Vacations are one of those things that we look forward to all year for quality time with our family, but we also know that it’s not always the most relaxing time….especially if your name is “Mom.” We get so caught up in the planning aspect and wanting everything to go according to plan, that we often forget to just let loose and have fun!
While we don’t travel nearly as much as we would like to, we do visit family a lot in Pittsburgh and spend weekends outside the city whenever we need to escape the concrete jungle. Along the way I have acquired some travel tips that have helped our family create memorable vacation moments!
Travel Tips For Your Family Vacation
- Make sure that you first and foremost have your packing under control. It’s always a bad situation whenever you are running around trying to find things to compensate for what you accidentally left behind. For your travel preparations, we put together a great article to reference featuring your packing needs + a printable packing list: Packing Tips For Travel With Your Family. Also, make sure that you aren’t over-packing, try referencing our post: What is Your Minimum? (Advice For How Many Shoes To Pack For A Trip)
- Allow yourself extra time to do everything from getting to the plane terminal to driving to swimming with dolphins. If you don’t try to cram too much in, you will actually have time to enjoy yourself without having to run off to the next planned activity. Quality trumps quantity most times, and certainly it holds true about travel.
- Keep healthy snacks handy! There is nothing like having hungry kiddos (or husbands) whenever you might be far away from your restaurant destination.
- Whenever your kids get to be a little bit older, let them be in charge of their own luggage and take part in the packing, un-packing and re-packing process…it takes some stress off of you while teaching them responsibility.
- Don’t overlook packing medicine like Tylenol, to have handy just in case!
- Baby wipes will come in handy for quick clean ups, whether you are still changing diapers or not!
- Plan your day around your kiddo’s nap time.
- To save money on meals, look into restaurants ahead of time and choose places where kids eat free!
- Overall, be flexible and expect the unexpected!
What are your favorite travel tips?
Fashionably Yours,
Allison
Kristin Strange says
Sacks are important! I usually pack one snack per day just in case the kids go on a hunger strike, so I know they will at least eat one thing each day.