Our Top Tips for Keeping Family Travel Low-Stress

Anyone who’s travelled with kids knows it’s no small feat. But at WeeWander, we believe there’s magic to be found amidst the chaos, and that - with a little prep, some magic, and support from yours truly - even the chaos can be kept to a minimum.

As a mom of two, and an American ex-pat who’s lived abroad since before I had children, I’ve done my fair share of travel in the UK, where I live, as well as around Europe and back and forth to America to visit family. From dozens of trips, I’ve collected a few of the most helpful tips I can think of to share with you. Some I came up with myself, and some were shared with me by other well-travelled parents. Now it’s my pleasure to pass them onto you:

Give yourself plenty of time.

This comes more naturally to some people than others, but for those of us who tend to throw everything into a bag at the last minute, it’s a game-changer. Before I had kids, I was a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of traveler; post-kids, I double or triple my estimation of how long anything is going to take. That extra time takes so much stress out of family travel.

Relax.

I know: it sounds basic. But choosing to stay calm no matter what happens will make your whole family’s travel experience more enjoyable. Bad things happen: luggage gets lost, flights get delayed - choosing to go with the flow and not get overly stressed by what’s out of our control can turn what could be a nightmare into just a bump in the road. Also? Our kids pick up on our stress - or lack thereof - and you taking things in your stride shows them how to do the same thing.

Schedule flights for late morning or early afternoon. Every. Single. Time. I’ve scheduled an early-morning or late-night flight, I’ve had a moment at the airport where I thought, “I would literally pay someone $1000 to be in bed right now.” The prices on those ridiculous-o’clock flights can be pretty tempting, but do your Future Self a favor and shell out the extra $50 for a flight at a reasonable hour that won’t make everyone in your family cry.

Limit technology.

Try to limit tablets to long flights and road trips. For early morning wake-ups (when no restaurants are even open yet), dinners out, and down-time in your hotel room or vacation rental, try using a few open-ended toys, play prompt ideas, or crafts, and save the tablet for when it's really needed. At a loss for screen-free ideas? We can help. That said…

Throw the rules out the (airplane) window. A trans-Atlantic flight is not the time to enforce strict screen-time boundaries. This is a fight for survival. So let them watch three movies back-to-back or chain lollipops (we recommend these lower sugar ones to avoid messy sugar crashes). You’re not just being nice to your littles - you’re being nice to yourself, and to everyone else on the plane, too. 
Avoid hangry kids. Bring along plenty of your kids’ favorite healthy snacks for the travel day, and also to keep at the hotel or rental. Keep things interesting for everyone by doing a mix of eating out at restaurants, ordering take-out to have in the room, eating by the pool, and maybe even throwing in a fun picnic at a nearby park. Booking a hotel with a kitchen or kitchenette can also be helpful for a simple meal here and there.

Make sure to schedule in downtime. Sight-seeing from morning till night was great pre-kids, but now is not the time to push yourselves to breaking point. For toddlers who take one nap a day, aim for a morning activity and an afternoon activity, and use their nap time as downtime for you too. Head back to the room and read a book or watch a movie. If you’re traveling with a partner/spouse or another adult, take turns staying in so one of you can go to the pool, take a walk, or grab a coffee.

Hot tip: For your morning activity, get there early to bypass the crowds - and to make sure you can make it back home for nap time (aka parent chill time).

Make it a collaborative effort.

Pick a destination that makes sense for your family's interests and ages, then allow kids a say in your plans. Try letting each kid choose one activity or one meal so they feel like they have some control in an otherwise out-of-their-control environment.
Number of bags = number of hands. We’ve all felt it - that temptation to throw in everything we own, just in case. But do yourself a favor and don’t pack more bags than you have hands. In fact, we recommend a backpack and suitcase per adult, so you’ve also got a hand free to grab a wandering child or help them climb stairs. We designed our WeePack [CTA>link to product] for this very reason; they come in incredibly handy when you’re trying to carry less. Let kids carry toys and snacks in their very own backpack!

Consider a family travel advisor.

Take low-stress to the next level and hire help. It’s a family travel advisor’s job to know the best places for families (hotels with family-friendly rooms, bunk beds, kids clubs, etc). Sometimes they even have access to discounts not available to the public. Hiring a professional also means you’ve got someone to call for help if things don't go as planned on your trip.