Exploring the world with your family by your side can be one of the best parts of being a parent. But travelling with kids often requires more planning and preparation than other holidays.

From deciding what to pack to choosing activities, there's plenty to consider before jetting off. If you're looking to book your next family getaway, check out our handy hints on how to travel with kids and enjoy every moment.

Pick a Destination

Whether you have an only child, more than one child, younger children or older children, choosing a holiday destination that suits everyone can be tricky.

Ideally, you want to pick a place that will keep both adults and children entertained, but one that's also safe, relaxing and comfortable.

Holidays such as the beach, snowy mountains, cruises or theme parks can be a good idea when travelling with kids as there are usually plenty of activities for all ages to enjoy.

Some top family holiday destinations include:

  • New Zealand
  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • Samoa

Getting a Passport

Everyone needs a passport when travelling overseas, including young kids and even infants. You can apply for your child's passport or renew it at the Australian Passport Office.

Before heading on your family getaway, you'll also need to make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months after you plan to arrive home.

Money

Dealing with travel money can be one of the more difficult parts of holidaying, especially when you're paying for the whole family.

When travelling with kids, some money options include:

  • Travel cards which can have a locked-in exchange rate, load multiple currencies and can be less risky if you load smaller amounts of money on as you go rather than your whole holiday budget at once.
  • Credit cards which can have good exchange rates, more available funds and services and benefits on some premium offers.
  • Cash which can be useful, and sometimes necessary, depending on where you travel. If you get your cash before you leave, you can try to get a better exchange rate than what's on offer at the airport when you land.

It's important to keep an eye on your money when travelling. Use a secure belt or pouch to keep your money close to you at all times and be discreet when taking out cash or cards in front of people.

You should also make sure to tell your bank that you're travelling abroad before you leave. If you forget to tell them, they could view your overseas transactions as fraudulent and cancel your cards.

Booking Accommodation

Booking family accommodation can sometimes take longer than just booking for a couple or yourself.

You might need extra rooms and potentially extra amenities depending on your child's age. For instance, you might decide to book a self-contained room if you need to prepare or store baby food.

Family trips are likely to happen during school holidays which can be some of the busiest and most expensive times of the year to travel. So when deciding when to travel, give yourself plenty of time to book your accommodation to avoid higher fees.

Apartments and homestays could be good alternatives to hotels for travelling families as they can offer more space and might even be cheaper depending on where you're looking to stay.

There are even kid-friendly hosting agencies that focus on offering properties that have been tried and tested by other families to make sure you have an enjoyable experience.

Planning Your Itinerary

There are lots of moving parts to consider when planning your family travel itinerary. For instance, an activity that a parent might think is interesting could be considered boring to kids, especially older children.

Try breaking up the day to make sure everyone is getting enough rest without missing out on any fun activities.

You can try and spend the first half of the day doing something pre-planned and then spend the rest of the day relaxing. That way you’ll all have enough energy for when you need it as well as some downtime.

Keep in mind that the days following long international flights might come with some jet lag. So try to keep your itinerary light during these times to avoid kids getting rundown and potentially falling sick.

Packing

What you pack will differ depending on your family's specific needs, but there are a few essential items that you can add to your travel packing list.

Essential Documents

When travelling as a parent, you won't just be in charge of your own documents, but usually all the kids' documents as well.

It's a good idea to keep everything together in your carry-on bag, including passports, travel documents, visas and itineraries. You can then keep a photocopy backup in your checked-in luggage or someone else's carry-on in case of an emergency.

When travelling internationally, make sure you keep everyone's passports in a safe but easily accessible place to speed up the process of going through airport security.

Packing Cubes

You can use packing cubes to organise and separate children's items when you're packing for a family holiday. You should be able to fit around three or four cubes into an average-sized suitcase to make packing and unpacking a breeze.

Along with clothes and toiletries, make sure you pack some plastic bags to use for dirty clothes. You can even dedicate a whole packing cube to dirty clothes to avoid transferring the smell or germs onto clean clothes in your suitcase.

First Aid Kit

When travelling with kids, safety is likely to be at the front of mind. Part of safe travel is being prepared, which is why a well-stocked first aid kit is usually a must.

Here’s a list of some items you might want to pack:

  • Bandages
  • Pain relief
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Thermometer
  • Anti-itch cream
  • Allergy medications
  • Medicine for stomach aches or nausea
  • Cold and flu medication
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Sunscreen

Bag Count

Typically the more children you travel with, the more bags you’ll need to bring. It can be helpful to do a bag count every time you arrive or leave a destination to make sure nothing gets left behind.

For extra security, you can even create an inventory of high-value items that you've packed to make sure they're accounted for each time you move destinations.

Common Travel Challenges

No matter how great your children are, most family travel is likely to have some bumps along the way. Here are a few tips on how to combat common challenges that might pop up when travelling with your kids.

Long Flights

Long flights are uncomfortable for everyone, but they can be even worse for kids. While older kids can usually find ways to entertain themselves, younger children might need a bit more attention.

Flying in the afternoon, evening or overnight can be a good idea so kids are more likely to sleep around their normal bedtime during travel.

When flying with a baby or toddler for more than four hours, you might want to break up the trip into two shorter flights if possible. This is so the kids can rest, stretch and potentially get some fresh air in between flights.

Make sure you have some travel games lined up to entertain bored kids and don't be afraid to ask the flight attendant for some help. Flight attendants are likely to have playing cards and colouring books on hand to help keep kids busy.

Remember that the change in air pressure during take-off and landing can cause sore ears for kids, especially if they've recently been sick. You can help reduce this by giving them plenty of water and food and potentially some gum to chew on to make sure they are unblocking their ears as much as possible.

Depending on the length of your flight, it might even be worth having your young children or toddlers wear pull-ups or nappies just to ensure there are no unwanted accidents throughout the flight that might cause you more stress.

You can also try your luck by asking the airline for bulkhead seats or seats near an exit to potentially give your child a spot to play on the floor safely.

Handling Jet-Lagged Kids

Most people will suffer from jet lag after long-distance flights, but when you travel with children, it can be even worse.

To help reduce jet lag in kids, you can try:

  • Encouraging your kids to get as much sleep on the flight as they can
  • Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the local time with your kids
  • Not planning too many activities on the first and second day of your trip so they have time to catch up on sleep

Sick Away From Home

When travelling, it's important to know where the closest hospital is to where you're staying. You should also make note of any local emergency numbers and check out the level of care you can expect in the country you're travelling to.

If your kids fall sick away from home, you want to be as prepared as possible. This is where travel insurance comes in handy.

Choose the right level of cover and get peace of mind that you and your family will be protected on the next family trip away.