
Thanks for showing how growing into travel with kids slowly can help with bigger travel aspirations for when they are bigger.
Great advice! Planning is definitely key. My parents live in Sweden and Abu Dhabi and spend a lot of time in their house in Spain so we’ve already flown 3 times with my 17 month old. We’ve been lucky though to be familiar with where we’ve been going, which really helps! #MondayEscapes
It makes a huge difference knowing a place that your travelling to. By the time you are ready to explore somewhere knew you will have a good understanding of travel with kids.
You are like me. I love to collect brochures and books about a destination. I even check out maps over and over again to make sure I get familiarize with the streets and businesses. Great tips in here!
Do you pour over the Google Earth images as well? I do:)
Really great tips Sally, and ones that I follow too. It’s all about organisation and research I think – once that’s all sorted you’re ready to roll! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Exactly Ting it’s al in the preparation plus you need to be flexible because travel with kids never quite goes as planned.
My No.1 tip – Don’t stress about what you may have forgotten. As long as you have the kids you have everything which is important.
Ah, but if you forgot the kids Lyn it would be peaceful 😉 But true you can always get by as long as everybody is safely together.