So what have I learned about traveling with my family? My kids are now 10 and 16, so I’ve got plenty of insight on successful vacationing with teens and tweens.
1. Be flexble and build in down time. This is probably the most common advice you’ll find traveling moms handing out, but it bears repeating. DO NOT overschedule your family. Give yourself space in your itinerary to linger if something really excites your kids, or to bail out if it’s just not working.
2. It’s OK to split up. I used to be really hung up on family travel bonding. (“We WILL have fun TOGETHER!”) Then I realized that my kids are two very different people and the whole family is much happier if we split up for certain activities. Why force my teenage son to sit through an art workshop with his sister when he’d really rather be at the arcade? A little separation between siblings – and even between kids and parents – eases tension and gives each child a little one-on-one time that makes him or her feel special.
3. If you travel off-season, check ahead that the attractions you are interested in are open. Since we homeschool, we often travel in the off-season, and we’ve been disappointed on several occasions when restaurants were closed or attractions were under construction/renovation.
4. When possible, bring friends along. Riding on the coattails of tip #2, having your kids’ friends or even your extended family along breaks up any family tension. This has been the single, most effective way to guarantee success in my family’s travels. My kids behave better, argue less, and enjoy making lasting memories with their friends.
5. Take care of yourself. Yes, the old, “put on your own oxygen mask first” advice. It’s essential that you are fed, rested, and comfortable in order to deal with whatever the kids may throw your way during your travels.
SJ says
Such a good point about checking for attractions being open – that would be a real shame!
Tamara says
I agree with SJ, it is a good tip to check in advance about if things are open, even in season. Some museums in particular pick one day a week to close (like a Monday or Tuesday) and it can be a big bummer if that is the only day you have to visit.
Rust says
My tip is: Let everyone get in on the planning and pick one special event the whole family participates in.
Rust says
My family travel tip – Let everyone get in on the planning and pick one special event the whole family participates in.
Amelia says
I love the suggestion to take friends along, usually people focus on how to deal with their own family when they travel. Adding in another family not only increases the adults to share the responsibilities but makes it more fun for everyone.
Bethany says
Include the kids in the planning.
Katie Baird says
My Tip: Be active. My teens enjoy an occasional museum, but my family is happiest when we are active and outdoors-hiking, biking, surfing, skiing … those activities keep my kids of all ages happy when we travel.
Shannon Entin says
So true Katie!
Stacey b says
We don’t travel much but when we do I like to have plenty of activities and snacks!
Christy Nelms Caldwell says
I love your suggestion that it’s ok to split up. A lot of times we must do this to survive the trip.
Dorothy Boucher says
One of my tips would be to always make time for yourself, I know in my case being the grandmother of eight , I often find myself tired out, so I must make take to relax, grab water and an energy bar :) and nana is good to go loll
Shannon Entin says
You go Nana! I want to be the same way when I have grandkids!
Suzanne says
I agree with #1. Downtime is a must. Because you have a limited amount of time to see as much as possible, it is easy to cram a lot into every minute. You will burnout if you don’t rest and relax a little.
LeAnn H says
I let everyone pick 1 activity they enjoy doing
laura says
Bring plenty of snacks!
Kiera M. says
Family tip- have a gps on your phone as well as the car.
rajee says
Don’t forget the drugs. It’s always a good idea to travel with some children’s Tylenol (or whatever you prefer) so that you don’t have to worry about tracking down a drug store in a strange neighborhood
Pamela Gurganus says
My best family travel tip is to have healthy snacks, lots of water and books, games, etc. to keep the kids entertained when they get bored.
Allyson Ballard Bossie says
I firmly believe in travelling overnight with kids. When mine were little, baby, 1 and 6 I would feed them supper, bathe them, put them in their jammies and in the carseats. I would drive 12 hours to go see Grandma. I could sleep when I got there for a few hours, and kids slept all night while I drove!
Shannon Entin says
Great tip, Allyson! Works with older kids, too!
Brandie Manuel says
I love the point about making sure that everything is open!
Also – we are often tempted to buy new shoes before we go – thinking we need some good walking shoes. However, I have learned the hard way NOT to give in to the temptation – more often than not, they have not been broken in yet and sore feet can make for a rough trip. My tip? If you can’t resist a new pair of shoes…bring a reliable back up pair – just in case!
I’ve also learned that gallon sized ziploc bags are the BEST. They are fantastic for stinky food scraps/garbage, half uneaten food items that you’d like to save for later, wet clothes, documents that you don’t want to get ruined, or simply other loose things that fall to the bottom of the bag. Also – if you plan on getting wet, you can throw your cell phones inside a ziploc bag so that it doesn’t get soaked!
Shannon Entin says
Ziplok bags RULE!
cyndee robinson says
Include the kids in the planning,and plan ahead.
Sarah Ebner says
Great tips, especially that it’s to split up – everyone’s different and enjoys different things, plus it’s a good way to spend time individually with the kids
Jenn says
Making then individual fun mini minders filler with madlibs puzzles and coloring pages
Julie M says
Planning ahead is so important, but it’s also important to be flexible. It’s great to have a plan but you have to be willing to stray away from it depending on the kid’s moods/interests!
