Traveling With Children: Is It Really That Hard?

Sinisa Milic
Future Travel
Published in
3 min readDec 12, 2017

Often when you look through travel brochures, you can see photos of happy families, with parents and children smiling and waving and some wonderful beach, a mountain or, let’s say, Disneyland behind them. The scene is idyllic, it makes you want to immediately experience something similar to that.

If you’ve ever traveled with children, then you certainly know that the reality is a bit different. Traveling with children is a real challenge, it means leaving the comfort zone. The adventure is guaranteed, no matter how much you plan to enjoy a peaceful and a relaxed holiday.

The more children you take to the trip, the more excitement and action you have. Of course, it all depends on the age of the little ones. Stomach viruses, sudden temperatures, food allergies, and then vain attempts to stay as calm as you possible while you’re in an airplane or a car … these are not the pictures you would like to remember your long-awaited vacation by.

Many parents would say that a vacation with children around cannot be called a vacation…

Does traveling with children always have to be difficult?

When you change your perspective, many things change. Luckily, that is also the case here.

The experiences that your children will acquire when traveling and getting to know new destinations, cultures, and customs are much more important than the possible troubles they may provoke, most of which can easily be avoided with a good preparation and a detailed plan.

Children grow up quickly, and in the future, you will be endlessly grateful for the memories you have made. Traveling is a great way to develop a closer relationship with your children. Also, an interesting destination and a fulfilling day can be your secret weapons to separate them from smartphones, tablets and games, without them even noticing it. Offer them some real adventures in return.

All you need to do is to put your organizational skills to the maximum and listen to the advice of the people who have family vacations as a part of their lifestyle.

Travel insurance is mandatory

Travel insurance should be on your priority list no matter where you travel. This is particularly true if you are traveling with children since the likelihood that you will need a medical service is much higher. Babies cannot be provided with medical insurance immediately after their birth. The moment the baby is ninety days old, she or he becomes a suitable travel insurance candidate.

Travel insurance for children is almost twice as cheaper than for the adults. Most insurance companies also offer family travel insurance packages with significant discounts for children.

These tricks will make it easier for you to travel with children

When traveling with children, no one can judge you for the amount of the luggage you plan to bring. Still, pack your suitcases wisely. Always bring the most necessary things and try to take everything your child needs to feel safe and satisfied. You can never know whether you can buy your favorite food or diapers once you arrive at the planned destination.

If you are traveling by car, take breaks as often as possible. It’s best to be on the road during the period of time when your child usually sleeps. If you’re going on a long journey, a collection of toys that would keep them occupied would be useful. It’s best to buy some new toys because those will surely keep their attention for a longer time than the old ones.

Carefully explore the destination you are traveling to, browse the comments of other parents on forums and be prepared for all the possible situations. Most hotels and apartments have baby equipment available in order to attract family people. Most of these benefits are not supposed to be paid additionally, but it is still advisable to inquire in advance about the availability of the equipment and about possible additional costs.

And of course, if you are traveling with children, it is not desirable to experiment with new food, especially with seafood specialties.

Stay well prepared, breathe deeply and relax while experiencing this unique adventure.

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