The Heart of Family Travel: Creating Traditions That Last a Lifetime

Family travel isn’t just about packing suitcases, boarding planes, or driving for hours with snacks and a car full of “are we there yet?” questions. At its heart, it’s about connection. It’s about those little moments that make a trip memorable—the belly laughs, the unexpected discoveries, and the rituals that slowly become “just what we do” every time we travel together.

The beauty of these family travel traditions is that they don’t need to be fancy or expensive. In fact, the most powerful traditions are often the simplest ones, repeated year after year until they become part of your family’s story.

If you’ve ever wanted to make your family trips feel more meaningful, memorable, and fun, this guide is for you. Let’s dive in!

Why Family Travel Traditions Matter

When I think back to my childhood vacations, I don’t remember every hotel or every landmark. What I do remember is my dad always insisting we take the “scenic route” (no matter where we were going and even if we were already late) and he would insist on stopping for his favorite Chicago style hot dogs on the drive home from the airport. My mom would have us help her pack a “fun bag” where my 3 siblings and we would each get to choose 3 toys or activities for the trip that she would keep in her bag. She would also have us write “today’s highlights” in a little spiral notebook before we went to bed each night on vacation.  At the time, it felt like just another part of the trip. Now? Those are the memories that stick.

That’s the magic of traditions, they strengthen bonds and bring everyone together. They create anticipation and a little predictability. Kids love knowing “this is what we do” on trips and they’ll look forward to it every time. Traditions are also really good at turning trips into stories. Instead of random memories, traditions become the threads that tie trips together.

Traditions Before You Leave 

• Create a paper chain countdown: String together paper loops with numbers on them and have your kids cut off one loop each day - the chain will visually get shorter as your trip approaches! 

• Clean the fridge meal: The night before you leave, play a fun game of trying to figure out what can be made with the few groceries you have left. Let the kids get involved! But make sure it’s something they (and you!) will actually want to eat.

• Family packing playlist: Let everyone in the family choose a few of their favorite songs to add to a new playlist specifically made for your trip. Make sure to do a little research to find some local musicians or music genres specific to your destination.  Play it while packing, while driving to your destination or maybe even for a dance party in your hotel room! 

• Destination movie night: Watch a movie that takes place in or is inspired by the place you’re going. Paris trip? Ratatouille. Hawaii? Lilo and Stitch. Road trip? Cars. Pair it with a dinner inspired by the location (tacos before heading to Mexico, pasta before Italy). 

• Research your destination: Find it on a map and show your kids how far you have to travel from home. Look up fun facts about your destination and show them a few videos about the animals they can expect to see or famous landmarks. After your research, ask questions to find out what they are most excited about and what makes them the most nervous.

• Get kids involved in the planning: With the help of a parent, allow each of your kids to choose one surprise activity that’s kept secret until that day. Maybe schedule only one on each day to spread them out. This could be as simple as choosing a famous ice cream shop to stop at after dinner! 

Traditions While On Your Trip

• Start a collection: Whether it be ornaments, shells, local currency, or postcards, start a collection of something that interests you and that you can pick up in each destination. Find a fun way to store/label them at home so you remember where you got each one! 

• Try the local cuisine: Make sure to try a signature dish in every new place you visit or try one new food that no one in your family has ever tasted before. You could even schedule a family cooking class to learn how to prepare more traditional meals. 

• Watch the sunrise on your last day: Or, if you want to make sure your kids get enough sleep on the travel day back home (and don’t want to wake them up too early), make sure to catch the sunset as a family on your last night. Either way, you can use this time to slow down a little and reflect on your trip before you get back home into the hustle and bustle of daily life. 

• Write a postcard to yourselves: Find your favorite postcard and mail it to your home address as a reminder of your trip even after you return. For younger kids, draw something you did or saw on your trip! Keep them all together so you can look back at them for years to come. 

• Family photo: Snap a family photo in a similar pose at every destination. Over the years, you’ll love flipping through to see the different backgrounds and how everyone has grown and changed. 

• Highs and lows: While you might already do this at home, try your best to do “highs and lows” of the day every night before bed on vacation, too. It sparks meaningful conversations and laughs but also helps give your kids a sense of consistency and routine that vacations sometimes lack. 

• One-on-one time: Plan a special outing with one of your kids at a time, if time allows. This is especially helpful if a younger sibling is napping in the hotel room or rental. One parent can stay back with the napper while the other parent takes the older kiddo on a special outing! Swap the next day so each parent gets a turn. 

• Get outside your comfort zone: Do something that takes you outside your comfort zone on every vacation (within reason). That could mean trying out a new sport together, starting a conversation with a new friend or family or trying a unique food. 

Traditions for When You Return 

• Create a family travel scrapbook or journal:  Collect ticket stubs, pamphlets, leaves, and other fun items on your trip to include in your scrapbook. You could even include family awards such as “Best Navigator” or “Funniest Moment”. To make this feel less overwhelming, just do a few pages for every trip you take. 

• Create a photo album for each trip: I love using the Artifact Uprising Travel Album. Try your best to create this within a few weeks of getting back from your trip so your photos are more easily accessible (and your memories too)! 

• Recreate a dish: Cook one of your favorite foods from your travels together, even if it’s a simplified version (street tacos, ramen, croissants). 

• Memory jar: After each trip, have everyone in the family jot down a few of their favorite memories (funniest moment, something they learned, a person they met). Younger kids can draw their favorite memories and have a parent dictate. Watch the jar fill up over the years and (depending on how often you travel) empty and read aloud all the memories at the end of each year.

Creating travel traditions doesn’t have to be elaborate. In fact, the best ones often happen naturally and then stick (and have more buy in from your kids). The trick is to notice them and lean in. As kids grow and interests change, don’t be afraid to evolve your traditions while keeping the heart of them intact. 

And let’s not forget the power of returning to the same place year after year. Some of the most powerful travel traditions come not from what you do during a trip, but from repeating the trip itself. Our family travels to the same cottage in Michigan every summer and over time it has become my daughter’s “happy place”. A place where she plays make believe with cousins for hours and swims in the same Lake Michigan waves year after year. These trips are unique because they offer a real chance to slow down. When you return to the same spot every year, there’s less pressure to “see everything” and more time to be present. 

Final Thoughts

Traditions don’t have to be big. They don’t have to cost anything. They just need to be yours. They’re the glue that turns ordinary trips into extraordinary memories, the little rituals that your kids will laugh about, look forward to, and one day pass on.

So the next time you pack your bags, don’t just think about where you’re going. Think about the traditions you’re building. Because in the end, those little rituals are what your kids will carry with them long after the trip is over.

And that’s the real magic of family travel.