Sarah Cool says
My best tip is to pack a lot of snacks for the ride and activities for the kiddos!
Rene Creamer says
I look ahead for deals for the places I am traveling to. I search for coupons for amusement parks, museums, and food.
Gina H says
Don’t pack so much to do into your vacation that you need a vacation from the vacation!
Christa Singleton says
Awesome tips! We’re still in the toddler phase but a lot of the tips still apply for our little family
Christa says
My best family travel tip is to have a schedule but be flexible. We stopped buying tickets to attractions for a pre-set time and date. Nap times change, kids get burnt out or bad weather happens. Don’t waste money booking everything in advance only to have to cancel and do something different!
Shane R. says
My tip would be to pack healthy snacks for the trip. I know whenever I’m on the road, I tend to eat a lot of unhealthy junk food so having healthier snacks already with you could keep you from buying that bag of chips or burger and fries.
Sharon Kaminski says
Plan ahead, be organized and do not try to take in too much in one day.
Anna says
Plan for lots of stop and pack extra snacks.
Patrycja Chudziak says
Always have a buddy system so that no one gets lost.
Lindsey Khatri says
I always, ALWAYS bring one “emergency” outfit for each kid and adult, I pack them in gallon sized ziploc baggies so that any accidents or messes are contained once you have the fresh clothes on. This has proven a lifesaver on more than one occassion and saves the trouble of digging through the luggage when you need a quick change due to mishap or adventure.
latanya t says
Know where the hospitals are in case of an emergency or accident
Wehaf says
I suggest being flexible and having backup plans!
sandra says
bring all the ac adapaters/chargers for the electronics
Julie says
always have snacks on hand!
DEIDRE ADAMS says
I’ll never take my friends on a trip that’s only supposed to be for FAMILY time. Plan accordingly or the vacation will be a dramatic.
Connie Gruning says
A car trip has to have plenty of movies to watch!! AND Busy toys. I always create a bag full of games, activities and toys for each kid. They don’t get to peek in the bag before the trip. So everything is new and exciting!
Kelsey says
It is always good to have a travel itinerary.
Raina Hood says
Bring snacks for the kids
Cynthia Richardson says
Make sure the kids are well rested and don’t cram too much into a day
joy person says
include the kids in planning the trip and don’t do so much and make it feel like a chore instead of a vacation.
chatti says
Having snacks and water bottles is a must!
Ashley B. says
Plenty of snacks & music if it’s a road trip!
Sabrina Joy says
Pack plenty of snacks and dress as comfortably as possible (especially for footwear if you’re planning on doing a lot of walking). And download movies or anything to keep yourself occupies in your devices!
Stacy says
I love your tips! My best travel tip kind of piggybacks on yours about making sure attractions are open. If you can get advanced tickets, do it! Many museums (especially in Europe) have timed tickets and you can only enter during a certain window (like 11:00am – 11:30am). The further in advance you can get your tickets, the better chance of picking your entrance time and you also can avoid what can sometimes be hours waiting in line for tickets or just to enter.
Rita Corey says
Your first tip is so important. People get so wrapped up in seeing and doing EVERYTHING that they forget about down time. You also HAVE to be flexible–Stuff Happens, so go with the flow.
Astrid Vinje says
Great tips! I find it’s helpful to let your kids do some planning of the trip too. It can be as simple as having them choose a few of the activities that you’re going to do during your trip.
Megan C says
My tip is plan ahead, research, and map out your trip to some degree. I went on vacation and said I would just play it by hear and wing it. Horrible idea! I spent have my time figuring out what and where attractions were. Now I figured that all out before going. I don’t plan every minute just what attractions I want to see and what others are on the way to it so I can get to see everything I want to see.
Sandra Watts says
My tip is to bring snacks and a lot of patience to deal with the kids fighting in the back seat. Throw in a few games which they will tire of after the first 50 miles. Turn the radio on and enjoy singing with them. My kids liked that.
Carolsue says
My tip is to let the kids help you plan the trip and make suggestions on what they want to do along the way. They are more cooperative if they have a hand in the plans.
wendi says
make sure to have snacks, games , pillows and blankets!! as well as great music
Elaine feliciano says
Travel light.
Michelle S says
Plan stops along the way, snacks, something to remind them of home, planned entertainment.
Emily Endrizzi says
My best tip for traveling with kids is to be flexible and don’t get too stuck on doing every single thing that you had planned on doing/seeing. Just go with the flow because the kids always seem to have a blast even if all they do is go to the beach every day.
Silvia Reid says
It’s always a good idea to bring plenty of snacks and cords or batteries to keep cameras and electronics charged.
Amanda Sakovitz says
Plan for some down time between activities
Racquelle says
Make sure to have plenty of snacks.
Candace says
When going on an extra long car ride, stop somewhere with a playground to eat and play.
Melissa Mazzur says
Allow extra time so you can get out and stretch and explore
Jerry Marquardt says
Don’t be running late, never anything worse than rushing at the last minute.