7 Tips For Travelling With Kids During the Summer Holidays

Travelling at the busiest time of the year – the summer and Christmas school holidays –  can be stressful. Your mind is preoccupied with finishing up your to-do list at work, getting presents and gifts ready for the kids, and attending or catering all those Christmas parties. Having to think about travelling to visit the in-laws for Christmas is always a last minute rush.

While we can’t shorten your to-do list, we do have some great tips for how to travel with kids interstate during the summer school holidays plus some ideas for how to make this time of year a little bit easier – and much more rewarding.

Fly with just carry-on baggage

Hate wasting time at airports and love saving money? Christmas holidays fall during the hottest time of the year, so it’s generally easier to pack light (hello swimsuits as clothing) and skip those baggage queues at the airport. Roll your clothes to make the most of every inch of space.

Bring an extra bag

Perhaps this contradicts the first point if you are flying, but if you’re visiting relatives with young kids there is a good chance you will receive heaps of gifts from Santa. Pack an extra foldable bag that you can check on the way back home when the Christmas rush has died down.

Get your gifts sorted

Gifting your nieces and nephews money just doesn’t feel right – yes, that means you have to think about the perfect gift for each of them. If you’re flying to meet the family somewhere you may need to check an extra bag to carry all the gifts and other Christmas things – so why not post it ahead of time? Time it right and they will be sitting under the tree with very excited family members waiting to unwrap them come the big day.

Take digital devices for entertainment

Make sure you pack a well-charged laptop or tablet to watch your favourite downloaded movie while waiting for your flight. Power points can be few and far between, and free Wi-Fi isn’t always available to stream a movie, so instead think ahead and arrive prepared. Young kids don’t always understand how things work, so bring offline back-up activities like a colouring book just in case.

Pack healthy snacks

Busiest time of year means… queues. Expect long lines at the airports as well as the food outlets, so plan ahead and pack healthy snacks to keep your broad happy. That’s not to mention the magic price inflation of airport dining!

Keep important items close by

Something is bound to go wrong when you are travelling. Kids need pain relief to keep a temperature down or your toilet training toddler could have an accident. Go prepared with plastic bags, wipes and basic meds for these situations. Keep all of these essentials in your carry-on luggage, along with socks, jocks and toiletries.

Travel with the comforts of home

For the long delayed flights it is always good to have a travel pillow and even a small blanket that can be wrapped up and transported easily. If your kids need to sleep, there is always floor space that you can pitch a spot and camp out for the day as long as you have their creature comforts.